Jobs at Nova Pioneer (Now Hiring) — 7 open

 Nova Pioneer is looking for a Regional Facilities, Property & Program Manager. 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. 

About the role:

Under the overall guidance of the Director of Schools SA, the Facilities and Property Manager will ensure  the provision of effective and efficient Facilities Management, Property & Regional Programmes Management services to all Nova Pioneer schools and campuses in SA. The Facilities & Ops Manager promotes a client-focused, quality and results-oriented approach in the support offered by this serviceline.

This is a senior, regionally-scoped role that combines strategic operational leadership with hands-on ownership of facilities, property, utilities and regional programming.

This role involves close collaboration with both school-based and central functions teammates.

Key responsibilities for the role include:

The role is centered around four key operational scopes:

A. Facilities Management

1. Lead regional facilities management across all campuses, ensuring buildings, grounds and supporting infrastructure are safe, functional, well-maintained and fit for purpose.
2. Lead key vendor relationships across facilities (maintenance, security, landscaping, cleaning, pool, water filtration etc.),  under the guidance of DOS and in partnership with Procurement. .
3. Manage all security contracts and landscaping contracts currently held within the team, consolidating them under one regional point of accountability.
4. Provide functional guidance,  development opportunities i.e Training, PD’s and capability building for School based Ops Associates.
5. Give functional guidance on planning, scheduling and overseeing preventative and reactive maintenance across all campuses, minimising disruption to school operations and ensuring back-up systems bridge planned downtime.
6. Own all property documentation as the regional custodian: title deeds, leases, statutory licences (Single Business Permits, Fire Clearance, Public Health, Effluent Discharge, OSHA, Land Rates, Land Rent), warranties, property supplier contracts, with proactive renewal tracking and secure archiving.
7. Take on landlord engagement and external partnership relationships related to property currently held elsewhere, becoming the single regional interface for landlords and property partners.
8. Project manage small works, e.g. heater installation, external painting etc, liaising with property consultants and professional teams (architects, engineers, QSs) where specialist input is required.

B. Utilities Management & Efficiency Monitoring

Own utilities reporting performance for the region - driving normalization, cost savings and behavioural change in partnership with Finance and school leadership.

1. Own the regional Utilities Dashboard, tracking water, electricity, gas, fuel/generator and other utility consumption and spend by campus, month-on-month.
2. Monitor utilities efficiency across campuses in partnership with campus Ops Associates, normalise consumption patterns, and identify and quantify savings opportunities
3. Run a structured monthly cadence with school leaders and the Director of Schools (DOS) to review utility performance, agree on corrective actions, and drive cost-saving initiatives at campus level.
4. Investigate and resolve any spikes, anomalies or unexplained variances in utility consumption or billing, working with on-the-ground teams to identify and address root causes.
5. Take on invoice loading and utilities checking responsibilities currently distributed across the team, ensuring bills are accurate, reconciled and paid on time to avoid disconnections.
6. Lead utilities-related capital and improvement projects (e.g. heater projects, solar/efficiency upgrades, metering, water harvesting), from business case through delivery and benefits realisation.
7. Build and maintain strong working relationships with utility consultants and relevant providers across the region

C. Strategic Operations & Regional Operational Roadmap

1. Provide strategic, programmatic leadership of regional operations — going beyond execution to design how the region operates, performs and improves over time towards high standards or operational excellence.
2. Develop, own and continuously refresh the Regional Operational Roadmap, setting clear annual and multi-year priorities for efficiency, effectiveness, cost optimisation and service quality across campuses.
3. Identify and lead cross-campus efficiency & effectiveness initiatives (e.g. shared services, standardised SOPs, vendor consolidation, energy optimisation) and track delivery against measurable targets.
4. Translate the regional roadmap into a structured operating cadence: monthly reviews with school leaders, quarterly reviews with the Chief of Schools and MD and annual planning cycles.
5. Benchmark performance across campuses, surface best practices, and drive convergence on the highest-performing models.
6. Lead development of a professional learning and development arc for Operations teammates across the region, identifying cost-effective training opportunities and building functional capability over time.
7. In partnership with school leadership teams, evaluate and lead opportunities to for strategic improvements to campus operational services , benchmarking current approach against alternatives), evaluating the business case and developing a consistent NP policy across campuses – examples could include Tuck Shops/Food services, Aftercare/Holiday Care, Student Transport, Facilities Rentals, School Gyms programmes & protocols, Libraries, Uniform/Swag shops, etc.
8. Partner with the Regional Health & Safety Coordinator to ensure the highest standards of campus safety, and the regular tracking of and action on campus healthy & safety matters.

