Ecosystems Manager/Senior Manager

Role: Ecosystems Manager/Senior Manager

Start Date: [Immediate]

Employment Type: Full time, 1-Year Contract (Renewable)

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Reporting Line: Director of Strategy & Ecosystems

Role Purpose

This role is responsible for activating TFM’s people power across alumni, teachers, volunteers and partners, and translating those relationships into sustained, mission-fit collaborations and initiatives that strengthen the education system beyond individual programs.

The Ecosystems Manager is both a convener and a builder: cultivating trust, designing collaborative structures, and enabling ideas to grow into sustainable, system-shifting efforts.

Core Outcomes of the Role

By success, the Ecosystems Manager will have:

• A clearly articulated ecosystem vision for how education ecosystem players collectively contribute to education outcomes around schools, communities and nation-building
• An active, connected alumni and partner ecosystem with clarity on pathways for engagement.
• A mission-fit partnership framework that guides collaboration consistently and credibly.
• Ecosystem-enabled initiatives that demonstrate momentum, learning, and sustainability.

Principal Accountabilities

1. Identify and create a scalable ecosystem partnerships strategy and framework that is grounded in shared values and principles and support teams in applying the framework consistently across collaborations.
2. Map the ecosystem and build strong partnerships with key players within the ecosystem which may include but not limited to participants, alumni movement, public and private sector stakeholders, nonprofit organizations, and other community-related organisations or interest groups to connect the community and organisation with opportunities that deepen their commitment to addressing education inequity.
3. Lead teams and partners to deliver projects on time and within scope. This includes monitoring partnership performance, managing budgets and continuously refine collaboration models to maximize outcomes.
4. Lead impact measurement across the different community and ecosystem programs, capturing and consolidating data to track learning and draw insights on contributions to school, communities and ecosystems.
5. Build sustainable partnerships in the ecosystem by embedding the alumni, wider community and other stakeholders to embed continuity into the schools, communities and ecosystems we currently operate in.
6. Design, co-create and convene dialogues, systems and platforms to engage key players within the ecosystem in the effort to enhance impact and foster a collective sense of ownership towards collective impact.
7. Drive strategic alignment, collaboration and synergies across TFM’s Strategic Pillars to ensure a cohesive movement of leaders across the ecosystem.
8. Stay informed on trends, challenges, and innovations within the education and social impact sectors to contribute insights and recommendations to shape long-term education and partnership strategies for Teach For Malaysia.
9. Lead and develop the Ecosystems team to enable a mission-aligned education ecosystem around schools and communities in Malaysia by activating people, partnerships, and projects into sustained, collaborative action.

Role Requirements

Competencies required for the role

As people join TFM, we expect individuals to be aligned with our core values, have passion and drive to the TFM mission.

Technical/ Functional competencies:

• Excellent project management skills (Organizational skills, exceptional attention to detail)
• Strong relationship building and partnership development skills
• Resourcefulness in managing limited resources in delivering on strategic goals
• Strong personal network in the Malaysian education context or across the social impact sector
• Skilled in resource management and strategic planning.
• Strong programme development and management skills, especially in visualising, designing, planning and hosting community-based events and initiatives.
• Excellent proficiency in MS Word, Powerpoint and Excel
• Willing and able to readily adopt and utilise any TFM database or technological platform / application (i.e. Google Suites, Confluence, Salesforce, Zoom, project management softwares etc.)

Leadership competencies:

• Proactive self-starter with the ability to manage multiple streams of work, and independently prioritise tasks
• Strong desire to learn new things and grow professionally
• Ability to be adaptable in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced, and dynamic environment
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively with all levels of employees and stakeholders
• Ability to develop strong relationships and partnership with external stakeholders, community leaders, parents, teachers, students and volunteers
• Communicates clearly, confidently, and with purpose across a range of internal and external audiences.
• Strategic planning and execution by aligning the team on a vision of success, planning strategically and monitoring progress systematically
• Ability to strategically embed a sustainable team culture that values both development and performance against ambitious goals
• Models Teach For Malaysia’s Core Values in leadership, culture-building, and decision-making.

Experiences & qualification

• At least 6 years of working experience, including relevant experience in community building and management, partnership development, or in education related organisations
• Bachelor or Postgraduate Degree in Education or relevant fields
• Experienced in leading and implementing Community Building initiatives and strategies
• At least 2 years of experience in leadership roles, managing teams across different portfolios and programme management
• Strong written and verbal skills and excellent proficiency in English and intermediate proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia
• Willingness to travel and work during non-traditional hours for events or engagements.
• Comfortable adopting and using digital systems and platforms to support team collaboration and programme delivery.

Due to the volume of applications we receive, we apologise that we will not be able to respond to all applicants - only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.