Malengo is a non-profit organization (US: 501(c)(3); Germany: gGmbH) that facilitates international educational migration. We provide mentoring and financial support to students from low-income countries who want to complete a Bachelor’s degree in a high-income country. We aim to give millions of students the opportunity to pursue the education they want, and to lift themselves and their families out of poverty in the process. We believe that this is one of the most effective poverty reduction strategies in per-dollar terms that is available.
Malengo currently recruits low-income, high-ability students in Uganda, and supports them in applying for and completing a Bachelor’s degree in Germany. By 2030, we aim to support students from most low-income and lower-middle income countries, and facilitate undergraduate studies in more than a dozen destination countries. Our program is sustainable by combining a strong network of volunteer mentors with a financial model in which students support future generations of scholars once they have a high enough income (income share agreements, ISAs).
We are now searching for a Senior Program Manager — Africa. African countries will be the primary places of origin of Malengo students. Your primary responsibility will be building the program across the continent in all respects; you will be both the main representative of the Malengo program in Africa, and its most important driver.
Responsibilities include:
- Oversee and ensure quality of day-to-day Malengo operations in Uganda, including setting up, tracking, and trouble-shooting to ensure a smooth student journey. Much of this will be working with and managing Uganda-based staff who are the primary liaisons with students and families. Core activities include:
- Overseeing outreach to students and schools
- Overseeing receipt and processing of applications
- Organizing and ensuring quality, consistency and continuous improvement of interview and selection process
- Communicating student selection
- Overseeing their support of the students with university applications and TOEFL tests
- Overseeing visa application process and housing search
- Organizing and running student orientations and communication with parents/guardians
- Ensuring consistency and timeliness of student communications about the application and onboarding process
- Work with senior leadership to make the program scalable as we select 100 students in 2022 and 500 students in 2023
- Co-develop and implement the Malengo’s Africa expansion strategy. Core activities include:
- Supporting the identification of other African countries (initially primarily in West Africa) for expansion
- Developing relationships with key partners, including schools, ministries, and embassies
- Setting up outreach strategy and student selection processes including interviews and tests
- Developing the student journey, including mentoring, coordination of university applications, tests, visa application, and housing search
- Liaise between the Malengo Research and Operations teams, ensuring that research activities take into account the operational timelines and bridging between the teams as needed
- Liaise and facilitate weekly meetings with full Malengo team, including senior leadership and European country directors
- Oversee the development of Malengo’s Africa team beyond the initial staff members
We seek a highly motivated, charismatic leader who will be the face of Malengo’s programs in Uganda, West Africa, and beyond, and who has the drive to grow the program to serve thousands of students each year. You might be the ideal candidate if you recognize yourself in these descriptions:
About the candidate
- You are inspired by Malengo’s mission and want to create opportunities for thousands of students from low-income countries
- You are passionate about working with students and creating a program that serves them and their families. You can communicate effectively with students, parents, and schools.
- You have an entrepreneurial attitude, can operate as an independent self-starter, and are willing to take on many different tasks
- You have significant project management experience, including experience setting up and adhering to timelines, developing and launching new processes / systems, and working collaboratively with teams to plan out and execute tasks
- You are a natural leader and can create, inspire, and lead Malengo’s Africa team with dedication, intelligence, and kindness. Team management experience is a plus.
- You are collaborative and collegial and excited to work with central Malengo leadership and European country directors
- You have emotional intelligence, cultural sensitivity, and are able to work with individuals of different backgrounds. You can develop and maintain relationships with government partners, embassies, and schools.
- You are solution-oriented and have a continuous improvement mentality, both about yourself and the organization.
- You speak native or near-native English. French fluency is highly desirable.
- Having lived and worked in Africa is a plus, but not required
- You have a strong commitment to evidence and organizational learning
- You are quantitatively minded and interested in continually assessing organizational performance
- You have a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD degree in any subject
- You are willing to be based in Nairobi or Kampala (this requirement is flexible for truly outstanding candidates)
What we offer
Malengo is a young organization, incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in the United States, and as a gGmbH (non-profit LLC) in Germany. While most of the work will be done remotely, we strongly prefer a base in Nairobi or Kampala. We offer the following benefits:
- Competitive salary commensurate with background and experience (USD 42,000–60,000 p.a.)
- Healthcare benefits
- Retirement plan
- A choice between Unlimited PTO or 30 vacation days per year
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Anticipated start date: as soon as possible
To apply, please visit this page.
Malengo is committed to diversity, and we believe that our work is strengthened by our differences in background, culture, experience, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, disability, and more. We actively seek and welcome applicants who identify as BIPOC, women, members of the LGBTQIA community, persons with disabilities, and people at the intersections and peripheries of these identities.