Head of Programs

Detailed Job Description

Lead the development and submission of 1-year and 3-year program strategies, business plans, and budgets to the Executive Director in alignment with the organization’s mission, vision, and Board-approved strategic priorities.

Oversee the design, planning, and implementation of all projects and programs, ensuring they are delivered on time, within scope, and meet or exceed donor and organizational quality standards.

Coordinate and lead needs assessments, market research, and situational analysis to inform strategic programming and adaptive planning.

Foster strong coordination with program leaders from INGOs, NNGOs, UN agencies, and donors to identify synergies, avoid duplication, and leverage partnership opportunities.

Supervise and support Project Managers across the project cycle, ensuring technical guidance, operational support, and effective budget and grant management.

Lead the preparation of annual and project-specific operational budgets in collaboration with the Head of Operations and the Finance & Accounting Manager, ensuring cost-efficiency and alignment with funding requirements.

Develop and enforce tools, SOPs, and frameworks for program evaluation, learning, and continuous improvement, including impact measurement and beneficiary feedback systems.

Identify capacity gaps and work with HR and the Executive Director to implement professional development plans for the programs team.

Oversee the implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) plans to track outcomes, enhance quality, and demonstrate results to stakeholders.

Anticipate risks, manage programmatic challenges, and proactively implement corrective actions to safeguard project goals and donor expectations.

Ensure timely, accurate, and high-quality narrative and financial reporting for all active projects, meeting internal and donor deadlines.

Promote innovation and learning within the programs by documenting success stories, lessons learned, and programmatic achievements.

Represent Nusaned in clusters, technical working groups, and relevant forums to advocate for program priorities and share insights.

Ensure adherence to Nusaned’s policies and humanitarian principles, including safeguarding, gender equity, environmental sustainability, and do-no-harm approaches.

Carry out any additional responsibilities as requested by the Executive Director.

Reports to: Executive Director

Supervisory Responsibility: Project Managers and Program Support Team

Collaborates and Works with: Head of Strategic Development, Head of Operations, People & CUlture, PDQ Team, Finance & Accounting Manager, Communications

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

Proven experience in strategic program leadership within the humanitarian and development sectors, with a strong understanding of international standards (Sphere, Core Humanitarian Standard, Do No Harm, etc.).

Demonstrated expertise in full project cycle management: design, proposal writing, implementation, budget oversight, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.

Master’s degree in Project Management, International Development, Humanitarian Affairs, Public Administration, or a related field is required.

Minimum of 7–10 years of progressively responsible experience in managing multi-sectoral humanitarian/development programs, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.

Strong financial acumen with the ability to develop, monitor, and analyze program budgets and cost-efficiency indicators.

Demonstrated capacity to develop systems, tools, and procedures for program operations, data management, and reporting.

Advanced knowledge of donor compliance (e.g., UN, LHF, ECHO, USAID, GIZ) and experience managing large-scale, donor-funded projects.

High level of emotional intelligence, cultural sensitivity, and people management skills to guide, motivate, and empower diverse teams.

Effective communicator with excellent command of English and Arabic (spoken and written); French is an asset.

Strong analytical, synthesis, and problem-solving skills; able to convert complex information into actionable strategies.
Exceptional stakeholder engagement, networking, and representation abilities.

Proficiency in MS Office Suite, project management software (e.g., Trello, Asana, MS Project), and document management systems.

On-ground field experience in crisis-affected or low-resource settings is highly desirable.

Training certifications in MEAL, PMP, Prince2, or related project management tools are an advantage