The Luminos Fund

Director/Associate Director of Programs

The Luminos Fund is looking for an experienced and dynamic Director/Associate Director of Programs (title dependent on experience) to help steer and manage its portfolio of foundational literacy and numeracy programs. The successful candidate will help ensure that Luminos’ program design and implementation draws on evidence to achieve maximum impact.

This position calls for a thought leader in policy and research related to foundational learning in low-income countries. This position can be 80% to 100% full time. The role holder could be based in one of our existing offices in Accra, Addis Ababa, Banjul, Boston, London, or Monrovia, or work remotely in a time zone within 5.5 hours of GMT. Reporting to the Vice President of Programs, the role holder will collaborate with country-based program teams, cross-cutting teams, and the senior leadership team to ensure the success of our education mission.

About the Luminos Fund

The Luminos Fund (www.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 277,787 children secure a second chance to learn. A registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the U.S., 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

    Program management of a portfolio of special projects

    • Lead on the coordination, monitoring/evaluation, and reporting of a portfolio of special projects focusing on key cross-cutting issues (e.g., assessment, phonics-based approaches in African languages, gender, learning differences, education in emergencies, etc.) liaising closely with colleagues across country and cross-cutting teams.
    • Work with Development Team to concept and draft funding proposals for strategic special projects guided by the latest research as well as knowledge of the realities of implementation.
    • Draft and/or provide expert review of technical sections of grant reports.
    • Build and maintain constructive relationships with potential special projects’ funders positioning Luminos as a credible and evidence-informed partner.
    • Maintain a good knowledge about the state of the evidence on key topics related to foundational learning.

    Advising on research and policy issues related to foundational learning and the global education landscape

    • Act as a key thought leader both within the organization and externally to drive a focus on evidence-informed approaches to deliver maximum impact.
    • Advise colleagues on the Programs, Communications, and Development Teams on the latest evidence and thinking on delivery of effective foundational learning programming.
    • Analyze complex data in technical areas, summarizings and communicating this in ways that are accessible to a range of audiences and cultures.
    • Develop and maintain relationships with key external education stakeholders and build good working relationships with technical experts, partners, and advocacy targets for technical exchange and influence.

    Technical leadership on engagement with bilateral, multilateral, and other technical funders

    • Advise the Development Team on policies and practices within key bilateral, multilateral, and non-governmental organizations working in global education.
    • Work closely with the Director of Development to concept and develop bids/grant proposals for major funding opportunities ensuring bids are planned and resourced to incorporate core elements of the Luminos Method (e.g., assessment, structured pedagogy, phonics-based literacy instruction, etc.).
    • Support the Director of Development to build relationships with credible international development consultancy firms and position the Luminos Fund as a member of consortia bidding for funding opportunities.

    In addition to these core areas of work, please note that the Luminos Fund is a highly dynamic work environment. It is likely that the role holder will need to pick up additional workstreams which may not be included in the description above. In some cases, they will need to deal with challenges in areas in which they are not an expert and where the situation is ambiguous. They will need to be able to scope out what is known, to propose and appraise options for responding, and then to own, and drive implementation of, solutions.

    Qualifications

    Required Skills and Experience

      • Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
      • 10+ years of relevant work experience with increasing levels of responsibility in bilateral, multilateral, or non-governmental development organization.
      • Proven thought leader on foundational learning (with expertise in topics such as foundational skills, the learning crisis, phonics-based instruction, learning outcome measurement, etc.).
      • Belief in and demonstrated passion for the mission, vision, and values of the Luminos Fund.
      • Extensive experience in the design, implementation, and management of programs in an international context, notably monitoring and research in education programs.
      • Strong analytical and conceptual skills withthe ability to think and plan strategically; well-developed negotiation and communication skills, including spoken and written English.
      • Advanced skills in the suite of Microsoft Office Tools, especially Excel and PowerPoint.

      LUMINOS CORE BELIEFS AND VALUES

      • We believe that every child is capable of learning a remarkable amount in a short period of time, if given the chance.
      • We keep children’s joy and well-being at the heart of everything we do.
      • We embrace assessment as a key component of effective teaching and learning.
      • We celebrate and empower local leadership throughout our work with partner communities and governments.
      • We use research, program data, and skilled classroom observation in the tenacious pursuit of excellence.
      • We celebrate the unique contexts and cultures of the communities we serve in our curricula and pedagogy.
      • We act with the highest standards of integrity and care, ensuring mutual accountability among colleagues and partners.
      • We take the initiative to solve problems where we find them, managing details large and small, with urgency.
      • 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.
      • We build deep, authentic relationships with our supporters in celebration of the mutually transformative power of giving.

      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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