Remote System Architect for International Scholarship Fund

Architect a life-changing scholarship program from the ground up. We need a Director (3+ years) to design and run our South African scholarship fund—from means-testing students to launching UK-wide marketing campaigns. Build the system, find the donors, and create a legacy of education.

What difference will you make?

Action Change is a disruptive force in international development. We don't believe in band-aid aid; we believe in setting up long-term, financially sustainable initiatives that empower communities to support themselves. This Scholarship Program is a cornerstone of that mission. By creating a structured, transparent, and professionally managed funding bridge, you are ensuring that the next generation of local leaders in South Africa has the education they need to take control of their own communities.

This role solves a critical bottleneck for our schools. While we have students ready to learn, the financial barriers to education often remain insurmountable. Your senior-level expertise provides the professional "trust factor" that individual donors in the UK require before committing their funds. By building a robust system for means-testing and reporting, you provide the accountability and transparency that transforms a simple donation into a long-term social investment.

Furthermore, your work is the primary engine for our exit strategy. By building this program with the intent to mentor and train local stakeholders, you are directly contributing to our goal of moving away from international rescue. You are providing the digital and financial infrastructure that the local community will eventually own. This isn't just a fundraising role; it is a capacity-building mission. Your expertise ensures that the school remains financially resilient and that the community is left with a professional, world-class scholarship system that can be managed locally for decades to come. We are building an army of local people ready to support their own communities, and your leadership in this program is what makes that transition possible.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for a high-level "System Architect"—a senior professional with at least 3 years of experience in program management, fundraising, or financial operations. This role is for someone who finds the intersection of data-driven systems and human storytelling exciting. You are a "Player-Coach" who is ready to build the infrastructure for our South African scholarship fund from the ground up and then personally lead the charge in securing UK-based donors. This is not an administrative role; it is a leadership mission. We need a volunteer who possesses the professional maturity to handle sensitive family data with total integrity and the strategic "hustle" to launch a marketing campaign that turns interest into long-term financial commitments.

The most important quality you bring is a "Systems-First" mindset. Because this is a brand-new initiative, you must be comfortable with ambiguity and have the ability to design processes where none currently exist. You will be responsible for creating the means-testing frameworks and the donor-tracking databases that will serve as the backbone of our educational impact. Experience in CRM management, financial reporting, or high-level project coordination is highly desirable. You are someone who understands that transparency and professional reporting are what bridge the gap between a "charity project" and a "social investment." You take pride in clean data, clear audits, and the direct link between a tracked donation and a child’s seat in a classroom.

Equally important is your ability to function as a Relational Growth Specialist. You will be the primary link between our schools in South Africa and individual donors in the UK. We need a creative communicator who can lead a marketing movement, crafting compelling narratives that move potential funders to act. You are comfortable identifying and networking with individual donors, managing a "donor journey" that keeps them engaged through quarterly updates, and tracking monthly contributions with meticulous accuracy. You are someone who doesn't just ask for money; you invite people to invest in a sustainable future for a community in urgent need.

In line with Action Change’s core mission, you must be a Natural Mentor. We are a unique charity that builds robust, self-sufficient projects in partnership with local communities. We don't believe in permanent international rescue; we believe in training an "army" of local people to lead their own communities. As a senior lead, your goal is to eventually "fire yourself" by documenting your systems and mentoring a local community leader to take over the program's management. You are building a digital and financial legacy. If you are a senior professional who wants to move beyond band-aid aid and instead build a permanent, local-led infrastructure for education, we want you on our team.

Remote

What will you be doing?

As the Director International Scholarship Fund, you will have total autonomy to design, implement, and maintain a brand-new educational funding engine for our schools in South Africa. This is a "ground-zero" project that requires a senior professional who can balance meticulous data systems with high-level donor networking. Your mission is to bridge the gap between children in urgent need of education and the individual donors in the UK who can provide it.

Phase 1 Systems Design & Data Collection You will start by architecting a robust means-testing and recording system. Working remotely with our teams on the ground, you will oversee the collection of sensitive family data and student profiles to identify those in greatest need. You will design the database and the criteria for scholarship eligibility, ensuring we have a professional, transparent, and auditable system to track every child’s progress and every donor’s contribution.

Phase 2 Marketing & Donor Acquisition Once the infrastructure is in place, you will function as a Growth Strategist. You will design and execute a marketing campaign targeted at the UK market to secure individual sponsors for these children. This involves crafting the narrative of the scholarship program, identifying potential funding pools, and directly connecting with donors to secure monthly commitments. You are the face of the program in the UK, turning local needs into a compelling invitation for social investment.

Phase 3 Management & Accountability This role requires high-level financial and relational oversight. You will track donations monthly, ensuring every penny reaches the school, and you will produce quarterly impact reports for your donor base. You are responsible for the "donor journey"—keeping sponsors engaged and informed through high-quality updates on the children they are supporting.

Phase 4 Mentorship & Local Transition In line with Action Change's mission, you are building this to eventually "fire yourself." While this role starts as a hands-on senior lead position, your long-term goal is to document every process and provide the strategic mentorship needed to transfer the management of the scholarship fund to a local community leader. You are building the army that will eventually run this movement without international aid. This is a rare chance to use your professional skills to build a permanent, self-sustaining bridge to education for South African youth.