Hi, We're Onja!

About Onja

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Onja is a social enterprise training underprivileged youth into world-class software developers.

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We find the brightest students in Madagascar who can’t afford to continue their education, and train them in English language and software development. After just two-and-a-half years they are ready to work as remote front-end software developers in international tech teams.

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Once in a job, our developers earn a good salary that helps them support their families and pay forward the opportunity to a new wave of students. They unlock exciting careers that fulfil their potential, and accelerate the development of their nation (see ‘How Onja Works’ below).

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Our first cohort, ‘Wave 1’, consists of nineteen talented and committed graduates who are now working remotely for our partner companies in Europe and the US. With this immensely successful first cohort, and a proven social model, our goal is now to scale our impact: we aim to take on 360 new students over the next four years.

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Our fast-growing team is very united, committed to the mission, and hardworking, but we also maintain a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere that you’ll find everywhere in Madagascar.

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Onja is located in Toamasina, a lively city with beautiful beaches, nice restaurants, and with plenty to do and see. Toamasina is Madagascar’s second largest city (population 300,000) yet is surrounded by plenty of natural beauty, and even has a national park nearby.

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About the Role

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From 2020 to 2021 we developed and delivered a full-time course that allowed twenty students to progress from absolute beginners to industry-ready front-end software developers, and they are now all working in US/European tech teams remotely from Madagascar.

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Our challenge now is to scale our organisation, bringing opportunities to hundreds, moving to thousands of students. An important part of this will be diversifying our tech stack to train both front-end and back-end developers. Your mission as our Full Stack Course Designer is to build this course, from the ground up, into a highly scalable online-style programme.

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Your responsibilities include:

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• Conducting preliminary research to determine which languages and technologies should be included in the course.
• Finding existing online material and incorporating useful material into the course
• Creating engaging video lectures, learning activities and course content
• Collaborate with past Onja lecturers, incorporating their specific experience into your course design.
• Deciding on the criteria used to assess students’ performance and develop assessments.
• As we are a startup social enterprise there will likely be opportunities to wear many hats, contributing to other parts of the organisation.

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Requirements

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• Twelve month commitment (this ensures sufficient time to make a truly meaningful impact) with potential to renew/extend.
• At least one year professional Fullstack experience
• Preferably three or more years of Fullstack experience however a willingness to learn and grow in the role is most important to us.
• An interest in teaching and course design.

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What you can expect

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• You’ll join our tight-knit, committed team in Toamasina, Madagascar.
• We know it’s a big move so we will look after you and make sure you are secure and settled.
• Secure, comfortable accommodation is provided
• Food is provided
• We are able to offer a good local salary – enough to live comfortably and have plenty left over for holidays travels.
• Unlimited annual leave. We recommend between 30 and 35 days as a guide, giving you time to explore the wonders of Madagascar
• We also offer 25% remote work but this has potential to be increased depending on position and person
• We’ll provide optional weekly lessons to bring you up to speed with the language.
• Your visa will be sponsored.
• Sponsored flights

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Start date: We are ready for you now, but generally allow for two months from the time the contract is signed.

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Why work with us

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• Do impactful work: Working with Onja gives you the ability to make a real tangible difference with your work, and have a deep sense of purpose in your every-day. Our mission is to nurture talented, underprivileged youth to lead impactful careers in tech, unlock opportunities for others and accelerate Madagascar's development.
• Grow your skills fast: As a young fast-growing startup we are all in “over our head” and this is a great place to grow.  You will be challenged but you’ll also be part of a very supportive team and caring environment. Our social model is innovative with exciting potential to scale, so there is a great opportunity for you to grow your career along with us.
• Work with very talented individuals who are very socially inclined:  At Onja you’ll join a community of talented and passionate people from around Madagascar and the world. 

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How Onja Works 

Onja is a social enterprise with a sustainable model:

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1. Search for brilliant minds who would otherwise be limited to low-paid, unfulfilling careers.
2. Students receive two years of English and software development instruction. Meet a developer here: https://onja.org/blog
3. Graduates earn (and continue learning) at our outsourcing enterprise. 

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All profits are used to train the next wave of students and the cycle begins again.  

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We want our recruitment process to be fair and inclusive, so please do let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments we can make. For example, if you identify as neurodivergent, we can accommodate and discuss modifications to our hiring process with you.