Project Operations Manager - Wellington International College Lagos

Rendeavour, Africa’s new city builder, is backed by American, Norwegian, New Zealand and British investors. Rendeavour’s cities – in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and Democratic Republic of the Congo – are among the largest construction projects in Africa and hubs for businesses, homes, education and recreation within infrastructure-ready economic zones.

Current development at Rendeavour is valued at more than $5 billion, with 150 businesses, schools educating more than 6,000 students and 10,000 mixed-income homes.

Rendeavour has created more than 50,000 jobs in the last five years, including the largest call centre in East Africa, staffed by 5,000 young Kenyans serving major American customers like United Airlines, JetBlue and Amazon. A further 4,000 call centre jobs are confirmed by 2026.

As part of its next stage of growth, Rendeavour is building a leading education business, with a focus on rolling out educational institutions across the Rendeavour portfolio, starting with a premium British K-12 school at Rendeavour’s Alaro City project in Lagos, Nigeria, targeting a school launch date of September 2027.

Alaro City is one of the fastest-growing real estate and urban development projects in Nigeria. It is conceived on 2,000 hectares of land and has areas for offices, logistics and warehousing, homes, schools, healthcare facilities, hotels, entertainment, and 150 hectares of parks and open spaces.

Located in the North West Quadrant of the Lekki Free Zone, Alaro City is ideally situated on the Lekki-Epe Expressway for ease of transportation to Lagos or towards the rest of Nigeria.

Alaro City is a secure, predictable, and proven environment for individuals and businesses, and already home to investments by notable global and local businesses such as BUA Group, CAT (Mantrac), Ariel Foods, Kenol, SANA Group, and international real estate developers and investors.

It is in close proximity to the new Lagos international airport and closes to the region’s largest deep-sea port and major Nigerian and international companies.

Requirements

We are seeking a highly experienced, dynamic and strategic Project Manager to support the successful launch of a leading British K-12 day/boarding school opening in Alaro City in September 2027. The Project Manager will support the Director of Education (DOE) in key business support requirements covering Project Management, Administration, interdepartmental coordination, business operations, budget tracking and performance, corporate services, and general administration.

Responsibilities will include:

1. Project Management

· Manage the project plan  covering timelines, milestones, budgets, and deliverables for the school opening in 2027.

· Review project scope and success criteria in alignment with the Director of Education.

· Identify and manage  dependencies and critical paths  to ensure smooth execution.

· Coordinate internal teams and external stakeholders to ensure seamless execution of project activities.

· Prepare and submit reports and updates to the DOE including but not limited to weekly plans, budget variances, strategic welfare activities, and all other reports as requested.

· Facilitate project meetings, prepare reports, and document key decisions and action items.

· Ensure all documents are filed in the in-house cloud system for ease of access and usability.

2. Regulatory and Compliance

· Partner with Legal team, to manage all  licensing, accreditation, and regulatory approvals  required to open and operate the school.

· Liaise with local and state education authorities to ensure compliance with all policies and standards.

· Ensure quality standards and compliance requirements are met throughout the project lifecycle.

3. Staffing and Operations Setup

· Partner with HR and school leadership to  recruit, onboard, and train staff  before opening.

· Lead development of operational systems (admissions, finance, IT, transportation, etc.).

· Ensure procurement of necessary supplies, equipment, and educational materials.

4. Academic and Community Launch

· Support  marketing and enrollment campaigns , community outreach, and launch events.

· Track readiness milestones to ensure the school is fully operational by opening day.

· Manage all internal and external clients/stakeholders, maintain a robust database of client/stakeholder information, and ensure engagement on special occasions.

5. Risk and Budget Management

· Monitor project  budget, expenditures, and resource allocation  to maintain financial discipline.

· Liaising with the DOE and Finance, monitor budgeting of key cost drivers including but not limited to OPEX, infrastructure and soft costs, CSR and other CAPEX with periodic reporting as required.

· Identify risks early and implement  mitigation strategies.

Person specification

Hard skills and experience:

· Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in any field from a reputable institution; in Business Administration, Human Resources Management being an added advantage;

· Minimum 5 – 7 years of relevant human resource experience with a reputable Company

· A professional member of an industry-relevant association will be an added advantage

· Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word and MS Project will be an added advantage

· Knowledge of HR Processes and procedures

· Knowledge and understanding of applicable employment laws and regulations

Soft skills:

· Demonstrated abilities in a managing internal and external stakeholders including but not limited to employees, senior management, vendors and counterparties.

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

· Mature, pragmatic and flexible approach.

· Strong organizational and analytical skills.

· Ability to effectively present information.

· Ability to manage multiple work streams/projects of various sizes and complexity across diversified stakeholder base.

· Ability to comprehend, analyse, and interpret documents.

· Ability to solve problems involving several options in situations.

Personal characteristics:

· Self-driven;

· Resilient;

· Tenacious;

· Result-oriented;

· Ability to work effectively under pressure;

· Team player with good interpersonal skills.