Senior Global Program Manager

About TechnoServe:

At TechnoServe, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better life. For over 50 years, we have given smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs the skills, connections, and confidence to lift themselves out of poverty. We leverage the power of markets and the private sector to create sustainable economic growth to benefit people and the planet. Our unique mix of business solutions, deep knowledge of local contexts, and data-driven insights is helping to fight poverty across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

TechnoServe staff are local–95% are from the countries in which they work. We put a high premium on collaboration and entrepreneurship. We hold ourselves and each other to the highest standards of integrity and transparency. And we focus on delivering lasting impact for our mission.

Job Summary:

The Senior Global Program Manager supports the Global Operations Team in ensuring high-quality project execution and operational excellence across our global portfolio of projects. This is a dynamic role that requires a combination of skills across operations, project management, process design and improvement, data analytics, planning, and communications.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

Project Delivery

• Support the Chief Operating Officer in identifying the need for and designing tools, systems, and resources that support improved and consistent project delivery.


• Lead organization-wide project quality and delivery initiatives designed to establish standards and share best practices.


• Lead implementation of TechnoServe’s global annual Program Quality survey; analyze and communicate the results; and generate and implement recommendations for improvements.


• Support the implementation of TechnoServe’s annual planning process for programs by coordinating with senior leadership, country, and program teams to develop annual program quality targets.


• Analyze annual program quality plans and targets to ensure global teams are in alignment with TechnoServe’s strategy.


• Oversee the monitoring of program budget execution across Regions and Practices.


• Provide on-going monitoring and analysis of key indicators, identifying performance gaps, risks and areas for improvement.

Operations Management

• Partner with the Chief Operating Officer in the continual evaluation of operational processes to identify areas of improvement.


• Develop and implement project management tools and processes related to sub-awardee management, budget planning and management, and program management.


• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to implement and lead operational improvement initiatives.


• Liaise with HR, Finance, Grants and Contracts, Procurement, and other departments to identify and resolve policy clarity and interpretations and/or recurring issues affecting program success


• Design, develop, and roll-out project start-up and closeout guidelines.

Surge Support

•  Provide on-demand “surge” support to projects and country teams to support program implementation and success both in-country and remotely including:
  
  
  
  •  Lead start-ups and closeouts and ensure that standards established in the Program Management Manual are followed.
  
  
  •  Support program implementation through work planning, strategic planning, knowledge management capture, or other technical support.
  
  
  •  Assist with financial analysis and budget realignment to ensure accurate financial management.
  
  
  •  Provide capacity-building support and other training to project staff and broader team members.
  
  
  •  Step in, as needed, to temporarily fill vacancies for key positions within the program teams.
  
  
  
  

Basic Qualifications:

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in international development or operations management with a Bachelor’s Degree, or 7 years experience with an advanced degree.


• Program implementation experience.


• Experience in financial analysis, as well as process analysis and improvement.


• Experience in change management and consensus building.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience in emerging markets in Africa


• Proficiency in French

Required Languages: English Fluency required. French language skills are strongly preferred.

Travel: Up to 20 % international travel.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong project management skills.


• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.


• Demonstrated ability to work independently, flexibility and responsively.


• Able to prioritize to meet deadlines, and to adapt to changing conditions.

NOTE: This position is based in the United States. The preference is for candidates who are located within a commutable distance to our Arlington, VA Headquarters, who can work from HQ on a hybrid schedule. The current hybrid schedule is two days per week in the office, and three days from home. Remote candidates from approved US states may also be considered. Candidates must have US work authorization at the time of application. TechnoServe will not provide sponsorship for this position.

We encourage all qualified individuals who share TechnoServe's vision of improving the lives of others through proven business solutions to apply.

With our commitment to diversity, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and affirmative action employer and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, HIV/AIDS status, protected veteran status, disability and all other protected classes.

We are also proud of our commitment to protecting staff, partners, and beneficiaries from abuse and exploitation and thoroughly vet all final candidates through rigorous background and reference checks.

If you have a disability that affects your ability to use our online system to apply for a position at TechnoServe please contact the Human Resources at [email protected] or call +1 202 785 4515.