Scholarship Manager

SHOFCO is seeking a strategic Scholarship Manager to play a crucial role which involves overseeing a comprehensive program aimed at providing over 3,000 multi-year scholarships to extremely vulnerable children across the nation and additional financial “nudges” to students at risk of being out of school. Based on the scope of work, the Scholarship Manager will be responsible for ensuring transparency and credibility in scholar selection, developing holiday programs to further support the scholarship recipients, and ensuring students are safely enrolled in school.

The ideal candidate has significant education experience in Kenya, including successful partnership with government and working with low-income communities, and is personally aligned with SHOFCO’s value of staying “grassroots” and always listening to and empowering the community.

Key Responsibilities and Job Dimensions

2.1 Strategy Leadership and Project Oversight:

• Develop and execute a plan for partnering with public schools across the nation, delivering the program in alignment with SHOFCO’s overall mission and objectives.
• Work to ensure safety of scholars while in and out of school, including by developing a holiday program to boost life-skills and organizing school visits
• Oversee the implementation of the program across multiple counties, ensuring that activities are delivered on time, within budget, and achieve desired impacts.

2.2 Team Management and Development:

• Lead, mentor, and build the capacity of a diverse team of professionals, ensuring high levels of motivation, commitment, and performance.
• Foster a collaborative and positive work environment that encourages innovation, accountability, and excellence.

2.3 Stakeholder Engagement and Advocacy:

• Represent SHOFCO in various forums, including meetings with government officials, donors, and partners, to advocate for the program’s objectives and secure necessary support and resources.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including community leaders in SUN (SHOFCO’s national network), partner organizations, and government agencies, to enhance program impact and sustainability.

2.4 Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning:

• In partnership with SHOFCO’s Impact team, drive performance against a robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework to track program progress, assess effectiveness, and inform ongoing improvements.
• Ensure that lessons learned are captured, shared, and integrated into program planning and execution.

Academic Qualifications

• Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in education, with experience in project management, government partnerships, and low-income communities
• Bachelors Degree in any Education/Development Studies or any other related studies

Other requirements (unique/job specific)

• Proven track record of successfully leading and scaling ambitious programs.
• Strong strategic thinking, leadership, and management skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience using data and insights to drive program improvements.
• Familiarity with the contexts of urban slums and rural agricultural communities.
• Strong commitment to SHOFCO’s mission and values
• Strong commitment to SHOFCO’s mission and values.