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
