Programmes Manager

Description

About Trócaire

Trócaire is an International NGO. We work with local partners in the world’s most at-risk communities and with people in Ireland to tackle the underlying causes of poverty and injustice and respond to the crises they create. Together we bring about positive and lasting change for a just world. Trócaire works in up to 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. We work towards five goals:

• Defend Human Rights and Promote Access to Justice;

• Achieve Climate & Environmental Justice;

• Ensure Women & Girls’ Protection, Voice & Influence;

• Save Lives and Protect Human Dignity; and

• Mobilise the Public on the island of Ireland to achieve Global Justice.

Our work is rooted in Catholic Social Teaching and in our values of Solidarity, Courage, Participation, Perseverance and Accountability.

In Malawi, Trócaire works to achieve climate and environmental justice; ensure women and girls’ protection, voice & influence; and save lives and protect human dignity. Trócaire supports work on the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, women’s political participation and leadership, sustainable livelihoods and economic empowerment, natural resource management and environmental conservation, and humanitarian preparedness and response.

Trócaire works exclusively with local partners and actively supports localised development and humanitarian aid. Supporting local civil society organisations to strengthen their organisational, institutional, financial, technical, and managerial capacities is core to Trócaire’s partnership approach in Malawi. Trócaire’s Malawi country programme also works closely with, contributing to and drawing support from, Trócaire’s global hub on partnership and localisation based in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Programme Manager role is an existing role responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of strong thematic programmes that meet internal and external programme quality demands. The Head of Programmes coordinates technical and thematic support with global advisors and teams and ensures that the Malawi team engages with the global organisation. The exciting and fast-paced role ensures that programmes align with Trócaire’s policies, incorporate research and innovation, and inform policy and advocacy work locally and internationally.

The Programme Manager is part of the Country Management Team (CMT). While the Country Director is accountable for all of Trócaire’s work in Malawi, the Programme Manager has full responsibility for all aspects of Trócaire’s programme work, with a particular emphasis on programme and project quality, acquisition of institutional funding, and the promotion of a results-based approach. As a member of the CMT, the Programme Manager will on occasion deputise the CD as and when needed

Reporting to Country Director, this is a fixed-term 1-year contract based in Lilongwe, Malawi. The Head of Programmes currently manages a team of seven professionals, and the position is to start in August 2025.

Key responsibilities

Leadership

· Serve on and make meaningful contributions as a member of the Country Management Team (CMT), working closely with the Country Director (CD) and Finance & Admin Manager (FAM) to deliver a strategic and innovative country programme that responds to the local context and is driven by research and learning and supports Trócaire’s organisational commitment to partnership and localisation.

· Model the behaviours and values expressed in our organisational Strategic Framework and expected of Trócaire staff.

· Coordinate with the Country Director and CMT on in-country networking and representation with government, donors, NGOs, INGOs, networks and the Catholic Church / Caritas.

· Provide leadership and foster collaboration with other actors (NGOs, INGOs, UN agencies, donors, networks, host government, etc.) to increase networking & opportunities for cooperation and collaboration.

· Support local partners in their organisational and institutional capacity strengthening efforts and work closely with the team in harmonising and coordinating this support.

Programme Development and Management

· Deliver a strategic and innovative country programme that responds to the local context, is driven by research and learning and supports Trócaire’s organisational commitment to partnership and localisation.

· Deliver Trócaire Malawi’s Country Strategy for 2021-2025, contributing to Trócaire’s organisational strategy while continually reviewing and adapting the country strategy.

· Play a key role in the development of the new Malawi Country Strategy commencing in 2026.

· Ensure that all programmes are designed, implemented, monitored and evaluated within the Trócaire Programme Management and Accountability Framework.

· Ensure that all programmes effectively mainstream gender and/or protection throughout the programme cycle

· Work to promote innovation, adapt programming and bring iterative and new programme ideas to the CMT and organisation.

· Support the Programme team to identify and develop learning within the country programme and facilitate sharing this learning with partners, team members, and externally.

· Ensure coordination between the Programme Team and organisational Technical Advisors from various fields (development and humanitarian).

· Design and deliver effective humanitarian responses when appropriate.

· Take responsibility for Risk Management at a programme and project level, ensuring that the Programme Team appropriately analyses, mitigates, and responds to risks.

· Take lead in the partnership and localisation by devising strategies to strengthen local partners’ organisational and institutional capacity – there will be support from Trócaire’s Global Partnership & Localisation Hub staff

· Streamline and manage a healthy, diverse, and strategic country partnership portfolio that supports the effective delivery of programme goals.

· Ensure that the Partnership Policy guides Trócaire’s engagement with partners and that all Programme staff implement the policy, ensuring that Programme Officers offer high-quality support, accompaniment, and mentoring to local partners.

· Promote multi-directional accountability, including developing and implementing effective complaints handling mechanisms with partners and programme participants.

