Overview
Schools Portfolio Manager; Primary Schools Jobs in Johannesburg, South Africa at SPARK Schools
Position: Schools Portfolio Manager (Primary Schools) – SPARK Schools Support – 2026
SPARK Schools is a social impact disruptor and is leading change in the education space through its network of accessible private schools. The SPARK Schools network provides transformational education innovation through a personalised learning model approach, tailored to each scholar, which elevates student achievement and provides the tools teachers need to serve their students effectively.
The personalised learning model, which combines classroom teaching and online instruction, allows teachers to anticipate student needs and equips schools to provide personalised education at an accessible price point. SPARK Schools is pioneering this transformative education model to ensure the accessibility of university and careers for all.
SPARK Schools is a high growth, mission and values-driven entrepreneurial organisation, operating 21 primary schools, 5 high schools and serving 17,000 families in 2026. We are looking for dynamic people to join our team.
Purpose of Role:
The Schools Portfolio Manager (SPM) is responsible for the instructional, operational, cultural and financial performance of their portfolio of schools. The primary role of the School Portfolio Manager is to coach, manage and support the Principals of the schools in their designated portfolio, with emphasis on excellence in scholar achievement, school culture, professional and leadership development, whilst ensuring that schools remain profitable in line with projected targets.
In so doing SPM’s, and through their Principals, ensure that all school stakeholders which include parents, staff and scholars are receiving positive experiences.
SPMs work closely with the functional teams in SPARK Support Office , to ensure excellent service to the schools and network-wide alignment in decision-making and execution. SPMs are integral to SPARK Schools’ culture and our commitment to rigorous, engaging learning experiences for SPARK scholars.
Reports To: Head of Primary Schools
Direcr Reports: School Principals (typically anywhere between 5 and 10 schools with network size depending on enrolment and complexity)
Requirements
The role has four main pillars that individually and collectively ensure the success of the SPARK Schools portfolio:
Scholar
- Ensure scholar safeguarding remains the highest priority across all schools in the portfolio by upholding SPARK’s safeguarding principles and standards at all times. Monitor the quality and consistency of safeguarding practices across schools, and ensure that any safety concerns or breaches are addressed promptly, appropriately and with care. Support schools to maintain environments in which scholars are physically safe and emotionally secure across the campus, in classrooms and within peer groups.
- Drive strong academic outcomes across the portfolio by ensuring that schools implement SPARK’s academic model effectively and consistently. Support School Principals to create conditions in which scholars are nurtured and enabled to progress at an appropriate individual pace through personalised learning, in line with SPARK proficiency targets and academic expectations.
- Ensure the effective implementation of SPARK’s Social Emotional Learning approach across all schools in the portfolio. Support school leaders to foster environments in which scholars develop confidence, resilience and self-awareness in ways that are appropriate to their stage of development and individual needs.
- Ensure that parents remain engaged, informed and aligned to SPARK’s educational approach, products and expectations. Support schools to build strong and constructive parent partnerships that positively contribute to scholar learning, development and the overall school experience.
Business Performance
- Understand the key drivers of school profitability and actively manage those within the role’s sphere of influence and control. In particular, support strong business performance through a focus on scholar retention, optimisation of the cost of learning and, where relevant, support for effective collections. Work closely with school leaders and support office teams to…
Title: Schools Portfolio Manager; Primary Schools
Company: SPARK Schools
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
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