Associate Director of Program Management and Partnerships

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Position: Associate Director of Program Management and Partnerships

Reports to: Director of Programs

Location: We strongly prefer Nairobi-based candidates, Zambia, Abidjan, Abuja but flexibility is available across our regional footprint.

Deadline: 5th May 2026

TaRL Africa Initiative

TaRL Africa initiative is hosted by Empower Learning Africa, a not-for-profit organisation registered and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, with teams in Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Zambia and locally registered offices in Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire. TaRL Africa began as a joint venture by Pratham and J-PAL in 2019, with the goal of supporting governments and organisations across Africa to accelerate children’s foundational skill learning using the evidence-based “Teaching at the Right Level” (TaRL) approach. TaRL Africa's vision is for every child across Africa to have foundational skills so that they can have a better future. Our mission is to ensure education systems effectively equip children with these foundational skills.

We support governments and organisations in over 16 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to design, deliver and scale impactful TaRL programmes while learning and sharing how the approach can be improved for different contexts. Together with partners, TaRL Africa has reached over five million children with TaRL programming.

Summary of the Role:

The Associate Director of Program Management and Partnerships (PMP) will drive the management and implementation of the organisation’s programs in the non-core countries, and provide support to the core countries. This role involves overseeing program operations, ensuring effective delivery of services, and supporting the development of new initiatives. The Associate Director of Program Management and Partnerships will also collaborate with other departments, manage program staff, and ensure that programs are aligned with the organisation’s mission and goals.

Key Responsibilities:

• Program Management: (25%)
  • Oversee Operations: Lead the Program Management and Partnerships team in managing day-to-day operations of programs, ensuring they are executed efficiently and effectively.
  • Monitor Progress: Track program performance, analyse data, and report on program outcomes and impact.
  • Ensure Quality: Ensure programs meet quality standards and achieve intended outcomes
  • Technical Support: Provide technical support and guidance to the team
  • Grant Management: Supervise and validate proposals and donor reports
• Strategy, Planning and Performance : (20%)
  • Planning: Lead the development and implementation of the strategic plan for the Program Management and Partnerships team in accordance with the organisational vision and annual objectives.
  • Identify Needs: Identify programmatic needs and opportunities for growth and improvement.
  • Review: Create and operationalise systems for programmatic review, ensuring that programs are continually improving.
• Team Leadership and Capacity Building : (25%)
  • Lead Teams: Supervise and support a team of 8 staff from Manager (2), Coordinator (3) and Associate Level (2)
  • Manage Performance: Set goals, conduct performance evaluations, address staff concerns, and support professional development.
  • Team Building: Nurture a safe and supportive working environment for the team, aligned with the organisation’s values; plan and pilot team retreats and team building events
  • Team Capacity Development: Identify gaps within the team and the organisation related to Program Management skills and develop training plan and content accordingly
  • Team Growth: Identify hiring needs and drive the recruitment process with the People and Culture team; develop succession plan for the team.
• Partnerships Management and Stakeholder Engagement: (15%)
  • Cultivate strong relationships with implementing partners, donors, and government counterparts
  • Ensure partner alignment with TaRL Africa’s quality standards and learning agenda
  • Support government engagement efforts to strengthen delivery capacity and system integration
  • Provide strategic and operational inputs to funding proposals and donor reports
• Budget and Resource Management: (10%)
  • Guide Budgeting: Oversee the development and management of program budgets, ensuring financial resources are allocated effectively
  • Drive functional budgeting: develop and manage the budget of the Program Management and Partnerships team
  • Optimise Resources: Ensure efficient use of resources and manage program-related expenditures.
• Internal Collaboration and Learning: (5%)
  • Contribute to strategic cross-functional initiatives
  • Promote communication and coordination across sub-teams
  • Participate in TaRL Africa’s organizational learning efforts and integrate lessons into planning
  • Represent the organisation externally in workshops, conferences and events

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Management, Education, Public Policy, International Development, or a related field
• At least 8 years of progressive experience managing large-scale development programs, with significant time spent in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Strong background in program planning, coordination, and donor engagement
• Experience managing cross-country or multi-partner portfolios
• Experience managing mid-level and senior-level team members
• Familiarity with education systems and government implementation models in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Basic proficiency in French and/or at least one local African language preferred
  
  

Required Skills and Competencies

• Strategic thinking and systems-oriented leadership
• Team management and mentoring across levels and geographies
• Operational and programmatic problem-solving
• Strong organizational, planning, and project management skills
• Comfort with complexity, ambiguity, and iterative learning
• Effective communicator and relationship-builder with diverse stakeholders

TaRL Africa Values

1. We place children's learning first.
2. We are always learning, improving, and innovating.
3. We are locally rooted for high-quality delivery and sustainable impact.
4. We are kind, respectful and collaborative.
5. We are proactive, committed to integrity and doing our best each day.

This job description covers the main tasks and conveys the spirit of the sort of tasks that are anticipated proactively from staff. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary according to organizational needs.

TaRL Africa provides a nationally peer-benchmarked compensation package aligned with organizational salary scales, taking into account both qualifications and professional experience.

TaRL Africa is an equal-opportunity employer committed to having a diverse workforce.