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Programme Development Manager at Saferworld

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Job Description

Saferworld is an independent non-governmental organisation that works to prevent and reduce violent conflict and promote cooperative approaches to security. We work with civil society, governments and international organisations to encourage and support effective policies and practices through advocacy, research, and policy development.

The Programme Development Manager will support a portfolio of Saferworld’s teams in co-designing and mobilising funding for peace, security and justice programmes alongside Saferworld’s partners. The successful applicant will have a focus of 3-4 countries, which will be decided based on the candidate’s experience and preference.
Working closely with Regional Directors, Country Managers, and programme and grant management colleagues, the post-holder will lead on: coordinating and facilitating programme co-design processes (including taking the lead in facilitating co-design, processes, drafting high quality concept notes and proposals, theories of change, logical models, risk matrixes and budgets); developing and supporting the implementation of long-term country funding strategies; and supporting new donor engagement and sustaining relationships with current donors.
The post-holder will be responsible for managing funding portfolios across institutional and non-institutional donors in our programmes.
The post-holder will have a successful track record in developing programmes and leading new business development efforts with institutional donors such as Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the European Union (EU), UN agencies and European Governments such as Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Additional experience in mobilising resource from trusts and foundations and other non-traditional funding mechanisms is desirable.
Strong applicants will have proven programme experience, such as in project management or programme support, which equips them to lead and inform high-quality programme design. They will be skilled in coordinating complex processes, facilitating participatory co-creation with partners, and ensuring proposals are robust, contextually relevant, and strategically aligned.

Job Industry

Program/Project Implementation

Job Salary Currency

Job Salary Fixed

Key Deliverables

Programme design and proposal development

Work with country teams and partners to make informed go/no go decisions on calls for proposals and invitations to submit funding applications.
Lead participatory, partner-centred programme co-design and development of programme concept notes and proposals that link to Saferworld’s organisational theory of change and enable delivery of country strategies. This includes coordinating across teams, facilitating locally informed ideas from country teams and partners, and leading the drafting of high-quality funding applications (including narratives, budgets, theories of change, MEL frameworks and risk matrices).
Ensure programme design and proposal development processes are non-extractive and non-hierarchical, in line with Saferworld’s values and guidelines, including meaningful partner leadership throughout the full design cycle, participatory budget development, equitable budget sharing, and transparent communication of donor requirements and obligations.
Ensure strong gender and conflict analysis, informed by local partner knowledge and contextual expertise, is integrated into programme design and proposal development.
Provide guidance and capacity strengthening to country teams and partners on donor policies, strategies and funding opportunities, supporting high-quality programme design and proposal development through coaching, joint drafting and shared reflection.
Support efforts to diversify funding sources from trusts and foundations within country portfolios, with a focus on flexible, long-term funding suited to locally led approaches.
Support due diligence processes when entering into partnerships with INGOs and new or deepened funding relationships with donors, ensuring processes are proportionate, transparent and partnership-focused.

Strategic development

Support country teams and partners, where appropriate, to develop, plan and implement resource mobilisation plans to fund country strategies, including coordinating efforts to cultivate and maintain strong donor relationships.
Track donor priorities and opportunities for engagement, and work with country teams and partners to cultivate and influence donor relationships, including advocating for less top-down and less hierarchical funding approaches, greater flexibility, and increased funding flowing directly to local partners and civil society actors.
Monitor country resource mobilisation plans and analyse fundraising performance, including proposal success rates, while conducting learning on the effectiveness and quality of programme co-design and partnership processes.
Ensure cross-organisational collaboration by working closely with colleagues across the Funding Team to align country and regional resource mobilisation plans with global donor outreach and cultivation efforts.
Keep up to date with donor policy developments and funding trends, maintaining relevant funding intelligence to inform country strategies and organisational positioning.
Participate in and support negotiations with donors related to new and/or existing grants, advocating for flexible, equitable and partnership-friendly terms wherever possible.

External representation

Represent Saferworld at relevant donor conferences, seminars and other fundraising events, actively promoting Saferworld’s partnership-centred and locally led approach to programme design.
Engage with the wider NGO and fundraising community, particularly on funding trends related to locally led peacebuilding, co-design, equitable partnerships and shifting power within the aid system.

Key working relationships

Regional directors, country managers and country teams – working together on programme design, proposal development, and the development of resources mobilisation plans to enable the implementation of country and regional strategies.
Programme support – working closely together to ensure proposal development and programme design is of the utmost quality and in line with organisational approaches to partnership, gender, climate, MEL and advocacy.
Colleagues in the fundraising team – regularly coordinating to ensure country and regional resource mobilisation plans are connected to global outreach and donor cultivation plans, ensure approaches to institutional and non-institutional donors are coordinated with other parts of the organisation and leverage donor research support, support global efforts to diversify Saferworld funding basis in collaboration with Saferworld affiliate offices in the US and Brussels.
Colleagues in the finance team – working collaboratively to develop programme budgets, ensuring effective cost recovery and budget sharing with partners.
Colleagues in the policy team - ensuring linkages between donor trends and policy developments, and supporting the integration of policy insights into programme design and resource mobilisation approaches.

