Lead Trainer

TERMS OF REFERENCE · INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANCY

Lead Trainer, LFA Academy

Six-month consultancy · October 2026 to March 2027 · Kicukiro, Kigali, Rwanda

This consultancy may lead to a full-time position.

Assignment

Lead Trainer, LFA Academy (individual consultancy)

Organisation

Lifestyle Fitness Africa (LFA), LFA Academy

Duty station

Kicukiro, Kigali, Rwanda, with occasional travel within Rwanda

Duration

Approximately six months: expected start Monday, 5 October 2026; end Wednesday, 31 March 2027

Level of effort

Part-time equivalent (30% - 50%), scheduled around the Academy’s training calendar

Contract type

Individual consultancy (service contract). May lead to a full-time employment offer (see section 8)

Experience level

Senior (5 or more years of experience)

Fee

Proposed by the candidate at fee per day in RWF and agreed at contracting

Number of positions

1

Application deadline

Wednesday, 23 September 2026 at 17:00 (Kigali time)

Submit to

lifestylegym912@gmail.com, subject line “Application - LFA Academy Lead Trainer”

1. BACKGROUND

Lifestyle Fitness Africa (LFA) is a Rwandan fitness and wellness centre based in Kicukiro, Kigali. Since 2020, LFA has been building a growing fitness community that supports members, athletes, teams and partners through professional training, wellness services and an inclusive environment where everyone belongs.

LFA Academy is LFA’s dedicated fitness training institution, providing employment-focused training for the next generation of fitness professionals in Rwanda.

The Academy’s qualification pathway runs from Level 2 Gym and Group Exercise Instructor through to Level 6 Club Manager and Tutor-Assessor-IQA. It is designed to align with Rwanda’s TVET framework and is mapped against recognised international benchmarks.

The Academy is now expanding its training team and is seeking an experienced Lead Trainer, engaged as an individual consultant for six months, to help deliver high-quality, industry-relevant education and set the technical standard for the Academy’s programmes.

2. OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The consultant will support the planning, coordination and growth of LFA Academy. Specifically, the consultant will set the technical standards for every qualification the Academy delivers, build the physical and operational systems needed to run the Academy, and shape the learning experience for every student.

3. SCOPE OF WORK

The assignment covers five workstreams. The shares of effort are indicative.

Workstream

Effort

What the consultant will do

Training delivery

30%

Deliver high-quality Level 2 to Level 6 fitness qualifications and ensure consistent, practical and engaging instruction across all cohorts.

Assessment, quality assurance and compliance

20%

Design and conduct assessments, maintain accurate learner records, uphold academic standards, and support the accreditation and compliance requirements of relevant authorities.

Trainer development and team leadership

15%

Recruit, onboard, mentor and develop trainers, tutors and assessors to maintain consistent teaching quality as the Academy grows.

Practicum, partnerships and stakeholder engagement

20%

Develop relationships with gyms, hotels, corporates and TVET institutions, coordinate learner placements, support business-to-business training programmes, and represent the Academy within the fitness industry.

Facility, equipment and standards planning

15%

Ensure the Academy’s facilities, equipment and safety systems meet relevant regulatory and international standards, and identify and prioritise equipment and facility needs.

4. DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINE

Deliverables and dates are indicative and will be confirmed in the inception work plan.

#

Deliverable

Due by

1

Inception report and six-month work plan, including priorities, milestones and the training and assessment calendar

Mid October 2026

2

Delivery and assessment standards pack for different Levels: session standards, assessment instruments, learner-record templates and an internal quality assurance (IQA) plan

November 2026

3

Accreditation and compliance roadmap, with an evidence checklist and current status

December 2026

4

Facility, equipment and safety standards plan, including a prioritised equipment and facility needs list and BLS-AED coverage for training staff

December 2026

5

Trainer, tutor and assessor development framework: recruitment and onboarding process, mentoring and standardisation plan

January 2027

6

Practicum and partnerships framework: partner pipeline (gyms, hotels, corporates, TVET institutions), placement procedures and business-to-business training offer

February 2027

7

Monthly delivery report (within 5 working days of month-end): cohorts and sessions delivered, assessment outcomes, quality issues and next steps

Monthly

8

Final report and handover, with recommendations for the Academy’s next phase

March 2027

5. REPORTING AND WORKING ARRANGEMENTS

• The consultant reports to the Management of LFA Academy and works closely with LFA’s team.
• Training and assessments take place at LFA Fitness Center in Kicukiro, Kigali. Partner engagement may require occasional travel within Rwanda.
• The consultant organises their own working methods to deliver the agreed outputs, in line with the approved work plan and the Academy’s training calendar.

6. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Fitness qualification: minimum Level 3 Personal Trainer certificate, such as ICREPs, EREPS, NASM-CPT, ACSM or equivalent. A Level 4 or Level 5 specialism is preferred.
• Assessment or IQA credential: recognised assessor qualification or equivalent hands-on experience. A formal IQA qualification is an advantage.
• Experience: at least 5 years delivering accredited fitness or vocational training, with demonstrated curriculum-design and team-leadership experience.
• Regulatory and operational literacy: comfortable with accreditation documentation, including RTB, MINISPORTS, ICREPs and EREPS, and with equipment, facility planning and procurement.
• Business development: able to build business-to-business partnerships and represent the Academy publicly.
• Languages: fluency in English and Kinyarwanda is required, as training, assessment and partner engagement are conducted in both languages. French is an advantage.

7. CORE COMPETENCIES

• Mission alignment and professional integrity
• Technical and assessment excellence
• Training and instructional delivery
• Leadership and people development

• Operational and resource planning
• Stakeholder communication and partnership development
• Cultural intelligence and inclusion
• Initiative and ownership

8. CONTRACT TERMS

• Nature of contract: individual consultancy (service) contract for the period stated above, not an employment contract.
• Fees and payment: the consultant proposes an all-inclusive daily fee in Rwandan francs (RWF). Payment is made monthly against an invoice and an approved monthly report.
• Tax: the consultant is responsible for their own tax obligations and must hold a valid Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) issued by the Rwanda Revenue Authority. LFA will withhold tax at source where required by Rwandan income tax law.
• Work authorisation: non-Rwandan candidates must hold, or be able to obtain before the start date, the authorisation required to work in Rwanda.
• Intellectual property and confidentiality: all materials produced under the assignment, including curricula, assessment tools, templates and plans, become the property of LFA. The consultant keeps LFA and learner information confidential.
• Possible full-time position: subject to performance and LFA’s business needs, the consultancy may lead to an offer of a full-time position. This is a possibility, not a commitment. Any employment would be under a separate written employment contract in accordance with Law No. 66/2018 of 30/08/2018 regulating labour in Rwanda, as amended.
• LFA reserves the right to cancel this call or not to award the contract.

9. HOW TO APPLY

Send your application by email to lifestylegym912@gmail.com, addressed to the Managing Director, LFA Academy, by Wednesday, 23 September 2026 at 17:00 (Kigali time). Use the subject line “Application - LFA Academy Lead Trainer” and, where possible, combine all documents into a single PDF.

Your application should include:

• A current CV, maximum 2 pages, with full details of fitness qualifications, assessment credentials and relevant experience.
• A cover letter, maximum 1 page, addressing the essential requirements and explaining your motivation for LFA’s mission.
• A short technical note, maximum 2 pages, outlining how you would approach the assignment, including your priorities for the first 90 days.
• A financial proposal stating your all-inclusive daily fee in RWF and whether VAT applies.
• Copies of relevant fitness, assessment, IQA and BLS-AED certificates.
• Contact details for two professional referees, with at least one from a fitness-education or TVET context.

Please do not include your national ID number, photograph, date of birth, marital status or health information; these are not needed at this stage. Late applications will not be considered, and incomplete applications may not be considered.

10. SELECTION PROCESS

• Applications are screened against the required qualifications and experience.
• Shortlisted candidates are invited to a structured competency interview with the Founder or Managing Director and a 45-minute practical teaching demonstration. The demonstration topic is assigned in advance.
• Final selection considers qualifications and experience, the interview and teaching demonstration, and the financial proposal. References and certificates of the preferred candidate are verified before contracting.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Indicative timeline

Step

Date

Application deadline

Wednesday, 23 September 2026, 17:00

Shortlisted candidates notified and teaching topic shared

By Friday, 25 September 2026

Competency interviews and teaching demonstrations

Tue 29 to Wed 30 September 2026

Contracting

By Friday, 2 October 2026

Start of assignment

Monday, 5 October 2026

11. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, YOUR DATA AND FRAUD WARNING

Equal opportunity

LFA selects on merit and does not discriminate on any ground prohibited by the Constitution of Rwanda or Law No. 66/2018 regulating labour in Rwanda. Women and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Reasonable adjustments to the interview or teaching demonstration are available on request. In line with Law No. 01/2007 relating to the protection of persons with disabilities, where candidates are equally ranked, preference is given to a candidate with a disability.

Your personal data

LFA processes your personal data only to assess your application, in accordance with Law No. 058/2021 of 13/10/2021 relating to the protection of personal data and privacy. Only those involved in the selection see your application, which is received through an email service that may store data outside Rwanda. If you are not selected, your data is deleted within six months of the end of this recruitment, unless you agree that we keep it for future opportunities. To access, correct or delete your data, write to lifestylegym912@gmail.com.

Fraud warning

LFA never charges a fee at any stage of recruitment and does not use intermediaries. Report any request for payment to lifestylegym912@gmail.com.

Application deadline: Wednesday, 23 September 2026 at 17:00 (Kigali time)