Details of Schools Portfolio Manager - Pharo Schools

Job description

Schools Portfolio Manager - Pharo Schools

Hargeisa, Somaliland

Overview

Pharo Foundation (“the Foundation”) is a pioneering, mission-driven organisation working to build a vibrant, productive, and self-reliant Africa. Founded and fully funded by Pharo Management, emerging markets hedge fund, the Foundation represents a new model of philanthropic capitalism: a private endowment using its own capital to design, fund, and operate development programmes with private-sector discipline and long-term commitment.

Over the next decade, the Foundation’s ambition is to deliver lasting impact across three interdependent missions:

1. Empowering the next generation through affordable, high-quality education.

2. Solving water scarcity by building and operating sustainable water infrastructure.

3. Driving economic productivity by unlocking jobs, investment, and innovation through both non-profit and for-profit ventures.

The Foundation operates in Ethiopia, Somaliland, Kenya, and Rwanda, employing more than 750 people. It combines a not-for-profit engine: Pharo Development, with a for-profit engine, Pharo Ventures, which builds and operates sustainable businesses to create jobs and advance economic self-reliance.

About Pharo Schools

Pharo Schools is a pan African network of Schools that, exists to expand opportunity through high quality affordable and equitable education across Africa. We are building a network of high-impact, future-focused schools that deliver excellent learning outcomes, nurture character and wellbeing, and empower young people to shape prosperous futures for themselves and their communities. Rooted in the Foundation’s mission to “enable Africa to thrive”, Pharo Schools operates with a deep commitment to equity, dignity, and access.

 Our schools prioritise strong teaching, enriched learning environments, and holistic development, ensuring that every child regardless of background can succeed at school, thrive in life, and transition confidently to further education and meaningful livelihoods. Pharo Schools currently serves +- 5000 students across Kenya, Somaliland, Ethiopia and Rwanda.

Role Purpose

The Schools Portfolio Manager will ensure the consistent and high-quality implementation of the Pharo Schools educational, operational and financial model across a specified portfolio of schools. Acting as the principal

coach to School Principals, the role serves as the critical link between network strategy and school-level execution, ensuring that every school delivers an outstanding educational experience while achieving academic excellence, operational effectiveness and financial sustainability.

The position is accountable for developing exceptional principals who, in turn, develop exceptional teachers, resulting in improved student achievement, strong school cultures and a sustainable network of high-performing Pharo Schools.

Key Relationships

Reporting to: Head of Education Working Relationship: School Principals

Location: Hargeisa Somaliland

Contract Type: Fixed Term

Key Responsibilities

1. Student Achievement, Teaching Excellence & Safeguarding

The Portfolio Manager is primarily responsible for improving student outcomes across a portfolio of schools by strengthening school leadership, improving teaching quality, and ensuring every school consistently delivers the Pharo Schools educational model.

Key responsibilities include:

• Coach Principals as instructional leaders and support evidence-based school improvement.

• Monitor school performance, teaching quality, safeguarding compliance, attendance, behaviour and wellbeing data.

• Support structured cycles of classroom observation, coaching, feedback and targeted professional development.

• Ensure schools provide safe, inclusive and nurturing environments where students are protected and supported to thrive.

• Embed character development and social-emotional learning, including ethical leadership, responsibility, curiosity, respect and collaboration.

2. Leadership Development & School Culture

The Portfolio Manager coaches and supports Heads of School to strengthen leadership capability, drive accountability and build a culture of excellence and continuous improvement across the network.

Key responsibilities include:

• Build trusted coaching relationships with Heads of School.

• Support school leaders in addressing instructional, operational, people and parent engagement challenges.

• Hold school leaders accountable for agreed performance goals.

• Promote a culture of excellence, accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.

• Model Pharo Schools leadership behaviours and organisational values.

• Support succession planning by identifying and developing future school leaders.

3. Operational Excellence & Network Consistency

The Portfolio Manager ensures schools consistently implement the Pharo Schools operating model and maintain the systems, standards and conditions required for effective teaching and learning.

Key responsibilities include:

• Monitor implementation of operational standards, policies and quality assurance frameworks.

• Review school performance across admissions, staffing, facilities, safeguarding, compliance and culture.

• Identify operational risks early and coordinate timely corrective action with school and central teams.

• Ensure consistent implementation of agreed systems, processes and operating practices.

• Support new initiatives and continuous improvement projects across the network.

4. Financial Stewardship & Sustainable Growth

The Portfolio Manager partners with the Head of Product and Innovation to ensure schools deliver educational excellence while remaining financially sustainable by:

Key Responsibilities:

• Monitoring portfolio performance across key educational, operational, and financial metrics.

• Supporting Heads of School to drive performance improvement through data-informed decision-making.

• Overseeing staffing efficiency and effective resource utilisation.

• Contributing to strategic planning, budgeting, and forecasting to strengthen network sustainability.

5. Stakeholder Partnership & Network Collaboration

The Portfolio Manager serves as the primary link between schools and central support teams, ensuring effective

collaboration and execution by:

• Coordinating cross-functional support to drive school performance.

• Aligning school operations with organisational strategy.

• Representing schools with external stakeholders, as delegated.

• Supporting school expansion, due diligence, and network improvement initiatives.

Skills and qualifications

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in education or a related field, with a recognised teaching qualification.

• Master’s degree in educational leadership, Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Management, or a related field (preferred).

• Minimum 5 years' classroom teaching experience with a proven track record of improving student outcomes.

• Minimum 3–5 years' experience as a School Principal, Head of School, or in a comparable senior leadership role.

• Demonstrated expertise in instructional leadership, teacher coaching, classroom observation, and professional development.

• Experience using academic, operational, and financial data to drive school improvement.

• Experience working across multiple schools or within a school network is an advantage.

Key Competencies

• Strong knowledge of curriculum, assessment, pedagogy, and school improvement.

• Coaching, facilitation, and leadership development skills.

• Analytical, planning, and problem-solving ability.

• Financial and operational acumen with data-driven decision-making skills.

• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and relationship-building skills.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and school information systems.

Personal Attributes and Mindset

• Passionate and mission-driven, committed to educational excellence and impact.

• Strategic, innovative, and hands-on, with a strong execution focus.

• Collaborative and relationship-oriented, fostering trust and influence across diverse stakeholders.

• Parent- and community-centred, with empathy, cultural awareness, and contextual sensitivity.

• Data-informed and outcome-focused, applying sound judgement to drive continuous improvement.

• Adaptable and resilient, thriving in complex, fast-changing environments.

• Demonstrates integrity, professionalism, and strong organisational and project management skills.

How to apply

 Application procedure

This position is open to both female and male candidates.

Applicants are required to attach a detailed CV and Cover letter by September 15, 2026

Review of applications will begin as soon as they are received, and only complete applications will be considered.

Due to the high volume of applications, we regret that we will only contact shortlisted candidates.

Please click this link https://a.peoplehum.com/8aqmo to Apply

Pharo Foundation is an equal opportunity employer committed to promoting diversity, inclusion, and gender equality in all its practices. We encourage applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, gender, religion, or background.

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