Careers, Colleges & Guidance Coordinator

About Pharo Foundation

Pharo Foundation is a mission-driven, impact-oriented organization working to build a vibrant, productive, and self-reliant Africa. Our development efforts are focused on three core pillars:

• Education – Providing access to high-quality, affordable education that equips students for success in a rapidly changing world.
• Water – Ensuring that communities across Africa have access to clean, safe, and affordable water.
• Productivity – Removing barriers to employment and increasing economic opportunity for individuals and families.

Our for-profit arm, Pharo Ventures, operates sustainable businesses across Ethiopia and Somaliland to drive job creation and economic growth. With over 700 employees across Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Somaliland, Pharo Foundation is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, with a liaison office in London, UK.

Role Summary

We are seeking a dedicated, highly organized, and passionate Careers, Colleges & Guidance Coordinator  to lead and coordinate the Foundation’s scholarship programme and support students throughout their academic journey. The successful candidate will play a key role in identifying and supporting eligible students, coordinating university applications and scholarship awards, facilitating travel and placement arrangements, and providing ongoing support to students during their studies.

The role requires an individual with strong communication and coordination skills, high emotional intelligence, sound judgment, and the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining accurate student records and financial information.

Role: Careers, Colleges & Guidance Coordinator

Reporting to: School Portfolio Manager

Employer: Pharo Foundation

Based in: Assosa and Homosha, BGRS

Contract Type: Permanent

Functional Relationships: Country Representative, School Principals and Head Teachers, Finance Department, Education Partnership Lead

Key Duties and Responsibilities as Scholarship Coordinator

Tertiary Education Scholarship Award Process

• Coordinate the academic data collection for all graduate students at the Pharo Secondary School(s) and evaluate internal transcripts for scholarship eligibility.
• Work with the Finance team, school leadership, and teachers to evaluate student eligibility in line with the Foundation’s scholarship criteria.
• Review scholarship applications and vet them for consideration.
• Inform students about the Foundation’s scholarship policy and process and ensure transparency, clarity, and proactive communication throughout the process.
• Chair the Scholarship Award Committee and ensure a fair and transparent scholarship award process based on established eligibility criteria.

University Application Process

• Guide and assist students throughout the university application process and ensure all application timelines are met.
• Oversee Pharo Schools’ workshops on self-directed search strategies, including CV/resume and cover letter writing, university placement letters, career development resources, and researching undergraduate programmes.
• Guide students in understanding different types of universities and colleges, including public, private, liberal arts, and community colleges.
• Inform students about potential study destinations and countries, including local customs, cultural differences, and potential barriers, to support well-informed decisions.
• Work closely with school leadership and School College Counsellors in organizing job fairs, career awareness programmes, and career-specific workshops and events in collaboration with local and international universities.
• Provide students with guidance on relevant coursework and degree programmes that support their career aspirations.
• Connect students with additional resources, including financial aid and scholarships from other organizations or universities, vocational training, counselling and therapy services, and other academic assistance where required.

Tertiary Education Scholarship and Travel Coordination

• Liaise with students, parents, and guarantors to ensure all loan and scholarship agreements are duly signed and legally binding.
• Build relationships with local embassies and ministries to facilitate the visa application process and support students during their travel preparations.
• Lead post-departure briefings for students and their parents/guardians.
• Develop best practices and maintain a knowledge database within the scholarship programme to institutionalize organizational learning and continuously improve the programme.
• Coordinate communication between students, universities, embassies, and other relevant stakeholders throughout the process.

Post-Placement Support

• Maintain relationships with students after their departure and commencement of studies and support their overall well-being.
• Coordinate all payments and financial aid provided by the Foundation to students.
• Follow students’ academic journeys, monitor their results, and report on their performance at university.
• Guide, counsel, and support students wherever possible to help them thrive academically and personally.

Pharo School Scholarship Coordination

• Identify, verify, and select students eligible for the Pharo School Scholarship programme.
• Create and maintain a comprehensive student database containing relevant information for awarding and tracking scholarship students, including family income, academic performance, attendance, and other relevant information.
• Bridge communication between parents, students, and scholarship sponsors and provide regular reports on student performance.
• Serve as the first-line response for hardship cases, providing pastoral support and coordinating interventions with parents/guardians, students, teachers, school leadership, and other stakeholders.
• Ensure proper auditing, record keeping, and accountability for the appropriate use of scholarships to benefit the targeted beneficiaries.
• Provide regular, comprehensive, and structured reports to the Foundation’s Finance Department.

Alumni Programme

• Develop and maintain an Alumni Database and follow the progress and journeys of Pharo School graduates.
• Develop and implement a communication strategy for engaging with alumni.
• Maintain an effective communication platform for the alumni network.
• Develop outreach programmes to promote career and employment opportunities among students and alumni.

Partnerships, Employment and Programme Coordination

• Develop partnerships with the private sector to create internship opportunities for students during gap years.
• Develop partnerships with the private sector and participate in job fairs to support job placement for students in their respective countries after successful completion of their studies.
• Coordinate costs and payments throughout the programme duration for all students.
• Support the annual budgeting process.
• Manage and maintain accurate student data for all members of the scholarship programme.