Program Officer

foundation has committed more than $1.8 billion to global children’s issues and community initiatives to accelerate human opportunity

for families from low-income backgrounds. Since opening the South Africa office in 2009, the foundation has deployed over ZAR1 billion in service of our mission in the country.

**A**
**bout the foundation’s work in South Africa**

In South Africa, we work to expand access to high-quality education through various partnerships and interventions in schools to help learners succeed in the classroom. We provide university students, most who are the first in their families to attend university, with support that will enable them to walk across the graduation stage and into meaningful careers. We also create impact in youth employment by ensuring young adults in South Africa can access and retain jobs and earning opportunities. The foundation’s mission in South Africa is to create sustainable change by providing the education, training, and meaningful jobs that South Africans need to thrive.

**_Current Opportunity: Program Officer - Cape Town, South Africa_**

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation currently has a new position open for a Program Officer on the team based in Cape Town, South Africa. This role requires that the person is based in Cape Town. We are seeking an individual who can see opportunity and work collaboratively with social entrepreneurs, non-profit and private agencies, government, and implementation and technology partners to

design and sustain projects and programs that achieve results for disadvantaged children, youth and families.

**What will you do?**

**Program Development**: Proactively work with existing and new grantees, as well as mission-aligned entities and related stakeholders to continue to ensure the success of MSDF grants and investments. Make recommendations to the relevant Portfolio Leads and Country Director for South Africa about the design, development, and scale of new models and practices that deepen impact and create opportunities to ensure more effective allocation of public and private resources.

**Actively Manage Programs and Program Outcomes**: Lead project management activities that deliver measurable (and sustainable) positive impact on children, youth and families through various interventions, work closely with investees and grantees to unlock value and support the growth of these organizations in key operational areas, and facilitate the overall program implementation with a fanatical eye for detail.

**Strategic Partnership Management**: The work will require close collaboration with partners to develop new innovations that further the Foundation’s portfolio strategies. This work will also require working collaboratively with government stakeholders to foster partnerships that further the impact of programs on children, youth, and families. This will require working closely with stakeholders and partners to develop a foundation for strong, insightful measurement that illustrates both progress and impact of programs.

**Portfolio Assessment and Knowledge Management**:Conduct clear-eyed, rigorous appraisals of foundation-supported projects, driving active projects for maximum success and making hard choices to move away from ineffective initiatives, as appropriate. Make active use of external evaluation data to drive internal decision-making. Synthesize key findings and drive adoption of lessons learned within the foundation and beyond.

**Education / Experience you will need to be successful in this role**:
A mission aligned individual with a professional qualification from a leading university with a minimum of 8 years of experience leading/managing complex, integrated projects with clear, demonstrated outcomes.

The ability to think strategically and conceptually using strong analytical skills to identify and implement solutions to address complex business or societal problems, and then to effectively influence a wide cross-section of people. A willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done and be impact focused. Highly developed organizational and prioritization skills will underline the ability to work in a fast-paced environment. The ability to influence outcomes in complex multi-stakeholder engagements and partnerships.

Sector Understanding: Prior knowledge of the education or youth employment sectors in South Africa is desirable, but not essential. A burning curiosity to learn about all aspects of education, skilling, training and employer needs in South Africa is however, essential.
- A true curiosity and commitment to finding more effective ways to meet the needs of low-income children and families; a willingness and desire to engage fully in the challenges of this work and to communicate its lessons, successes, and conclusions.
- Analytical, fact-based problem solving and implementation.
- Learn quickly and connect learning to ongoing program and portfolio conversations.
- Strong commercial acumen