Head of Program Development and Quality

Job description

Action Against Hunger-USA is part of the Action Against Hunger International network, which provides development and humanitarian responses in over 50 countries worldwide across the sectors of nutrition, health, water and sanitation, food security and livelihoods, and protection. Action Against Hunger-USA, an independent NGO, currently manages operations in 8 countries: Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Zambia, and Haiti. Action Against Hunger-USA has over $110 million in programs and approximately 2500 staff, with country offices, a headquarters in Washington, DC, and an operational center in Nairobi.

Action Against Hunger has been operational in Zambia since 2021, implementing both development and humanitarian programs through a multisectoral strategy that integrates nutrition, health, food security and livelihoods, WASH, protection, gender, and psychosocial support to have a meaningful impact on people’s resilience.

        I.           Job Summary

This position supports the Country Director to grow Action Against Hunger Zambia’s programs and funding portfolio in a manner that assures ongoing quality, influence, and impact. To achieve this goal, the Head of Program Development and Quality (PDQ) will champion strategic planning processes and collaborate with all other Action Against Hunger Zambia, Regional Office, and HQ teams to: (a) grow revenue; (b) achieve excellence in execution of projects, and (c) enhance the brand and influence of Action Against Hunger in Zambia. The PDQ Director will also lead engagement efforts with partners, including donors.

Purpose:

The HPDQ ’s key purpose is to lead strategic planning processes and collaborate with all other Action Against Hunger Zambia, Regional Office and HQ teams to grow revenue, achieve excellence in execution of projects, enhance the brand and influence of Action Against Hunger in Zambia. The HPDQ will report on program impact and progress towards achieving Action Against Hunger Zambia’s strategic priorities and showcase the impact of our work to donors, potential donors and the wider humanitarian and development network.

Engagement:

The position collaborates with the entire Zambia team, including Program, Logistics, Human Resources and Finance and requests their timely and quality input into proposal development, review and approval processes. The HPDQ works closely with the regional and HQ program teams to ensure Action Against Hunger Zambia programs remain aligned with the global strategic priorities and receive ongoing technical support.

Delivery:

Coordinates all proposal development processes and ensures timely and quality submissions. The HPDQ must be comfortable to be rated by win rate and revenue targets. The role is accountable for ensuring that Action Against Hunger Zambia effectively positions for significant donor opportunities, including in the selection of potential partners, and in managing partnering agreement processes.

    II.        Essential Job Duties

a)    Strategy and Management

·      Monitor the operating context and adapt program strategies to enhance ongoing relevance and impact.

·      Provide input and updates to the direction and operations of the country office as a member of the Senior Management Team.

·      Ensure the PDQ Team evolves and grows in line with organizational priorities and program needs.

·      Support the development of an organizational culture that reflects Action Against Hunger Zambia’s position at the humanitarian-development nexus and encourages quality, learning, creativity and innovation.

b)   External Relations, Business Development and Proposal Development

·      Lead donor engagement and relationship management, including being a responsive point of contact and maintaining positive and trusted two-way communications.

·      Develop and action resource mobilization plans, including identifying fundraising leads and concepts, and nurturing opportunities to ensure adequate resources are secured.

·      Maintain awareness of institutional and corporate donor environments to inform potential future donor engagement approaches and fundraising activities.

·      Lead proposal development ensuring on time and high-quality submissions, including through project and consortium planning, setting clear expectations and deadlines, collation and editing of document contributions and coordination with finance, HR and logistics staff.

·      Assess, monitor, track and report on all funding opportunities and proposals in collaboration with the Regional and HQ Business Development Teams.

·      Coordinate collaborative, data-driven Go/No-Go decisions and keep the funding tracker updated and regularly share information and charts with country office SMT members, regional office grants team, and the US Business Development Team.

·      Lead project design workshops, developing concept papers, proposal narratives and log frames, ensuring that high quality standards are met and that proposals meet donor and Action Against Hunger requirements.

·      Identify and tailor any available pre-written content to support donor and/or partner engagement.

·      Take information provided by the individual contributors (technical advisors, programs, humanitarian, operations, and MEAL, among others) to build a quality proposal and lead proposal writing.

·      Liaise with finance, programs and operations on the development of the proposal budget, HR and procurement plans.