· Ensure that all programme & partner related information and documentation is continuously stored, reviewed and updated on Trócaire’s information systems (Salesforce and Box).

Human Resource, Finance, Logistics & Systems Management

· Effectively performance manage staff, including but not limited to 3 Programme Officers and 1 M&E Officer.

· Support, mentor and coach the Programme Officers and M&E Officer as part of their professional development and help them be highly effective in their work.

· Foster a culture of peer support and constructive engagement amongst the Programme Team.

· Ensure that all programme staff complete an induction and training process that equips them to confidently and effectively deliver on their role.

· Hold and document monthly programme team meetings that focus on strategy and operations.

· As a member of the Country Management Team, support the CD and FAM to develop annual country budgets and participate in regular reviews as agreed with the CD.

· Maintain oversight of programme and project finances and budgets; ensure proper donor and organisational programme financial management.

· Establish a system of ongoing communication with the Finance and Admin Manager to oversee partner and programme finances and jointly address any issues encountered.

· Ensure full compliance, utilisation of and critical oversight of the Programmes team’s utilisation of Trócaire’s management information systems, including Salesforce, Box and Trócaire People.

Institutional Funding (IF)

· Support the implementation of the Country Team’s Institutional Funding Strategy.

· In collaboration with the Business Development & Grants Manager, lead in developing IF proposals and budgets, projects and proposals that are attractive to donors, in line with Trocaire’s strategic plan, and acquire institutional funding, delegating responsibilities to Programme Team members and ensuring the delivery of high-quality outputs.

· Ensure global technical advisors and others support engagement in developing proposals and projects in a timely and planned manner.

· Support the Business Development and Compliance Manager to manage a donor reporting calendar and ensure that all reports for donors, government, or other stakeholders are high quality and submitted on time.

· Ensure that local partners meet donor reporting and compliance requirements.

· Ensure effective management of IF grants, including cost recovery for legitimate core costs at country and HQ levels.

Policy, Advocacy and Communications

· Support the CD and Programme Team to proactively drive an evidence-based agenda around advocacy at the country level (and internationally where appropriate).

· Support organisational requests for materials or host visits related to programmes, advocacy, campaigns, development education, fundraising, and communications.

· Take lead and engage strategically, with the support of Programme Officers, in key thematic spaces, working groups (TWGs Gender, Humanitarian etc), and coordination mechanisms and networks relevant to Trócaire’s programming in the country.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

· Fulfil all other reasonable duties and responsibilities as requested by the CD.

Requirements

Essential Requirements

· Strong at problem solving in complex situations

· Ability to motivate staff to align behind a shared vision and objectives.

· Co-developing and implementing strategic plans.

· Ability to effectively performance manage staff.

· Excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills.

· Ability to manage budgets and financial systems.

· Adept at thinking creatively and innovatively.

· Highly organised, with excellent planning, prioritisation and problem-solving capacity.

· Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

· Competent in Microsoft packages (Word, Excel).

· Fluency (written and spoken) in English.

Experience

· Significant demonstrable experience in the management of development and/or humanitarian response programmes of substantial scale.

· Experience in budgetary and financial management.

· Experience in human resource management.

· In-depth understanding of programming in a partnership model and working in a partnership-based INGO.

· Sound and up to date knowledge of development concepts, methodologies and techniques, including results-based management, programme cycle management, M&E, and organisational development.

· Demonstrable experience in promoting gender equity through programming and within an INGO.

· Demonstrable experience in working to attract institutional donor funding and managing complex donor grants.

· Solid experience in managing diverse teams in a multi-cultural environment and playing a leadership role in ensuring cohesiveness, inclusion and development of staff at all levels.

· Experience working with management information systems

· Experience in meaningfully contributing to senior management teams.

· Programming experience in women’s empowerment. (D)

· Experience working in Malawi. (D)

Qualifications

· University degree in a relevant field

· Master’s degree in Development Studies, Human Rights, Gender Studies, or a related field. (D)

Qualities

· Understanding of, and empathy with, the role of the Catholic Church in development.

· A strong commitment to the work of justice and an empathy with the ethos and work of Trócaire.

Others

· Ability and willingness to travel within the country and internationally, if required.

· Commitment to principles of safeguarding of programme participants.

(D-desirable)

Benefits

Closing date for applications is Friday 8th August 2025

Safeguarding Programme Participants-Children & Adults

Trócaire is committed to safeguarding people within our programmes from exploitation and abuse and has specific policies on this commitment (including a Global Code of Conduct) which outlines the expected behaviour and the responsibility of all staff, consultants and other organisational representatives. More information on Trócaire’s safeguarding policies available .

Diversity and inclusion

We welcome diverse applicants to join our inclusive workforce.

Trócaire is an equal opportunities employer. We are an organisation that embraces diversity and inclusion. We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds to bring their experiences and perspectives to Trócaire.

How to apply

To apply, please click here