ROLE OVERVIEW

The Senior Global Programs Director (SGPD) provides strategic leadership, oversight, and support to Spark’s Country Directors, ensuring high-quality, nationally scalable, and financially sustainable program delivery across all countries of operation. As a key member of the Global Programs Team, the SGPD strengthens program excellence, fosters cross-country learning, ensures strong operational performance, and aligns country strategies with Spark’s global vision and growth plans.

This role requires a seasoned leader with deep experience in international development, government relations, scaling programs, multi-country program oversight, team leadership, and operational management.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Programmatic strategy

• Lead national-scale programs via policy adoption, financing, and program roll-out across Rwanda, Malawi, Ghana, Uganda, and potentially other countries.
• Maintain and cultivate top-level national government relationships in support of the national program adoption, financing, and execution.
• Establish in-country financing via the Government, the World Bank, bilateral partners, and co-financing.
• Develop and implement programmatic strategy in alignment with Spark MicroGrants’ mission and goals.
• Oversee the design and execution of all programmatic activities to ensure high-quality, impactful, and scalable initiatives.
• Provide strategic direction and support to Country Directors to enhance country-specific strategies and operations.

Leadership management

• Direct line management of and support to Country Directors, the Partnership and Systems Manager, and additional senior staff to lead their teams successfully.
• Overall responsibility for program expansion, timelines, and budget management in line with annual and multi-year organizational strategies while maintaining quality.
• Recruit, mentor, and support senior program staff, promoting professional growth and development.
• Oversee Program implementation risk mitigation
• Oversee quality assurance and surge support to partner selection, onboarding, and ongoing management. Update partner management system and procedures as required.
• Ensure program compliance with safeguarding policy and best practice

Program design and innovation

• Support the Program Design team to test and streamline program innovations.
• Facilitate the integration of learnings into design conversations.
• Oversee the implementation of the Program Design Standard Operating Procedures 

Financial Oversight

• Manage program budgets to ensure consistency with strategic priorities, donor commitments, and available funding.
• Ensure the program team makes cost-effective use of resources and adheres to financial policies and procedures.
• Review program expenditure with an eye towards streamlined costing across programs and optimizing for program ROI.

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Qualifications, experience & skills:

• Minimum 12 years of relevant experience, such as in partnership management, people management and program implementation;
• 5+ years managing senior leaders (e.g., Country Directors or equivalent) 
• Proven track record of government engagement and policy influencing;
• Demonstrated experience in leading organisations;
• Strong understanding of monitoring and evaluation, finance and operations and grant management;

• Masters Degree in the field of International Development, Social Sciences, Economics, Management or related fields;
• Excellent track record in designing and managing rural development programs;
• Strong project management skills and attention to detail are required; 
• Proven track record of leading successful resource mobilization
• Excellent English written and oral communication

Other information 

Job Location:  Kigali, Rwanda; Lilongwe, Malawi; Accra, Ghana ( other remote location within East and Southern Arica may be considered)

Application Closing Date: Rolling Basis

Follow the link to apply: https://sparkmicrogrants.bamboohr.com/careers/166 

12+ years in partnership management and program implementation; 5+ years managing senior leaders; government engagement; organizational leadership; strong M&E, finance, operations, and grant management; English proficiency.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead programs
• Manage budgets
• Recruit staff

Job Details

• Category: Project and Program Management
• Seniority: Senior Level
• Commitment: Full Time
• Workplace: Remote — Accra or Kigali or Lilongwe
• Languages: English

About Spark MicroGrants

A nonprofit organization delivering locally-led, scalable development programs. — Industry: Non-Profit Organizations and NGOs