Essential Qualities

Essential Qualities
Demonstrable experience of co-designing, developing and implementing international development programmes, preferably in conflict-affected contexts, that deliver community-led change and influence policy and practice. Experience leading collaborative design processes alongside civil society partners and a strong understanding of partner-led approaches in programme design. Demonstrable experience of writing successful funding proposals – including developing theories of change, MEL frameworks, risk matrixes and complex budgets. Proven experience of financial design, including programme budgeting and development of budget narratives. Demonstrable experience of leading proposal development processes, including facilitating design workshops, coordinating inputs from multiple stakeholders, and managing remote relationships with country offices and local partners to produce successful concept notes and funding proposals. Demonstrable experience in building and maintaining relationships with donors, and understanding of donor requirements, particularly for donors relevant to Saferworld such as GAC, the FCDO, EU, UN agencies and Sida (among others). Demonstrable experience of working with teams and partners in ways that reflect the principles of power-sharing, solidarity and accompaniment. Experience in mainstreaming gender-sensitivity/responsiveness/transformation in programme design and proposal development. Desirable: Strong understanding of key political, development and humanitarian trends and debates on, and/or experience working in, focus countries/regions for Saferworld. Experience of designing peacebuilding, security and justice, and/or conflict prevention programmes. Proven experience in programme management or programme support roles, including planning, coordinating, and monitoring projects, which informs and strengthens high-quality programme design. Experience in mobilising resources from trusts and foundations and non-traditional donors. Skills/Abilities Excellent written and spoken English; knowledge of a second language is desirable (such as Russian, Arabic, or Swahili). Ability to work flexibly, independently and on own initiative. Experience in developing strategies, and translating strategy into practice. Ability to negotiate and understand priorities of colleagues, applying a problem-solving supportive approach. Excellent communication skills, with clear strategies for working remotely with colleagues and partners, including experience of communicating effectively across cultures and with diverse audiences, both verbally and in writing. Ability to work to tight deadlines, multiple priorities, and prioritise and manage workload. Excellent participatory workshop facilitation skills. Personal qualities Self-motivated and persistent in the face of complex challenges. Able to manage multiple and complex priorities at once and prioritise work to deliver on objectives effectively. Personable, empathetic and able to develop excellent working relationships and collaborate with staff around the world. Commitment to and compliance with Saferworld’s safeguarding principles. Commitment to gender equality, respect and value equality and diversity, and understanding of how this applies to own area of work. Commitment to the vision, mission and values of Saferworld. Other requirements: Willingness to travel (dependent on security assessments and project funding and aligned to our aim of working differently and reduce environmental impact).

Demonstrable experience of co-designing, developing and implementing international development programmes, preferably in conflict-affected contexts, that deliver community-led change and influence policy and practice.
Experience leading collaborative design processes alongside civil society partners and a strong understanding of partner-led approaches in programme design.
Demonstrable experience of writing successful funding proposals – including developing theories of change, MEL frameworks, risk matrixes and complex budgets.
Proven experience of financial design, including programme budgeting and development of budget narratives.
Demonstrable experience of leading proposal development processes, including facilitating design workshops, coordinating inputs from multiple stakeholders, and managing remote relationships with country offices and local partners to produce successful concept notes and funding proposals.
Demonstrable experience in building and maintaining relationships with donors, and understanding of donor requirements, particularly for donors relevant to Saferworld such as GAC, the FCDO, EU, UN agencies and Sida (among others).
Demonstrable experience of working with teams and partners in ways that reflect the principles of power-sharing, solidarity and accompaniment.
Experience in mainstreaming gender-sensitivity/responsiveness/transformation in programme design and proposal development.

Desirable:

Strong understanding of key political, development and humanitarian trends and debates on, and/or experience working in, focus countries/regions for Saferworld.
Experience of designing peacebuilding, security and justice, and/or conflict prevention programmes.
Proven experience in programme management or programme support roles, including planning, coordinating, and monitoring projects, which informs and strengthens high-quality programme design.
Experience in mobilising resources from trusts and foundations and non-traditional donors.

Skills/Abilities

Excellent written and spoken English; knowledge of a second language is desirable (such as Russian, Arabic, or Swahili).
Ability to work flexibly, independently and on own initiative.
Experience in developing strategies, and translating strategy into practice.
Ability to negotiate and understand priorities of colleagues, applying a problem-solving supportive approach.
Excellent communication skills, with clear strategies for working remotely with colleagues and partners, including experience of communicating effectively across cultures and with diverse audiences, both verbally and in writing.
Ability to work to tight deadlines, multiple priorities, and prioritise and manage workload.
Excellent participatory workshop facilitation skills.

Personal qualities

Self-motivated and persistent in the face of complex challenges.
Able to manage multiple and complex priorities at once and prioritise work to deliver on objectives effectively.
Personable, empathetic and able to develop excellent working relationships and collaborate with staff around the world.
Commitment to and compliance with Saferworld’s safeguarding principles.
Commitment to gender equality, respect and value equality and diversity, and understanding of how this applies to own area of work.
Commitment to the vision, mission and values of Saferworld.

Other requirements:

Willingness to travel (dependent on security assessments and project funding and aligned to our aim of working differently and reduce environmental impact).

Application Process

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Close Date

06/10/2026