Manager – Programme Accreditation

Job description

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) invites applications from suitably qualified Zambians to fill the vacant position of MANAGER – PROGRAMME ACCREDITATION.

What we are, what we stand for, where we want to go, and the person we want to hire

HEA, created by the Higher Education Act, 2013, is the advisor to the Minister of Education on any aspect of higher education. The Authority develops and recommends policy on higher education. The Authority coordinates and regulates the higher education sphere in Zambia.

In addition, HEA promotes quality assurance in higher education. The quality and relevance of our higher education architecture determine whether our graduates become an asset or a liability.

Higher education is the best economic policy. Higher education can unleash the competitive intelligence needed to power our economic success. In order to re-inspire higher education towards resolving the most pressing economic challenges in our nation, the HEA is immersing our provision of higher education into a new crucible of transformative ideas. The compass to change the direction of our system of higher education is in our hands.

The goal of the current transformation is founded on a two-pronged conviction: to improve the quality, relevance, and viability of our programming of higher education; and to increase the demand, readiness, employability, and entrepreneurial innovativeness of our graduates. The relevance of learning programmes is driven by stakeholder input and collaboration with industry and professional bodies.

HEA is intentional about implementing new insights, measures, procedures and requirements to strengthen the quality assurance and accreditation of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Our country urgently needs impactful undergraduate and postgraduate programmes that deliver economic success in the near-term.

HEA is more than just a regulator, it is a strategic driver in aligning higher education with labour market needs. Strict enforcement of accreditation standards ensures that institutions prove their programmes teach employable skills and promote outcome-based education. Accreditation and audits of learning programmes evaluate academic content, practical training, internships, and engagement with industry.

The accreditation process at HEA is at the core of curriculum innovation and transformation of higher education in Zambia. It is at the intersection of our national aspirations and efforts to produce graduates that are competent, proficient and market-ready.

Under the Higher Education Act, 2013 (amended in 2021), HEA is mandated to convene and execute a one basket quality assurance regulatory regime for the accreditation of academic and professional programmes in Zambia.

Now, HEA is in the process of hiring a Manager for Programme Accreditation. This is a senior management role, the kernel that anchors programme accreditation, one of the core statutory and regulatory functions of HEA.

By and large, the Manager – Programme Accreditation shall motivate HEIs to reconfigure, repurpose, re-engineer, deconstruct and reconstruct programmes in a way that increases viability, quality, relevance, stakeholder input, graduate employability, knowledge entrepreneurship, market-readiness, and contribution to the economy.

Working directly under the Director of Quality Assurance, the Manager – Programme Accreditation interfaces with quality assurance officers in HEIs and supervises a team of HEA programme accreditation officers that conduct granular analysis, checklist review and in-depth assessment of programmes submitted for accreditation.

A non-toxic, mature, emotionally intelligent, ethically grounded and seasoned academic or professional who has built the mental infrastructure niched for a high-pressure, fast paced and deadline-bound reporting ecosystem, the ideal applicant should be in possession of an excellent Bachelor’s degree in Education (merit or distinction).

HEA seeks a Manager – Programme Accreditation with strong academic credentials including a decent h-index, an agile thinker and consummate scholar who will re-inspire HEA to reimagine and implement a new accreditation model in line with the new vision of curriculum innovation and transformation, as well as the timely delivery of accreditation outputs. This is a position fit for a fine scholar with a high national stature and unimpeachable integrity.

The Manager – Programme Accreditation shall be a respected academic and professional, an amiable, insightful and self-driven individual spirited in the fine details of the accreditation process and grounded in the paradigm that transformation of programme accreditation is critical to our national imperative to produce new graduates that are assets, graduates capable of converting knowledge into novel goods and services, and graduates that can help double our economy and GDP by the year 2031.

This is a scholarly and managerial position that requires the statistical analysis of data related to programmes submitted for accreditation as well as monthly reporting to track the performance and progress in the unit.

Job Purpose: To manage the accreditation and auditing of learning programmes in Higher Education Institutions in order to ensure that learning programmes meet set quality standards.

Responsibilities: Manage the development and implementation of policies and procedures for accreditation of learning programmes; manage the accreditation process and ensure timeous completion of the accreditation of learning programmes in order to provide feedback to HEIs within 90 days; manage and undertake the auditing of learning programmes in order to inculcate the culture of continuous improvement in academic programming and/or ensure compliance to set standards; design and conduct research in accreditation and quality assurance in order to improve decision-making, curriculum innovation, graduate employability or market-readiness, and overall quality of higher education in Zambia; monitor and evaluate implementation of learning programmes in order to determine impact and recommend appropriate remedial interventions; to develop and manage budgets and workplans; undertake annual appraisal of staff in the section; and carry out any other duties as may be assigned by the Director-Quality Assurance, or the Director-General.

Qualifications: Grade 12 School Certificate or equivalent; Bachelor’s degree in Education (merit or Distinction) earned from a recognised university. In addition, the candidate must have a Master’s degree in Education, Curriculum Studies, or Quality Assurance in Higher Education. A PhD in Education, Science Education, Curriculum Studies, Higher Education or Quality Assurance in Higher Education shall be an added advantage.

Relevant experience: Ten (10) years of relevant experience in full-time university teaching, five (5) of which must be at Senior Lecturer level. Experience in curriculum design, curriculum transformation, and quality assurance processes in Higher Education Institutions will be considered.

Interested candidates meeting the above specifications are encouraged to submit an application letter and attach copies of verified academic qualifications by Zambia Qualifications Authority, certified copies of professional certificates, NRC and CV with at least three traceable references to the undersigned on or before Friday, 17th October, 2025, by 17:00 hrs:

The Director-General

Higher Education Authority

2nd Floor, Engineering House, Plot no. 2374, Kelvin Siwale Road

P.O. Box 50795

Lusaka.

(+260) 211 227 084

Only successful candidates will be contacted.

Note: The Higher Education Authority is an equal opportunity employer and does not request for payments for job openings. Any such activities should be considered fraudulent and reported immediately.

Higher Education Authority (HEA) │ 2nd Floor, Engineering House │ Stand No. 2374, Kelvin Siwale Road │ P.O. Box 50795, Ridgeway, Lusaka │ (+260) 211 227 084 │ info@hea.org.zm │ www.hea.org.zm

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