Head of Program and Operational Design

The Head of Program and Operational Design will spearhead the strategic development and ongoing enhancement of TCF’s Alumni Pathways journey, guiding students beyond Grade 10 toward meaningful educational and career opportunities. This role involves translating organizational strategy into cohesive programs, frameworks, and operating models that span intermediate and tertiary education, counselling, diverse career pathways, livelihoods, alumni engagement, and school collaboration. The position ensures these pathways are supported by effective student guidance, strong institutional partnerships, practical implementation frameworks, and robust monitoring and evaluation systems. Ultimately, this role empowers alumni to make informed decisions, access relevant opportunities, and progress toward further education, meaningful employment, and sustainable livelihoods.

Key Responsibilities

Program Strategy and Design:
Translate the Alumni Pathways strategy into an integrated program architecture and a multi-year roadmap covering the student journey beyond Grade 10. Design and periodically refine program models, standards, and interventions across intermediate education, tertiary education, parallel career pathways, livelihoods, and alumni development. Ensure academic pathways and career options are complemented by age-appropriate guidance on life planning, education choices, career exploration, and transition to adulthood.

Counselling and Student Journey:
Develop counselling approaches and tools that assist students in assessing their interests, aptitudes, readiness, and options to make informed pathway decisions. Design a coherent student journey that includes counselling, applications, admissions, scholarships, transition, and post-admission support, collaborating closely with delivery teams. Define support models tailored for students pursuing intermediate and tertiary education, as well as vocational, technology-enabled, freelancing, and other livelihood-oriented pathways.

Institutional Partnerships and Pathway Development:
Map relevant institutions and partners, developing partnership strategies and relationship frameworks to enhance access to intermediate, tertiary, vocational, technology, and livelihood opportunities. Design partnership models that facilitate student access, preparation, placement, and continued progression across education and career pathways. Collaborate with internal teams to translate partner opportunities into clear student pathways and sustainable program arrangements.

Implementation Support, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL):
Develop implementation guidance, tools, and quality standards for programs delivered by the Alumni Pathways team and partners. Define outcome measures and MEL frameworks for portfolio areas including College and HSU, alumni engagement, counselling, parallel career pathways, intermediate education, digital engagement, livelihoods, and school engagement. Review program performance and student outcomes, identify gaps, and recommend evidence-based improvements. Coordinate with Data Systems and Insights to ensure program requirements and reporting needs are effectively translated into data definitions, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms.

Cross-Functional Leadership:
Collaborate closely with College Delivery, Data Systems and Insights, and other relevant functions to align program design, implementation, measurement, and operational support. Provide clear program guidance, priorities, and implementation expectations to teams and regional stakeholders. Contribute to annual planning, resource allocation, prioritization, and periodic strategy reviews for Alumni Pathways.

Required Qualifications

- Master’s degree from a reputable university.
- Minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience, including at least 5 years in a leadership or management role with expertise aligned to the position’s responsibilities.
- Strong program design and implementation skills, with the ability to translate strategic goals into frameworks, operating models, standards, and workplans.
- Sound understanding of secondary and intermediate education, tertiary admissions and scholarships, student counselling, and vocational, technology-enabled, and other parallel career pathways.
- Experience designing MEL frameworks and using evidence to assess effectiveness and drive continuous improvement.
- Strong partnership development skills, including institutional mapping, strategy, relationship management, and collaboration with education and livelihood partners.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, facilitation, stakeholder management, and presentation skills.

Preferred Attributes

- Student-centred approach with a commitment to expanding opportunities and supporting informed education and career choices.
- Strategic and systems-oriented mindset, capable of linking long-term objectives with practical implementation and operational details.
- Collaborative and influential, skilled at building relationships, aligning diverse stakeholders, and driving cross-functional initiatives.
- Adaptable and comfortable working in an evolving environment, demonstrating sound judgment and a willingness to use evidence and feedback for program refinement.