Senior Manager, Business Performance & Analysis

ABOUT ALU ALU provides higher education for a higher purpose. Our students declare missions, not majors.They develop the real-world skills to take on the world’s most pressing challenges. And they take ownership of their learning from day one through our peer and student-led approach – because ALU believes in the power and agency of young people to start shaping the future right now. Together with a world-class faculty and staff, our students are igniting a ripple of positive impact across Africa and the world. We are dedicated to fostering an open yet secure environment, balancing the safety of students, staff, and visitors with respect for individual rights, and safeguarding responsibilities. HOW WE WORK The ALU Team works in starkly different ways to traditional academic bureaucracies. We approach education from first principles, empower individuals to design, test, and implement creative new ideas, and work closely together to craft transformative learning experiences. We are deeply passionate about our students and excited by the challenge of building something entirely new. The African Leadership University is committed to ensuring the safety and Well-being of all students under our care. As part of this commitment , we have a comprehensive safeguarding policy in place , which outlines our Zero-tolerance approach to any violation of safeguarding.   ABOUT THE TEAM The Business Performance & Analysis team is one of ALU’s core performance intelligence functions, providing the insight, analysis and challenge required to help leaders understand performance, make informed decisions and improve institutional outcomes. Working across academic and professional functions, the team goes beyond reporting what has happened to understand why it happened, what it means, what is likely to happen next, and what action is required. It brings together performance data, analysis and external benchmarks to identify trends, risks, opportunities and areas for improvement. The team connects strategy, performance and execution by strengthening performance measurement, supporting decision-making and helping leaders translate insight into action. Its impact is measured not by the volume of reports produced, but by the quality of decisions informed and the improvements in institutional performance that follow. ABOUT THE ROLE The Senior Manager, Business Performance & Analysis will lead the analysis, interpretation and management of institutional performance information to support evidence-based decision-making across ALU. The role will translate complex business, financial, operational, academic and student data into clear insights, identify performance trends and gaps, assess their underlying drivers, and provide actionable recommendations to improve institutional outcomes. The role will also strengthen ALU's performance management and business intelligence capabilities, ensuring that leadership has timely, reliable and forward-looking information to guide strategic and operational decisions. Working across functions and with senior leaders, the role will connect institutional strategy, performance targets and operational results, providing the analysis and challenge required to improve execution and organisational performance. ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES Institutional Performance Management  Lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of ALU's institutional performance framework, including KPIs, targets, scorecards and performance measures. Monitor performance against strategic and operational objectives, identify material variances, emerging risks and areas of underperformance, and recommend appropriate interventions. Lead periodic performance reviews and provide analysis that enables leadership to understand not only what is happening, but why it is happening and what action is required. Analyse performance across key institutional areas including enrolment, recruitment, retention, student progression, programme performance, revenue, costs, resource utilisation and other strategic priorities. Establish appropriate performance benchmarks and support leadership in setting meaningful, measurable and outcome-focused objectives and targets. Business and Strategic Analysis Identify trends, patterns, performance drivers and root causes across multiple sources of institutional data. Develop business cases, investment analyses and decision papers, including assessment of financial, operational and strategic implications. Undertake scenario analysis and modelling to assess the potential impact of strategic and operational decisions. Conduct complex business and institutional analysis to support strategic planning, operational decisions and strategic initiatives and prioritization. Provide objective analysis and constructive challenge where data, assumptions or proposed interventions require further scrutiny. Conduct internal and external benchmarking to assess institutional performance against relevant peer institutions, competitors, sector standards and market trends. Translate analytical findings into clear recommendations, implications and actions for senior leadership. Performance Intelligence and Reporting Lead the development of high-quality management information, executive performance reports, dashboards and analytical products for senior leadership and governance forums. Establish standards for performance reporting, data interpretation, and analytical storytelling. Ensure management reports focus on material performance issues, drivers, trends and decisions rather than simply presenting data. Develop forward-looking analysis and forecasts to support proactive management of institutional performance. Work with data and technology teams to improve access to, integration of and confidence in institutional data. Ensure the accuracy, consistency and appropriate interpretation of performance information used for management