Job Description

Scholarship Officer –Hargeisa, Somaliland

Organisation Overview

The Pharo Foundation (the “Foundation”) is a privately funded entrepreneurial organisation that runs philanthropic programmes as well as for-profit Pharo Ventures. The vision of the Foundation is an economically vibrant and inclusive Africa. The mission is to achieve our vision by investing in Africa’s human and physical capital with a strong focus on job creation.

Established in 2011, the Foundation has been implementing numerous programmes in Ethiopia and Somaliland and is in the process of expanding into Rwanda and Kenya. The strategic pillars of the Foundation are education, health, water, and agriculture. One such example is the large scale water project starting to be implemented in Somaliland with the aim of bringing water to 6,000 households and their livestock. In 2020, the Foundation also established Pharo Ventures, its wholly owned social enterprise arm, with the objectives of economic value and job creation in East Africa. Pharo Ventures has already embarked on a series of ambitious businesses in Somaliland and Ethiopia in the construction and agro-processing sectors and is about to launch its first Kenyan venture.

Headquartered in London, the Foundation has an operational Head Office in Nairobi, Kenya with country offices in Ethiopia (Addis Ababa and Assosa), Somaliland (Hargeisa) and Rwanda (Kigali) with further expansion plans in East Africa.

Position Summary

This role is responsible for the identification, verification and selection of students eligible for the Pharo School Scholarship. This is a vital role in terms of the Foundation’s commitment to quality access to education for all.

Job Title:                Scholarship Officer

Reports to:            Head of Education

Job Location:         Hargeisa, Somaliland

Contract Type:      Fixed Term (one year)

Key Duties and Responsibilities

  • Create a student database with information on family income and academic performance.

  • Maintaining the Foundation’s database records for students on scholarships.

  • Start connecting potential scholarship sponsors with our students.

  • Keep records of student performance and inform parents of students’ performance.

  • Being the first-line response for hardship cases, including interviewing students when required. 

  • Advising students and families on the process of making a scholarship application. Auditing and keeping records.

  • Working as part of the scholarship team to produce shortlists of applicants.

  • Maintaining strong external relationships with families, school management, teachers, etc. Any other duties assigned by the line manager.

 

Skills and Qualifications

University Degree in Education (or related field).

Minimum 2-4 years of relevant work experience in the educational sector. Fluent in Somali and English.

In-hand experience of using Microsoft office (MS word, MS excel, PowerPoint etc.)

Behavioural Competencies

  • Ability to work under instruction, as part of a team, and on own initiative. Organised and self-motivated with strong administrative skills.

  • Outgoing and confident, with a flexible approach to work; willing to adapt to changing situations.

  • Ability to interact with a wide range of people.

  • High level of professionalism, work ethics, integrity and data collection analysis and reporting. Strong attention to detail.

  • Highly discreet and ethical, who strongly adheres to the Foundation’s Confidentiality Policy. Good writing and reporting skills.

  • Commitment, ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

Salary and Benefits

The salary and benefits package is competitive and will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Medical insurance is provided in accordance with The Pharo Foundation Health policy

 

How to apply

This position is open to both female and male nationals from Somaliland. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Application deadline is September 13, 2022

Review of applications will begin as soon as they are received, and only complete applications will be considered. In the event that an outstanding applicant is identified early in the search process, we reserve the right to appoint before the deadline. For this reason, we encourage interested candidates to apply at the earliest possible time. Due to the high volume of applications, we regret that we will only be able to contact short-listed candidates.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates, who meet the above requirements, should submit their application through email to recruiting.sl@pharofoundation.org with the subject line “Scholarship Officer”.

Requirement:

  1. An updated CV.

  2. Cover letter to explain the experience you have gained that indicates you are the most qualified candidate for the role (maximum 1,000 words).

  3. A list of minimum five (5) references with current email addresses and phone numbers.

  4. Copies of your qualification.

  5. State on your application where you saw the advert for this position