Job Overview
The Luminos Fund, an international non-profit bringing education opportunities to the world’s most vulnerable children, seeks an experienced and dynamic Senior Program Manager to contribute to its rapid growth and expansion in The Gambia. The Senior Program Manager will play a lead role in program planning and execution, curriculum development, training and coaching for teachers, staff, and Implementing Partners, as well as monitoring Luminos’ classrooms.
The ideal candidate is an accomplished education professional who has strong program management and data analysis skills. They should have proven experience and capacity to work across multiple program areas successfully, including but not limited to teacher training, curriculum design, and program monitoring.
Luminos operates in partnership with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education’s Curriculum Research Evaluation and Development Directorate (CREDD) to implement and scale the Gambia Classes for Open Learning (GCOL). GCOL serves out-of-school children aged 7-14, through an innovative 10- month accelerated learning program that enables them to catch up to grade level, reintegrate into government schools, and prepare for lifelong learning. GCOL currently has operations in 20 classrooms, and the Country Manager will support the rapid growth of this program.
This full-time position will be based in the Luminos Fund office in Banjul and will require regular travel to the rural regions. The Senior Program Manager will report to the Country Manager, and will collaborate closely with technical experts based in other country offices.
ABOUT THE LUMINOS FUND
The Luminos Fund (www.luminosfund.org) provides transformative education programs to thousands of out-of-school children, helping them to catch up to grade level, reintegrate into government schools, and prepare for lifelong learning. Working in partnership with community-based organizations, Luminos is scaling up its accelerated learning program to ensure all children have equal access to joyful, foundational learning, especially those shut out of education by crisis, poverty, or discrimination. To date, Luminos has helped over 218,541 children secure a second chance to learn. A registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, Luminos is working in Ethiopia, Ghana, Lebanon, Liberia, and The Gambia.
Luminos is supported by a range of funding partners, including Cartier Philanthropy, Dubai Cares, Legatum, and UBS Optimus Foundation. Luminos has been recognized for its achievements globally, receiving the 2022 Klaus J. Jacobs Best Practice Prize, the Library of Congress International Literacy Award, the Lipman Family Prize, the WISE Award, and the HundrED Global Innovation Award for the last six years.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Program Management
- Take responsibility for the day-to-day planning and implementation of programs.
- Spend approximately two days per week providing coaching and technical support to program facilitators, supervisors, and Implementing Partners on key aspects of teaching and learning, ensuring quality across all classes.
- Engage closely with Implementing Partners to support teacher and student selection, community engagement, program assessment, child protection and safeguarding, and student transition to government schools.
- Leverage a program dashboard and real-time data to inform decision-making across the program.
- Work closely with the Country Manager and other Luminos staff, Implementing Partners, and government advisors, to proactively uphold and further strengthen Luminos’ commitment to child safeguarding, ensuring that every class is a conducive environment for children to learn and grow safely and joyfully.
- Lead training for other staff and partners in responding to child safeguarding scenarios.
- Review reports from Implementing Partners and field teams, liaise with both through daily and weekly check-in calls, and respond appropriately based on the needs of the team and the program.
Curriculum and Training Design
- Work closely with Luminos’ global team to design, develop, and test new curriculum elements
that support student development of key skills.
- Support the development of learning assessments and analyze data to inform curriculum development and training plans.
- Act as a lead trainer for the team.
- Support the design and delivery of training for master trainers, Implementing Partners, and facilitators.
Partner Coordination
- Maintain ongoing communication with relevant Implementing Partners on key issues such as data collection, child safeguarding, and overall program delivery.
- Provide real-time feedback to partner staff on emerging classroom challenges.
- Drive collaboration between Implementing Partners to maximize student learning and facilitator development.
Data Collection & Quality
- Ensure qualitative and quantitative reports are collected in a timely fashion with a high degree of accuracy.
- Lead the programs team and Implementing Partners in using program data to propose program improvements and activities.
- Provide input and support to research and external evaluations associated with the program.
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s degree with 4-5+ years of relevant professional experience required; Master’s degree
in Education or related field of study preferred.
- Excellent leadership skills with increasing levels of responsibility across the business or non- profit sectors including experience working in the education sector.
- Strong track record of successful program and people management.
- Experience leading the delivery of teacher training and continuous professional development for teachers.
- Experience designing curriculum preferred.
- Outstanding interpersonal skills. Strong track record of success in building and managing relationships with a variety of stakeholders.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Proven organizational and time management skills.
- Experience working in The Gambia, especially in rural areas.
- Fluency in written and spoken English. Additional speaking fluency in one or more languages.
CORE ATTRIBUTES
- Belief and demonstrated passion for the mission, vision, and values of Luminos Fund.
- Impeccable integrity, professionalism, and solutions-oriented, can-do attitude.
- Natural curiosity and hunger for continuous learning and improvement.
- Meticulous attention to details large and small.
- Innate sense of responsibility for delivery of quality work, even in challenging circumstances.
- Reliable, self-motivated, with the ability to work independently.
- Experience working with diverse constituents, teams, and colleagues.
- Readiness to problem solve creatively on a myriad of fronts and go above and beyond to deliver success.
To apply for this position, please submit a brief cover letter and your CV at https://the-luminos-fund.breezy.hr/p/9a06ede9d0f9-senior-program-manager-the-gambia. Desired start date: ASAP.
The Luminos Fund is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.