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Overview

The Luminos Fund, a fast-growing international nonprofit bringing education opportunities to the world’s most vulnerable children, seeks an experienced and strategic leader to serve as Director/Associate Director of Program (job title dependent on experience).

This role will provide oversight of a new, three year circa $5 million dollar foundational literacy program, designed for implementation in multilingual environments across up to four African countries. The program aims to provide evidence to governments who are trying to improve foundational literacy skills in multilingual contexts. It will focus particularly on the transition from a first language of instruction (which may or may not be the learner’s home language) to a second language of instruction (typically a colonial language). It will be delivered by a diverse consortium of implementing and technical partner organizations. The successful candidate will serve as the lead representative of the consortium to the donor and have ultimate responsibility for the technical integrity, fiscal stewardship, and high-quality delivery of this exciting and ambitious initiative. They will oversee all partner performance, ensure donor compliance and reporting are met to the highest standards, and guarantee both technical excellence and strategic cohesion across the partnership.

Please note that this role is pending program award and is expected to be a fixed, three-year position.

Location

Our preference is for a candidate located in Accra, Ghana (or willing to relocate there). Alternatively, we will consider candidates located elsewhere (within plus or minus three hours of GMT) provided they are willing to spend extended periods in Ghana and other consortium countries.

Key Internal Relationships

The role holder drives seamless collaboration to deliver this program, drawing on resources from multiple teams, including the Ghana Country Team, the Teaching and Learning Team, the Impact Team, the Finance Team, and the Development and Communications Team.

About The Luminos Fund

The Luminos Fund (www.luminosfund.org) provides transformative education programs to thousands of vulnerable children each year, helping them to catch up to grade level and prepare for lifelong learning. Working in partnership with community-based organizations in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, Luminos is scaling up its accelerated learning program through the Luminos Method (www.luminosmethod.org) — an evidence-based approach that helps children catch up fast and discover the joy of learning.

Luminos is supported by a range of funding partners, including Cartier Philanthropy, the Gates Foundation, UBS Optimus Foundation, and UNICEF. 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.

Key Responsibilities

I. Technical Leadership and Strategy

• Act as a thought leader and external representative for Luminos on foundational literacy.
• Lead technical dialogues, brokering consensus among diverse consortium partners on key matters including program design, content adaptation, and evaluation methodologies.
• Ensure the Bilingual Advisory Council (BAC) is adequately briefed and understands programmatic parameters and ensure that the advice provided is incorporated into consortium decision-making processes.
• Ensure the technical quality of the program design and implementation fidelity.
• Drive the overall program strategy and adapt implementation plans based on rapid-cycle learning and evidence generated.
• In coordination with the Teaching and Learning Team, ensure that high-quality instructional materials are developed and that pilot programming is implemented to a high standard.
• In coordination with the Impact Team and other partners, support the development of new assessments of oral language and other literacy skills key to the project.
• In coordination with the Impact Team, oversee the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework, ensuring robust data collection, utilization, and translation of evidence into improved program practice.

II. Consortium Management and Partnerships

• Serve as the primary strategic liaison for the consortium’s senior leadership, maintaining strong, collaborative, and results-focused relationships and collaborating with the Development Team to ensure donor confidence.
• Lead the coordination of high-level in-person and virtual meetings of the consortium leadership team and a BAC (with the support from a dedicated Events and Communications Associate).
• Develop and maintain appropriate systems to ensure seamless communication, document management, decision-making mechanisms, and governance structures and coordination across Luminos teams and the entire consortium.
• Lead conflict resolution and partnership negotiations as necessary to ensure continued collaboration and program alignment.
• Lead management of partners against contractual agreements (i.e., sub-grant agreements), ensuring accountability for delivery, quality, and timely reporting.

III. Project Management and Financial Oversight

• Take overall responsibility for the timely and high-quality delivery of all project milestones across the consortium.
• Oversee a multimillion-dollar budget, ensuring fiscal integrity, accurate forecasting, tracking, and strict adherence to donor financial compliance requirements, in coordination with Luminos’ Finance Team
• Manage program-wide risk registers; proactively identify future operational and financial risks, appraise mitigation options, and clearly communicate proposals to senior Luminos leadership.
• Oversee and consolidate all high-level technical and financial reports for the Luminos Board and external funders, in coordination with the Communications Team.

Skills and Experience

Technical Expertise

Required

• Thorough knowledge of research and policy relating to foundational learning, including familiarity with the scale of the learning crisis, the science of reading, and structured pedagogy approaches.
• Sufficient knowledge, gravitas, and credibility to steer and achieve agreement in technical discussions that include world-leading academic experts and government officials.
• Proven ability to translate complex research and evidence into actionable operational practice.

Desired

• Experience supporting foundational literacy programs which have led to significant improvement in learning outcomes.
• Understanding of curriculum development, the design of teaching and learning materials, and the development and validation of literacy assessments.
• Understanding of the practical, political, and technical challenges of implementing mother-tongue instruction and language transition policies in sub-Saharan Africa.

Project Management

Required

• A minimum of seven years of relevant experience in international development, education, or nonprofit sectors.
• Outstanding organizational skills with a proven ability to deliver complex outcomes to a high-quality standard and according to pre-agreed timelines.
• The ability to influence and coordinate across teams working with a virtual team that includes members who are not direct reports.
• Strong financial management skills with prior experience in forecasting, tracking, and reporting.
• The ability to proactively identify future risks, appraise options for mitigation, and clearly communicate proposals to senior leaders.
• Strong IT proficiency, including advanced skills in Excel (e.g., use of formulae, conditional formatting, data visualization, etc.) and Microsoft Office Suite (PowerPoint, Word).

Desired

• A proven track record of managing large-scale, multi-country projects
• Demonstrated experience managing complex consortiums or sub-grantee relationships, including contractual and financial compliance oversight.
• Communication, Coordination, and Leadership

Communication, Coordination, and Leadership

Required

• Exceptional ability to build strong, trust-based relationships across diverse stakeholders, including consortium members, Ministries of Education, and internal teams.
• Compelling presentation skills and the ability to write in a clear, concise, and engaging manner for diverse audiences (technical experts, donors, and the general public).

Desired

• Demonstrated success in cross-cultural team management and leadership, capable of leading dispersed teams both virtually and in-person.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject (e.g. education, international development, economics etc.), master’s preferred.

Travel

• The ability to travel internationally to countries of operation up to 25 percent of the time.

Luminos Core Beliefs and Values

1. We believe that every child is capable of learning a remarkable amount in a short period of time, if given the chance.

2. We keep children’s joy and well-being at the heart of everything we do.

3. We embrace assessment as a key component of effective teaching and learning.

4. We celebrate and empower local leadership throughout our work with partner communities and governments.

5. We use research, program data, and skilled classroom observation in the tenacious pursuit of excellence.

6. We celebrate the unique contexts and cultures of the communities we serve in our curricula and pedagogy.

7. We act with the highest standards of integrity and care, ensuring mutual accountability among colleagues and partners.

8. We take the initiative to solve problems where we find them, managing details large and small, with urgency.

9. We act deliberately to ensure that our organization is inclusive for people of different genders, racial backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religious beliefs, abilities, and other sources of diversity.

10. We build deep, authentic relationships with our supporters in celebration of the mutually transformative power of giving.

To apply for this role, please complete the online application with your resume or CV. A thoughtfully written cover letter that describes why you're interested in this position and the value you'll bring to the role is welcome but not required. Please also upload an example of a document, article, or blog you have written. This would ideally be on the topic of foundational learning but writing on another topic would also be acceptable.

Salary is commensurate with experience and location.

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.