Chief Academics and Innovation Officer

About the role

The Chief Academics and Innovation Officer will lead the design, quality, and evolution of Rising Academies' portfolio of learning solutions. Reporting to the senior leadership team, this role ensures that offerings are evidence‑based, scalable, and affordable while delivering measurable improvements in student outcomes.

Key responsibilities

• Own and shape a coherent portfolio of high‑quality academic and innovation offerings across diverse partnerships.
• Drive evidence‑based product research and development through a transparent decision‑making process.
• Lead an integrated team of academics, digital specialists, and data experts to design, build, test, and scale solutions.
• Determine which initiatives scale, remain experimental, or are discontinued.
• Collaborate with government partners to adapt solutions to local contexts and ensure sustainable implementation.
• Maintain rigorous standards, quality assurance, and continuous improvement mechanisms.

Required profile

• Seasoned leader with extensive experience in education innovation and large‑scale learning programs.
• Proven track record of managing cross‑functional teams that include academic, digital, and data professionals.
• Strong understanding of evidence‑based product development and randomized controlled trial methodology.
• Experience working with government education systems in low‑resource settings.
• Strategic thinker capable of balancing experimental pilots with scalable solutions.

Required skills