Head of Programs

Career Opportunities: Head of Programs (14734) Do you want to work for an organization where your personality, skills and time will be valued? Are you looking for a challenging job with clear goals? Welcome to Welthungerhilfe! We are one of the largest and most respected private development cooperation and humanitarian aid organizations in Germany. Politically and denominationally independent, our actions, guided by strong values, are always based on ethical principles. Our vision is clear: “Zero Hunger by 2030”. If you would like to join our international community to eradicate hunger in the world, we will be delighted to receive your application. Head of Programs

• à Bamako

Location

The position is to be filled from February 2027. An extension is possible. The workplace is Bamako , Mali (ML). The remuneration is in accordance with salary group 8. Under the supervision of the Country Director, the Programme Manager supports the development of the multi-year country programme and contributes to its implementation and monitoring in order to maximize WHH’s impact based on the Welthungerhilfe strategy and relevant conceptual documents and in accordance with WHH quality standards. The Programme Manager represents Welthungerhilfe in the country in agreement with the Country Director.

Responsibilities

Within the country programme in Mali, the programme manager acts as a strategic partner to the country director, working closely with the operations manager to define the programme’s direction, partnerships and future opportunities. This role combines program development and resource mobilization with responsibility for technical coherence, program quality and portfolio monitoring. This position offers the opportunity to propose ideas, develop relationships and contribute to the development of a country programme that can adapt to changing needs, access to resources and funding. Humanitarian commitment, professional competence and the ability to build trust are essential to this mandate. Specific responsibilities include:

Job overview

Orient the country programme. In collaboration with the Country Director, identify areas where WHH can make a significant contribution, building on community priorities, partner expertise, program evidence and evolving operational context. Provide insight, constructive criticism and concrete solutions to strategic discussions. Turn ideas into concrete opportunities. Lead the development of a priority funding process, from identifying opportunities and developing relationships to designing programs and developing proposals. Evaluate opportunities based on their strategic relevance, implementation capacity, accessibility, quality and financial viability. Recommend opportunities to seize, rework or give up. Build relationships that support program development. Develop sustainable engagement with donors, institutional partners and potential consortium members. Clearly communicate the contribution WHH and its partners can make, based on evidence and a realistic assessment of capabilities. Transform promising exchanges into concrete collaborations, program concepts and funding opportunities. Develop strong partnerships with national and local organizations. Identify complementary expertise, relationships and capabilities, and involve partners in defining program priorities and approaches. Establish clear expectations for decision-making, resources, accountability and mutual learning. Ensure that the knowledge and perspectives of partners influence program choices. Ensure the quality of programs and foster learning. Ensure technical consistency, relevance of implementation methods and use of monitoring, evaluation and learning outcomes as well as community feedback. Maintain separate responsibilities for implementation management, technical advice and quality monitoring. Ensure that issues are identified, analysed and addressed, and that lessons learned inform current implementation and future proposals. Develop and deploy shared technical capabilities. Lead the progressive development of a national pool of technical specialists and monitoring, evaluation, learning and accountability (MEAL) capabilities serving the country portfolio. Allocate resources based on the needs, complexity, urgency and capabilities of teams, planning for presence and mobility in the field accordingly. Mobilize expertise available elsewhere within WHH, as appropriate, and recommend dedicated national resources where demand and resources warrant. Align the program’s ambitions with its operational and financial feasibility. Work with the COO and CFO to ensure that program design and budgets reflect realistic implementation, technical support and cost-sharing requirements. Promote consistent resource planning across projects and rapid adaptation to portfolio changes. Build confidence and strengthen national leadership. Develop the skills of employees through clear expectations, personalized support, constructive feedback and relevant delegation. Recognize expertise and knowledge of the context, encourage initiative and create a space where disagreement is possible and difficulties can be reported quickly. Demonstrate responsibility in explaining decisions, recognizing uncertainties and meeting commitments. Successful projects require intellectual curiosity, initiative, sound program judgment and the ability to turn analysis into action. The program manager should be comfortable identifying opportunities in a context of uncertainty, testing assumptions and adapting approaches as data evolves. He/she must combine persuasive communication with attentive listening, ambition with realism, and personal responsibility with the ability to mobilize others. Understanding local relationships and ways of working should help determine how this role promotes cooperation and achieves results, while respecting WHH’s values, quality standards and organizational responsibilities.

Candidate profile

Education / Qualifications

A university or college degree in a relevant field

Experience

Relevant regional experience in the Sahel region Systemic and programmatic approach Donation experience with ECHO, BMZ, GFFO and ideally KfW Excellent proposal and report writing skills Excellent communication and writing skills in French and English Our offer We offer you the opportunity to work in a responsible and exciting sector, within an extremely committed team. Welthungerhilfe attaches great importance to the personal and professional development of its employees as well as to work-life balance. Compensation is based on our non-discriminatory salary schedule. In addition, Welthungerhilfe offers many other advantages, detailed in the "Our benefits" section. Please submit your application through our online recruitment system by October 31, 2026. Welthungerhilfe is committed to fighting terrorism in all its activities. Therefore, any successful candidate will be subject to a criminal background check, including against lists of persons known or suspected of terrorism.

Other information

Welthungerhilfe values diversity and ensures an inclusive and non-discriminatory work environment. We encourage applications from qualified individuals from all backgrounds.

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