Role purpose

The Director of Program provides strategic, educational and operational leadership to TFL’s program portfolio. The role ensures that the Fellowship and complementary programs deliver high-quality, safe and measurable results; that Fellows experience a coherent development journey from recruitment through alumni transition; and that people, resources, partnerships and evidence are effectively managed.

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Director partners with the Executive Director on program strategy, translates agreed priorities into plans, and is accountable for quality, people, delivery, risk and results. The Director represents TFL in relevant national education-sector forums.

Main accountabilities

1. Program strategy, design and results

·      Lead multi-year and annual program strategies, workplans and priorities aligned with TFL’s mission, theory of change and organizational objectives.

·      Oversee the design, implementation, quality and adaptation of the Fellowship and all assigned education and non-Fellowship projects.

·      Set program outcomes, quality benchmarks and performance expectations, and ensure coherent delivery across projects and operational teams.

·      Adapt programs to changing educational needs, emerging evidence and contextual risks.

2. Fellowship development, pedagogy and quality

·      Hold departmental accountability for teaching and learning standards, pedagogical frameworks, social-emotional learning, inclusion, leadership development and the quality of Fellow training.

·     Set and review standards for Summer Institute, ongoing professional development, instructional materials, trainer selection, mentoring, coaching and classroom observation; assign clear technical owners for implementation.

·     Ensure a coherent Fellow journey covering recruitment and selection criteria development and execution, onboarding, placement, performance support, professional growth, leadership development and alumni transition.

·      Oversee recruitment and selection quality, outreach effectiveness and adherence to approved cohort priorities, selection criteria and assessment standards.

·      Ensure consistent mentoring and Fellow support.

3. Program delivery, projects and financial stewardship

·      Lead managers and project teams to deliver agreed activities, timelines and beneficiary commitments.

·      Ensure every grant has a named accountable Project Coordinator or Manager, documented plans, measurable deliverables, risk monitoring and timely reporting inputs.

·      Maintain a portfolio view of activities, workloads, costs, milestones, risks and results; take timely corrective action.

·      Develop program budgets and forecasts with Finance; monitor spending, cost effectiveness, resource allocation and adherence to financial and donor procedures.

·      Apply shared program standards, tools and data systems as the default; justify and obtain the required approvals for material program-specific exceptions.

4. School partnerships, placement and safeguarding

·      Ensure appropriate school selection, partnership management, placement planning, risk assessment and monitoring of school conditions.

·      Integrate safeguarding and child protection into program design, recruitment, school partnerships, field supervision and incident management.

·      Ensure prompt documentation, escalation and protective responses to safeguarding, security, professional-conduct and partnership concerns, following approved SOPs.

·     Present material school-partnership or Fellow-continuation matters for the required Senior Leadership Team decisions; ensure urgent protective action is not delayed.

5. Monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning

·      Provide operational leadership to the MEAL function, including work priorities, resources, timely data collection and integration of findings into program decisions.

·      Support credible indicators, reliable data and evaluations while respecting MEAL’s technical independence.

·      Use evidence, stakeholder feedback and periodic learning reviews to improve program design, Fellow support, school partnerships and organizational impact.

6. Alumni leadership and long-term impact

·      Ensure that alumni leadership and engagement form an integral part of the Fellow development continuum.

·      Provide strategic oversight of alumni community-building, leadership opportunities, professional and career pathways, networks and contributions to the education sector.

·      Support integration of alumni as mentors, trainers, ambassadors and partners, and assess alumni impact in collaboration with MEAL and Development & Engagement.

7. Leadership, systems and accountability

·      Lead, coach and hold accountable direct reports and functional teams, with clear objectives, delegated authority, performance follow-up and development plans.

·      Ensure department-wide SOPs, accurate records, dashboards, access controls and knowledge management, with named operational owners.

·      Oversee program risk, grant compliance, safeguarding, emergency preparedness and escalated issues.

·      Build a collaborative, inclusive and accountable team culture, in coordination with People Experience and other senior leaders.

8. ED partnership, sector representation and collaboration

·      Shape educational vision, program strategy and key priorities, including the Fellowship, recruitment and selection, Alumni and innovation; translate these into accountable delivery.

·     Proactively share program performance, emerging opportunities and risks with the ED, bringing clear analysis, recommendations and decisions required.

·     Represent TFL in the national Education Sector, coordination bodies, technical working groups and relevant forums; contribute evidence to sector dialogue, identify partnerships and bring insights into program development.

·      Lead technical engagement with education authorities, schools, universities, Teach For All and partners; align institutional positioning, advocacy and major commitments with the ED.

·     Collaborate with Development & Engagement on proposals, partnerships and donor communications; Finance on budgets and controls; People Experience on staffing; and MEAL on evidence and learning.

9. Knowledge, skills and experience

·     Education: Master’s degree or higher in Education, Educational Leadership, Public Policy or a related field.

·     Experience: At least eight years leading education or social-impact programs, teams and grants, with expertise in pedagogy, inclusion, safeguarding and budgets.

·      Strategic leadership: Delivers measurable results, develops other leaders and strengthens systems and program quality.

·      Data-driven decisions: Uses MEAL evidence, financial data and field insights to challenge assumptions and improve outcomes.

·      Coalition leadership: Builds trust with government, schools, universities and communities; credible sector representative.

·      Mission and team spirit: Believes in every child’s potential and educational opportunity; energized by young people and a dynamic, values-driven team.

·      Relentless drive and humility: Persistent and urgent about outcomes; challenges performances, empowers colleagues, welcomes feedback and continuously learns.

Working conditions

Based in Lebanon, with regular field travel and flexibility for urgent program, safeguarding or security matters, occasional international travel. Employment terms and benefits follow TFL contracts and policies.