Cognita Impact Lead (Maternity Cover)

Fixed-term, part-time (3 days per week) | January to end of April 2027

Working with us

Cognita is a global family of over 90 schools across 21 countries, with more than 100,000 students, 22,000 colleagues, 14 curricula and 9 languages of instruction. Our strength lies in our diversity. There is no single model of a Cognita school because education is inherently local. When families choose a school, they are making a deeply personal and community-based decision, and our schools reflect this.

What unites us is a shared ambition to deliver consistently high-quality education, alongside an exceptional experience for students and parents. We define this clearly through group-wide standards that articulate what “great” looks like, while allowing schools the freedom to express their local identity.

We have recently launched a new vision and strategic plan. It is ambitious and sets a clear direction for the years ahead.

About Cognita Impact

Cognita Impact is our global programme for making a lasting, positive difference through education. It brings together schools, teachers, students and partner organisations through long-term partnerships, student-led action and shared learning. This is partnership-facing work with real impact, from curriculum projects in school to teacher trips overseas.

The role

We are looking for an organised, collaborative and proactive person to cover the Cognita Impact strand of the Cognita Impact Lead role during a period of maternity leave. You will keep our live partnerships running smoothly, support schools to get the most from their involvement, and help deliver the 26–27 Cognita Impact Action Plan.

What you’ll do
Manage our Group Partnerships day to day

• Lead weekly working-party meetings with curriculum teams across The Sparkle Foundation and UWS Global partnerships
• Meet fortnightly with fundraising committees and coordinate ongoing partnership activity
• Meet regularly with our Malawi and Nepal teams
• Prepare and support the teacher trip to Malawi (March) and the teacher trip to Nepal (April), and the schools involved in each

Grow School-Driven Partnerships

• Identify and engage current and prospective schools
• Support schools in using the MELF system

Develop our third Group Partnership

• Continue building out the intervention scoped in Term 1, and map it for the following year with a new group of schools

Monitor and report on impact

• Maintain the termly learner reach tracker
• Maintain staff involvement and testimonial data

Inspire students

• Support UAE schools with their transformational learning experience linked to The Sparkle Foundation trip in June
• Deliver in-school workshops for students, and work with teachers on preparation, risk assessment and planning

Build visibility

• Contribute to media articles and coordinate content on our partnerships, raising the profile of Cognita Impact externally

What you’ll bring

• Experience managing partnerships or projects, ideally in education, international development or the charity sector
• Strong relationship-building skills with teachers, school leaders and external partners
• Excellent organisation and planning, including trip logistics and risk assessment
• Confident facilitating workshops with students
• Clear written communication, with an eye for data and storytelling
• Willingness to work flexibly around meetings across time zones, and to travel where required

Join us in a meaningful, high-profile role where you’ll build real partnerships, deliver real outcomes, and work with schools and colleagues across a global network.

Cognita is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people and expects the same from its employees. All new staff will be subject to detailed and enhanced pre-employment clearance, including identity checks, criminal background checks for all countries lived in, qualification checks, employment checks to include an exploration of any gaps in employment, and satisfactory reference checks for all employment in the last 10 years.