Background information about the job or company (e.g., role context, company overview)

Pestalozzi International is a family of nonprofit organizations that offers child-centered education to disadvantaged children in the Global South, supporting economic growth and social mobility. Recognizing the uniqueness of every child's fullest potential, we educate beyond the classroom to develop future-oriented vocational skills and nurture emotional, social and mental well-being. Our approach provides for a future generation of compassionate global citizens equipped with the ‘Head, Heart and Hands’ to define their lives according to their potential, not their backgrounds. We see a tomorrow where every child’s innate talent, empathy, and rich diversity of lived experience are nurtured. Where education instils the power to make informed decisions, fuels the fire of ambition, and inspires everyone to shape a brighter tomorrow for all humanity. Our vision is a world where every child has the knowledge, skills, and ambition to develop their nations and to create a better world for us all.

We are pleased to invite applications from suitably qualified and passionate individuals to fill the following positions: Skills Hub Manager, and Future Leadership and Wellbeing Lead.

The Skills Hub Manager is responsible for developing, coordinating, and overseeing a dynamic Skills Hub Programme that equips students with practical, transferable, and career-oriented skills. The role supports holistic education by bridging academic learning with real-world competencies, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Responsibilities or duties

• Programme leadership and delivery
  • Plan and manage the Skills Hub annual cycle and cohort calendars.
  • Ensure delivery milestones are met (sensitization, selection support where relevant, training start/end points, transitions).
  • Maintain programme quality and learner support, resolving delivery issues quickly.
• Partner and provider management
  • Manage relationships with external training providers (TVET/colleges), including scheduling, coordination, and problem-solving.
  • Maintain agreements and expectations with partners; ensure smooth coordination with procurement/operations when required.
• Employer engagement and outcomes
  • Build and maintain an employer network to support placements, internships, and job outcomes.
  • Develop an “employment pipeline” approach (opportunities identification → placement → follow-up → retention tracking).
• Ensure learning-to-employment alignment by gathering employer feedback and adjusting support accordingly.
• Monitoring, evaluation, and reporting pipeline
  • Implement a routine data collection cycle for inputs, attendance, completion, placements, and employment outcomes.
  • Ensure training records and core datasets are accurate, timely, and audit-ready.
  • Provide regular dashboards/updates to management and structured inputs for donor reporting (including risks, lessons learned, and case studies).
  • Manage budgets, resources, and facilities related to the Skills Hub
• Team leadership
  • Line-manage relevant Skills Hub staff/contractors and clarify role expectations (e.g., outreach, provider liaison, record keeping).
  • Build team confidence, accountability, and a proactive working culture.
  • Lead regular development-focused coaching conversations, using structured frameworks
  • Foster a psychologically safe team environment by modelling reflective practice, constructive feedback and growth-oriented dialogue.
  • Support team members in setting clear goals and development plans, encouraging ownership, agency and continuous improvement.
  • Identify strengths and development needs, facilitating access to appropriate training, mentoring or stretch opportunities.
  • Promote wellbeing and sustainable performance through proactive check-ins and early identification of support requirements.
• Stakeholder representation
  • Represent Skills Hub to key stakeholders where needed (employers, agencies, selected government interfaces) to strengthen partnerships and long-term relevance.

Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)

Person specification (essential)

• Demonstrated ability to manage a programme cycle with multiple partners, deadlines, and deliverables.
• Strong relationship-building skills with employers and training providers; confident communicator.
• Evidence of disciplined monitoring & outcomes tracking (KPIs, dashboards, reporting inputs).
• Independent operator with high ownership, low ego, and strong collaboration habits.
• Sound judgement and professionalism; able to keep Skills Hub focused without competing with Future Leaders priorities.
• An understanding of and commitment to child protection and safeguarding
• Evidence of police clearance and background checks

Person specification (desirable)

• Prior experience in TVET/vocational skills, employability programmes, or youth employment initiatives.
• Existing employer networks and stakeholder familiarity in Lusaka or similar context.
• Experience interfacing with government/agency stakeholders on skills, employment, or youth development.
• Comfort using simple data tools (spreadsheets; basic CRM or database concepts).

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) strongly preferred.
• Project management training/certification is an advantage but not required.
• Experience with working within Zambian and multicultural environments.
• Experience in working in vocational training for disadvantaged youths
• Certification or training in the monitoring and/or evaluation of skill development.

• Plan and manage the Skills Hub annual cycle and cohort calendars.
• Ensure delivery milestones are met (sensitization, selection support where relevant, training start/end points, transitions).
• Maintain programme quality and learner support, resolving delivery issues quickly.
• Manage relationships with external training providers (TVET/colleges), including scheduling, coordination, and problem-solving.
• Maintain agreements and expectations with partners; ensure smooth coordination with procurement/operations when required.
• Build and maintain an employer network to support placements, internships, and job outcomes.
• Develop an “employment pipeline” approach (opportunities identification → placement → follow-up → retention tracking).
• Ensure learning-to-employment alignment by gathering employer feedback and adjusting support accordingly.
• Implement a routine data collection cycle for inputs, attendance, completion, placements, and employment outcomes.
• Ensure training records and core datasets are accurate, timely, and audit-ready.
• Provide regular dashboards/updates to management and structured inputs for donor reporting (including risks, lessons learned, and case studies).
• Manage budgets, resources, and facilities related to the Skills Hub
• Line-manage relevant Skills Hub staff/contractors and clarify role expectations (e.g., outreach, provider liaison, record keeping).
• Build team confidence, accountability, and a proactive working culture.
• Lead regular development-focused coaching conversations, using structured frameworks
• Foster a psychologically safe team environment by modelling reflective practice, constructive feedback and growth-oriented dialogue.
• Support team members in setting clear goals and development plans, encouraging ownership, agency and continuous improvement.
• Identify strengths and development needs, facilitating access to appropriate training, mentoring or stretch opportunities.
• Promote wellbeing and sustainable performance through proactive check-ins and early identification of support requirements.
• Represent Skills Hub to key stakeholders where needed (employers, agencies, selected government interfaces) to strengthen partnerships and long-term relevance.

• Demonstrated ability to manage a programme cycle with multiple partners, deadlines, and deliverables.
• Strong relationship-building skills with employers and training providers; confident communicator.
• Evidence of disciplined monitoring & outcomes tracking (KPIs, dashboards, reporting inputs).
• Independent operator with high ownership, low ego, and strong collaboration habits.
• Sound judgement and professionalism; able to keep Skills Hub focused without competing with Future Leaders priorities.
• An understanding of and commitment to child protection and safeguarding
• Evidence of police clearance and background checks
• Prior experience in TVET/vocational skills, employability programmes, or youth employment initiatives.
• Existing employer networks and stakeholder familiarity in Lusaka or similar context.
• Experience interfacing with government/agency stakeholders on skills, employment, or youth development.
• Comfort using simple data tools (spreadsheets; basic CRM or database concepts).

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) strongly preferred.
• Project management training/certification is an advantage but not required.
• Experience with working within Zambian and multicultural environments.
• Experience in working in vocational training for disadvantaged youths
• Certification or training in the monitoring and/or evaluation of skill development.