Senior Product Owner – Transforming Education and Changing Lives

About Malengo

Location: Remote work possible

Malengo is a non-profit organization (US: 501(c)(3); Germany: gGmbH) dedicated to empowering students from low-income countries to pursue their dreams of completing a Bachelor’s degree in high-income countries. By providing mentoring and financial support, we aim to lift millions of students and their families out of poverty. Our mission is one of the most effective poverty reduction strategies available.

Company Description

Malengo currently supports low-income, high-ability students in Uganda in their journey to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Germany. By 2030, we aspire to extend this support to students from most low-income and lower-middle-income countries, offering undergraduate studies in multiple destination countries. Our sustainable program combines a robust network of volunteer mentors with a financial model that involves income share agreements (ISAs), where students support future generations of scholars once they achieve a certain income level.

Job Description

Senior Product Owner – Empowering Education, Enabling Growth

We are in search of a visionary Senior Product Owner who can revolutionize our customer relationship, application, and payment management system. Your expertise will enable us to elevate our organization to new heights and scale our support to accommodate hundreds of students in the years to come.

Responsibilities include:

Digital Transformation Strategy

• Oversee the development and maintenance of a portal for students to apply to the Malengo program.
• Create and manage a digital tool guiding students in exploring study abroad options and finding suitable universities and courses based on their talents and interests.
• Conceptualize and deploy digital approaches to remotely prepare students for English tests (e.g., TOEFL) in low-bandwidth environments.
• Develop and maintain a portal to assist students throughout the process of applying to universities, obtaining visas, arranging housing, and finding part-time jobs.
• Establish and manage a portal connecting volunteer mentors with students to provide support during their university journey.
• Supervise the development and maintenance of a payment system to administer income share agreements (ISAs).

Project Management

• Define project requirements and terms of reference, ensuring quality outputs from technology vendors, CRM providers, and project engineers.
• Collaborate with program teams to identify key performance indicators (KPIs) and develop dashboards for monitoring progress, setting targets, and driving continuous improvement.
• Oversee and optimize the digital infrastructure of the organization.

Qualifications

We are seeking a highly motivated, entrepreneurial, and versatile leader to propel Malengo from a fledgling project to a large-scale, high-quality operation that transforms thousands of lives annually. You might be the ideal candidate if you:

About You

• Are deeply inspired by Malengo’s mission and dedicated to creating opportunities for thousands of students from low-income countries.
• Possess a strong entrepreneurial drive, eager to build and develop an organization from the ground up.
• Have a proven track record of integrating technology to enhance systems and processes, particularly in low-bandwidth and smartphone-dependent environments, and among individuals with low digital literacy.
• Possess expertise in product ownership, especially in overseeing the development of complex tailored CRM and payment systems, including interfaces with German accounting and payment systems.
• Can effectively communicate technological concepts to empower individuals who do not grasp their complexity.
• Excel in social skills, building and maintaining relationships with our team, vendors, and partners.
• Demonstrate a solution-oriented mindset with a continuous improvement mentality, both for yourself and the organization.
• Have excellent proficiency in English; fluency in French and/or German is a plus.
• Are open to remote work, with a preference for candidates based in Germany or East Africa.
• Are willing to travel at least four times a year to meet with the team.

Additional Information

What We Offer

• The opportunity to join a motivated and diverse team on a high-impact mission.
• The chance to shape a young startup and create transformative opportunities for thousands of students.
• A competitive salary commensurate with your background and experience.
• Healthcare benefits and a retirement plan.
• Choice between Unlimited PTO or 30 vacation days per year.

Please indicate your salary expectation in your application.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Anticipated start date: As soon as possible.

Expert Tips To Be A Successful Applicant

• Familiarize yourself with Malengo’s mission and demonstrate genuine enthusiasm for empowering students from low-income countries.
• Highlight your entrepreneurial spirit and experience in developing and integrating technology solutions, particularly in resource-constrained environments.
• Emphasize your proficiency in product ownership and managing complex CRM and payment systems.
• Showcase your strong communication skills to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Illustrate your ability to build and maintain positive relationships with diverse teams and partners.
• Demonstrate your continuous improvement mindset and solution-oriented approach.
• If applicable, mention your language proficiency, especially in English, French, or German.

Join Malengo and become part of a transformative journey, where your efforts will shape the future of countless students and communities worldwide!