Job Summary

The Program Coordinator will serve a critical operational role at the Luminos Fund, a fast-growing international non-profit bringing education opportunities to the world’s most vulnerable children. The Program Coordinator will play a key role in the selection of implementing partners, program planning and execution, monitoring and evaluation of Luminos’ Second Chance education program, data collection and reporting from implementing partners, as well as compiling and analyzing program related data. The Program Coordinator, in consultation with the Strategic Advisor, will ensure that Luminos responds to the requirements of regional governments where Luminos programs are operational. Successful candidates will navigate multiple priorities and time-sensitive projects with ease, be passionate about education and children, and be excited to grow with the organization.

This full-time position will be based in Ethiopia and will report to the Country Director/Strategic Advisor. The role will involve extensive domestic travel and possibly some international travel.

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 was founded to scale up the Second Chance program, 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 ten months. A registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, we operate programs in Ethiopia, Liberia, and Lebanon, where we work with Syrian refugees. To date, we have helped over 136,502 children secure a second chance to learn.

As the world returns to school following the COVID-19 pandemic, Luminos is rising to meet the moment – launching new country programs and developing new ways of delivering at scale. With as many as 24 million children expected not to return to school, our mission has never been more important.

Luminos launched with a strategic commitment from the Legatum Foundation in 2016. Since then, a series of premier philanthropic organizations have joined our cause, including UBS Optimus Foundation, Dubai Cares, and Cartier Philanthropy, and a growing community of high-net-worth individuals. Luminos has been recognized for its achievements globally, receiving the WISE Award in 2017 and the HundrED Education Innovation Award for the last four years.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Program Coordination
• Participate in the selection of new implementing partners, searching by referral or open bid
• Prepare landscape reports for potential implementing partners and areas for the implementation of the Second Chance program
• Provide coordination and technical support for the implementation of Second Chance
• Conduct trainings on Luminos Child Protection Policies and ensure compliance with the spirit as well as the letter of the requirements
• Represent Luminos Ethiopia at local, regional, and national levels, as required in the absence of the Country Director/Strategic Advisor
• Organize and deliver training for program staff and facilitators of implementing partners on key aspects of the Luminos Second Chance program, including activity-based education, lesson planning, and assessment
• Assist the Strategic Advisor in providing the necessary resources (financial and material) to implementing partners
• Engage and build relationships with relevant communities and local government bodies to ensure successful implementation of the Second Chance program
• Collect and consolidate lessons learned from sites and integrate into the global program
• Assist in developing concept papers for new areas and new grant opportunities

Program Monitoring and Evaluation

• Visit project sites at least 4 times per academic year, maintain frequent contact by phone, and produce relevant reporting
• Collect, verify, and organize implementing partners’ program-related data, analyze academic performance of Second Chance students at each phase, and share findings with the Strategic Advisor and implementing partners
• Assist in the rollout of the Luminos program dashboard to Ethiopia
• Verify implementing partners’ financial, material, and human resource utilization; assist in preparing funds utilization reports and verification of receipts
• Gather feedback through formal and informal discussions about the program from
• implementing partners and local government offices and, in consultation with the Strategic Advisor, problem solve to ensure continuous improvement in outcomes
• Assess the delivery of the program against Second Chance program benchmarks: prepare quarterly, semi-annual, and annual programmatic reports using Luminos reporting formats
• Regularly update the Strategic Advisor about the status of projects and implementing partners, and report on program results in Luminos global management discussions

Logistics

• Plan and execute site visits for government officials and funders with care and precision
• Ensure seamless visit logistics, allowing visitors to focus on the classrooms and joyful learning
• Office management, procurement, and distribution support duties when required

Job Requirements

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in Education or related field of study preferred
• At least 8 years of relevant work experience

Skills and Attributes

• Demonstrated passion for education and children
• Impeccable attention to detail
• Self-motivated, tenacious problem-solver
• Ability to juggle multiple assignments under deadlines
• Strong sense of integrity, confidentiality, and discretion
• Can-do attitude: comfortable working on a small team in a frequently evolving environment
• Natural curiosity and hunger for continuous learning; strong interest in data
• Innate sense of responsibility for the delivery of quality work
• Ease working across cultures in a global organization
• Advanced skills in the suite of Microsoft Office Tools, especially Excel
• Fluency in written and spoken English

How to Apply

To apply for this role, please write to careers@luminosfund.org with a brief cover letter and your CV.

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.