Programme Manager (Ethiopia)

Position Details

Position Title: Programme Manager 

Employment Type: Full-time

Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER) Country Office, with frequent travel to project locations across the country

Reports To: Country Director

Salary and Benefits: Competitive salary and benefits package in accordance with HEKS/EPER's salary scale and human resources policies.

This position is open to Ethiopian nationals only.

Background

Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER) is the relief and development organization of the Protestant Churches of Switzerland, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. HEKS/EPER is committed to building a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world by supporting people and communities in overcoming economic, social, and humanitarian challenges. Its work aims to strengthen resilience, promote self-reliance, and enable people to live with dignity, both in Switzerland and internationally.

To achieve this, HEKS/EPER implements programmes in development cooperation, humanitarian assistance, and church cooperation. The organization operates in more than 30 countries, managing around 200 projects worldwide. HEKS/EPER is also a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of churches and faith-based organizations engaged in humanitarian, development, and advocacy work.

In Ethiopia, HEKS/EPER implements integrated humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding programmes. Its humanitarian portfolio focuses on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), shelter, protection, food security, and livelihood recovery. Development interventions promote sustainable natural resource management, climate-resilient WASH services, inclusive market systems, and livelihood development, while peacebuilding initiatives strengthen social cohesion and community resilience.

HEKS/EPER works in close collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders, placing particular emphasis on partnerships with national civil society organizations, local communities, and the Government of Ethiopia to ensure locally led, sustainable, and impactful interventions.

Key Responsibilities

The Programme Manager provides strategic and operational leadership for HEKS/EPER's programme portfolio in Ethiopia, ensuring the effective design, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding interventions. The role oversees programme quality, donor engagement, partnership development, and team leadership while ensuring compliance with organizational standards and donor requirements.

Programme Leadership and Management

• Lead the planning, implementation, coordination, and oversight of HEKS/EPER's country programme portfolio across humanitarian assistance, development cooperation, and peacebuilding.

• Ensure the timely and high-quality delivery of programme commitments in accordance with project agreements, approved work plans, budgets, and organizational policies.

• Provide strategic direction and day-to-day management to programme and operational teams, fostering collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning.

• Monitor programme performance, resource utilization, and implementation progress, identifying risks and ensuring timely corrective actions to achieve programme objectives.

• Promote programme quality through regular monitoring, technical support, and the integration of lessons learned and best practices.

Resource Mobilization and Donor Relations

• Strongly engage in resource mobilization efforts by identifying and pursuing funding opportunities with institutional donors, bilateral and multilateral agencies, foundations, ACT Alliance members, and private donors.

• Coordinate / support the development of high-quality concept notes, project proposals, and funding applications in close collaboration with technical teams and partners.

• Establish, strengthen, and maintain strategic relationships with donors, government institutions, UN agencies, international organizations, and other relevant stakeholders to expand HEKS/EPER's programme portfolio and visibility.

• Represent HEKS/EPER in donor meetings, coordination forums, and external engagement platforms as delegated by the Country Director.

Programme Quality, Monitoring and Reporting

• Ensure robust programme monitoring systems are in place to track progress, results, and impact across the country portfolio.

• Oversee the preparation and timely submission of high-quality narrative reports, ensuring compliance with donor requirements and HEKS/EPER standards.

• Analyse programme performance, identify emerging challenges and opportunities, and provide strategic recommendations to strengthen programme effectiveness and inform management decision-making.

• Ensure that monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) findings are integrated into programme design and implementation to promote continuous improvement.

Partnerships and Coordination

• Foster strong partnerships with national NGOs, government institutions, UN agencies, local communities, and other stakeholders to ensure coordinated, locally led, and sustainable interventions.

• Strengthen collaboration with implementing partners through capacity sharing, regular dialogue, and joint planning and review processes.

• Ensure effective coordination between programme, finance, logistics, administration, and MEAL functions to support efficient programme delivery.

People Management

• Lead, supervise, mentor, and support programme and operational staff, promoting a culture of teamwork, innovation, inclusion, and high performance.

• Ensure staff have clear objectives, receive regular feedback, and benefit from opportunities for professional development and capacity strengthening.

Compliance and Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with HEKS/EPER policies and procedures, donor regulations, and relevant national legal frameworks.

• Identify programme risks and support the development and implementation of appropriate mitigation measures to safeguard programme quality, financial integrity, and organizational reputation.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master's degree in Development Studies, Humanitarian Assistance, Social Sciences, International Development, Project Management, or a related field.

• Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional experience in programme management within humanitarian and/or development cooperation, preferably with an international NGO or similar organization.

• Demonstrated experience in resource mobilization, donor engagement, and fundraising with institutional donors, bilateral and multilateral agencies, foundations, and international partners.

• Proven experience in programme design, project cycle management, proposal development, donor reporting, and grants management.

• Strong technical understanding and management experience in one or more of the following sectors: humanitarian response, WASH, food security and livelihoods, market systems development, natural resource management, peacebuilding, climate resilience, or partnership management.

• Proven ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with government institutions, donors, UN agencies, NGOs, civil society organizations, and community representatives.

• Strong analytical, planning, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.

• Demonstrated leadership experience with the ability to manage, mentor, and motivate multidisciplinary teams in a collaborative and inclusive manner.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including outstanding proposal writing, report writing, and presentation skills.

• Fluency in English and Amharic, both written and spoken, is required. Knowledge of additional Ethiopian languages is considered an asset.

Core Competencies

• Strong commitment to accountability, integrity, and ethical conduct.

• Results-oriented, with the ability to deliver high-quality outputs under tight deadlines.

• Excellent interpersonal, networking, and negotiation skills.

• Ability to work effectively in multicultural and multidisciplinary teams while fostering a collaborative working environment.

• Strong commitment to HEKS/EPER's values, humanitarian principles, and partnership approach.

How To Apply

Instructions for Applicants

• CV (maximum 2 pages) in PDF
• Cover letter (maximum 1 page) in PDF
• Motivation letter “Explain how your qualifications and professional experience align with HEKS/EPER's programme priorities in Ethiopia and outline your priorities for your first month in the role” (maximum 1 page) in PDF

Please send your application all in a single combined PDF file. (Please make sure to include contact details of three professional referees and salary expectations) 

No additional supporting documents are required at this stage.

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.

No phone calls are allowed!

Please note that incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

This position is open only to Ethiopian Nationals.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should submit their applications online through:
https://www.ethiojobs.net

Application Deadline: Monday, July 13, 2026