Program Manager

AI summary

Slum2School Africa is hiring a Program Manager to lead and oversee education programmes for underserved communities. The role involves strategic planning, team leadership, student academic development, and programme evaluation to improve learning outcomes. The position is based in Nigeria.

• Lead end-to-end planning, coordination, and evaluation of education programmes
• Provide strategic leadership to Program and Education teams
• Design and execute structured academic development plans for students
• Develop program strategies, budgets, and implementation frameworks
• Monitor team performance and support professional development
• Role based in Nigeria serving underserved communities

Original source description

A key responsibility of the role will be to design and execute structured academic development plans for students, using learning data, assessments, and individual student needs to improve academic performance, engagement, progression, and overall educational outcomes. The Program Manager plays a pivotal role in leading and overseeing Slum2School’s programmes, ensuring seamless execution, impactful delivery, and sustainable growth. The role is responsible for developing, planning, coordinating, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programmes designed to improve educational outcomes and create meaningful opportunities for children and young people in underserved communities. The Program Manager will provide strategic and operational leadership to the Program and Education: teams, ensuring that programme activities are effectively coordinated, resources are well managed, teams and volunteers are properly supported, and programme outcomes are achieved. Key Responsibilities: Program Strategy, Planning & Development: Lead the end-to-end planning, coordination, implementation, and evaluation of programs and projects. Ensure programs remain responsive to the evolving needs of students, schools, communities, and other stakeholders. Identify opportunities to strengthen, scale, and improve programs serving underserved communities. Develop program concepts, proposals, budgets, implementation plans, and other relevant program documents. Develop and execute program strategies, annual plans, workplans, timelines, and implementation frameworks aligned with Slum2School’s mission and organisational objectives. Identify program risks and challenges and develop practical mitigation strategies. Translate organisational priorities into clear program objectives, activities, deliverables, timelines, and measurable outcomes. Program & Education: Team Management: Ensure effective communication and collaboration between the Program, Education, Volunteer, Operations, Communications, and other relevant teams. Provide leadership, direction, and oversight to the Program and Education: teams. Identify team capacity-building needs and support professional development. Coordinate regular program and education: team meetings, reviews, planning sessions, and progress updates. Develop clear team workplans, priorities, responsibilities, and performance expectations. Monitor team performance and provide coaching, guidance, and support to ensure effective delivery. Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, learning, and continuous improvement. Student Academic Development & Learning: Analyse student performance and learning data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for intervention. Work with relevant stakeholders to ensure students receive holistic support that enables them to thrive academically and personally. Develop strategies to improve student learning outcomes, participation, retention, and progression. Develop and coordinate appropriate interventions, including tutoring, mentoring, learning support, assessments, enrichment activities, and other academic initiatives. Establish systems for tracking student attendance, engagement, academic performance, learning progression, and retention. Regularly review academic development plans and adjust interventions based on student performance and program data. Ensure academic interventions are age-appropriate, inclusive, engaging, and aligned with relevant learning objectives. Establish academic goals, learning objectives, and measurable outcomes for students participating in Slum2School programs. Design and execute structured student academic development plans that respond to individual and collective learning needs. Work with the Education: team, educators, mentors, and volunteers to identify student learning gaps, strengths, and areas requiring additional support. Program Implementation & Operations: Monitor program implementation and resolve operational challenges that may affect delivery. Coordinate the people, resources, logistics, and partnerships required for effective program delivery. Ensure programs are delivered in accordance with organisational policies, safeguarding standards, and quality expectations. Coordinate the successful delivery of program activities across schools, communities, and other implementation locations. Ensure program teams and volunteers have the information, tools, resources, and support required to execute their responsibilities. Develop program calendars and ensure activities are delivered according to agreed timelines and standards. Work closely with internal teams to ensure smooth coordination of program activities and events. Volunteer & Stakeholder Management: Coordinate stakeholder communication and ensure expectations are clearly understood and managed. Build and maintain strong relationships with schools, educators, parents, community leaders, partners, volunteers, and other program stakeholders. Represent Slum2School at relevant program meetings, school engagements, community activities, events, and stakeholder sessions. Identify opportunities to strengthen stakeholder and community participation in program delivery. Work with the relevant teams to effectively coordinate volunteers supporting program and education: activities. Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning & Impact: Monitor progress against program targets, timelines, budgets, and expected outcomes. Collect, analyse, and use program and student data to inform decision-making and improve delivery. Develop and maintain systems for monitoring program performance, outputs, outcomes, and impact. Establish and track relevant program and education: KPIs. Conduct regular program reviews and identify lessons learned, challenges, successes, and areas for improvement. Ensure program outcomes and impact are properly documented and communicated. Prepare regular program performance, impact, and progress reports for the Executive Director and other relevant stakeholders. Support the development of impact stories, case studies, reports, presentations, and other program documentation in collaboration with the Communications team. Budget & Resource Management: Monitor program expenditure and ensure resources are used efficiently and responsibly. Identify resource gaps and support efforts to mobilise the resources required for program implementation. Maintain accurate program records, trackers, budgets, calendars, reports, and supporting documentation. Ensure program activities are appropriately resourced and delivered within approved budgets. Develop and manage program budgets in collaboration with the Executive Director and relevant teams. Program Quality, Innovation & Growth: Contribute to the organisation’s broader strategic planning and growth initiatives. Develop systems and processes that enable successful programs to be replicated or scaled. Establish and maintain high standards for program and education: delivery. Continuously assess program effectiveness and identify opportunities for improvement. Stay informed about emerging trends and best practices in education, child development, youth development, program management, and social impact. Research and introduce innovative approaches to education: and program delivery that can improve student and community outcomes. Support the design and testing of new programs, interventions, and approaches. Reporting & Organisational Support: Work collaboratively with other departments to ensure program priorities are reflected across organisational activities. Contribute program insights and data to organisational planning, fundraising, donor engagement, and partnership development. Support organisational events, campaigns, fundraising initiatives, and other strategic priorities where program expertise is required. Provide regular updates to the Executive Director on program performance, team progress, student outcomes, challenges, risks, and opportunities. Prepare program plans, reports, presentations, budgets, proposals, and other management documents as required. Qualification And Experience: Strong understanding of education, student development, learning outcomes, and the needs of underserved communities. Familiarity with program monitoring, results-based management, learning assessment, and impact measurement. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate data into actionable program improvements. Master’s degree in Education, Development Studies, Project Management, International Development, or related field is an added advantage. Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Excel/Google Sheets, and relevant program/data management tools. Proven experience: in program planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, budgeting, reporting, and stakeholder management. Experience: developing proposals, budgets, implementation plans, reports, and program documentation. Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Education: Management, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Project Management, Public Administration, or a related field. Experience: in education, child protection, youth development, or community-based programming is an added advantage. Commitment to Slum2School Africa’s mission and values. Knowledge of the Nigerian NGO/social impact landscape and experience: working with schools, communities, government, or development partners is an advantage. Experience: managing multidisciplinary teams, educators, volunteers, and/or field teams. Minimum of 5+ years’ experience: in program/project management within an NGO, education, development, social impact, school, or community-focused organization. Demonstrated experience: designing academic development plans, learning interventions, or student support initiatives. Skills And Competencies Strong documentation and report-writing skills. Creativity, adaptability, resourcefulness, and a continuous improvement mindset. Strong understanding of education: programming, student development, and academic interventions. Strong commitment to education: equity, youth development, inclusion, safeguarding, and sustainable social impact. Strong leadership, people-management, coaching, and team-building abilities. Ability to work independently and take initiative in a fast-paced environment. High attention to detail, accountability, integrity, empathy, and professionalism. Excellent communication, facilitation, presentation, and stakeholder-management skills. Strong program management, planning, coordination, and organizational skills. Ability to manage multiple programs, teams, priorities, stakeholders, and deadlines. Ability to use data to drive program and student learning improvements. Strong analytical, critical-thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. Team Leadership Support efficient onboarding, development, and offboarding of team members and volunteers. Conduct regular team meetings, planning sessions, performance reviews, and program reviews. Identify team capacity-building needs and support relevant training and professional development. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, learning, and continuous improvement. Lead, coach, mentor, and motivate team members, educators, coordinators, and relevant volunteers. Develop team workplans, priorities, responsibilities, timelines, and performance expectations. Delegate responsibilities, monitor delivery, provide feedback, and address performance gaps. Ensure effective collaboration across Program, Education, Volunteer, Operations, Communications, Finance, and MEL teams. Manage the day-to-day activities and performance of the Program and Education: teams. Key Performance Indicators Program planning: 100% of active programs have approved workplans, timelines, budgets, and implementation frameworks. Continuous improvement: At least one documented improvement, innovation, or learning action implemented per major program cycle. Program targets: ≥90% achievement of agreed program outputs and milestones. Stakeholder engagement: ≥90% achievement of agreed stakeholder engagement targets. Budget management: ≥95% of program activities delivered within approved budgets. Student development: 100% of targeted students have appropriate academic development plans/intervention pathways. Team performance: ≥90% achievement of agreed team deliverables and performance objectives. Program documentation: 100% of key program records, trackers, budgets, reports, and supporting documents maintained and up to date. Learning outcomes: Measurable improvement in agreed student academic performance indicators. Reporting: 100% of program reports submitted within agreed timelines. Student engagement: Improved attendance, participation, retention, and progression against agreed targets. Program quality: 100% compliance with organizational safeguarding, child protection, and quality standards. Critical incidents: Zero critical safeguarding or program compliance breaches. Program delivery: ≥95% of planned program activities delivered within agreed timelines and quality standards. How to Apply Interested and qualified candidates should: Click here to apply online View all Jobs in Nigeria Lagos State