Head of Programme Development, Innovation and Learning at
Chance for childhood: (Deadline 23 November 2025)
HEAD OF PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT, INNOVATION AND LEARNING
JOB DE SC RI P TION
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Responsible for: 3-5 post holders across Africa and the UK.
Salary: £45,000-50,000 per annum (full time equivalent) Job
type: Full time, 5 days a week
Location: Based in either Ghana, Uganda or Rwanda with
travel to country offices
Other benefits: Annual leave, employer pension, medical
insurance cover and flexible working
ABOUT US
At Chance for Childhood (CfC), we believe in a world where
every childhood is filled with safety, belonging and play. We exist to ensure
that every child can thrive from their early years through to adulthood.
Together with partners, supporters, children and their communities, we fight
for children across Africa threatened by poverty, violence, neglect and
conflict to lead independent lives through urgent action in education, health
and economic resilience.
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We specialise in providing access to inclusive education and
safe spaces, enabling children across Africa to play, grow, learn, and thrive.
We have staff and offices in the UK, Rwanda, Ghana and Uganda as well as
community partners across Africa.
With the termination of our 2025 strategy we look forward to
launching the 2030 strategy though our values remain the same. At the end of
December 2024; we merged with Hope for Children, a charity whose values and
mission are similar to those of Chance for Childhood, to deepen our impact for
the children and communities we serve.
ROLE PURPOSE
The post holder will lead the strategic direction, design,
and implementation of Chance for Childhood’s programme portfolio. This includes
overseeing proposal development, donor engagement, programme implementation and
monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL). A core focus of the
role is to drive institutional fundraising while also cultivating emerging
funding streams such as social investment and outcome-based financing.
Working in close collaboration with the Fundraising,
Communications and Marketing team, the role ensures the production of
high-quality proposals and impact-driven
delivery and reporting. As a member of the Senior Management
Team (SMT), the post holder contributes to shaping organisational strategy,
leadership, and growth.
KEY RESPONSIBLITIES
Leadership
- Provide
strategic leadership for the development of Chance for Childhood’s
programme portfolio. Ensure the organisation is recognised for
high-quality, effective programming aligned with its global strategies.
- Ensure
the programme portfolio reflects multi-sectoral and dual-mandate
priorities, in line with the global strategy and Theory of Change.
- Promote
a culture of innovation, ambition, learning, and excellence by supporting
and guiding staff in their daily work.
- Actively
contribute to the SMT, fostering collaboration and strong relationships
with internal and external stakeholders.
Programme Development, Management and Delivery
- Develop
and submit a comprehensive Programme Development Strategy and Process
aligned with the global strategy, for review and approval by the SMT. •
Oversee the implementation of Programme Development Strategy and reporting
monthly on the progress made towards set milestones.
- Identify,
research, and share information on new funding opportunities from
bilateral, multilateral, and institutional donors.
- Build
and maintain relationships with external stakeholders and potential
partners for large-scale or strategic funding opportunities.
- Support
the design of strategies for leading or partnering in funding
opportunities. • Track upcoming funding opportunities and donor engagement
processes, providing monthly updates to the SMT.
- Oversee
the development of context-specific strategies, programme plans, and
budgets that align with CfC’s global strategy and partnership model. •
Monitor project delivery milestones across the programme portfolio to
ensure timely and effective implementation.
Program Design and Proposal Development
- Lead
the development of high-value, complex proposals and bids, drawing on
global, regional, and national technical expertise to ensure high-quality
submissions to funders and/or partners.
- Form
and coordinate proposal development teams, ensuring clear planning,
regular communication, and timely updates throughout the process.
- Drive
cross-departmental collaboration in proposal development, working closely
with field teams, technical staff, Finance (for costings), and HR (for
staffing needs). • Providing technical assistance and capacity
strengthening to partners on proposal and new business development as
needed.
- Ensure
all proposals undergo full internal review and sign-off in line with the
proposal development process.
- Write
key proposal sections, particularly the standard inputs – including
capacity statements, country context and programme experience in
collaboration with technical experts, operations, finance, HR and
safeguarding teams.
