Head of Programs - Rwanda

Job Title: Head of Programs

Department: Programs

Reports To (Function): Country Director

Location: Rwanda

Overview

The Head of Programs (HoP) provides strategic and operational leadership for the Rwanda country portfolio. The HoP steers program design and quality, drives business development and partnerships, ensures compliant and timely delivery of grants, leads MEAL and learning, and manages a multi-disciplinary team to deliver integrated, high-impact programmes. The role is a core member of the Country Management Team (CMT) and acts as primary technical representative to government, donors, and coordination platforms in Rwanda.

Reporting Relationships

The Head of Programs has a direct reporting relationship to the Country Director with a bold dotted-line relationship to the Director of Programs, Global Support Office who provides technical oversight, guidance, and capacity building on programmatic matters including :

• Regular program quality reviews and discussions
• Program design and implementation
• Development of country-specific program strategies
• Knowledge exchange on innovative approaches and best practices
• Capacity building initiatives for the country program team

Key Roles and Responsibilities

1. Designing quality and innovative programs: (15% of effort)

• Maintain a current, nuanced understanding of Rwanda’s humanitarian and development context and district priorities, translating insights into high-quality, locally led program designs.
• Lead/co-lead concept notes and proposals, including theory of change, logical frameworks, workplans/Gantt charts, detailed budgets, procurement plans, risk/assumption matrices, safeguarding, and exit/sustainability strategies.
• Ensure designs reflect ForAfrika Rwanda’s integrated model – with ECD as an entry point for multi-sector layering (Education/ECD, WASH, FSL/Economic Empowerment incl. VSLAs and digital finance, Health & Nutrition, climate-smart agriculture) – and align to GoR standards (e.g., NCDA/UNICEF for ECD) and district strategies.
• Lead technical standards adoption and quality assurance checklists; embed cross-cutting themes (child protection, PSEA, gender/inclusion, disability, conflict sensitivity, climate resilience).
• Support disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness planning, and surge design in collaboration with the CD and Operations.

2. Business Development (25% of effort)

• In collaboration with the CD and Business Development teams, drive a proactive funding pipeline: donor and CSR mapping, positioning, capture, and bid leadership.
• Cultivate and manage strategic relationships with government ministries/agencies (e.g., district authorities, social protection, agriculture, education), UN, bilateral/multilateral donors, foundations, private sector/CSR, faith-based partners, and INGOs/NGOs.
• Lead internal bid teams, coordinate technical and cost proposals, and ensure cost recovery and pricing are compliant with ForAfrika policies and donor thresholds.
• Build proposal development capacity across program teams (design, writing, budgeting, compliance) and maintain a repository of boilerplate texts, past performance, CVs, and evidence.

3. Program Delivery (30% of effort)

• Own end-to-end delivery for the Rwanda portfolio to scope, schedule, and budget; produce Annual Program Operating Plans and grant-specific implementation plans with clear targets, milestones, and procurement timelines.
• Ensure timely, accurate narrative and financial reporting; institute internal quality reviews and on-time submissions; uphold donor visibility and communications requirements.
• Chair monthly grant reviews with Finance/Procurement/Logistics/HR; monitor BVAs, burn rates, and variances; implement corrective actions for under/overspend and pipeline risks.
• Ensure robust procurement planning and compliance with organizational financial/procurement procedures and internal controls; coordinate with the Head of Finance and Head of Shared Services for smooth operational support.
• Lead field supervision and supportive monitoring; document adaptations, best/promising practices, and lessons learned for scale-up and replication.

4. Monitoring, Learning & Accountability (approx. 10%)

• Oversee MEAL system design and implementation (indicators, IPTT, data quality, evaluations, after-action reviews); ensure data drives decision-making and course-corrections.
• Design and implement data collection and management mechanisms, including data flows and provide training for all programme appointed staff.
• Review data collection tools and align with programme objectives
• Conduct regular field visits to monitor progress, validate data, and assess the quality of program implementation.
• Develop specialized reports for programme review update.
• Prepare regular monitoring reports (monthly/quarterly and annual) for internal and external stakeholders, including donors, partners, and government agencies.
• Support program teams in the development of high-quality communication materials, such as success stories, newsletters, and presentations.
• Champion accountability to affected populations (AAP): ensure accessible, confidential feedback/complaints channels, proper documentation, timely referrals/closures, and transparent feedback loops.
• Promote knowledge management and learning cycles; disseminate evidence to stakeholders and feed learning into designs, strategies, and advocacy.

