Program Manager, Take Action Lab: Human Rights

LOGISTICS & INFORMATION

Location: Tilting Futures is seeking a Program Manager for Take Action Lab: Human Rights in Cape Town, South Africa. For this role, we are only accepting applicants with significant lived experience and legal authorization to live and work in South Africa. 

Start date: The ideal start date is 5 January, 2026.

Compensation: The compensation for this contract role is ZAR 50,800-64,700 per month. This range reflects the full compensation, as contractors are responsible for managing their own taxes, benefits, and other related expenses. We value transparency and are happy to discuss further details with candidates during the application process.

Application process: This is an outline of our typical hiring process. Depending on the needs of the role, the individual stages may change. Only qualified applicants will be advanced at each stage.

1. Submit an application: it will be reviewed by real humans, not bots! 
2. Screening interview: a quick “get to know you” call
3. Candidate exercise: a chance for us to learn more about you and for you to understand some of the expectations of the role
4. Hiring manager interview: you’ll chat about your exercise and meet this role’s supervisor.
5. Senior Leadership Interview: we are a small organization and our leadership is deeply invested in making sure we hire the right folks for each role.

We highly recommend reviewing our careers page for the most detailed information on our hiring process & philosophy, and to learn more about what it’s like to work at Tilting Futures.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Will you sponsor a South Africa work visa application?

We are unable to sponsor a South Africa visa application. All applicants must already be legally able to live and work full-time in Cape Town, South Africa.

Will I have to travel to the United States in this role?

You may be asked to travel to the United States 1 time per year, for 1-2 weeks per visit, to attend staff-specific retreats or training seminars. In these cases, we will support your application for an American B-type visitor visa should you not have one already.

Do you have an office in Cape Town?

Yes, our office is located in Mowbray. 

ABOUT THIS ROLE

This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of our Take Action Lab: Human Rights program in Cape Town. As Program Manager, you’ll be the on-the-ground leader guiding students through a transformative, real-world learning experience while cultivating the local partnerships that make it possible. After three years operating in Cape Town, we are looking for a strategic thinker who can elevate our work and the student experience, develop systems, and nurture relationships with our stakeholders. If you’re energized by empowering young people, building community, and driving impact at the intersection of education and social change, this role is your chance to make a lasting mark.

The Program Manager reports directly to David Arenas, Director of Global Programs. The other primary stakeholders for this role are Jennifer Lofing Boyle (VP, Programs), Marc Seidel (Senior Manager, Risk Management), and Rebecca Warren (Senior Manager, Teaching, Learning, & Enrollment).. Get to know them here.

YOUR OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPACT

Oversee and lead TAL’s experiential learning: Design, facilitate, and manage powerful learning experiences by developing experiential learning activities in line with TAL’s curriculum. 

• Lead trainings, orientations, and learning and reflection activities with students.
• Provide mentorship and coaching to students through their experience. Identify the learning moments of their experience and support their personal development. 
• Identify learning opportunities and develop relationships with local leaders/communities in Cape Town that support TAL’s learning outcomes and add value to students’ immersion in Cape Town.
• Manage TAL’s in-country budget.

Partnership management: as Tilting Futures’s lead on the ground, proactively develop relationships and maintain close contact and communication with local partners.   

• Establish weekly touch points with the local team to foster collaboration, provide support, and proactively address any challenges, ensuring smooth program planning and implementation.
• Escalate administrative and/or operational issues to the Director of Global Programs that impact our relationship with the local partner or the sustainability of the program.
• Proactively cultivate relationships with partners who can help us achieve our program goals in Malaysia.

Manage partnerships: As Tilting Futures’s lead in South Africa, proactively develop relationships and maintain close contact and communication with local partners.  

• Ensure smooth program planning and implementation with partners by fostering collaboration, providing support, and proactively addressing any challenges.
• Proactively cultivate relationships with partners who can help us achieve our program goals in South Africa.
• Escalate administrative and/or operational issues impacting the long-term sustainability of the program.

Oversee students’ program preparation: In collaboration with your team, develop, implement and maintain student onboarding systems that ensure:

• Students are prepared for their time in South Africa, through information sessions, written documentation, and timely responses to student and family inquiries.
• Visas, travel plans, and other important information are properly tracked.
• Proactive corrective action is taken with students who are not on track to participate in the program. 
• Local partners receive timely information to allocate students’ apprenticeships and housing.

