Application Guide
How to Apply for Program Coordinator - Applied Learning
at Raising the Village
🏢 About Raising the Village
Raising the Village is a Canadian international development organization focused on ending extreme poverty in rural Africa through community-led, holistic approaches. What makes them unique is their data-driven methodology that combines immediate interventions with long-term systemic change, working directly with last-mile communities. Someone might want to work here to contribute to evidence-based poverty alleviation while being part of an organization that values rigorous learning and knowledge translation.
About This Role
This Program Coordinator - Applied Learning role involves transforming complex program data and methodologies into accessible knowledge products and training materials for staff and communities. It's impactful because you'll directly strengthen organizational capacity by ensuring lessons from field programs are captured, translated into practical tools, and used to improve future interventions in poverty alleviation work.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve reviewing field reports to identify emerging best practices, then designing visual aids or simplified guides to share these insights with program teams. You could be facilitating a virtual working group with field staff in Africa to discuss program adaptations, followed by developing training modules based on identified competency gaps. The role balances content creation with collaborative learning processes across time zones and cultural contexts.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Raising the Village Is Looking For
- Has 5+ years specifically in international development with hands-on experience creating MEL-informed training materials and knowledge products (not just general program management)
- Demonstrates a portfolio showing translation of technical program content into user-friendly formats like handbooks, guides, or visual tools for non-technical audiences
- Has proven facilitation experience in cross-cultural settings, particularly in coordinating working groups and program review processes in development contexts
- Possesses deep understanding of how organizational learning systems function within international NGOs and can design behavior change tools that actually get used
📝 Tips for Applying to Raising the Village
Include concrete examples in your resume of how you've previously 'translated complex program content into accessible formats' - mention specific knowledge products you've created (handbooks, guides, visual aids) and their impact
Highlight any experience with African development contexts since Raising the Village works in rural Africa - mention specific countries or regions if applicable
Demonstrate your understanding of their methodology by referencing how you would approach 'capturing lessons learned' in community-led development programs
Show how you've previously 'identified staff learning needs' in international development settings - include metrics or outcomes if possible
Tailor your application to show you understand the bridge between MEL (monitoring, evaluation, learning) and practical capacity development, which is core to this role
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your specific experience designing training programs that address real staff competency gaps in international development organizations', "Examples of how you've successfully facilitated knowledge dissemination across organizations, particularly in cross-cultural settings", 'Your approach to making complex program methodologies accessible to both technical staff and community members', "Why you're specifically interested in Raising the Village's community-led, data-driven approach to poverty alleviation"]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Raising the Village's specific program methodology and their 'last-mile' approach - review their website for program examples and their theory of change
- → Their geographic focus areas in Africa and the specific challenges of working in those rural communities
- → Their organizational values and learning culture - look for blog posts, reports, or publications that reveal how they approach knowledge management
- → Any recent program reviews or evaluations they've published to understand their current learning priorities and gaps
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Applying with generic international development experience without showing specific expertise in knowledge translation, training design, or organizational learning systems
- Focusing only on program implementation experience without demonstrating how you've captured and disseminated lessons learned
- Using jargon-heavy language in your application that contradicts the role's requirement to make complex content accessible and user-friendly
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Raising the Village!