Commercial Operations Coordinator (Contract)

Nova Pioneer is looking for a superstar Commercial Operations Coordinator. This is an exciting opportunity to be a part of an innovative network of schools that is developing generations of innovators and leaders who will shape the African Century. This position will report to the Commercial Performance Manager (with dotted-line collaboration to the PFS Lead where relevant)

About the role:

Initial fixed-term contract role with the intention to transition to permanent employment based on organisational need and strong performance.

The Commercial Operations Coordinator supports commercial delivery by running high-discipline operational work that keeps key commercial processes moving accurately and on time. The role is primarily responsible for the day-to-day administration and tracking of the network’s financial support processes (bursaries, scholarships and, over time, lifeboat support), ensuring documentation is complete, records are auditable, and stakeholders are kept informed.

A core outcome of the role is supporting the network to meet its financially assisted enrolment (FAE) targets through reliable pipeline management, fast turnaround and proactive bottleneck flagging. The role also supports financially assisted enrolment goals by maintaining reliable pipeline tracking, surfacing operational bottlenecks and ensuring clean handovers between Admissions, Schools and Finance.

Key responsibilities for the role include:

Financial support application processing and documentation
• Proactively contact families (phone and email) to collect missing documentation, clarify financial information and move cases forward
• Run the administrative lifecycle for bursary and scholarship cases (new and renewals)
• Collect required documentation, check completeness and maintain structured digital files
• Update trackers/CRM stages with accurate timestamps, status and decision logs
• Enforce documentation discipline so no incomplete files move forward and all decisions are recorded

Financial assessment support (within provided frameworks)
• Review income documentation and affordability indicators using agreed checklists and guardrails
• Summarise applicant information into structured briefs for review and decision-making
• Flag inconsistencies, missing information or risk indicators for follow-up
• Apply frameworks consistently without setting policy or creating new criteria

Lifeboat support coordination (as introduced)
• Act as the processing point for lifeboat requests: intake, documentation collection and case tracking
• Track intervention timelines, review dates and follow-up requirements
• Maintain clear records distinguishing temporary vs structural relief and track outcomes as required

Reporting and tracking (execution-focused)
• Maintain operational trackers and reports, including pipeline status, turnaround times, allocation visibility and exception logs
• Prepare weekly/monthly updates for the Commercial Performance Manager
• Keep data accurate and current so reporting is trusted

Enablement for financially assisted enrolment goals (tracking and flagging)
• Maintain visibility of the FAE pipeline relative to enrolment targets (volume, stage movement, turnaround times, drop-off reasons)
• Flag where cases are stuck and what is needed to move them forward (documents, approvals, follow-ups, capacity constraints)
• Track common disqualifiers and documentation gaps and share patterns that help upstream teams reduce wasted effort
• Support the Commercial Performance Manager with evidence to prioritise improvements

Cross-functional coordination and clean handovers
• Coordinate handovers with Admissions, Schools, Finance and admin/contract owners
• Provide clear status updates, next steps and timelines to stakeholders
• Ensure fee adjustments and contract/admin updates happen cleanly with correct supporting documentation

Project support (as capacity allows)
• Support defined workstreams through operational tasks such as data pulls, trackers, coordination and status updates
• Step into new and emerging projects as identified, helping to stand up basic project rhythm (trackers, actions, updates)
• Maintain strong execution discipline, so project support strengthens commercial delivery

About You

Key relationships

Commercial Performance Manager, PFS Lead, Admissions, School Leaders, Finance, and as needed Growth/Brand (for recurring friction insights)

Experience
• 2–5 years in operations, administration, project coordination, finance admin, admissions admin or similar high-discipline processing role
• Proven experience managing complex documentation and case tracking with strong auditability and confidentiality
• Strong experience with spreadsheets and structured trackers (and/or CRM experience)

Advantageous
• Experience in a school group or education organisation (admissions, bursaries, finance admin or enrolment operations) would be advantageous
• Exposure to financial support, affordability review, fee adjustments or scholarship/bursary processes is advantageous
• Experience working across multiple stakeholders (finance, operations, customer-facing teams) with clean handovers

Skills and capabilities
• Working to intermediate financial literacy – confident reviewing income documentation and applying structured affordability frameworks with numerical accuracy
• Strong Excel/Google Sheets proficiency, comfortable managing structured trackers, formulas, reconciliations and high-volume data with clean audit trails
• High attention to detail and strong documentation discipline
• Confident in conducting structured phone conversations with families to clarify documentation, explain next steps and move cases forward, able to manage sensitive financial discussions with empathy and firmness
• Discretion and confidentiality when handling sensitive family financial information,
• Strong organisation and time management with comfort handling high volumes and deadlines
• Clear, professional communication with families and internal stakeholders
• Ability to follow frameworks consistently and escalate appropriately (without creating new policy)
• Problem-solving mindset with proactive bottleneck flagging and practical suggestions

Education (recommended)
• Diploma/degree in administration, finance, operations, business or equivalent experience

Working style expectations
• High ownership and strong follow-through
• Calm, structured execution under pressure and during peak enrolment cycles
• Comfortable working across multiple campuses and stakeholders
• Solutions-first, with a focus on reducing friction and improving turnaround times
• Builds trust through accuracy, reliability, confidentiality and clear communication

HOW TO APPLY

Does working at Nova Pioneer excite you? If so, then apply now!

To apply, please complete the form on the right-hand side of this page. We cannot process applications that are emailed to us.

Please note: Where a copy of your resume is required, copying and pasting from a formatted document e.g. Microsoft Word may not result in the formatting transferring correctly to the final resume. You are encouraged to attach your resume in Microsoft Word® or PDF format to protect formatting.

Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the right candidate is identified. Only qualified candidates will be invited for interviews.

WORKING AT NOVA PIONEER

Nova Pioneer is committed to the achievement and maintenance of diversity and equity in employment. Nova Pioneer is a place where our people experience tremendous growth, fast! We invest heavily in the growth of our people because it leads to greater mastery in both us and our students. “Novaneers” work harder and work longer hours than at most schools but as a result, the growth they experience is extraordinary. We offer consistent and ongoing professional development and provide clear career pathways that ensure that our people are always achieving their personal and professional best. Nova Pioneer has a highly energetic, entrepreneurial environment where our people get to bring their creative and innovative ideas to life. We look for people who are flexible and who are able to adapt and respond quickly to adversity with a positive, can-do attitude (there are no problems, only solutions!). We welcome challenges and roll with the punches because it makes us, and our students, better. There is no problem too big for us! We work hard but we also have a lot of fun together. We bring infectious energy and enthusiasm to everything we do because joy fuels the hardest work and learning. Read more about our culture principles here.

Please Note:
• Nova Pioneer may appoint and/or expire the posting of this advertisement at their own discretion.
• If you have not been contacted within 30 days of the closing date of this advertisement please consider your application as unsuccessful.

Nova Pioneer, in line with the POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act) will attempt to ensure the confidentiality of all applicants for this role. All reasonable measurements will be in place to protect personal information but it will be used for recruitment and employment purposes. By submitting your application with Nova Pioneer, you are recognising and accepting this disclaimer.

Nova Pioneer will never request an application fee from candidates. If you are contacted with a request to pay a fee from someone claiming to be a Nova Pioneer Talent or Recruitment representative, please do not pay them and report it to us immediately on talent.ke@novapioneer.com or talent.sa@novapioneer.com.

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