Senior Programme Manager

Title:  Senior Programme Manager

Reports to: Vice President of Programs

Location:  Brussels, Belgium or London, UK

Salary:   TBD

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 organisation’s 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 NEF’s 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

• 
  Represent NEF with strategic donors, confidently communicating NEF’s impact and offering, and contributing to positioning and capture of new funding opportunities.
• 
  Contribute substantively to the development of new funding proposals by providing technical inputs and quality assurance; act as lead proposal writer when required.
  
• 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

• Master’s 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.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates should possess the right to work in the location where they are applying.

How to apply

NEF will accept a rolling application until the position is filled. Review of application will begin on April 29, 2026. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

To apply:

Please apply by submitting the following documents to the Near East Foundation’s careers page:

1. Cover letter outlining all relevant experience, how you meet the essential criteria.
2. Curriculum Vitae.
3. List of three references (including one from current, or most recent, employer). You will be given further notice prior to us contacting references.

Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Near East Foundation by visiting the NEF website at www.neareast.org

The Near East Foundation promotes Equal Employment Opportunities for all applicants seeking employment and NEF employees.

Pre-employment Checks
Any Employment with the Near East Foundation will be subject to the following checks prior to start date:

• A satisfactory Restricted Party Screening;
• Receipt of satisfactory references;
• Proof of eligibility to work in the national location for this role.