- Ensure
the SMT and field office technical staff receive regular updates on local,
national and regional context analysis, recent and relevant research
findings and assessments.
- Facilitate
technical input to ensure programmes reflect CfC’s global expertise and
are adapted to local contexts. Engage consultants for large-scale
proposals where additional expertise is required.
- Develop
and circulate Proposal Development Plans (PDPs) in consultation with
Fundraising, Finance, and Operations. Track timelines and ensure regular
updates to all involved.
- Represent
CfC, alongside technical experts, in consortium meetings during proposal
development.
- Ensure
all programmes align with the Programme Quality Framework and Theory of
Change incorporating key elements such as child participation,
safeguarding, gender, resilience, evidence-based approaches,
accountability, risk management, and sustainable partnerships.
- Coordinate
the calculation of Value for Money in proposals, as required by
donors. Donor Engagement
- Lead
the development and regular updating of the donor engagement strategy,
aligned with the fundraising strategy and global organisational goals. •
Build and maintain strong relationships with donor agencies at global,
regional, and country levels, in close collaboration with country office
teams.
- Participate
in donor visits to project sites, as needed.
- Coordinate
and take part in regular check-in meetings with key institutional donors
to provide programme updates and reinforce partnerships.
- Collaborate
with SMT to set ambitious donor engagement targets and influence donor
strategies.
- Support
the CEO and other Senior Management Team SMT members in representing CfC
at donor forums, workshops and conferences.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
- Develop
strong, context-appropriate systems for monitoring, evaluation, learning,
and knowledge management. Include clear risk mitigation strategies and
regular reviews to safeguard staff and ensure programme sustainability.
- Review
project reports regularly and maintain open communication channels that
promote cross-organisational learning, especially at regional and thematic
levels. • Foster a culture that prioritises internal learning and external
knowledge sharing. • Collaborate closely with the Fundraising,
Communications and Marketing team to identify and share compelling content
that demonstrates programme impact.
CANDIDIATE PROFI LE
- Minimum
of 10 years’ experience in the international NGO sector, including at
least 7 years in senior leadership roles.
- Proven
success in securing and managing grants from major institutional donors
(i.e. bilateral, multilateral, and major philanthropic organisations).
- Experience
designing and delivering impactful programmes in development contexts –
ideally across more than one of our priority areas: inclusive education,
child protection, health and economic resilience.
- Experience
managing large-scale, multi-country and multi-partner programmes, with a
preference for experience in sub-Saharan Africa.
- A
motivating leader with the ability to inspire, empower, and support high
performing, diverse teams.
- Strong
financial acumen, including oversight of complex, multi-year, and multi
currency budgets.
- Skilled
in developing and managing robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning
systems.
- Excellent
relationship-builder with the ability to engage a wide range of
stakeholders, including donors, partners, and communities.
- Fluent
in written and spoken English.
- A
strong appreciation and sensitivity to the different cultural contexts in
which Chance for Childhood works with a commitment to promoting equality,
diversity and inclusion.
- Aligned
with Chance for Childhood’s mission and values.
- Committed
to continuous learning and professional growth.
- Must
have the right to work in the country from which they are applying, Ghana,
Uganda or Rwanda.
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HOW TO APPLY
Please submit your CV and a cover letter (maximum one A4
page) outlining your suitability for the role. Applications must be sent in PDF
format to apply@chanceforchildhood.org .
As part of the recruitment process, applicants are required to self-declare any
prior misconduct or termination of employment and provide consent for previous
employers to disclose such information.
Please ensure you add the job reference – HPDIL2025 in
the subject line of your email.
We are looking to fill this position by January 2026 and
will be reviewing applications and interviewing qualified candidates on a
rolling basis , so early submissions are encouraged.
SAFEGUARDING
Chance for Childhood is committed to safeguarding everyone
we meet.
We have a zero-tolerance policy towards any abuse, neglect,
and exploitation of all people. Everyone that works with us must share and
uphold this commitment through signing and complying with our Global
Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.
Pre-employment checks are undertaken to ensure high
standards are maintained, including a police check (or equivalent) and
references.
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