Programme Manager – Schools, WASH and Solar

We are excited to offer an excellent opportunity for a development professional with 2-5 years of experience in programme and team management, grant writing, reporting and evaluation to join SEED Madagascar as our Programme Manager.

SEED Madagascar is a UK-based charity dedicated to creating long-term, sustainable change in partnership with communities in the southeast of Madagascar. We integrate high-quality community health, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), education, rural livelihoods and conservation programmes, while contributing to international best practices through research and publications.

In this role, you will be at the heart of our mission, coordinating and managing our Schools, WASH and Solar programmes on the ground in Madagascar. You will be responsible for securing funding, expanding our network of partners and maximizing the impact of our work both locally and internationally.

This position is ideal for someone with a background in international development who is ready to step into a leadership role, managing a small team and a portfolio of impactful projects. Strong grant writing skills, experience in WASH, education, or solar energy, and fluency in English (with at least basic French) are essential. We are looking for candidates who meet these criteria and are eager to contribute to the growth and success of our programmes in Madagascar.

Location: Fort Dauphin, Anosy Region, Madagascar

Contract minimum duration: 2 years

Probationary period: 3 months

Terms and conditions: Local salary plus contributions of up to £1,200 for a return flight to post and £650 contribution to insurance

Duties and Responsibilities

Programme Development

1. Work closely with both national and international staff to design Schools, WASH and Solar projects that address local needs and align with SEED Madagascar’s strategic goals.
2. Ensure that project designs incorporate past learning, international best practices, contextual challenges, and government priorities.
3. Oversee the development of project frameworks, such as Log Frames and Theory of Change, ensuring they accurately reflect community needs while also being compelling and attractive to donors.
4. Support the team in conducting research on national and international development best practices, as well as identifying funding opportunities for the Schools, WASH and Solar programmes.
5. Build and nurture networks and partnerships across the Schools, WASH and Solar programmes to enhance the impact of SEED Madagascar’s work in these areas.
6. Represent SEED Madagascar at external meetings with other agencies, donors and partners both in Madagascar and the UK, advocating for our work and fostering collaborative relationships.

Programme Management

1. Provide timely updates to the Programme Funding Coordinator of project activities and support them to communicate any changes in project activities to donors when necessary
2. Ensure the high standard of all project documents submitted to donors to secure the ongoing funding of SEED’s projects
3. Oversee effective systems for monitoring project progress against activity plans, working with project teams to ensure objectives are met and using learning from ongoing evaluation to inform the development of projects
4. Conduct fieldwork and monitoring visits to project sites when appropriate and ensure observations are fed back into ongoing project design

Team Management

1. Recruit, support, and manage a team of Programme Interns, Officers, and Specialists, providing regular reviews and professional development opportunities.
2. Delegate tasks effectively and ensuring that team members are aligned with departmental objectives, reporting deadlines and SEED’s organisational values and strategy.
3. Foster essential collaboration and learning between national and international teams. Provide support to bridge any gaps in understanding and priorities, ensuring effective project development and implementation.
4. Offer pastoral care, guidance, and act as a role model for a team of early-career professionals living and working in-country, supporting both their professional growth and personal well-being.

Budget Management

1. Oversee the development of budgets, including full cost allocation with consideration of the organisational strategy and priorities over the coming years
2. Provide monthly overview of financial reports, ensuring project spending is on track and identifying trends in expenditure, and management of exchange rate gain.

General

1. Provide core support to the Director of Programmes & Operations in management and ensuring the support and security of all international staff, including acting as an intermediary of organisational priorities to the wider team
2. Work flexibly, including changing work priorities at short notice to meet short deadlines
3. Ensure all of SEED's policies and procedures are evident throughout the work of the department, including those for safeguarding, whistleblowing and anti corruption
4. Act as a temporary stand-in for the Director of Programmes & Operations and/or other Programme Heads when required during a period of leave and absences

Required skills & experience:

• At least a first degree-level qualification or equivalent experience in WASH, international development, or related discipline
• Sound knowledge of international development frameworks and contemporary global issues facing countries in the global south
• Sound knowledge of and interest in WASH issues and approaches
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience of WASH projects in a developing context
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in grant writing and proven record of success
• Minimum of 2 years’ professional experience in line management and/or project management
• Familiarity with the use of project management tools including Logical Frameworks, Theory of Change models, Budgets Activity Plans and Monitoring & Evaluation frameworks
• Fluency in English (written and spoken) with excellent written communication skills, to the level of editing English documents for publication
• At least basic French skills
• Excellent listening and verbal communication skills, and a flexible and patient attitude
• Excellent proposal and report writing and editing skills, with previous experience compiling project proposals and reports and the ability to tailor written information to various audiences
• Cross-cultural negotiation skills and a curiosity in effective work practices in a cross-cultural setting. Ability and desire to build capacity both within international and national teams
• Ability and desire to develop, support and manage a team of volunteers and staff, and to oversee the Project Development internship programme
• Ability to demonstrate and support staff to develop appropriate professional and social attitudes required for living in another country, and to manage these aspects of volunteers’ behaviour when required
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Excellent problem solving and analytical skills, with demonstrable ability in gathering and assimilating facts and data from various sources
• Experience of living and working in a developing country with the ability and desire to work with teams from different economic and cultural backgrounds and across multiple language barriers
• Candidates need to have their own non tablet laptop

Application procedure:

Interested applicants should send a CV and covering letter in English outlining how their skills and experience match the requirements in the job description criteria to SEED Madagascar Director of Programmes and Operations, Lisa Bass by email on lisa@seedmadagascar.org.

There will be an initial exercise, after which short-listed applicants will have an initial informal online interview with Madagascar based staff followed by a formal interview.

Please note: AI generated cover letters and recruitment exercises will not be processed.

Application Deadline: Monday 6th January 2025 at 23:59 GMT. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis throughout this period.

SEED Madagascar actively encourages equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and aims to create a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation, and unlawful discrimination, where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued.