Project Director – EKN Regional Programme

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Overall Purpose of the Job

The Project Director (PD) serves as the senior operational leader for the EKN Regional Programme and is accountable for programme delivery, implementation performance, operational management, quality assurance, and country support across Direct Service Delivery (DSD) and Technical Assistance (TA) countries.

Reporting to the Senior Project Director (SPD), the PD is responsible for translating programme strategy into effective implementation by ensuring coordinated delivery across country teams, consortium partners, technical functions, operational systems, and programme resources. The role provides leadership for programme execution, performance management, adaptive management, quality improvement, and operational accountability across the programme.

The PD ensures that programme commitments are delivered on time, at quality, within budget, and in accordance with approved technical approaches, donor requirements, consortium agreements, and organisational standards. The role maintains oversight of implementation progress, country performance, operational risks, resource utilisation, and programme results, while driving timely decision-making and corrective action where required.

Working closely with the Senior Project Director, the PD serves as the principal link between strategic programme leadership and programme implementation, ensuring that strategic priorities, governance decisions, and programme commitments are translated into coordinated action and measurable results across all programme workstreams.

The role works closely with the Senior Partnerhips Governance & Engagement Lead (SPGEL), who leads consortium governance, partner accountability, stakeholder engagement, and partnership management, and the Senior Project & Coordination Manager (SPCM), who leads Programme Management Office (PMO) functions, planning, coordination, reporting, and performance tracking. Together, these roles ensure effective integration of programme delivery, consortium governance, stakeholder engagement, and programme management systems across the EKN Regional Programme.

Key Performance Areas

Programme Delivery, Country Performance and Implementation Leadership

Purpose

Provide overall operational leadership for delivery of the EKN Regional Programme across Direct Service Delivery (DSD) and Technical Assistance (TA) countries, ensuring achievement of programme outcomes, targets and donor commitments.

Key Accountabilities

Lead operational delivery of the EKN Regional Programme across DSD and TA countries.
Ensure programme implementation remains aligned with approved programme strategies, work plans, donor commitments and contractual obligations.
Lead delivery of programme inception activities and ensure implementation readiness, systems establishment and operational mobilisation.
Monitor implementation progress and ensure achievement of programme milestones, deliverables and targets.
Provide oversight of programme performance across DSD and TA countries and support corrective action planning where required.
Ensure countries receive appropriate technical, operational, financial and management support.
Promote integration and coordination across countries, consortium partners and technical functions.
Drive delivery excellence, implementation quality and accountability across all programme work streams.

Programme Planning, Coordination and Resource Management

Purpose

Ensure effective programme planning, coordination and resource utilisation to support efficient and high-quality programme implementation.

Key Accountabilities

Lead annual, quarterly and operational planning processes across the programme.
Ensure integrated planning across programme work streams, countries and consortium partners.
Oversee implementation tracking systems, work plans and programme management processes.
Ensure effective coordination between country teams, technical functions and consortium partners.
Support prioritisation and resource allocation decisions to optimise programme delivery.
Monitor programme expenditure, financial performance and implementation progress.
Support budget management, forecasting and resource allocation processes.
Promote value for money and efficient utilisation of programme resources.

Quality Assurance, Performance Management and Adaptive Learning

Purpose

Promote a culture of quality, learning and evidence-based decision making to strengthen

programme performance and outcomes.

Key Accountabilities

Promote consistent implementation quality across all programme components.
Ensure programme learning informs implementation improvement and adaptive management.
Lead programme reflection, learning and performance review processes.
Promote innovation and adoption of best practices across countries and partners.
Ensure programme performance information is routinely reviewed and used to support operational decision-making.
Promote effective use of strategic information, evidence and learning to strengthen programme delivery.
Ensure emerging risks, trends and implementation insights inform programme adaptation.
Ensure the accuracy and quality of implementation, performance and operational information used in programme communications and reporting.

Partner, Government and Stakeholder Coordination

Purpose

Foster effective collaboration between partners, governments and key stakeholders to support coordinated programme implementation and delivery.

Key Accountabilities

Support effective collaboration between partners, country teams and technical functions.
Promote coordinated implementation and joint problem solving across programme stakeholders.
Support operational engagement with governments, implementing partners and other stakeholders.
Monitor and support partner implementation performance, delivery quality and achievement of programme milestones and results.
Support implementation of community-led and locally led development approaches.
Promote effective engagement of local CSOs, CBOs and community representatives in programme delivery.
Foster strong working relationships that enable effective programme implementation.

Operational Risk Management, Compliance and Safeguarding

Purpose

Ensure programme implementation is compliant, accountable and responsive to operational and programme risks.

Key Accountabilities

Maintain oversight of operational risks and mitigation actions.
Ensure programme implementation complies with donor requirements, organisational policies and consortium agreements.
Support safeguarding, protection and accountability systems across programme implementation.
Ensure risk management systems are embedded within programme operations.
Monitor impacts of political, security, social and operational risks and ensure mitigation measures are implemented.
Lead escalation and resolution of significant implementation risks and challenges.
Promote a culture of accountability, compliance and ethical programme delivery.

Leadership, Team Effectiveness and Cross-Functional Management

Purpose

Build and lead a high-performing programme team that delivers results through collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement.

Key Accountabilities

Directly supervise the Senior Project & Coordination Manager.
Provide matrix leadership to SI, Finance, HR, Advocacy and Grants & Compliance functions supporting the programme.
Build a high-performing programme management culture based on accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
Support professional development, coaching and leadership growth within the programme team.
Strengthen collaboration across functional and country teams.
Model m2m values and leadership behaviours.

Accountability

Owns

Programme strategy and direction.
Strategic leadership and programme stewardship.
Executive consortium governance and accountability.
Donor stewardship and relationship management.
Embassy and strategic stakeholder engagement.
Executive government relations and policy engagement.
Strategic partnerships and consortium collaboration.
Strategic oversight of Country Advisory Committees.
Sustainability, localisation and systems strengthening strategies.
Executive risk management.
Overall consortium accountability and programme performance oversight.
Regional positioning and external representation.
Resource mobilisation and strategic fundraising across the six EKN countries.
Leadership, performance management and development of direct reports.
Building and sustaining a high-performing programme leadership team.
Succession planning and leadership capability development.
Integration of programme delivery, consortium governance, stakeholder engagement and strategic objectives.

Does Not Own

Country implementation management.
Programme delivery management.
Work plan management and tracking.
Routine reporting coordination.
PMO systems and administration.
Meeting logistics and coordination.

Qualifications, Experience and Competencies

Must-Have

Master's degree in Public Health, International Development, Health Systems, Programme Management, Business Administration, Social Sciences, or a related field.
Minimum 12 years of progressively senior programme management experience within large, complex donor-funded programmes.
Demonstrated experience managing multi-country or regional programmes.
Experience working with consortium partners and multiple stakeholders.
Strong experience managing programme delivery, operational performance, budgets, and risk.
Experience working with governments, donors, civil society organisations, and implementing partners.
Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary and matrix-managed teams.

Core Competencies

Programme Leadership
Operational Management
Programme Delivery
Performance Management
Adaptive Management
Quality Improvement
Financial Oversight
Risk Management
Stakeholder Coordination
Team Leadership
Strategic Problem Solving
Decision Making
Communication and Influence
Collaboration and Partnership Management
Change Management

Direct Reports: DSD and TA Countries Partnerships Lead (SCGPL); Senior Project & Coordination Manager (SPCM)

Matrix Leadership

SI Lead
Finance Lead DSD
Finance Lead TA
HR Lead
Advocacy Lead
Grants Manager

Key Internal Stakeholders:

Senior Consortium & Partnerships Lead
Country Leadership
Technical Leadership
Finance
HR
Strategic Information
Grants & Compliance
Advocacy

Working Conditions

Full time role
Regular travel required across sub Saharan Africa and occasionally internationally

Compensation and Benefits

Competitive salary and performance-based incentives
Comprehensive benefits (health, retirement, leave)
Opportunities for growth, leadership, and professional development