Lead Incident Management & Emergency Response: In collaboration with your team and specialized partners, support students’ socio-emotional health and learning, and provide effective response to health and safety incidents and emergencies. 

• Deliver training to students in risk mitigation, and health and safety protocols, with support from the Global team. 
• Lead the team managing health & safety incidents, coordinating with partners, team, and global staff in decision making, response and reporting, and leading response in escalated incidents.
• Provide student emotional support during any hospitalization or other major incidents.
• When on emergency duty, be available and remain within cell service at all times.
• Directly communicate with students’ families during escalated incidents, in coordination with the Global Programs Team.

Team Management: build and lead a high-performing team passionately committed to empowering youth and driving impactful programs. 

• Hire, train, and retain a diverse, high-performing team.
• Supervise and develop staff and contractors through 1:1s, coaching, feedback, and evaluation.
• Foster a positive, Tilting Futures values-aligned team culture.
• Guide the team to deliver high-quality, consistent program implementation.
• Support ongoing professional development for all team members.
• Manage TAL’s in-country budget. 

WHO WILL THRIVE IN THIS ROLE

We are looking for more than just hard skills; we want teammates who will add value to our organizational culture by bringing these mindsets to their work:

• Strategic Thinker: Understands the broader context to design meaningful experiential learning opportunities that integrate curriculum with local immersion.
• Decisive Leader: Acts with confidence and agility to address program needs and make timely decisions on the ground.
• Sound Judgment: Evaluates complex situations to form well-informed decisions that prioritize student well-being and program success.
• Clear Communicator: Articulates ideas effectively through both spoken and written communication, ensuring alignment among global, local, and student stakeholders.
• Team Player: Collaborates seamlessly with in-person and remote teams to achieve shared goals and deliver exceptional programming.
• Mentor and Coach: Develops and supports team members to enhance their skills and performance through feedback and guidance.
• Empathetic Connector: Builds trust and rapport by understanding and responding to the needs and emotions of students, partners, and team members.
• Student-Centered: Prioritizes and proactively addresses the needs, safety, and well-being of students throughout their immersive experience.
• Resourceful Problem-Solver: Identifies creative solutions to overcome challenges and optimize program delivery in a dynamic environment.
• Self-Driven Professional: Demonstrates initiative and perseverance to ensure program excellence and sustained impact.

The following are required:

• 5+ years of experience facilitating outdoor education, experiential learning and/or youth development programs for youth ages 17-25. 
• Experience managing and developing staff from different backgrounds. 
• Experience developing and delivering participatory training sessions and thematic seminars for different audiences e.g. youth, community stakeholders, non-profit organizations.
• Experience cultivating and managing program partnerships.
• Undergraduate degree (Bachelors or similar) in Education, Cultural Anthropology, Social Work, International Development, or other relevant field.
• Legally able to live and work in South Africa full time.
• Familiarity with South Africa’s social impact sector.
• Spoken and written fluency in English.
• All routine immunizations and vaccinations, including COVID-19, must be complete and up to date according to WHO guidelines.

Bonus points if have/are:

• Experience managing health and safety protocols
• Basic first aid training
• Bilingual or multilingual familiarity with any of the following languages: Afrikaans and/or Xhosa.

YOUR LEGACY

As Program Manager, you will help equip young people from around the world to tackle global issues through a one-of-a-kind hybrid immersive experiential learning program in Cape Town. By fostering strong partnerships and delivering a transformative student experience, you will play a key role in shaping the program’s success and impact.

A DAY IN THE LIFE

Day-to-day activities will depend on the stage in the program cycle: planning season & immersion experience.

Planning season: daily activities during this stage include identifying and developing in-person learning activities that support the curriculum competencies and learning outcomes; prepare and roll out training for local partners; prepare orientation materials and resources for students’ onboarding to the program; provide feedback & input for future iterations of the program. In addition, this stage includes monitoring and tracking students’ pre-departure tasks (e.g. visa applications, travel plans, health and safety forms, housing & apprenticeship allocations). 

Immersion experience: this is the most dynamic stage of the cycle while students are immersed in Cape Town. Day-to-day activities will include: managing communications with the local operational partner; leading reflection/learning activities for students; supporting and managing health and safety incidents; planning and executing activities that build community and a sense of belonging to Tilting Futures.