Senior Global Programs Director

About the role

The Senior Global Programs Director 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. The role sits within the Global Programs Team and strengthens program excellence, cross-country learning and operational performance, aligning country strategies with Spark's global vision and growth plans. It calls for a seasoned leader with deep experience in international development, government relations, scaling programs, multi-country oversight, team leadership and operational management.

Key responsibilities

• Lead national-scale programs through policy adoption, financing and rollout in Rwanda, Malawi, Ghana, Uganda and potentially other countries, and maintain top-level government relationships for adoption, financing and execution.
• Establish in-country financing through the government, the World Bank, bilateral partners and co-financing, and develop program strategy aligned with Spark's mission and goals.
• Oversee the design and execution of all program activities, provide strategic direction to Country Directors, and manage program expansion, timelines and budgets in line with annual and multi-year strategies.
• Directly manage and support Country Directors, the Partnership and Systems Manager and other senior staff, recruiting, mentoring and developing them.
• Oversee program implementation risk mitigation, quality assurance and surge support for partner selection, onboarding and management, and ensure compliance with safeguarding policy and best practice.
• Support the Program Design team in testing and streamlining innovations, integrating learnings into design conversations and overseeing the Program Design SOPs.
• Manage program budgets against strategic priorities and donor commitments, ensure cost-effective use of resources, and review expenditure for streamlined costing and optimal ROI.

Required profile

• Minimum 12 years of relevant experience, such as in partnership management, people management and program implementation.
• 5+ years managing senior leaders such as Country Directors or equivalent.
• Proven track record of government engagement and policy influencing, and of leading organisations.
• Masters degree in International Development, Social Sciences, Economics, Management or a related field.
• Excellent track record in designing and managing rural development programs and in leading successful resource mobilisation.

Required skills

• Strong understanding of monitoring and evaluation, finance and operations, and grant management.
• Strong project management skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through the employer's careers page; the role is based in Kigali, Rwanda, Lilongwe, Malawi or Accra, Ghana, with other remote locations in East and Southern Africa possibly considered.