The Luminos Fund

The Luminos Fund, an international non-profit bringing education opportunities to the world’s most vulnerable children, seeks an experienced and dynamic Country Manager to oversee the delivery and expansion of its award-winning catch-up education program in The Gambia. Ideal candidates are accomplished professionals with exceptional people, program, operational, and financial management experience. Experience working on education programs in The Gambia and a passion for driving transformative results for children are essential.

Luminos operates in partnership with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education’s Curriculum Research Evaluation and Development Directorate (CREDD) to implement and scale the Gambia Classes for Open Learning (GCOL). GCOL serves out-of-school children aged 7-14, through an innovative 10-month accelerated learning program that enables them to catch up to grade level, reintegrate into government schools, and prepare for lifelong learning. GCOL currently has operations in 20 classrooms, and the Country Manager will support the rapid growth of this program.

This full-time position will be based in the Luminos office in Banjul and will require frequent travel to rural regions of The Gambia and occasional international travel. The Country Manager will report to a Senior Director of Programs, and will collaborate virtually with Luminos staff based in other country offices.

ABOUT THE LUMINOS FUND

The Luminos Fund (https://luminosfund.org/) provides transformative education programs to thousands of out-of-school children, helping them to catch up to grade level, reintegrate into government schools, and prepare for lifelong learning. Working in partnership with community-based organizations, Luminos is scaling up its accelerated learning program to ensure all children have equal access to joyful, foundational learning, especially those shut out of education by crisis, poverty, or discrimination. To date, Luminos has helped over 218,541 children secure a second chance to learn. A registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, Luminos is working in Ethiopia, Ghana, Lebanon, Liberia, and The Gambia.

Luminos is supported by a range of funding partners, including Cartier Philanthropy, Dubai Cares, Legatum, and UBS Optimus Foundation. 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 for the last six years.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Stakeholder Management

  • Establish and build collaborative relationships with education sector stakeholders, partners, government, and funders in The Gambia.
  • Lead engagement with Luminos’ Implementing Partners (IPs), including budgeting, impact, learning, compliance, problem-solving, and reporting.
  • Assist and guide Luminos in identifying and managing consultants and other service firms, if and when necessary.
  • Plan and lead classroom visits for Luminos partners and funders.
  • Support the collection of compelling student and classroom stories to communicate Luminos’ work in The Gambia to a variety of audiences.
  • Identify opportunities to amplify Luminos’ impact locally and regionally.
  • Represent Luminos at high-level forums and conferences.

Financial Management

  • Collaborate with the Luminos finance team to ensure financial compliance with local and international tax requirements and audit standards.
  • Ensure annual and monthly budgets are completed in a timely fashion and reflect actual costs.
  • Lead the selection and renewal of Luminos’ local Implementing Partners, including diligence, onboarding, and budget negotiations.
  • Negotiate budget agreements with vendors, maximizing cost-effectiveness and student-level impact.
  • Monitor contract delivery to ensure services are rendered appropriately.
  • Create and maintain procurement processes that reflect the highest levels of transparency.
  • Support the program team by ensuring funds are disbursed in a timely fashion to ensure program delivery as planned.

Operations & Office Management

  • Manage office operations, including legal and HR functions.
  • Manage a small team with a wide array of talents, held together by strong core Luminos values and ways of working.
  • Drive the professional development of the team, leveraging both internal and external opportunities for growth.
  • Ensure compliance requirements are met (e.g., registration renewal, regular reporting to relevant local agencies, etc.).
  • Maintain an up-to-date repository for organizational documents, including grant agreements, internal policies and procedures, and other operational records.
  • Participate in and contribute to regular Luminos team meetings.
  • Ensure Luminos workspaces are fully optimized to support staff efficiency.

Program Oversight

  • Update the Luminos global team on local operations, successes, challenges, and opportunities.
  • Provide strategic guidance on program growth, and the delivery of auxiliary interventions.
  • Oversee writing and timely submission of reports on program activities, data, and finances.
  • Consult with the programs team to contribute to the overall strategic direction for Luminos’ work in The Gambia and set and deliver key growth and quality targets.
  • Ensure the programs team maximizes their use of data to make evidence-based program decisions.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

  • Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree strongly preferred.
  • Minimum five years’ work experience with increasing levels of responsibility, including in The Gambia and preferably in the education sector. Experience working with NGOs is desirable.
  • Strong track record of leadership, people management, program management, office operations, and grant management.
  • Excellent writer and persuasive communicator in English. Additional competency in one or more local languages.
  • Outstanding interpersonal skills, with a strong track record of success building and managing relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including government.
  • Experience in establishing strong networks and partnerships to achieve impact.
  • Experience leading the delivery of teacher training and continuous professional development for teachers is preferred.
  • Strong proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

CORE ATTRIBUTES

  • Belief and demonstrated passion for the mission, vision, and values of the Luminos Fund.
  • Impeccable integrity, professionalism, and a solutions-oriented, can-do attitude.
  • Innate sense of responsibility for delivery of quality work, even in challenging, adverse circumstances.
  • Natural curiosity and hunger for continuous learning and improvement.
  • Ability to wear multiple hats, transitioning seamlessly between coaching staff to representing Luminos in senior meetings with donors and government.
  • Belief that success lies in the details.
  • Self-motivated, with the ability to work independently. Affinity for data and data-driven decision making.
  • Readiness to problem solve creatively on a myriad of fronts and go above and beyond to deliver outsized success.

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.

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