Programme Manager, Academics at EdoBEST

About the Role

The Programme Manager, Academics will work on developing scalable solutions for EdoBEST pupils to excel at the secondary school. At the core of this work is test preparation. The expectation of every EdoBEST pupil is to excel on the Primary School Leaving Certificate (PSLC). The Programme Manager will also work with students to be prepared beyond the classroom for secondary school studies and on building an alumni network beyond primary school.

This role will be a mixture of designing, tracking, and communicating. With the support of the Academic Director, the Programme Manager will design and test ways to increase scores, improve soft skills, increase scholarship recipients, and many other projects. You will also track junior secondary school application acceptance rates, report on graduating class and alumni success, and other matters pertaining to post secondary education. All of this work will require communication and coaching with schools to increase sustainable support and the greater community to source new scholarships, get the support of local leaders, and create alternative avenues to post primary success.

What You Will Do

• Become an expert on the PSLC and work with the Instructional Design team to create a world-class preparation programme.
• Become an expert on examination preparedness: Conducting lesson observations in the high stake class, working with the Learning Innovation team in evaluating strategies aimed at improving students' achievement, working with the Leadership & Development team in professional development for teachers preparing students for high stake exams. 
• JSS Transition and Scholarship Programme: Become an expert on the JSS admissions process into model colleges, private institutions, and other elite schools in Edo aligned to the NERDC syllabus, searching for scholarships and tracking all students throughout their secondary journey. 
• Think “Beyond High Stake Exams”- how are we setting up ALL students for success beyond secondary school.
• Seek Leverage - Identify and develop plans for implementing the highest impact initiatives and programmes that drive performance on High Stake Exams.
• Execute Well - Oversee the planning and implementation of large-scale programming for High-Stakes Assessments across Edo
• Collaborate effectively with other EdoBEST teams - Operations, People, Schools, Policy & Partnerships
• The Programme Manager will report to the Academic Director

What You Should Have

The Program Manager must be a data-driven individual with experience in the PSLC. You must be an expert in Junior Secondary School Admissions who understands exceptional performance and can motivate and support pupils in excelling. Ideal candidates have worked in organizations with a proven track record of generating examination performance.

In addition, the Program Manager must:

• Be a self-starter and problem-solver.
• Be hard working and collaborative, with the tenacity to plow through challenges and an appreciation for teamwork toward achieving a shared vision.
• Be a fast learner and someone who is able to flourish in fast paced, dynamic, and sometimes ambiguous environments.
• Be both detailed and results-oriented, driven by the data that will allow us to know what is working and what isn’t working for kids.
• Have strong project management skills and excellent organizational skills, with keen attention to detail and ability to follow up systematically on a broad set of initiatives and decisions.
• Be an effective, articulate communicator who can represent Bridge to external audiences.
• Be humble and ready to “roll up your sleeves” to get things done.

Education and Qualification

• Bachelor’s Degree in a related field
• Past experience with the PSLC such as a teacher, tutor, test designer, or related roles
• Previous project management experience 
• Work experience in Edo and junior secondary admissions is a plus but not a requirement

You’re also

• A detailed doer – You have a track record of getting things done. You’re organized and responsive. You take ownership of every idea you touch and execute it to a fine level of detail, setting targets, engaging others, and doing whatever it takes to get the job done. You can multi-task dozens of such projects at once and never lose sight of the details. Likely, you have some experience in a start-up or other rapid-growth company.
• A creative problem-solver – Growing any business from scratch comes with massive and constant challenges. On top of that, Bridge works in often fragile, sometimes volatile low-resource communities and with complex government systems. You need to be flexible and ready to get everything done effectively, quickly, and affordably with the materials at hand.
• A relentless advocate – The children we serve and teachers we empower never leave your mind. You know them, get them, have shared a meal with them (or would be happy to in the future). You would never shrink back from shaking a parent’s hand or picking up a crying child, no matter what the person was wearing or looked like. Every decision you make considers their benefit, experience, and value.
• A malleable learner – You believe you can always do better. You welcome constructive criticism and provide it freely to others. You know you only get better tomorrow when others point out where you’ve missed things or failed today.
• A data-driven decision-maker – When making decisions, you don’t rely on your intuition alone. You collect data, you analyze it and make decisions with clear justifications.
• A curious investigator – You ask why a lot. You don’t just take what you see and accept it. You wonder why it is that way, and are aware that the world we see is created by human choices and actions – and it could be different. You wonder, and see the world as wonderful even when you want to change a part of it that is unjust.