Programs Associate

Job Summary The Programme Associate is a full-time, multi-layered position that owns the Thinkng programme end-to-end: from daily execution during cohort delivery, to participant engagement and learning support, to external communications, business development, and programme/cohort pipeline development. At the operational level, the Associate ensures the programme runs as a structured, accountable system; scheduling, data management, M&E, stakeholder coordination, and reporting. They ensure the Programme Director has the information needed to make decisions, and that cross-functional activities (tech, finance, advisory) do not stall. At the participant level, the Associate is the primary point of contact for enrolled participants throughout the cohort; supporting learning activities, advising on module and course selection, monitoring academic progress, ensuring assessment processes run smoothly, and maintaining the relevance and quality of the programme's digital course selection across cohorts and initiatives.
Job Responsibilities

Programme & Cohort Operations

• Own day-to-day operational execution across the full programme lifecycle: onboarding logistics, cohort scheduling, assessment coordination, mentorship touchpoints, and programme close-out • Facilitate end-to-end participant onboarding: manage invitation logistics, application coordination, orientation scheduling, and platform induction setup, ensuring participants are set up and ready before each cohort begins • Create and maintain the master programme tracker: milestones, owners, deadlines, and status are always updated and visible • Coordinate all cross-functional deliveries: liaise with Tech Support, Finance Support, and the Independent Advisory Committee to ensure nothing stalls • Manage logistics for Advisory Committee meetings, stakeholder sessions, and all programme events • Maintain document repositories, filing systems, compliance records, and audit-readiness standards across the programme

Participant Engagement & Learning Support

• Serve as the primary point of contact for enrolled participants on all learning-related matters: module queries, course selection guidance, platform navigation, assessment support, and academic progress • Monitor participant progress and learning outcomes throughout the cohort; identify participants who are falling behind and coordinate timely support interventions. • Review and maintain the relevance of selected digital platform modules between cohorts: flag courses that are expiring, outdated, or misaligned, and recommend replacements to the Programme Director • Liaise between participants and Tech Support when platform issues affect access to courses or assessments, ensuring no participant is blocked from their learning pathway

Strategy, Business Development & External Engagement

• Serve as an external face of the programme when required: represent ThinkNG at media engagements, public events, university meetings, and partner conversations • Drive business development: actively identify, engage, and cultivate relationships with potential sponsors, co-funders, and institutional partners. • Lead next cohort/program development: build and manage the applicant pipeline, engage partner universities for future cycles, develop waitlist strategy, and structure cohort expansion plans. • Liaise with the PR and communications function to coordinate programme announcements, launch events, and cohort milestone communications

Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting

• Develop and maintain the M&E framework: design the KPI structure, build tracking dashboards, collect programme data (attendance, submissions, assessment completion, engagement metrics), and generate structured progress reports for the Programme Director and Advisory Committee • Prepare and deliver structured briefing materials for senior leadership, the Advisory Committee, and external stakeholders • Anticipate execution risks and escalate to the Programme Director proactively with a proposed resolution

Requirements

• 2–5 years of direct experience coordinating or managing structured programmes in education, fellowship, accelerator, talent development, or research environments preferred • Demonstrated M&E, impact measurement or data management experience, ability to build and operate a tracking and reporting framework. • Direct experience providing academic support, student advising, or learning facilitation, familiarity with digital learning platforms is a significant advantage • Experience in stakeholder engagement, sponsor relations, or business development is a significant advantage • Strong written output: able to produce structured reports, stakeholder briefings, programme documentation and external communications • Bachelor's degree in any relevant field; postgraduate qualification is an advantage • Experience with programme management tools, scheduling systems, and digital platforms or learning management systems is an advantage • Ability to work independently and drive execution without constant direction • Background in an early-stage or growth-phase organization preferred