General Manager - School Operations (Southern Zone)

Job Summary
The General Manager - Zone at The Citizens Foundation (TCF) plays a critical leadership role in overseeing all strategic, operational, and administrative functions within a designated geographical zone. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, this position is responsible for driving educational initiatives, enhancing people development, ensuring operational excellence, and maintaining strong relationships with both internal teams and external stakeholders. The GM will align regional and area strategies with TCF’s overall mission, focusing on educational quality, cost efficiency, compliance with processes, and effective land acquisition management.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy and Leadership:
Develop and execute zonal strategies that support TCF’s mission and national operational vision. Establish clear frameworks to ensure effective implementation at regional and area levels. Lead efforts to identify and develop new clusters, aiming to achieve complete district coverage targets.

Stakeholder Engagement:
Build and nurture relationships with key external stakeholders, including government agencies and foundations. Represent TCF in strategic forums to explore partnership and collaboration opportunities. Ensure timely, accurate communication and reporting to external partners.

People Management and Culture:
Enhance the capacity and leadership skills of Area and Regional teams by fostering a performance-driven and values-based culture. Facilitate leadership development through targeted training and mentorship programs for Area Education Managers (AEMs) and Regional Education Managers (REMs).

Operational Excellence:
Ensure strict adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and operational systems. Collaborate with the Operations Excellence team to develop tools, dashboards, and analytics for ongoing performance monitoring. Oversee smooth day-to-day operations and support cluster-level execution.

Quality of Education:
Guarantee the implementation of educational policies through effective supervision of REMs. Provide actionable ground-level feedback to design and Operations Excellence teams. Support continuous capacity-building initiatives to improve academic outcomes.

Financial Management:
Drive cost efficiency at zonal and area levels by closely monitoring the monthly cost per child (CpC). Lead the budget preparation process, including assumptions, approvals, and fund devolutions to District Finance Authorities (DFA). Maintain strict budgetary discipline and track financial performance across all areas.

Land Acquisition and Documentation:
Oversee the complete land acquisition and transfer process with support from Area Cluster Managers (ACMs). Ensure digitization of land records, survey approvals, and readiness of all documentation required by District Supervisors and Finance teams.

Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Education, Public Administration, Management, or a related discipline.
- Over 10 years of leadership experience in education, operations, or large-scale program management, preferably within mission-driven or multi-location organizations.
- Demonstrated leadership and people management skills.
- Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management capabilities.
- Expertise in budget planning, financial oversight, and cost control.
- Solid knowledge of education systems and quality assurance practices.
- Experience in operational process development and monitoring, including SOPs, SLAs, and analytics.
- Excellent strategic thinking, execution focus, and problem-solving abilities.
- Familiarity with regional dynamics and field-based program implementation.

Preferred Qualifications and Benefits
- Experience with land acquisition and documentation processes is highly desirable.
- The role requires extensive travel and a strong field presence, reflecting its on-the-road nature.
- This full-time position offers a challenging and rewarding leadership opportunity to make a meaningful impact on educational initiatives within a respected national organization.

This role is ideal for a dynamic leader passionate about advancing quality education and operational excellence across diverse regions.