Business Manager

Job Description

Reports to: Director of School

Member of: Senior Leadership Team

After supporting girls from marginalized backgrounds to thrive through globally-recognized girls leadership academies in Kibera and Mathare, SHOFCO is starting a new school! Named after Africa’s earliest and most prestigious institution of learning, Sankoré International School will prepare learners and leaders to shape the future of our communities, continent, and world! Sankoré offers an adapted international education while fostering Kenyan identity and pride. Our school is a microcosm of what we wish the world to become—a community of people from vastly different walks of life powerfully bound together in a shared journey to raise our children to discover themselves, lead purposeful and joyful lives, and make a difference for those around them.

About Sankoré

Sankoré is building a new model of international education, one grounded in excellence, rooted in context, and designed to develop the next generation of African leaders.

We are a startup institution preparing to welcome our first class of students in September. Our ambition is to build not just a strong school, but a high-functioning institution from day one where systems, culture, and operations match the quality of teaching and learning.

Role Overview

The Business Manager is a senior leadership role responsible for building and running the operational backbone of Sankoré.

This role has full ownership of all non-academic functions including finance, operations, procurement, human resources, and compliance, and is accountable for ensuring the school runs efficiently, reliably, at a high standard, and is fully registered and in compliance with Ministry of Education standards.

As a pre-launch institution, this role requires both strategic thinking and hands-on execution. The Business Manager will ensure the school is fully registered and meets all necessary requirements, design systems from the ground up while also ensuring day-to-day operations are delivered effectively. Must be technologically ambitious and excited about running a lean team in tandem with latest software and back end management systems.

This is not a coordination role. It is a leadership role for a school operator who can build, decide, and deliver. The Sankoré Business Manager will provide both sound and generative financial leadership and management in the context of a learning-focused organization e.g not only ‘do the books balance?ʼ (management) but also ‘are we using our resources in ways that have the greatest learning impact?ʼ (leadership).

Key Responsibilities

1. Financial Leadership

• Lead all budgeting, forecasting, and short/medium/long-term financial planning.
• Establish and maintain strong financial controls and reporting systems including quarterly reports to the Board of Trustees.
• Prepare for, attend and inform all Board and Board Committee meetings as the lead representative of the Senior Leadership Team.
• Manage cash flow, cost structures, and financial sustainability
• Provide clear, timely financial insights to support leadership decisions
• Ensure financial discipline across all functions
• Identify and manage risks to the schoolʼs financial sustainability.

2. Operations & School Infrastructure

• Ensure the school is fully registered with the Ministry of Education and meets all necessary requirements
• Oversee all day-to-day school operations, including facilities, transport, security, extra curricular vendors, and campus services – this includes from establishment to ongoing maintenance
• Ensure the school environment is safe, functional, and consistently high-quality
• Anticipate and resolve operational issues proactively
• Support infrastructure planning as the school grows

3. Procurement & Vendor Management

• Design and implement procurement systems and policies in tandem with the existing SHOFCO team
• Identify, negotiate, and manage suppliers and service providers
• Ensure strong cost control, transparency, and value for money
• Oversee asset and inventory management

4. Human Resources (Non-Academic)

• Recruit, manage, and develop administrative and support staff including performance expectations
• Oversee contracts, payroll, and HR compliance, in tandem with existing SHOFCO team
• Build a culture of accountability and professionalism across support functions

5. Compliance, Risk & Governance

• Ensure full compliance with Kenyan regulatory requirements and school standards
• Lead health, safety, and risk management systems
• Manage audits, insurance, and statutory obligations
• Maintain strong governance and reporting practices

6. Systems Building & Institutional Development

• Design and implement core systems across finance, HR, procurement, and operations, in partnership with existing SHOFCO team
• Develop policies, processes, and tools required for a high-functioning school
• Build structures that will scale as the school grows
• Translate leadership priorities into operational execution

7. Team Leadership

• Directly manage a small but growing operations team (2–5 associates initially)
• Build team capacity and structure as the school expands
• Ensure strong performance, accountability, and clarity across all roles

Candidate Profile

Required Experience

• 5–10+ years in operations, finance, or general management roles
• Prior experience in a top private or international school in Kenya is required
• Prior experience in launching a new school is strongly preferred
• Demonstrated experience building systems, processes, and teams—not just managing them
• Experience operating in complex, multi-function environments (finance, HR, operations, procurement)
• Strong familiarity with Kenyan regulatory, vendor, and operational contexts

Core Capabilities

• Strong financial management and analytical capability (non-negotiable)
• Ability to build systems from the ground up and make them work in practice
• Decisive operator who can prioritize and execute in a fast-moving environment
• Strong procurement and commercial judgment
• Ability to manage people and hold teams accountable
• High attention to detail without losing sight of the bigger picture

Profile We Are Targeting

• We are looking for someone who:
• Has operated at a senior level within a high-performing school in Kenya
• Has been involved in the launching of / early stages of a new school in Kenya
• Is comfortable owning outcomes end-to-end, not just coordinating tasks
• Can make decisions quickly and confidently with incomplete information
• Thrives in a startup environment where structure is being built, not inherited
• Brings both financial discipline and operational rigor

What Will Not Succeed in this Role

• Candidates whose experience is primarily administrative or coordination-focused
• Individuals who rely on established systems but have not built them
• Individuals who have not navigated government registration processes
• Those who require highly structured environments to operate effectively
• Slow or overly cautious decision-makers

Personal Attributes

• High ownership and accountability
• Exceptionally organized and structured in thinking
• Calm, decisive, and solutions-oriented under pressure
• High integrity and professionalism
• Resourceful, pragmatic, and results-driven

What Success Looks Like

• The school opens and operates smoothly from day one
• Financial systems are robust, transparent, and forward-looking
• Operational issues are anticipated and resolved quickly
• Staff are well-managed and accountable
• Systems are in place to support growth without constant reinvention

How to apply

To apply, please email your CV and cover letter including responses to the below questions to recruitment@sankoreinternational.com The subject of your email should be: Your name, Business Manager Application. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Deadline for application: Thursday 30th April 2026.

1. Which skills and past experiences make you suitable for this role?
2. What are your areas of strength and growth?
3. What is your biggest motivation for applying to this role?
4. What is your expected salary?