Senior Programme Manager

Title:Senior Programme Manager

Reports to:Vice President of Programs

Location: Brussels Belgium or London UK

Salary:per annum

Travel:Regular travel to countries of operation including fragile and conflict-affected environments.

About NEF

Since 1915 NEF has supported community-led economic and social development in Middle East Africa and Caucasus. As a non-profit international development organization NEF draws on local teams experience and partnerships in these regions to create community-led solutions to reduce poverty create economic opportunity increase resilience and empower conflict climate- and crisis-affected people to improve their outlook and wellbeing.

NEF works through a network of country offices and with local partners with current or recent operations in Armenia Jordan Lebanon Iraq Mali Morocco Palestine Sudan South Sudan and Syria. Our global headquarters are based in Syracuse NY London UK and Brussels Belgium.

Summary of Role

NEF is recruiting a Senior Programme Manager to play a central role in strengthening coordinating and advancing the organisations programme portfolio. The position ensures that programmes from conceptualization through implementation and scaling are strategically aligned and consistently delivered across the NEF network.

Working closely with country teams and headquarters support functions the Senior Programme Manager will play a critical role in ensuring effective program support to NEF programs. The role supports NEFs growth by reinforcing programme quality enabling strong internal collaboration and cultivating trusted relationships across the network and with external stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

1. Programme Support and Development

• Contribute to and mobilize management technical compliance and operational support for a portfolio of NEF programs in partnership with country teams; play a pivotal role in problem solving across the program cycle.
• Serve as a senior and trusted interlocutor with NEF funders and strategic partners; building and nurturing relationships with key decision makers.
• Contribute to and support effective contract management across programs ensuring NEF standards and donor compliance across contract deliverables and amendment processes. Provide program quality assurance in line with NEF technical standards.
• Support programme teams in translating organisational strategy into clear objectives workplans timelines and deliverables.
• Contribute to identifying and developing strategic partnerships with traditional (eg. civil society) and non-traditional (eg. private sector and financial institution) actors that maximize program impact and sustainability.
• Co-lead periodic program and portfolio reviews; use programme evidence and learning to inform strategic decision-making and program development processes.
• Support the consolidation and communication of programme results and insights tailored to strategic audiences.
• Contribute to and advocate for professional development and capacity building needs and opportunities for country teams.

2. Business Development and Resource Mobilization

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  Represent NEF with strategic donors confidently communicating NEFs impact and offering and contributing to positioning and capture of new funding opportunities.
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  Contribute substantively to the development of new funding proposals by providing technical inputs and quality assurance; act as lead proposal writer whenrequired.
  
• Contribute to consortium building and staffing plans for strategic proposals.
  

3. Team Leadership & People Management

• As required line-manage HQ programme staff setting clear objectives performance expectations and nurturing developing talent.
• Foster a collaborative accountable and results-driven team environment grounded in trust learning and shared responsibility.
• Support staff performance growth and autonomy through regular coaching feedback and professional development conversations.
• Design and manage strategic global programme consultancies.

Profile & Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Masters degree in Public Policy International Development Sustainability Business Administration or a related discipline.
• At least 8 years of relevant professional experience including substantial responsibility for institutionally funded (eg. EU pooled-fund UN) programme management within humanitarian or international development contexts.
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-country programmes including substantive donor-facing and complex stakeholder management responsibilities.
• Proven people management experience including direct line management.
• Familiarity with EU-funded programmes and donor frameworks
• Solid understanding of programme governance internal coordination and organisational processes.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong project and programme management skills with a clear focus on delivery and results. Ability to work flexibly as part of team in a fast-paced environment.
• Outstanding interpersonal and management skills with the ability to lead and motivate diverse teams.
• Ability to remain solution-focused while managing complexity and competing priorities.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills adaptable across technical and non-technical audiences.
• Comfortable working in a small agile organisation with high levels of responsibility and autonomy.
• Excellent command of English; French is highly desirable; Arabic is an asset.

Required Experience:

Manager