Job Overview

The Program Manager plays a pivotal role in leading and overseeing Slum2School’s programmes, ensuring seamless execution, impactful delivery, and sustainable growth. The role is responsible for developing, planning, coordinating, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programmes designed to improve educational outcomes and create meaningful opportunities for children and young people in underserved communities.

The Program Manager will provide strategic and operational leadership to the Program and Education teams, ensuring that programme activities are effectively coordinated, resources are well managed, teams and volunteers are properly supported, and programme outcomes are achieved.

A key responsibility of the role will be to design and execute structured academic development plans for students, using learning data, assessments, and individual student needs to improve academic performance, engagement, progression, and overall educational outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Program Strategy, Planning & Development

• Develop and execute program strategies, annual plans, workplans, timelines, and implementation frameworks aligned with Slum2School’s mission and organisational objectives.
• Lead the end-to-end planning, coordination, implementation, and evaluation of programs and projects.
• Translate organisational priorities into clear program objectives, activities, deliverables, timelines, and measurable outcomes.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen, scale, and improve programs serving underserved communities.
• Develop program concepts, proposals, budgets, implementation plans, and other relevant program documents.
• Ensure programs remain responsive to the evolving needs of students, schools, communities, and other stakeholders.
• Identify program risks and challenges and develop practical mitigation strategies.

Program & Education Team Management

• Provide leadership, direction, and oversight to the Program and Education teams.
• Develop clear team workplans, priorities, responsibilities, and performance expectations.
• Coordinate regular program and education team meetings, reviews, planning sessions, and progress updates.
• Monitor team performance and provide coaching, guidance, and support to ensure effective delivery.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, learning, and continuous improvement.
• Identify team capacity-building needs and support professional development.
• Ensure effective communication and collaboration between the Program, Education, Volunteer, Operations, Communications, and other relevant teams.

Student Academic Development & Learning

• Design and execute structured student academic development plans that respond to individual and collective learning needs.
• Establish academic goals, learning objectives, and measurable outcomes for students participating in Slum2School programs.
• Work with the Education team, educators, mentors, and volunteers to identify student learning gaps, strengths, and areas requiring additional support.
• Develop and coordinate appropriate interventions, including tutoring, mentoring, learning support, assessments, enrichment activities, and other academic initiatives.
• Establish systems for tracking student attendance, engagement, academic performance, learning progression, and retention.
• Analyse student performance and learning data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for intervention.
• Ensure academic interventions are age-appropriate, inclusive, engaging, and aligned with relevant learning objectives.
• Develop strategies to improve student learning outcomes, participation, retention, and progression.
• Regularly review academic development plans and adjust interventions based on student performance and program data.
• Work with relevant stakeholders to ensure students receive holistic support that enables them to thrive academically and personally.

Program Implementation & Operations

• Coordinate the successful delivery of program activities across schools, communities, and other implementation locations.
• Develop program calendars and ensure activities are delivered according to agreed timelines and standards.
• Coordinate the people, resources, logistics, and partnerships required for effective program delivery.
• Ensure program teams and volunteers have the information, tools, resources, and support required to execute their responsibilities.
• Work closely with internal teams to ensure smooth coordination of program activities and events.
• Monitor program implementation and resolve operational challenges that may affect delivery.
• Ensure programs are delivered in accordance with organisational policies, safeguarding standards, and quality expectations.

Volunteer & Stakeholder Management

• Work with the relevant teams to effectively coordinate volunteers supporting program and education activities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with schools, educators, parents, community leaders, partners, volunteers, and other program stakeholders.
• Coordinate stakeholder communication and ensure expectations are clearly understood and managed.
• Represent Slum2School at relevant program meetings, school engagements, community activities, events, and stakeholder sessions.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen stakeholder and community participation in program delivery.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning & Impact

• Develop and maintain systems for monitoring program performance, outputs, outcomes, and impact.
• Establish and track relevant program and education KPIs.
• Monitor progress against program targets, timelines, budgets, and expected outcomes.
• Collect, analyse, and use program and student data to inform decision-making and improve delivery.
• Conduct regular program reviews and identify lessons learned, challenges, successes, and areas for improvement.
• Prepare regular program performance, impact, and progress reports for the Executive Director and other relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure program outcomes and impact are properly documented and communicated.
• Support the development of impact stories, case studies, reports, presentations, and other program documentation in collaboration with the Communications team.

Budget & Resource Management

• Develop and manage program budgets in collaboration with the Executive Director and relevant teams.
• Monitor program expenditure and ensure resources are used efficiently and responsibly.
• Ensure program activities are appropriately resourced and delivered within approved budgets.
• Identify resource gaps and support efforts to mobilise the resources required for program implementation.
• Maintain accurate program records, trackers, budgets, calendars, reports, and supporting documentation.

