Director – Programme, Governance & Implementation

Role Overview

The Director – Government Partnerships & Programme Strategy will lead the strategic planning, coordination and implementation of a large-scale development programme, working closely with government institutions and other key stakeholders.

The role will involve driving engagement with government stakeholders, strengthening institutional partnerships, overseeing programme implementation and ensuring effective coordination across government counterparts, implementation partners and internal teams. The position will play a key role in translating strategic priorities into actionable plans, strengthening programme management systems and driving effective execution at scale.

Roles & Responsibilities

1. Government Engagement & Institutional Partnerships

• Lead strategic engagement with government institutions and senior government stakeholders to build alignment around programme objectives, priorities and implementation plans.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with government counterparts, institutional stakeholders and key decision-makers.
• Facilitate coordination between government departments, implementation partners and other stakeholders to ensure effective programme execution.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen government ownership, institutional capacity and the long-term sustainability of programme interventions.
• Represent the programme in high-level stakeholder meetings, consultations, workshops and review forums.

2. Strategic Planning & Programme Management

• Lead the development and execution of strategic roadmaps, annual plans, action plans and programme priorities.
• Oversee programme planning, implementation and periodic reviews to ensure alignment with strategic objectives.
• Translate programme priorities into actionable implementation plans, with clear milestones, deliverables and accountability mechanisms.
• Drive coordination across internal teams and external partners to ensure timely execution of programme activities.
• Provide strategic inputs to senior leadership on programme progress, implementation challenges, stakeholder priorities and emerging opportunities.

3. Programme Governance, Monitoring & Performance Management

• Establish and strengthen programme management frameworks, monitoring systems, review mechanisms and progress trackers.
• Drive programme governance through structured review meetings, progress assessments, escalation mechanisms and follow-through on key action points.
• Monitor programme performance against defined milestones and outcomes, identifying implementation gaps and recommending corrective measures.
• Analyse programme data and prepare reports, presentations and performance updates to support informed decision-making.
• Identify implementation risks and challenges, and develop appropriate mitigation strategies.

4. Operational Systems & Implementation Excellence

• Develop and strengthen programme guidelines, operational frameworks, processes and implementation protocols.
• Support the development of institutional frameworks and systems that enable effective programme delivery.
• Oversee implementation planning and operational coordination across multiple stakeholders and workstreams.
• Facilitate knowledge-sharing, documentation and the adoption of effective implementation practices.
• Support capacity-building efforts and strengthen coordination mechanisms among relevant stakeholders.

Qualifications & Experience

• Postgraduate degree in Management, Development Studies, Public Policy, Rural Development or a related discipline.
• 12+ years of overall professional experience, including at least 5 years in a senior management or leadership role.
• 6–8 years of relevant experience working with government institutions, development agencies, research organisations or large-scale development programmes.
• Demonstrated experience in managing government partnerships, institutional relationships and complex multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Strong understanding of government systems, institutional processes and public-sector stakeholder management.