Our client is a leading NGO that specialises in catering to people in the areas of Health Education. They are looking to employ a Head of Programmes to join their team and help achieve the foundation's objective.
JOB OVERVIEW
The Head of Programs is a strategic leadership role responsible for overseeing the design, implementation, and evaluation of all social interventions within our client Foundation's three key focus areas. The jobholder acts as a primary architect for program models, ensuring they effectively address the needs of marginalized groups while maintaining alignment with the mission.
Key responsibilities include designing and implementing social intervention projects across education, health, and shelter, translating complex social needs into strategic program models, managing large-scale project budgets, and establishing robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks to measure social impact. Furthermore, the role involves providing visionary leadership and professional mentorship to cross-functional teams, conducting rigorous risk assessments for all humanitarian activities, ensuring all programs align with the Foundation's core mission and values, and developing operational systems to improve the efficiency of service delivery.
Job Objective
The Head of Programs is responsible for the strategic leadership, development, execution, and evaluation of all programmatic interventions under the NGO. This role ensures that the our client's key focus areas—Health, Education, and Shelter—are effectively designed, implemented, and aligned with the organisation’s mission. The role holder will oversee Program Managers and Coordinators, ensuring high-quality program delivery, measurable impact, and continuous improvement. The Head of Programs will work closely with the Executive Director to drive organisational strategy and sustainability.
Job Responsibilities
Strategic Program Leadership
- Serving as the primary architect for the our client's mission, providing responsible leadership that sets the standard for creativity, innovation, and problem-solving
- Translating complex social interventions and needs into strategic objectives that achieve our client's long-term vision and plans.
- Guiding cross-functional team members toward the achievement of high-level KPIs through periodic feedback and performance enhancement strategies.
- Identifying the professional development needs of team members and ensuring they are fulfilled through planned coaching and mentoring.
- Driving high levels of engagement and motivation across all program teams to maintain a high-performance environment.
- Developing and implementing the systems and procedures necessary for the smooth and efficient operation of the programming function.
Program Design and Development
- Serving as the primary architect for translating the Foundation’s mission into actionable social interventions across education, health, and shelter.
- Developing and implementing the systems and procedures necessary for the smooth and efficient operation of new and existing programs.
- Translating identified gaps in social services into comprehensive program objectives that align with our client's vision.
- Applying an in-depth understanding of project management to lead the execution of complex, multifunctional humanitarian projects.
- Ensuring all program designs incorporate rigorous quality assurance and strict adherence to organizational standards.
- Establishing the baseline KPIs and reporting structures required to measure the success of every newly developed program.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)
- Establishing robust frameworks to measure the social impact and return-on-investment (ROI) of all our client's interventions.
- Developing and implementing the systems and procedures necessary for the smooth tracking and reporting of program data.
- Coordinating the production and submission of detailed monthly reports to ensure data-driven decision-making.
- Ensuring rigorous quality assurance and strict adherence to established standards across all field activities.
- Guiding team members toward the achievement of specific KPIs and providing periodic feedback to enhance overall performance.
- Applying an in-depth, problem-solving approach to project management as it relates to multifunctional and complex social projects.
Team Leadership and Capacity Development
- Providing responsible and visionary leadership to the programming unit, setting the standard for creativity, innovation, and ethical conduct.
- Identifying the professional development needs of team members and ensuring they are fulfilled through planned coaching, mentoring, and training.
- Establishing a high-performance culture that drives engagement, motivation, and accountability across all project teams.
- Developing and implementing the internal systems and procedures necessary for the smooth and efficient operation of the programming function.
- Leading others in the execution of complex, multifunctional projects by applying an in-depth understanding of advanced project management.
- Mentoring staff on the translation of complex social interventions into clear, impactful, and data-driven narratives.
- Overseeing the recruitment and onboarding of specialized talent to meet the evolving needs of our client's key focus areas.
Budgeting and Resource Management
- Developing and managing comprehensive budgets for large-scale social interventions across education, health, and shelter.
- Ensuring the efficient and transparent allocation of financial and material resources to maximize social impact.
- Monitoring program expenditures to ensure all activities remain within the approved annual budget and financial guidelines.
- Developing and implementing the financial systems and procedures necessary for the smooth operation of the programming function.
- Collaborating with the management team to align program goals with available funding and long-term financial sustainability.
- Identifying and mitigating financial risks associated with humanitarian field operations and large-scale projects.
Risk Management and Compliance
- Conducting rigorous risk assessments across all humanitarian activities to identify potential financial, operational, and reputational threats.
- Designing and implementing robust mitigation plans to safeguard our client’s assets, staff, and the vulnerable populations they serve.
- Ensuring all program interventions adhere to local and international laws, as well as the specific regulatory requirements of the social sector.
- Overseeing the implementation of strict safeguarding protocols to protect the rights and safety of children and marginalized groups.
- Developing and enforcing the internal systems, procedures, and quality assurance protocols necessary for ethical and transparent operations.
- Monitoring resource allocation and expenditures to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse within large-scale project budgets.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Driving synergy between the programming unit and the communications department to ensure field impact is translated into compelling narratives.
- Collaborating with the management team to align programmatic interventions with our client’s broader organizational strategy.
- Developing and implementing integrated systems and procedures that facilitate seamless communication across different departments.
- Facilitating knowledge-sharing sessions between education, health, and shelter teams to leverage collective expertise and resources.
- Coordinating with internal finance and operations departments to ensure resource allocation is synchronized with project timelines.
- Managing relationships with external technical consultants and partners to ensure high-quality delivery of specialized social services.
Job Requirement
- Minimum of 10 years’ work experience working in project management or relevant field.
- Attitude and Behavioral Skills
- Experience working with cross-functional teams.
- Experience working with a high-performance team in a communications/publicity capacity.
- Experience working with multimedia, social media, web design, graphics and other communications/publicity management teams.
- Experience working within a production team.
- Ability to design programs that clearly link specific activities to long-term social impact.
- Proficiency in drafting compelling technical proposals and grant applications to secure funding.
- Expertise in managing large program budgets, ensuring cost-effectiveness and financial transparency.
- Skill in developing Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) frameworks to track success and analyze ROI.
- Experience in coaching, mentoring, and leading high-performance, cross-functional teams.
- Capability to advocate for the rights of marginalized groups and represent the organization in public forums.
- Strong diplomatic and interpersonal skills to manage complex stakeholder relationships and community dynamics.
- Advanced project management skills with a proven ability to handle multiple tasks under tight deadlines.
- Ability to identify operational risks and implement effective mitigation strategies.
- Proficiency in using data and analytics to measure social impact and inform programmatic decisions.
- Skill in developing and implementing systems and procedures for smooth operational execution.
- Ability to translate complex programmatic data into clear, creative, and persuasive reports or presentations.
- Excellent command of written and spoken English with the ability to convey ideas in a direct and lively style.
- In-depth understanding of social media principles and digital tools to leverage audience engagement for programs.
- Creative and critical thinking skills applied to complex, multifunctional project environments.