Overview

Pharo Foundation (“the Foundation”) is a mission-driven, non-profit organization that designs, funds, and operates economic development programmes to achieve its vision of a vibrant, productive, and self-reliant Africa. Over the next decade, our goal is to create maximum impact towards three critical missions:

Empowering the next generation: Our education mission is to ensure that all students have an opportunity to access a high-quality, affordable education, and become productive citizens of a rapidly changing world.

Eliminating barriers to employment and productivity: Our productivity mission is to identify and eliminate health, financial, and structural barriers to employment and productivity for working people.

Solving water scarcity: Our water mission is to ensure that people and communities across Africa have access to a safe and affordable source of water.

We are a diverse, multicultural, and passionate organization, with over 450 employees in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Somaliland. Our headquarters are in Nairobi, Kenya, and we have a liaison office in London, UK, which is home to our parent organisation, Pharo Management.

Opportunity

We are seeking a Head of Education to take overall responsibility for the education portfolio in Ethiopia and drive programme design and implementation for the education mission of the Pharo Foundation. This includes the oversight and leadership for the Pharo Schools portfolio in the country as well as partnerships with the public sector in existing and new programmes. This is a high-level role that will give the right candidate an excellent challenge and fulfilment.

As a member of the Ethiopian leadership team, reporting directly to the Country Director, the Head of Education will work closely with the Director of Education and other team members to shape an impactful country strategy that directly contributes to the mission. The Head of Education will be the line manager to the different Heads of Schools and all other members of the education team. The position requires a well-balanced skillset, and the successful candidate must be an excellent communicator and project manager, able to multitask and manage competing priorities effectively and furthermore be able to think creatively and develop novel and effective solutions to relevant development challenges. In collaboration with the Heads of School the Head of Education will establish Pharo Schools as centers of academic excellence and have a keen eye on financial viability and efficient operations and school administration.

The position is based in Addis Ababa; however, frequent travels to the programme areas and schools in BGRS will be expected.

Duties and responsibilities

Strategy

Work with the Director of Education to develop a comprehensive and relevant education strategy for the Pharo Foundation in Ethiopia.

Implementing the education strategy of the Foundation in Ethiopia, as agreed upon with the Country Director.

Develop an expansion strategy into other geographies to grow the programme and school footprint of Pharo Foundation in Ethiopia.

Ensure good working relationships with stakeholders, partners and the industry, by building and maintaining a good network as well as representing Pharo Foundation in forums as needed.

Academics

Provide leadership and guidance on school strategy, including curriculum selection and market positioning, and ensure the highest academic standards are achieved at all levels.

Build the “Pharo School” as a strong brand in the country, that is known for academic excellence and attracts the best teachers, students and parents to join the schools.

Implement the highest standards of pedagogy, curriculum design and teaching in line with the Pharo School Hallmark across all Pharo schools and ensure compliance and alignment with the global brand standards.

Promote the focus on the holistic child development and the teaching of 21st century skills.

Management

Provide leadership to direct reports, dedicate time to coach and mentor leaders to perform to their full potential and act as a role model for culture and values.

Attract and retain the highest quality teachers, administrative and support staff.

Develop and implement procedures to train, supervise, evaluate and upgrade staff continuously and instil a culture of good work ethic, passion, excellence, collaboration and high performance.

Promote Continuous Professional Development (CPD) of teachers and direct reports.

Financial Management

Prepare and manage multi-year financial plan for the Education programmes and Pharo Schools.

Put controls in place to ensure all schools run with fiscal responsibility and accountability.

Undertake regular financial reporting as guided by the fiscal policies of the Foundation.

Compliance

Ensure that all Pharo Schools are in compliance with all local and national requirements and regulations as well as with internal organisational policies, procedures and standards.

Protect the Pharo Schools and the Foundation from undue risk exposure and mitigate where necessary. 

Ensure that regular financial, management and academic audits are carried out in all Pharo Schools and Pharo Education Programmes in Ethiopia.

Reporting

Ensure open and continuous communication with the Director of Education and all key stakeholders.

Provide regular reports on all aspects of the schools’ and programme business and operations.

Inform the Director of Education and the Country Director of any issues or concerns that might jeopardise Pharo Schools or the Foundation with respect to non-compliance, reputational risk, or safeguarding.

Key relationships

Reporting to: Country Director Ethiopia  

Direct Reports: Head of School – Pharo School Homosha

Head of School – Pharo School Assosa

Scholarship Coordinator

Functional relationships:

• Director of Education

• Education Programme Lead

• Academic Lead

• Heads of Education in other countries

• Research and Evaluation Team

Job Requirements

Qualifications and requirements

• A master’s degree in education or other relevant field.

• Excellent business acumen.

• S/he must possess a minimum of ten (10) years professional experience, eight (8) of these in senior management roles in the education sector or as a School Head/Principal.

• Demonstrated experience in successfully recruiting, retaining and developing educators, staff and administrators.

• A proven track record to manage complex projects and prior experience in establishing new schools and or leading business plan development for starting schools and training centers. 

• The ability to work autonomously, have strong self-motivation and the maturity to remain accountable for results.

• Excellent communication skills both when working with peers and colleagues, as well as when remaining an approachable and accessible figure to direct reports. 

Personal attributes

• Great attention to detail and a flexible approach to work. 

• Hands on problem solver with a can-do attitude and willingness to roll up her/his sleeves.

• High professional and ethical standards.

• Structured and process oriented. 

• Excellent time and project management skills with the ability to balance multiple priorities.

• Motivated to learn and perform and not afraid to ask questions.

• Willing to challenge the status quo and add value by introducing positive change.

• Excellent communicator and comfortable to work in a team environment.

• Positive and outgoing personality with solid leadership, interpersonal and diplomatic skills.

How to Apply

Application Procedure: 

Review of applications will begin as soon as they are received, and only complete applications will be reviewed. In the event that an outstanding applicant is identified early-on in the search process, we reserve the right to appoint before the deadline. For this reason, we encourage interested and suitably qualified candidates to apply at the earliest possible opportunity.

Application Requirements: 

A detailed CV.

Cover Letter - In your cover letter, please state where you heard about this position or saw it advertised e.g., through our website, jobs board, etc.

An essay of no more than 1,000 words outlining:

What education and operational experience have you gained that would make you the most qualified candidate for this role?

What is your plan and/or experience in transforming organisations into high performing players in the market? Provide examples from your experience.

A one-page list of six references with current addresses, phone numbers, and email contacts (the list should contain at least 2 peers, 2 direct reports and 2 former supervisors).

Interested applicants can apply using this LINK