5. Representation, Coordination & Integration (approx. 10%)

• Represent ForAfrika Rwanda in national/district coordination mechanisms and Technical Working Groups relevant to ECD/Education, WASH, Agriculture/VSLA/Economic Empowerment, and Health & Nutrition.
• Strengthen integration, sequencing, and layering across sectors and locations; ensure coherent district engagement and partner co-delivery models that maximise systems change and community ownership.
• Maintain strong internal collaboration with ForAfrika’s Global Support Office (GSO) technical units and regional/thematic communities of practice.

6. People Leadership, Safeguarding & Security (approx. 10%)

• Ensure an appropriately staffed and resourced Program Department; recruit, onboard, mentor, and performance-manage direct reports and wider teams, fostering an inclusive, high-performance culture.
• Ensure strict adherence to safeguarding/child protection, PSEA, and Code of Conduct; lead regular refreshers and manager accountabilities; model values-based leadership.
• In partnership with Security/Operations, implement and monitor field security SOPs, risk registers, and duty of care standards for staff and assets.

7. Key Relationships

• Internal: Country Director; Head of Finance; Head of Shared Services
  (Procurement/Logistics/IT/Admin/HR/Security); MEAL; Grants/Partnerships; Communications; GSO/Regional technical teams.
• External: District authorities; relevant line ministries/agencies; UN, donors, foundations; partner NGOs/CSOs/FBOs; private sector/CSR partners; research/academic institutions.

8. Success Measures (indicative KPIs)

• ≥90% of grants delivered on time, on scope, and within ±10% budget variance.
• ≥90% on-time, quality narrative & financial reports; no major audit findings.
• Funding pipeline growth with ≥2 competitive multi-year wins and diversified donor/CSR mix.
• Documented integration across at least 3 sectors per target location; district-level collaboration plans operational.
• Functioning AAP system with timely closure of ≥90% of feedback cases and demonstrated programme adaptations.
• Team engagement and performance metrics improve year-on-year (e.g., retention, development plans
  completed).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Master’s degree in international development, Social Sciences, Public Health, Agriculture, Education, or related field.
• 7–10+ years’ progressive leadership managing multi-sector humanitarian/development programmes, including integrated rural development and systems-strengthening with government.
• Proven record of winning and managing institutional grants (bilateral/multilateral/foundations/CSR) with strong proposal design (ToC, logframes, budgets) and consortium leadership.
• Demonstrated expertise in at least two of: ECD/Education systems; WASH; Food Security & Livelihoods and Economic Empowerment (VSLAs, MSME); Health & Nutrition; climate resilience.
• Strong MEAL and programme quality management; risk/compliance management; safeguarding/PSEA and child protection.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and representation skills with government, donors, private sector/CSR, and civil society.
• Advanced financial acumen (BVAs, cost recovery, pricing) and close collaboration with Finance/Procurement for compliant delivery.
• Fluency in English; strong Kinyarwanda highly desirable; French an advantage.

Desirable

• Familiarity with GoR standards and district planning and with NCDA/UNICEF ECD standards.
• Experience with digitalisation initiatives for VSLAs/financial inclusion and climate-smart agriculture.
• Proficiency with ERPs and grant/finance systems (e.g., SAGE) and project management tools.

Behavioral Competencies

Values-driven, entrepreneurial mindset; systems thinker; collaborative, inclusive leadership; results-oriented; adaptive management; strong communication and coaching skills.

Travel & Work Environment

Based in Kigali with frequent field travel (up to ~40%) and other locations as required.

Safeguarding & Equal Opportunity

ForAfrika is committed to the safeguarding and protection of children and vulnerable adults and to preventing sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. All staff are required to sign and adhere to ForAfrika’s Code of Conduct and Safeguarding policies and to undergo background checks as permissible by law. We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage applications from qualified women and persons with disabilities.

How to apply

Qualified and interested candidates are encouraged to apply for this position HERE on or before 10th October 2025.

Interested candidates should submit:

• Detailed cover letter addressing key qualifications and motivation for the role
• Comprehensive CV highlighting relevant experience
• Contact information for three professional references
• Salary expectations and availability date

Please note that due to large volume of applications we receive, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear from us one month after the closing date, consider your application unsuccessful.