Operations Lead, Arts Education Initiative at Pharo Ventures Kenya Limited

3 Years
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Company Details
Industry: Non-Profit Organization Management
Description: The Pharo Foundationย is a private foundation based in the United Kingdom and established in 2011. Committed to the development of Africa, the Foundation has been supporting projects in the Horn of Africa since its establishment. Our projects contribute towards increasing access to education,ย agriculture, health, and water, and help improve peopleโ€™s livelihoods. In 2016, the Foundation made a strategic shift to directly design and implement its own programmes to ensure greater engagement with communities, better results and increased accountability. Since 2019, the Foundation has also been focusing on establishing social enterprises with the objective of job creation. The Pharo Foundation was established in 2011 driven by our passion to tap into Africa's potential to create thriving economies. Since establishment, we have made positive contribution to over 500,000 people through our integrated development projects anchored on our strategic objectives.
Job Description

Key Responsibilities

Launch planning and execution

  • Translate the program concept into a concrete, phased launch roadmap, covering community consultations, creative camps, and the first pilot programs.
  • Drive delivery of early milestones: identify locations, secure partners, and coordinate logistics for events and pilots.
  • Manage day-to-day operations during the build phase, anticipating bottlenecks and problem-solving quickly.
  • Build systems for tracking timelines, budgets, and KPIs to keep the project on schedule.

Business model and operations

  • Develop and manage detailed budgets and operational systems suited to a lean, start-up phase.
  • Maintain strong cost discipline: identify ways to economize and make efficient use of limited resources.
  • Support the design of governance, HR, and admissions processes as the initiative evolves into a permanent institution.
  • Prepare draft business models, funding scenarios, and cost-recovery plans to guide long-term sustainability.

Partnerships and ecosystem-building

  • Engage with creative schools, local institutions, and international partners to build the early network behind the school.
  • Support mapping of funders and investors in the creative economy; coordinate outreach and proposal materials.
  • Help establish and service an advisory committee of educators, practitioners, and industry experts.
  • Represent the project in meetings and events with ministries, cultural organisations, and community stakeholders.

Project management and communication

  • Maintain clear dashboards, trackers, and deliverables that support agile decision-making.
  • Prepare succinct decks, briefs, and progress updates for senior leadership, trustees, and external partners.
  • Ensure alignment across internal teams and any external consultants (if applicable).

Regulatory compliance and legal setup

  • Research and understand the regulatory landscape for post-secondary education and design an implementation roadmap for the right registration and certification setup.
  • Explore partnerships with global institutions for co-certification programs.
  • Work with the organisation’s finance and legal team to establish a solid legal structure.

Builder mindset

  • Approach the role with a founder’s mentality: proactive, accountable, and unafraid to take initiative.
  • Willing to go beyond regular hours or step outside formal job boundaries when needed to move the project forward.
  • Operate with integrity, humility, and discretion, building trust internally and externally.
  • Treat every challenge as an opportunity to shape something lasting and distinctive for the region 

Qualifications & Experience

  • Education: Masters in relevant field or equivalent experience in operations, strategy, or venture building.
  • Experience: 3–6 years in start-ups or project management (exposure to creative industries, education, or social ventures would be a bonus).
Salary: Discuss During Interview
Education: Diploma
Employment Type: Full Time

Key Skills

projectmanagement 
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