Program Quality, Innovation & Growth

• Establish and maintain high standards for program and education delivery.
• Continuously assess program effectiveness and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Research and introduce innovative approaches to education and program delivery that can improve student and community outcomes.
• Support the design and testing of new programs, interventions, and approaches.
• Develop systems and processes that enable successful programs to be replicated or scaled.
• Stay informed about emerging trends and best practices in education, child development, youth development, program management, and social impact.
• Contribute to the organisation’s broader strategic planning and growth initiatives.

Reporting & Organisational Support

• Provide regular updates to the Executive Director on program performance, team progress, student outcomes, challenges, risks, and opportunities.
• Prepare program plans, reports, presentations, budgets, proposals, and other management documents as required.
• Contribute program insights and data to organisational planning, fundraising, donor engagement, and partnership development.
• Work collaboratively with other departments to ensure program priorities are reflected across organisational activities.
• Support organisational events, campaigns, fundraising initiatives, and other strategic priorities where program expertise is required.

Qualification and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Education Management, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Project Management, Public Administration, or a related field.
• Master’s degree in Education, Development Studies, Project Management, International Development, or related field is an added advantage.
• Minimum 5+ years’ experience in program/project management within an NGO, education, development, social impact, school, or community-focused organization.
• Proven experience in program planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, budgeting, reporting, and stakeholder management.
• Demonstrated experience designing academic development plans, learning interventions, or student support initiatives.
• Strong understanding of education, student development, learning outcomes, and the needs of underserved communities.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams, educators, volunteers, and/or field teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate data into actionable program improvements.
• Experience developing proposals, budgets, implementation plans, reports, and program documentation.
• Familiarity with program monitoring, results-based management, learning assessment, and impact measurement.
• Knowledge of the Nigerian NGO/social impact landscape and experience working with schools, communities, government, or development partners is an advantage.
• Experience in education, child protection, youth development, or community-based programming is an added advantage.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Excel/Google Sheets, and relevant program/data management tools.
• Commitment to Slum2School Africa’s mission and values.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong program management, planning, coordination, and organizational skills.
• Strong leadership, people-management, coaching, and team-building abilities.
• Strong understanding of education programming, student development, and academic interventions.
• Strong analytical, critical-thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to use data to drive program and student learning improvements.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, presentation, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Strong documentation and report-writing skills.
• Ability to manage multiple programs, teams, priorities, stakeholders, and deadlines.
• High attention to detail, accountability, integrity, empathy, and professionalism.
• Ability to work independently and take initiative in a fast-paced environment.
• Creativity, adaptability, resourcefulness, and a continuous improvement mindset.
• Strong commitment to education equity, youth development, inclusion, safeguarding, and sustainable social impact.

Team Leadership

• Manage the day-to-day activities and performance of the Program and Education teams.
• Develop team workplans, priorities, responsibilities, timelines, and performance expectations.
• Lead, coach, mentor, and motivate team members, educators, coordinators, and relevant volunteers.
• Conduct regular team meetings, planning sessions, performance reviews, and program reviews.
• Delegate responsibilities, monitor delivery, provide feedback, and address performance gaps.
• Identify team capacity-building needs and support relevant training and professional development.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, learning, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure effective collaboration across Program, Education, Volunteer, Operations, Communications, Finance, and MEL teams.
• Support efficient onboarding, development, and offboarding of team members and volunteers.

Key Performance Indicators

• Program planning: 100% of active programs have approved workplans, timelines, budgets, and implementation frameworks.
• Program delivery: ≥95% of planned program activities delivered within agreed timelines and quality standards.
• Student development: 100% of targeted students have appropriate academic development plans/intervention pathways.
• Learning outcomes: Measurable improvement in agreed student academic performance indicators.
• Student engagement: Improved attendance, participation, retention, and progression against agreed targets.
• Program targets: ≥90% achievement of agreed program outputs and milestones.
• Budget management: ≥95% of program activities delivered within approved budgets.
• Reporting: 100% of program reports submitted within agreed timelines.
• Stakeholder engagement: ≥90% achievement of agreed stakeholder engagement targets.
• Team performance: ≥90% achievement of agreed team deliverables and performance objectives.
• Program quality: 100% compliance with organizational safeguarding, child protection, and quality standards.
• Continuous improvement: At least one documented improvement, innovation, or learning action implemented per major program cycle.
• Program documentation: 100% of key program records, trackers, budgets, reports, and supporting documents maintained and up to date.
• Critical incidents: Zero critical safeguarding or program compliance breaches.