Short Term Program Associate, Acumen Academy Pakistan

Acumen is looking for a Program Associate with at least 3 year of experience to join the Pakistan Acumen Academy team. We are looking for someone who brings excellent communication and community-engagement skills, strong event-management know-how, analytical rigor, and the ability to provide support in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate will be able to bring together communication, outreach, and effective coordination to deliver a strong, cohesive program experience.

This role is based in Islamabad and reports to the Foundry Manager, Acumen Academy.

About Acumen 

At Acumen, we’re working to solve problems of poverty and build a world based on dignity. We invest patient capital in businesses whose products and services help people living in poverty to transform their lives. To date, Acumen has positively impacted over 500 million lives by investing $154M in 167 innovative, early-stage companies in Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and the United States. But investment isn’t just about capital, we’ve been investing in relationships for years, connecting with emerging leaders in their own countries and engaging them in extended collective dialogue, moral inquiry, and skill building. 

About Academy 

Acumen Academy is the world’s school for social change, dedicated to developing a new generation of social innovators and leaders with the character and competence to tackle poverty and advance a world rooted in dignity. We do this by investing in moral leadership and by sharing powerful stories of visionary role models and inclusive business models that inspire action globally.

In Pakistan, Acumen has been running the Pakistan Fellows Program since 2013, supporting approximately 20 Fellows in each annual cohort. Through this Fellowship, Acumen invests deeply in strengthening the moral leadership skills of social builders working across critical development challenges.

Upon graduation, Fellows become part of the Foundry – Acumen’s global alumni community – joining more than 1,600 graduates from Fellowship and Accelerator programs worldwide. In Pakistan, this network includes over 200 Foundry members who share a common ethos and collective commitment to building a world that centers people and planet.

About the role 

The Program Associate at Acumen Academy Pakistan will play a key role in the effective planning and delivery of the Pakistan Fellowship and Foundry programs, with a strong focus on communications, community engagement, and program coordination. The role brings together strategic communications, member engagement, and cross-team coordination to ensure cohesive, high-quality learning and community experiences across in-person and virtual formats.

Working closely with the Academy and internal support teams, the Program Associate will support program implementation, steward communications and engagement initiatives, manage content and community platforms, and maintain accurate program data. This role is well suited to someone who is highly organized, communication-savvy, and collaborative, and who enjoys shaping participant experiences while ensuring programs run smoothly, consistently, and with purpose.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Develop a social media plan for the fellowship launch through Acumen platforms, emails and outreach. 
• Draft website copy, social media posts, emails, and internal communications for Fellowship and Foundry engagements. 
• Drive communications for virtual and in-person events and engagements, managing internal communications to build awareness, drive participation, and deepen member engagement, as well as external communications to increase visibility and share stories across Acumen networks. This includes event promotion, content creation, creative engagement approaches, and post-event coverage and reporting.
• Edit and maintain the Google microsite for the Selection Conference and other annual events. 
• Lead the development and execution of the newsletter including content collection, compilation, editing, designing and distribution, while ensuring that the newsletter is engaging, well-presented, and effectively marketed to the Foundry community and Acumen partners.
• Manage the monthly Academy blog(s), including outreach to the community members, information gathering, interviewing as needed, drafting, editing, and publishing content that highlights member achievements and milestones.
• Play a lead role in a one-time, intensive data-update exercise for Foundry members, including the review, refinement, and updating of quantitative records and qualitative member bios, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and strong communications quality across platforms. This will involve coordinating closely with members and internal teams, managing follow-ups, and maintaining data integrity.
• Run engagement activities on Circle, Acumen’s web-based community platform, to help more Foundry members join, stay active, and use it as the main space for communication and community interaction.
• Support the planning and implementation of the Pakistan Fellowship and Foundry by tracking timelines, coordinating with internal teams (admin and finance), and ensuring program requirements are clearly communicated and effectively executed to deliver a seamless, high-quality participant experience across all in-person and virtual sessions and activities. 

Requirements:   

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Development Studies, or a related field.
• Minimum 3 years of relevant professional experience in communications, program support, or a related role.
• Practical experience using digital tools and platforms such as Google Workspace, Airtable, HubSpot, Canva, and Google microsites to support communications, content management, and engagement activities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with team members, Fellows, and partners, and a good eye for design to create clear, well-presented materials.
• Strong data organization and knowledge management skills, with the ability to maintain accurate, well-structured records and systems.
• Ability to travel to other cities in Pakistan (30% of the time). 
• High attention to detail with a proactive approach to solving problems.   
• Strong interpersonal skills to work effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders.   
• Self-reflective and aligned with Acumen values 
• Permanently authorized to work in Pakistan. Available to work in the Islamabad office.  

Deadline to apply

Acumen is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. Applications will be reviewed and interviews scheduled on a rolling basis. 

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