Learning Scientist
alx_africa
WorldwideremotePosted 2 months ago
Skill Required
Learning-ScientistLearning-ScienceEdtechInstructional-DesignAI-EducationLearning-Sciences-ResearchMachine-Learning-ScientistML-ScientistLLM-Research-ScientistReinforcement-Learning-ScientistLearning-Analytics-SpecialistAI-Learning-SpecialistArtificial-Intelligence-Scientistsoftware engineeringCybersecurityEngineeringdesigningbuildingEmbedded CdesignDesign PatternsandGenerative AIGoAIFulltime
Key highlights
- Full‑time position
- Requires solid grounding in learning science
- Requires AI literacy
- Requires experiment design skills
- Desirably experienced in EdTech product work
- Encouraged to attain professional certifications
Role overview
The Learning Scientist will design, test, and refine AI‑driven learning experiences for ALX Africa’s Project A, ensuring pedagogical rigor and evidence‑based practice. Working closely with AI engineers, product managers, and data scientists, the role translates learning science into concrete product decisions, runs experiments to validate assumptions, and guides the platform’s pedagogical direction during a key transition period.
Responsibilities
- Guide pedagogical decisions across the platform – input at design time and learning‑efficacy judgment at evaluation time
- Adapt and interpret the ALX learning framework to inform platform design with real pedagogy
- Design experiments against the platform’s core pedagogical assumptions and run them using the experimentation function
- Assist in designing and evaluating AI products alongside engineers, translating learning science into concrete product decisions
- Collaborate with Anthropic Engineers, product managers and data scientists to design world‑class learning experiences
- Oversee handover and collaboration with the current role holder during the six‑month transition period
Requirements
- Solid grounding in learning science – able to cite and apply modern frameworks
- AI literacy – understand what LLM‑based tools can and cannot do to co‑design with engineers
- Experiment design expertise – formulate hypotheses, measures and maintain methodological rigour
- Courage to challenge assumptions, including those of the technical lead
- Humility to seek help and focus on serving others
- Adventure – passion for ambitious goals and tackling difficult tasks
- Initiative – proactive problem‑solving and ownership
- Resilience – bounce back from setbacks and persevere
- Self‑drive to communicate constantly using web collaboration and video conferencing
Nice to have
- Prior EdTech product work
- Familiarity with competency frameworks or knowledge tracing
- Experience with African education contexts
Benefits
- Encouraged to continually develop capabilities and attain certifications
Additional details
- ALX Africa is a non‑profit under the ALX Foundation, providing tech skills training and career acceleration programmes across 8 cities in Africa
- The role is part of Project A – the AI layer of ALX’s learning platform
- Current role holder will transition out in about six months, requiring overlap
- Preferred time zone is GMT+2
- The position is a full‑time role
- The role involves considerable virtual work and interaction with colleagues and customers in different physical locations worldwide