Associate Director of Programs At The Luminos Fund

The Luminos Fund is looking for an experienced and dynamic Associate Director of Programs to contribute to its rapid growth and expansion. This role will report to a Senior Director of Programs and strengthen the design and delivery of Luminos education programs in different countries. The winning candidate will be a skilled professional with robust analytical and project management experience who is keen to strengthen their general management skills. A passion for driving transformative results for children around the world is essential. Direct experience in international education is preferable.

This full-time position can be based anywhere in GMT -5 to +3 time zones (e.g., Boston, London, Addis Ababa, etc.) and will require up to 50% travel to challenging contexts in Africa and the Middle East.

About the Luminos Fund

The Luminos Fund (www.luminosfund.org) believes that no child should be denied the chance to learn. Launched in 2016, Luminos is scaling up Second Chance: an accelerated learning program that enables children who have been kept out of school by crisis or poverty to catch up to grade level and return to learning – all in 10 months. A registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, we operate programs in Ethiopia, Ghana, Lebanon, Liberia, and The Gambia. To date, we have helped over 152,000 children secure a second chance to learn.

As school reopens across the globe following the COVID-19 pandemic, Luminos is rising to meet the moment – launching new country programs and developing new ways of delivering at scale.

Luminos is supported by premier philanthropic organizations, including Cartier Philanthropy, Dubai Cares, Legatum, and UBS Optimus Foundation. Luminos has been recognized for its achievements globally, receiving the Library of Congress International Literacy Award, the Lipman Family Prize, the WISE Award, and the HundrED Global Innovation Award for the last five years.

Duties and Responsibilities

Program Design and Management

• Manage education programs for success. Deliver on key program goals, defined in concert with colleagues. Continually enhance program design and execution to ensure impact for children.
• Conduct diligence on prospective Implementing Partners, assessing operational and financial capabilities. Develop budgets in consultation with partners and manage funds utilization.
• Problem-solve in complex operating contexts: identify bottlenecks, work with colleagues to craft practical solutions, and implement with speed and confidence in our ultimate success.
• Scope external evaluations with research partners. Manage research and other vendor relationships to deliver high quality results, even in challenging circumstances.
• Manage against budget to ensure efficient resource utilization and prepare required financial reporting.

Data Management and Analysis

• Maintain organization-wide program data integrity. Collaborate with Luminos country teams and Implementing Partners to drive smooth data collection and review processes. Provide capacity building and support to ensure data integrity.
• Partner with specialist team members to refine country data dashboards and data management practices to support efficient program management.
• Benchmark Luminos program data against other international standards to identify areas of improvement and refinement. Conduct custom analyses of multi-country internal and external student-level data.
• Distill program insights in blogs, articles, and other communications developed in coordination with the Luminos communications team.

Staff and Stakeholder Management

• Support relationship building with international education sector leaders, funders, and ministries of education in existing and new geographies.
• Support a talented, diverse team united by strong, core values.

Fundraising and Donor Relationship Management

• Ensure delivery of timely, accurate, and accessible reporting on a range of donor requirements.
• Supplement stated reporting requirements with compelling PowerPoint presentations, photo essays, and other materials that help bring our programs to life.
• Help steward donor relationships: listening closely for unspoken needs, building a strong sense of connection and ownership of the work, and sharing salient anecdotes and lessons learned.
• Help draft complex program proposals and budgeting with the development and finance teams.
• Source and cultivate new funding relationships within programmatic area of expertise.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree preferred. At least one degree in international development or education required.
• 5+ years’ work experience with increasing levels of responsibility, across the business or non-profit sectors in cross-cultural contexts.
• Deep knowledge of international education research and pedagogic practice, or a firm commitment to build it.
• Thorough understanding of basic statistical methods and advanced data visualization skills.
• Excellent writer and persuasive communicator in English, additional language skills a plus.
• Experience managing teams, internationally and/or cross-culturally.
• Experience in a startup environment, and building something from nothing, is strongly desired.

Core Attributes

• Belief and demonstrated passion for the mission, vision, and values of Luminos Fund.
• Impeccable integrity and can-do attitude.
• Bias for action. Readiness to problem solve creatively on a myriad of fronts and go above and beyond to deliver outsized success.
• Belief that success lies in the details.
• Innate sense of responsibility for delivery of quality work, even in adverse circumstance.
• Self-motivated, with the ability to work independently in challenging international contexts, as required. Experience working with diverse constituents, teams, and colleagues.
• Natural affinity for technology and a love of data.