Senior Programme Director, Conflict & Stabilisation Practice

About The Role Since formally launching Chemonics UK in May 2019, we have established a strong and diverse portfolio of UK Aid-funded programmes as well as partnerships with donors including the Dutch Development Bank and more. We work with government and development sector counterparts across three continents to deliver programmes in sectors including climate action, education, governance, peacebuilding, stabilisation, social cohesion, and research.

At the beginning of 2024, Chemonics UK established four technical practices, with one of these being the Conflict and Stabilisation (C&S) practice. In 2025, the practices remit expanded to support the newly established Chemonics Europe (with partner companies in France (DMI) and Germany (Luvent ; and then to become global industry practices supporting Chemonics wide. Practices are responsible for oversight of all UK funded practice programmes, supporting business development across the wider company, technical quality assurance and thought leadership.

The C&S practice currently includes five UK-contracted programmes across Yemen, Ukraine, as well as a cross-border conflict research programme. Themes covered include stabilisation, peacebuilding, early recovery, community safety, economic resilience, transitional justice, security sector reform, and counter foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI).

Purpose The Senior Programme Director will be Programme Director for at least one C&S programme, likely in Ukraine. This will take up 40-50% of their time and involve supervising the Team Leader, ensuring donor satisfaction, providing senior-level project leadership and management, and taking responsibility across technical, commercial, risk and human resources.

The remainder of the time will be spent contributing to the Conflict and Stabilisation Practice by supporting on design and delivery of the C&S practice strategy, new business development, and thought leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Programme Leadership/Management, and Backstopping
• Programme Director for at least one C&S programme, inclusive of one in Ukraine. Supervises Team leader(s) and provides coverage as necessary.
• Regular weekly Team Leader checks-ins; providing ad hoc guidance and direction as required. In general, be a sounding board for the Team Leader and in particular in relation to key risks, team resource/HR and client issues, and opportunities. May support on addressing or taking advantage of specific risks and opportunities; in particular with regards to leveraging wider Chemonics resources.
• Regular checks-ins with Senior Programme Manager/Programme Manager(s) (PM) for programme(s) for which they are Programme Director.
• Support the Team Leader on conducting prioritisation and/or other strategic review or reflection exercises with the programme team.
• Providing senior corporate oversight of the programme. Accountable to the C&S Practice Lead for ensuring the technical, financial and risk aspects of the programme are managed successfully and raising any issues.

Client Relationships

• Point of escalation for FCDO/other clients to discuss sensitive issues or escalation of issues.
• Conducts quarterly client consultation meetings; and addresses any feedback.
• Attends client meetings with FCDO and other donors as required, and seeks to maintain and enhance Chemonics UK's reputation.
• Prepares for annual reviews with Team Leader and FCDO/other client.

Deliverables and Reporting

• Engaged in technical review of key programmatic and technical deliverables. Conducts final review of submission package (in coordination with the Team Leader).
• Engaged in technical review of deliverables for the quarterly report and conducts final review of submission package (in coordination with the Team Leader).
• May conduct specific short-term technical assignments on programmes as required
• Conducts final review of submission package for asset register and risk register (in coordination with the Team Leader).

Finance/Commercial

• Ensures team and processes in place on programme(s) so that forecasting is as accurate as possible and commercial targets are achieved. Informed, consulted, or approves budget in cases where variance against prior forecast is significant.
• Attends corporate cost (budget) reviews, and provides sign-off on proforma updates.

Human Resource

• Works with Senior Programme Manager and Team Leader to ensure required resources for the programme.
• Helps manage, advise, and report upwards on any issues related to HR/team members or business conduct issues. Helps fill in any resource gaps (short and long-term). Works with Team Leader and Senior Programme Manager to ensure clear roles and responsibilities and management of the team.
• Participates in recruitment panel interviews, provides final recommendations for critical positions.
• Approves final rate/salary for new employees.
• Line management; including SMART objectives and development plans for all their team.
• Administration; and subcontractor and grants management
• Works with Team leader and Senior Programme Manager on any performance or quality issues with subcontractors, particular where may be broader relationship considerations/impact.
• Participates in critical technical evaluation committees.
• Provides Programme Director sign-offs as per requirements of Chemonics UK Authority Matrix

Security

• Ensures security plans are in place and adequately resourced for all programmes they oversee. Engaged when high-risk incidents occur and ensures.

Practice

• Conflict and Stabilisation Practice Strategy and Thought Leadership
• Contributes to the C&S practice strategy and its delivery. Focusing on further enhancing Chemonics' reputation for technical delivery and thought leadership on C&S programmes; expanding the C&S programme portfolio into new geographies (through joining some country working groups) and technical areas; conducting early scoping and design for new potential programmes; engaging with donors on new opportunities; working with Chemonics Europe colleagues on non-UK funded opportunities; training and other capacity building of staff; building and maintaining close partnerships with SMEs, research organisations, and NGOs.
• Build their own and Chemonics's subject matter expertise in C&S through supporting the advancement of the body of knowledge (e.g., innovations, best practices, lessons learned) and quality standards amongst C&S programmes. Advise on technical trends and programming priorities for FCDO, and potentially other donors. Identify and share best practices and innovative methodologies from current portfolio and wider C&S sector and support inclusion in current practice programme/s and proposals.
• Identifying opportunities for thought leadership (e.g. organising and/or presenting at internal and external events, blogs etc). Develop the practice network and promote Chemonics by helping identify and manage relationships and information sharing with key partners and consultants; supporting and managing outreach to professional societies; identifying opportunities for and attending external events and networking with clients and counterparts; and supporting practice improvement or preparation of technical and development practitioner publications.
• Mentors and develops others within Chemonics UK with an interest or expertise in C&S.
• Sharing best practice between programmes.

Business Development/New Business

• Leads 'captures' to identify and position early for bids and/or developing concept notes.
• Takes lead roles on proposals - e.g. Proposal Lead, Lead Technical Writer
• Contributes to technical design and/or be a proposal reviewer

Person Specification Essential Skills/Experience

• We are particularly interested with people with experience and interest in the wider Middle East (Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territories/Israel); Sudan/Ethiopia/Horn of Africa; Pakistan; Nigeria; and Western Balkans.
• Experience managing or leading programmes in C&S relevant technical areas. Recognised by others as an experienced international development practitioner in at least one relevant technical area; contributes consistently to mentoring staff.
• High levels of leadership, management, organisational, and decision-making skills and proven experience. Demonstrated progressive professional experience, including positions requiring supervision and mentorship of multiple staff; and operating at advanced levels of authority with oversight of significant activities, budgets, and resources.
• Experience of overseeing CSSF/ISF programmes is highly desired; experience working on proposals and projects for European donors is an advantage.
• Understanding of, and experience, key geographies is an advantage: Eastern Europe (especially Ukraine and Western Balkans); Middle East (especially Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Occupied Palestinian territories/Israel), Iraq); Sudan,/Ethiopia/Horn of Africa; Pakistan; Nigeria.
• Ability to draw on experience and soft skills to effectively manage clients; balancing corporate, client, and programme needs.
• Strong commercial skills. Demonstrated experience solving complex technical, managerial, commercial/financial and operational problems and evaluating options based on relevant information, resources, well-rounded experience, and knowledge.
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