Program Support Director, East & Southern Africa

Ipas•Chapel Hill, NC

17h

About The Position

Eligible candidates who are based in Ipas Eastern and Southern Africa program countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia) are invited to apply. The Program Support Director (PSD) is a senior leadership position within the Ipas Global Program Support Team, providing strategic and technical oversight to multiple regional and country programs in East and Southern Africa. The Program Support Director (PSD) provides strategic leadership, technical guidance, and operational oversight to3–5 Regional and country programs. This role will supervise 4-5 direct reports which include senior leaders like Country Directors and Regional Directors and Senior Program Managers who are part of the global team. Reporting to the Deputy COO – Programs, the PSD ensures program quality, alignment with organizational strategy, donor compliance, and effective delivery of high-impact SRHR interventions. The role functions as a bridge between Ipas global team and regional and country offices, supporting program design, implementation, monitoring, learning, and adaptive management while strengthening country-level capacity and accountability The PSD will bring significant team leadership experience and demonstrated capacity in sexual and reproductive health and rights programming in a variety of global contexts. S/he brings cross cultural knowledge, relevant language skills, a focus on user-centered approaches, and a dedication to shared leadership. S/he works to maximize Ipas’s regional and global impact and results by supporting and partnering with assigned country programs. The job responsibilities include working collaboratively to ensure strong program results, program and risk management, and node leadership. In addition, s/he contributes to ensuring compliance with Ipas’s global quality standards, supporting strategic planning and new business development, and promoting communication and learning across Ipas. The PSD demonstrates a strong commitment to the individuals and communities we serve, acting with a sense of urgency and providing candid timely support and guidance to their team and peers. S/he provides mentoring, coaching, and strategic advice to country team leaders, as well as to a global team of Senior Program Managers. S/he provides high level oversight and serves an “internal control” function with assigned regional and country programs, to ensure compliance with Ipas quality standards and as a steward of the Ipas global reputation. S/he contributes significantly to addressing programmatic challenges and problem solving; ensuring we achieve desired goals, donor satisfaction and compliance with award terms and conditions, strengthening systems to improve value for money, organizational learning; and promoting a positive and empowering work culture.

Requirements

Commitment to sexual and reproductive health and rights, especially safe abortion and access to contraception, and an understanding of principles, policies, and best practices related to sexual and reproductive health, and related intersectionality.
Sound political economy understanding of the East & Southern Africa region and knowledge of the issues and context of women's sexual and reproductive health and rights in the Africa region, including demonstrated experience working with NGOs in Africa, preferably based in an Ipas implementing country in African region.
Proven ability to lead and motivate teams and create a positive work environment through supportive supervision, strong communication and teamwork, and shared leadership approaches, including demonstrated successes in program management, team leadership, strategic planning and problem solving.
Strategic stakeholder management skills with proven ability to build and maintain positive working relationships with a variety of partners, including government officials, regional or global donors and partner organizations. Ability to work across cultures and manage complex relationships remotely.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively across cultures, and to manage the complexity of multi-country programs and stakeholder relationships remotely.
Strategic expertise in risk, compliance, and governance management, and anticipating regional and network-wide risks while strengthening and supporting effective local board governance in the region.
Demonstrated experience overseeing large, complex grant awards and operations portfolios—strengthening finance and operational architecture and driving cross-country integration to deliver efficient, compliant, and high-performing programs.
A highly mature regional leader who navigates multi-country complexity with advisory and as an ‘enabler’, practices shared leadership, balances strategy with execution, and builds strong teams that deliver sustained performance while respecting and preserving country-level ownership.
At least 15 years of increasing responsibility in non-profit leadership and program management in the international development or NGO-sector.
Minimum of 7 years of senior program leadership experience overseeing multiple country programs and proven ability to provide strategic and technical oversight across diverse country contexts.
Strong experience managing donor-funded programs (e.g., bilateral, multilateral, foundations).
Relevant postgraduate degree (e.g., MBA, MIA, MPH).
Respect and credibility as an advocate for reproductive health and rights
Strong advocacy and speaking skills in a context of stigma and opposition.
Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.