Program Coordinator (South Africa)

Who we are 

Girl Effect is an international non-profit that builds media that girls want, trust and need.

From chat-bots to chat-shows and TV dramas to tech, our content is reaching millions of girls in Africa and Asia to make choices and changes in their lives. Igniting their confidence to act differently at a time that can define their future.

Context of the role

Girl Effect is expanding its portfolio through bold media campaigns, groundbreaking digital innovations, and dynamic programmatic interventions across Africa and South Asia. As a Program Coordinator, you will support the Programs team to deliver impactful initiatives aligned with our strategic goals. You will help drive the planning, coordination and implementation of high-quality, girl-centred programs in a fast-paced and collaborative environment.

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated, detail-oriented individual who thrives in multi-disciplinary teams and wants to contribute meaningfully to gender equality and youth empowerment.

Key responsibilities

Program Planning and Implementation

• Support the development and continuous updating of program work plans and schedules in alignment with donor requirements, delivery timelines, and budget constraints.
  
  
• Coordinate and facilitate the smooth execution of program activities as per the approved implementation plans.
  
  
• Ensure timely communication and documentation of program updates, progress, risks and learnings with internal teams and relevant stakeholders.
  
  
• Help capture and share compelling success stories and key moments to showcase impact and drive organisational learning.
  
  

Technology & Innovation

• Assist in coordinating key digital innovation efforts, including AI development, by liaising with internal technology teams and external partners.
  
  
• Schedule and facilitate meetings across different country offices; prepare agendas, take notes, and follow up on agreed actions.
  
  
• Contribute to the development and testing of digital tools and platforms to enhance girls' engagement and experience.
  
  

Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting & Learning

• Track program priorities, tasks and milestones; flag risks and implementation challenges, and propose solutions.
  
  
• Support the coordination and delivery of program evaluation activities, outcome reporting, and the documentation of stories of change.
  
  
• Coordinate knowledge-sharing forums to disseminate lessons learned, promising practices, and results across teams and partners.
  
  

Budgeting & Financial Coordination

• Assist in budget planning, tracking and monthly reporting of program expenditures against approved budgets.
  
  
• Collaborate with the finance team to manage financial reporting and compliance, and ensure alignment with administrative procedures.
  
  

General Administration & Coordination

• Attend relevant team meetings, track new action items, assign responsibilities, and monitor progress against deadlines.
  
  
• Compile and prepare documents such as proposals, presentations, contracts, purchase requisitions and expenditure authorisations.
  
  
• Manage and update team collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Asana, Miro, Google Workspace) to ensure seamless coordination and project tracking.
  
  
• Propose and implement improvements in systems and processes to optimise team efficiency and communication.
  
  
• Monitor key social, political and economic developments in program geographies that may influence implementation, and brief internal teams accordingly.
  
  
• Perform other related duties as assigned, aligned with the role’s objectives.

Who you are 

• A self-starter with a keen interest in gender, youth empowerment and digital innovation.
• An excellent communicator and clear writer who can convey ideas simply and effectively.
• Highly organised and capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• A curious and enthusiastic learner who adapts quickly and thrives in a collaborative team setting.
• Digitally savvy and comfortable navigating pop culture, youth trends, and emerging media platforms.
• A critical thinker with strong problem-solving skills and a proactive mindset.
• Detail-oriented, creative and able to provide constructive feedback on written and visual outputs.

Work Experience & Education 

• A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Social Sciences, International Development, Media, Communications, Project Management).
• Minimum 2 years of full-time work experience with project coordination responsibilities, preferably in the media, development or non-profit sectors.
• Proven experience working across multi-country or multi-partner programs is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience supporting external stakeholder engagement or client relationships is a plus.
• Familiarity with tools such as Google Workspace, Slack, Asana, Miro, Trello, Keynote or PowerPoint.
• Strong presentation skills and ability to produce professional, visually engaging reports and slide decks.
• Proficiency in English is essential; knowledge of an additional South African language is an advantage.

What else you should know

As we continue to scale and grow - we are hugely ambitious for our future and we are looking for people who are driven to change the world for girls.

Our teams are a diverse mix across sectors (non-profit and commercial) and specialisms (from Brand and Creative through to Gender and Insight). You’ll learn and grow in an environment that will challenge you to think and work with a fresh perspective. In turn, you can expect to work somewhere where you will be stretched and developed in your role, a place where you can build your career and work with talented, engaged people committed to our cause.

Girl Effect is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are committed to building an organization that is increasingly representative of the communities that we serve. To this end, due regard will be paid to recruiting candidates with diverse professional, academic and cultural backgrounds.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those we work with and for, especially children and young people. We expect all staff to share this commitment, uphold standards in our safeguarding policy and our code of conduct. In particular:

• To take reasonable steps to prevent any harm caused by Girl Effect
• To report any safeguarding concerns through the reporting pathways

This role is being recruited on a 12-month fixed term contract basis.

This role is subject to a standard background check.

Application closing date – 12th June 2025