 

D. Regional Programming - Sports, Arts, Clubs & Nova Signature Events 

Working closely with the Director of Schools and School Leaders - Lead the regional programming agenda, delivering high-quality and consistent experiences that strengthen the student experience and Nova Pioneer brand across campuses.

1. Lead the development, planning and delivery of regional sports, arts and clubs programmes across all campuses, ensuring quality, consistency and inclusivity, ensuring alignment with School Leaders.
2. Manage & develop the Regional Sports Coordinator, and any other related regional roles that may over time be identified as appropriate to be managed by the Regional Facilities, Property and Programmes Manager.
3. Lead signature regional events as guided by the Director of Schools, likely to include Shark Tank, Nova Talks, Nova PIoneer’s Got Talent InterNova Sports and other flagship moments, in close partnership with the Ops team. The Regional Facilities, Property and Programmes  Manager leads cross-campus and flagship events. Campus-only events remain the responsibility of the Associate Dean of Operations on each campus. Sports programme design and delivery sits with Sports Coordinators, with this role providing coordination and resource support.
4. Build the annual regional programming calendar, with input and buy-in from school leaders, and drive cross-campus participation.
5. Manage event logistics end-to-end: venues, vendors, transport, safety, communications and budgets.
6. Define success metrics for regional programming (participation, satisfaction, brand impact) and report on them as part of the regional operating cadence.
7. Identify and develop external partnerships (sponsors, sports federations, arts organisations, alumni networks) that amplify the programme, in partnership with any relevant departments.

About You

Qualifications and Experience:

• A bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline (Property/Estate Management, Facilities Management, Engineering, Business or Operations
• A minimum of 6–8 years of progressive experience in facilities, property, multi-site operations or regional programme management.
• Experience leading vendor portfolios, managing utilities at scale, and delivering cross-site programmes is strongly preferred. 

Core Skills and Competencies:

At least 3 years spent in a supervisory/leadership role demonstrating progressive responsibility and can demonstrate the following skillset.

• Strategic Thinking: Able to design and own a multi-campus operational roadmap, translate strategy into measurable initiatives, and drive efficiency at scale.
• Programmatic Leadership: Track record of building and running programmes (events, sports, arts) end-to-end with strong stakeholder engagement.
• Vendor & Contract Management: Experienced in negotiating, awarding and managing service contracts across security, landscaping, maintenance and utilities.
• Analytical & Data-Driven: Confident with dashboards and data; can spot anomalies (e.g. utility spikes), benchmark performance, and make evidence-based decisions.
• Financial Acumen: Strong budgeting, cost control and savings-identification skills; comfortable partnering with Finance on efficiency.
• Document Stewardship: Meticulous in organising, archiving and retrieving critical property and compliance documentation.
• Stakeholder Management: Able to operate credibly with school leaders, DOS, MD, CPU, Finance, landlords and external partners.
• Leadership: Develops and motivates teams, resolves conflict, and makes difficult decisions in service of the network.
• Communication: Concise and effective written and verbal communicator across leadership and operational audiences.

Additional Skills and requirements:  

• You have the ability to exercise discretion in handling sensitive matters.
• You have a flexible and adaptable approach to work.
• You are proactive and have an enthusiastic approach to work.
• You are excited about our organizational culture—and in particular, you are fired up to challenge yourself by embracing mutual vulnerability and a firehose of feedback.
• This role requires regular travel to visit the different campuses as needed.

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.