Managing Director, Pharo Schools at The Pharo Foundation -

Managing Director, Pharo Schools at The Pharo Foundation

Wahome Ngatia

May 28, 2025

Key responsibilities

Refining the Vision and Model of Pharo Schools: Further refine the vision and model of Pharo Schools to make the network’s unique offering in the education sector clear.
Creation of Network Aligned Systems and Structures: Build systems and structures to support the Pharo model of education and ensure that it is used with consistency and fidelity across Pharo Schools.
Strategic Growth: Develop and implement a growth strategy to expand our school portfolio from 7 to over 15 schools, increasing student enrollment from 4,000 to 25,000 over the next 10 years.
Brand Leadership: Enhance the Pharo Schools brand, positioning it as a leader in affordable, quality education in the Horn of Africa.
Operational Excellence: Oversee school operations, instilling a culture of excellence, ensuring each institution meets the highest standards and consistently delivers on their brand promise.
Educational Innovation: Lead partnership and investment strategy into EdTech and other innovative education frameworks. The aim is to massively scale the impact and become a trailblazer in the education landscape in Africa. Pharo Foundation is aiming to educate 200,000 students annually by 2035 through impactful and scalable approaches to complement the impact of Pharo Schools.
Talent Strategy: The quality of education and the brand of a school are only as good as the teachers in the classroom and the principals leading the schools. Therefore, the candidate will develop and implement a talent strategy to develop a world-class and uniform teaching force. This will include talent recruitment, hiring, onboarding and continuous professional development.
Professional Development Strategy: Lead in the professional development strategy and execution for all Pharo Schools teammates.
Partnership Development: Develop and manage strategic partnerships to support our ambitious educational goals.
Leadership and Management: Provide leadership to a diverse, multi-country team, and manage the
Global Education team to drive investment projects and academic excellence.
Compliance: Oversee compliance of the School Portfolio with regulatory requirements and internal quality and safeguarding standards.

Successful Candidate Profile

We are looking for a leader who embodies our values and is committed to our mission. Attributes of our ideal candidate:
Value Aligned: Committed to excellence, innovation and integrity, passionate to deliver results, driven by impact and a teamplayer who fosters collaboration.
Strategic Vision: Proven experience in developing and executing growth strategies in the education sector.
Operational Expertise: A strong track record of driving academic excellence and managing school operations.
Innovative Mindset: Experience with educational technologies and innovative approaches to learning.
Financial Acumen: Experienced in developing and managing budgets across multiple entities and driving financial sustainability.
Leadership Skills: Exceptional ability to lead diverse teams across multiple countries and cultures.
Expertise in growing and developing teammates.
Stakeholder Engagement: Experience in building and maintaining strategic partnerships and engaging with governance bodies.
Cultural Sensitivity: An appreciation for the cultural contexts of the Horn of Africa.

Credentials and Experience: