EduSpots is an innovative, dynamic, and community-driven UK and Ghanaian registered charity which connects, trains, and equips voluntary community educators to drive community-led change through education spaces named ‘Spots’. Our vision is of our world where communities unite to create the futures they want to see, through education.

Since 2016, through collaborating extensively with over 250 local volunteers, who take a central leadership role in the development of the network, we have supported 50 communities in creating and running community-led and owned education spaces named ‘Spots’, with a strategy to support them in moving towards our ‘Dream Spot Model’. Together, we are developing a model for a community-led education space with accompanying network engagement that could have applications across the world.

Our Ghanaian-based team creates collaborative learning opportunities through three leadership programmes for volunteers: the Ignite, Catalyse and Peer Mentoring Programmes. These enable them to lead EduLit, EduSTEM, EduKidz and Ignite Equity clubs, alongside locally designed education projects, reaching over 10,000 students of all ages annually. Read our 2022 Impact Report here.

We are in an exciting period of our development, having more than doubled our income, programme breadth and reach in the last year. In 2024, we are launching our new Catalyse Leadership Programme, alongside developing an EduSpots app to enhance data management and programme management at the community level, alongside a wider digitalisation process through the distribution of tablets across the network.

We won the Tes International Award in 2018 and the Big Give Supporters’ Choice Award in 2022, and we were recently selected as a finalist for the Their World Scale-Up Innovation Prize. In 2021, our Founder was a Finalist in UNESCO-backed The Varkey Foundation’s $1 million Global Teacher Prize.

We are excited by our future. Do visit www.eduspots.org for further information.

About this role

We are looking for an organised, committed and passionate individual, with the skills and experience to lead EduSpots’ programmes as we enter into an exciting period of growth.

This important Ghana-based leadership role, reporting directly to the CEO, will involve responsibility for the design, development and management of all our programmes in Ghana and beyond, with a focus on advancing the quality, sustainability and reach of outcomes, underpinned by a strong understanding of our collaborative and community-driven approach to programme delivery. In this role, you will manage the full-time Education & Research Manager, the Programme Manager, and a part-time team of 6 programme coordinators, also working closely with a team of four regional Spot coordinators.

We are looking for a strong team leader, able to inspire their talented reports to lead their respective areas effectively in line with our organisational goals, with a strong sense of work accountability and constantly looking to improve the depth and quality of impact of programmes through effective use of systems and data management strategies. You will have a strong understanding of the rural community context, and share our values of promoting community ownership, and ensuring that we adopt cost effective strategies to enable the learners to gain as much benefit from EduSpots’ programmes as possible.

The postholder will also be an experienced and creative educationalist, with the ability to input a high quality of feedback into the design of our education programmes, ensuring that they are designed in line with our agreed approach, which includes a focus on play-based learning, community-connectedness, and the promotion of creativity and critical thinking. The individual will be flexible, adept at problem-solving, and able to think outside the box to develop innovative community-driven education programmes.

We are searching for an individual with a thirst for learning and ability to respond to feedback quickly. They will be highly independent and self-motivated, able to manage multiple tasks concurrently and produce high quality outcomes within a mainly remote working environment, with outstanding IT skills.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• To oversee the day-to-day management of our programmes team; this includes a full-time Education and Research and Programmes Managers, and part-time roles in STEM & sustainability education, early years education, literacy development, gender-based equity and leadership development. In time, this role may also manage our regional coordinators, giving them full oversight of our delivery in Ghana and Kenya.
• To oversee the overall delivery and development of our volunteer training programmes (the Ignite Programme, the Catalyse Programme, the Peer Mentoring Programme and online courses), ensuring that improving the quality of educational delivery and professional development of 250+ Spot volunteers is a constant focus.
• To closely monitor deadlines and deliverables of team members, ensuring key milestones are met with continuous high quality content.
• Leading the monitoring, evaluation and learning across our programmes, leading on programme reporting, both internally and externally.
• Oversight of all participant data effectively, working with the Programmes Manager, strand and regional coordinators.
• Oversight of the educational delivery at our conferences and training Academies, working closely with the Education & Research Manager.
• Creating a process for supporting the promotion of wider diverse programmes and projects developed and delivered by community volunteers.
• Ensuring child protection and safeguarding, and wider risk management and promotion of positive well-being is at the heart of all our programme planning.

• Exploring ways to make our educational offering as inclusive as possible, working with volunteers to improve their own capacity, and adjusting their sessions to enable all learners to engage with our programmes and clubs.
• To support the creation of handbooks, resources & PowerPoints to meet organisational needs as requested.
• Work with the team to develop partnerships with NGOs, corporates, government departments and individuals to enhance the delivery of programmes.
• Leading the professional development and appraisal of our programme-focused staff team members, and the wider team.
• To play a key part of the leadership team, offering strategic insight to the development of the organisation.Other

• To carry out all other duties as reasonably required under the job role, supporting the wider work of the organisation.
• To act at all times in line with the expectations of staff as set out in the Staff & Volunteers Handbook, and other relevant policies and procedures.
  

  Personal Specifications

  Knowledge & Experience

  • At least 3 years’ experience in education management, including line management of a team.
  •  Strong skills in programme development and management with an ability to ensure a large team meet their task deadlines, and produce outcomes of the required standards.
  • Experience in education resource design (e.g. curricula, student activities, teacher/facilitator guides).
  • Strong personnel management experience, including experience having difficult conversations and managing performance of diverse staff.
  • An ability to create systems to improve quality of programme delivery at an organisational and local level.
  • A strong training facilitator, with the ability to model outstanding pedagogy and inspire volunteers and staff members.
  • Experience in online educational delivery of various forms.
  • Experience of working with volunteers to drive educational change.
  • Experience of home-based, online working
  • Strong IT knowledge and skills
    

    Personal Qualities & Skills

  • Excellent team management and leadership skills, with the ability to support and inspire staff to improve performance outcomes and hold staff firmly to account where needed, with limited intervention from the CEO.
  • A strong educationalist, with a genuine passion for the power of education to transform lives.
  • A team player with a belief in the value of collaborative approaches to learning.
  • Self-motivated, proactive, and able to work to maintain a high standard of performance with minimum supervision.
  • Exemplary written and verbal communication skills
  •  Ability to work under pressure, prioritise and meet deadlines.
  • Ability to respond to feedback effectively, always looking for improvements in their work, and that of the organisation.
  • Flexible with the ability to react to change and be adaptable.
  • An ability to understand and meet agreed international standards of working and promote strong professional standards in their team.
  • A strong personal affinity with EduSpots’ mission, vision and values (community leadership, play, care, passion, teamwork and sustainable impact) with a genuine passion for educational equity and community-led development, with the ability to work collaboratively with grassroots volunteers who are the leaders of our network.Desirable

•  Experience of working in a multicultural team
• Masters qualification in a related field
• Volunteer experience and commitment.
  

  How to apply:

  Please send a tailored covering letter and updated CV addressed to the Head of Staff and Professional Development, Kennedy Apanyin, at recruitment@eduspots.org by Tuesday 5th March with a hope to meet shortlisted candidates for a first-round interview shortly afterwards, with a planned start date in April.

  For further information please see www.eduspots.org or contact us at recruitment@eduspots.org
  Also follow us on social media – @eduspots on Twitter and Facebook

  This job description will be reviewed annually and may be subject to amendment or modification at any  time in consultation with the post holder. It is not a comprehensive statement of procedures and tasks but sets out the main expectations of the role.

  EduSpots is committed to the safeguarding of children. Appointment will be subject to child protection screening appropriate to the post.