Job Summary Table of Adolescent Life Skills

🎓 Job Description Summary

Echidna Giving seeks an experienced Program Officer to develop and execute their Adolescent Life Skills strategy in East Africa, overseeing a portfolio of approximately 18-30 grants, with a focus on advancing girls’ education and creating positive systemic change.

🌟 Adolescent Life Skills Program Officer – Transforming Girls’ Education in East Africa

Are you passionate about girls’ education and creating lasting change in East Africa? Echidna Giving, a leading private funder dedicated to getting more girls into better schools to live better lives, is seeking a Program Officer to spearhead their Adolescent Life Skills strategy in East Africa. This pivotal role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of girls’ education across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania while working with a warm, inclusive, and intentional team.

📊 About Echidna Giving’s Impactful Mission

Echidna Giving stands at the forefront of educational philanthropy with a clear mission: getting more girls into better schools to live better lives. Their focus on girls stems from the understanding that educating girls creates a powerful ripple effect. When a girl receives quality education, she typically prioritizes educating her children, creating one of philanthropy’s rare self-reinforcing investments.

As many wealthy nations reduce aid funding, Echidna Giving’s role becomes increasingly vital. As one of the largest private funders in international education, they’re committed to growth rather than contraction. With ambitious plans to distribute $6 billion over the next 35 years and to quintuple their annual grants budget to approximately $200 million per year within the next decade, they’re poised to make a transformative impact.

🌍 Adolescent Life Skills Program Officer Responsibilities

As the Program Officer for Adolescent Life Skills in East Africa, you’ll join a dynamic team focused on empowering marginalized adolescent girls to develop crucial life skills and mindsets. Your core responsibilities will encompass:

Strategy Development and Grant Management (70%)

• Develop a contextualized East Africa-specific Adolescent Life Skills strategy aimed at systems-level change
• Administer and support an existing portfolio of approximately 18 grants, growing to 20-30 organizations over time
• Identify high-leverage opportunities that advance Echidna Giving’s goals in the region
• Expand the grant portfolio by discovering new potential grantees, with emphasis on locally-based and locally-led organizations
• Review and evaluate grant proposals, assessing program quality, metrics, budgets, and leadership capabilities
• Write comprehensive funding recommendations and represent these to the Board during quarterly meetings
• Serve as the primary point of contact for grantees, providing support beyond grant dollars by facilitating connections with funders, policymakers, and other strategic partners
• Share expertise with fellow Program Officers to strengthen collective impact

External Leadership and Field Building (30%)

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with grantees, funders, researchers, policymakers, and other key stakeholders in the education and gender equality ecosystem
• Identify creative solutions to support grantee success and strengthen leadership in Adolescent Life Skills across East Africa
• Represent Echidna Giving at strategic conferences, meetings, and donor collaboratives
• Collaborate with colleagues to improve internal practices in alignment with organizational principles
• Stay current on research, trends, and developments in education, gender equity, and East African policy landscapes
• Identify opportunities for accelerated systems change that can transform girls’ education regionally

📋 Qualifications for Adolescent Life Skills Position

The ideal candidate brings a blend of expertise in girls’ education, regional knowledge, and philanthropic experience:

• 12+ years of professional experience, including at least 5 years in positions requiring independent decision-making
• Demonstrated knowledge and expertise in Adolescent Life Skills education, with commitment to gender equity
• Experience in at least two of these key areas:
  • Technical expertise in Adolescent Life Skills
  • Strong networks in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, or Tanzania)
  • Experience in philanthropy or gender/girls’ rights advocacy
• Understanding of political economy in East African education systems
• Established networks with education stakeholders in the region
• Experience in NGO, governmental, or philanthropic sectors
• Excellent analytical skills and ability to synthesize information for strategic decision-making
• Critical thinking capabilities to evaluate research and evidence
• Strong strategic vision and practical implementation skills
• Clear communication skills in English, both written and verbal
• Commitment to Echidna Giving’s principles and mission
• Cultural alignment with the organization’s values
• Collaborative mindset with dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Exceptional organizational abilities and self-motivation
• Flexibility, maturity, and a good sense of humor

🌱 Career Growth Opportunities

Working with Echidna Giving offers unique professional development opportunities in the international education philanthropy space. As part of a small but senior team managing substantial resources, you’ll gain expertise in:

• Strategic grantmaking and portfolio management
• International development and girls’ education
• System-level change creation
• Cross-cultural collaboration
• Network building across multiple sectors
• Leadership in the growing field of gender-responsive education

🌐 Remote Work Policy

This position offers considerable flexibility in location, though candidates based in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, or Tanzania) will receive priority consideration. The role involves:

• Initial onboarding period with several months in the Bay Area
• Ongoing travel requirements (20-40% of time):
  • 4-6 weeks annually in the Bay Area
  • 8-12 weeks in countries where grantees operate
• Remote work capabilities with strong support for international collaboration

💼 Company Culture

Echidna Giving prides itself on a positive, empowering organizational culture. Recent confidential team interviews reveal an environment characterized by:

• Warmth and inclusivity
• Intentional relationship-building
• Collaborative decision-making
• Respect for diverse perspectives
• Commitment to local leadership
• Focus on meaningful, measurable impact

📝 Application Process

1. Submit your application through LinkedIn’s “Easy Apply” button or share your cover letter and resume/LinkedIn profile with the recruitment partners
2. Applications reviewed on a rolling basis until position is filled (early applications strongly encouraged)
3. Selected candidates proceed through Shortlist’s assessment process

📩 How to Apply

Applications are being managed by Shortlist (www.shortlist.net), Echidna Giving’s exclusive recruitment partner for this position. To apply:

1. Click the “Easy Apply” button on LinkedIn
2. Or contact the recruitment team directly:
   • Ashbira Singh, Associate Partner: ashbira@shortlist.net
   • Alisha Coelho, Talent Consultant: alisha@shortlist.net

This transformative role offers the rare opportunity to help shape the future of girls’ education across East Africa while working with a significant and growing grant portfolio. If you’re passionate about creating systemic change in education and empowering marginalized girls, Echidna Giving wants to hear from you.

Explore Blog Articles:

1. UK Skilled Worker Visa – Complete Guide
2. Sweden Job Seeker Visa – How to Apply
3. Portugal’s Job Seeker Visa – What You Need to Know
4. Germany EU Blue Card – Benefits and Requirements