·      Lead in formulation of teaming agreements for consortium formation, coordinate grant revisions/modifications/extensions and other changes as required.

·      Liaise with Action Against Hunger International Networks grant units in order to ensure proposals meet internal standards and are donor expectations.

·      Lead the post-submission follow-up process. Carry out learning and feedback exercises after submission and in-depth reviews of unsuccessful proposals to identify reasons and any lessons learned. Document, share and develop plans to address identified weaknesses.

c)    Program Quality Management:

·      Manage the program portfolio and lead scale up and expansion plans

·      Collate and share all program and project information needed for Regional Office and HQ to report on program impact and progress.

·      Ensure all donor reporting requirements are met and all project reports are subjected to rigorous quality assurance processes.

·      Position and represent Action Against Hunger Zambia within the Action Against Hunger network to build its reputation for high-quality program work.

·      Position and represent Action Against Hunger Zambia with national and international development and humanitarian agencies, including the Government of Zambia, to build its reputation as a nexus technical specialist, and as a collaborative and accountable partner.

d)   Technical Assistance and Knowledge Management

·      Develop standardized technical approaches and project models

·      Provide direct technical assistance to operations or activities without a sectoral lead.

·      Foster and champion a culture of accuracy, evidence building and learning within the country office technical team, and where possible, within the country office as a whole.

e)    Staff Management, Mentorship, and Development

·      Manage the Country Office program and technical team, including providing supportive supervision, informal mentorship and decision-making support.

·      Coordinate the performance management of the country office technical team by ensuring that all staff set performance objectives/ KPIs, receive regular feedback on their performance and appropriate ongoing coaching in accordance with HR policies and procedures.

·      Ensure the technical team is working collaboratively and synergistically to maximize opportunities and reduce redundancies. 

    III.           Supervisory Responsibilities

·      Line manages the Program and technical leads, including the MEAL. FSL & Nutrition sector leads

   IV.           Fiscal Responsibility

·      Manages programme portfolio and budget in accordance with Action Against Hunger standards and donor requirements

V. Physical Demands

·      While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with interruptions.

·      To travel to the field, the employee must attest to a level of physical fitness capable of enduring physically difficult, highly stressful situations which may include the necessity to walk long distances, to eat a limited diet and/or to reside in potentially uncomfortable housing or tents.

·      The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

VI. Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

·      The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required by contact with the missions, mission security, or other obligations.

·      Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business travel as well as to the missions if appropriate. While visiting the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and adverse weather conditions, as well as to infectious diseases.

VII.    Gender Equality Commitments & Zero Tolerance to Abuse

·      Foster an environment that reinforces values of people of all genders equal access to information.

·      Provide a work environment where people of all genders must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.

·      Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all stakeholders, particularly for children, beneficiaries, and members of staff.

·      Help to prevent any type of abuse including workplace harassment and sexual abuse and exploitation.

·      Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.

·      Value and respect all cultures.

VIII. Required Qualifications

·      A Master’s degree in International Development, Social Sciences, Public Health or other relevant field.

·      15 years of senior leadership experience involving strategic planning, operations management, fundraising, and external engagement and networking.

·      Experience working with a diverse range of donors.

·      Solid track record in fundraising and meeting revenue targets

·      Solid experience in strategic planning, program development, project management, and monitoring and evaluation

·      Extensive experience in facilitating emergency responses and integrated rural community development programming and processes.

·      Strong cross-cultural experience, including leading programs in fragile and stable contexts

·      Advanced English proficiency

IX. Required Skills & Experience

·      Ability to design and manage complex programs, large budgets and diverse teams.

·      Ability to maintain performance expectations and healthy social interactions in psychologically stressful environments with physical hardships and limited resources.

·      Ability to build partnerships with donors, government agencies and other stakeholders, including representing the country office in UN and donor coordination mechanisms.

·      Ability to collaborate with key internal business partners, i.e., finance, HR and supply chain management, and to ensure that programs receive timely project support and inputs.

·      A self-starter who can work independently under pressure and who has ability to manage competing priorities without direct supervision.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to hrzambia@zm-actionagainsthunger.org by 27th February, 2026. Please include Position Title in the subject line.