Director of Programs

We are supporting a partner organization in hiring a Director of Programs who will lead the execution of the organization's external engagements with private sector partners and implementation stakeholders. This is a senior leadership role responsible for translating partnerships into well-designed and effectively delivered programs.

The Director of Programs will oversee what happens after a partnership is established—ensuring projects are scoped correctly, delivered effectively, and generate meaningful outcomes for both end beneficiaries and partner organizations.

The role requires strong program leadership, operational judgment, stakeholder management, and the ability to work across research, design, and implementation teams. The Director will manage Program Managers while also providing hands-on leadership on critical engagements and strengthening systems that ensure consistent delivery quality across the portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

Program Design & Scoping

• Lead development of program scopes, workplans, timelines, and resourcing plans
• Translate partnership objectives into clear implementation strategies
• Assess feasibility, risks, and operational assumptions before project launch

Program Delivery & Portfolio Oversight

• Oversee a portfolio of programs delivered with corporate partners, funders, and implementation stakeholders
• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget
• Monitor milestones, risks, partner satisfaction, and delivery quality

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Coordinate across partnerships, research, design, and field teams
• Translate research and design outputs into actionable implementation plans
• Strengthen systems for project tracking, documentation, and learning

External Stakeholder Management

• Manage senior relationships with corporate partners, funders, and implementation stakeholders
• Align expectations on scope, outcomes, and delivery progress
• Lead discussions on progress, challenges, and course corrections

Team Leadership

• Line-manage Program Managers and build their execution and stakeholder management capability
• Set priorities, performance expectations, and delivery standards
• Coach teams on planning, decision-making, and problem-solving

Organizational Leadership

• Contribute to organizational planning and leadership discussions
• Partner with Finance on project budgeting, utilization, and sustainability
• Strengthen internal systems for program management and operational planning

Requirements

• 15+ years of relevant professional experience in program management, operations, consulting delivery, implementation, or partnerships execution
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects
• Strong operational planning and problem-solving skills
• Experience working with senior external stakeholders (corporates, funders, or institutions)
• Proven team leadership and people management experience
• Ability to translate strategy into execution plans
• Comfort working across cross-functional teams (research, product, field, or partnerships)
• Strong communication, judgment, and decision-making ability
• High ownership and accountability mindset
• Alignment with the organization's mission of improving outcomes for underserved populations
• Candidates from private sector, nonprofit, consulting, or public sector backgrounds are encouraged to apply.