Senior Programme Delivery Manager (SPDM)

Job description

Location: Lusaka, Zambia (Hybrid office/home)

Start Date: ASAP

Contract Duration: 18 days a month until April 2026, with a possible contract extension.

Reports to: Team Leader

Collaborates closely with: Programme Manager (PM), Project Delivery Managers (PDMs), Finance & Ops Officer, Communications Coordinator, Cowater HQ

About Cities and Infrastructure for Growth Zambia (CIGZambia)

CIGZambia is a facility programme that provides high-quality independent technical advice and assistance to Zambian government bodies and private sector organisations engaged in projects / activities that help harness the potential of Zambia’s cities and towns to act as drivers for economic growth and job creation. CIGZambia is funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

The overall programme objectives are to:

increase urban productivity
improve inclusive access to urban economic infrastructure services
increase investment into urban economic infrastructure services
enhance national and regional integration between cities

Current activities underway are focused on transformational support to Zambia’s energy sector.

Overview of the Role

Cowater is looking for a full-time, in-country Senior Project Delivery Manager to be based in Lusaka (Zambia) to play a leading role in the day-to-day management of the Cities and Infrastructure for Growth Zambia (CIGZambia) programme. This is a fantastic opportunity for a dynamic international development professional looking to progress their career by managing a large programme from the field and being part of a programme’s leadership team.

This one-year position is designed to support surge activities, providing integrated oversight across project delivery functions. The primary goal is to enhance internal coordination, ensure timely reporting, and allow the leadership team to focus on strategic engagement and broader programme direction. The Senior Programme Delivery Manager (SPDM) will be responsible for maintaining the quality, consistency, and accountability of PDM-led workstreams while overseeing internal reporting processes and reviewing payment workflows. Acting as a central point for delivery assurance across CIGZambia, the role is essential in driving efficiency and alignment within the programme.

Key Responsibilities

1. Overall project management

Support/manage day-to-day project activities in line with the project’s terms of reference and contract (e.g., finances, operations, team management, project deliverables, risk management);
Collaborate with and support Cowater’s Directors/Senior Managers and field project teams to achieve project objectives and daily execution of implementation tasks;
Provide support in the preparation, submission, and quality control of donor reports (technical/financial reports) and/or related presentations that meet Cowater and the donor’s standards;
When and where needed, support robust contract, financial, and risk management of workstreams, and compliance with contractual requirements;

2. Delivery Oversight & Coordination (PDM Line Support)

Oversee PDM workplans, outputs, and cross-workstream coordination to ensure alignment and efficiency.
Ensure the timely and accurate use of programme tools such as the deliverable tracker, financial forecast, and workshop log.
Identify and flag performance risks to the SPM and TL, proposing proactive mitigation strategies.
Act as a primary point of contact for PDMs, providing support in troubleshooting delivery challenges and unblock bottlenecks.

3. Human Resources

Lead selected recruitment processes including screening, interviews, due diligence, and negotiations.
Prepare draft contracts for selected consultants and ensure contract compliance.
Support onboarding and offboarding processes for CIGZambia consultants and staff.

4. Reporting & Stakeholder Input Coordination

Maintain and update the CIGZambia deliverables and activity tracker in collaboration with PDMs.
Translate tracker data into well-structured, high-quality monthly and quarterly reports for FCDO, MoE, and key stakeholders (e.g., ZESCO, ERB, REA).
Consolidate and coordinate inputs for QPRs, internal updates, and strategic programme briefs.

5. Deliverable Quality & Workflow Management

Act as first-line reviewer for technical reports and outputs, ensuring alignment with CIGZambia style, quality, and format standards.
Track delivery timelines and proactively follow up with authors and contributors to maintain quality and punctuality.
Liaise with TL and PM on final sign-off for key deliverables.

6. Internal Communications Support

Work with the Communications Coordinator to ensure consistent internal updates, including coordination of the biweekly team updates.
Ensure outputs, deliverables, and key milestones are effectively captured and shared across the team.

7. Payment Voucher Review and Financial Oversight

Review all payment vouchers submitted by PDMs and activity leads for completeness, accuracy, and alignment with approved budgets and deliverables.
Work closely with the Finance & Operations Officer to verify coding, documentation, and compliance.
Flag discrepancies or non-compliance issues to the PM and TL and recommend corrective actions.
Provide approval (or pre-approval) of vouchers within delegated authority before TL sign-off, ensuring a more efficient and reliable financial workflow.

Key Skills and Experience

The key skills required for the SPDM role include:

Academic qualifications:

A master’s degree in a relevant discipline (i.e., economics, political science, international development, business administration, etc.) or equivalent experience.

Required skills and experience:

Minimum of 5 years’ experience managing a multi-year, multi-million £ donor-funded programme (e.g., FCDO, DFAT, EU, GAC, USAID, World Bank, etc.);
In-country project management experience in a developing country context.;
Proven project management skills, particularly around: a) Client relationship management, b) Technical coordination, c) Financial management and Value for Money, d) Operations and risk management, e) Donor reporting
Experience managing a team, including performance management and some line management;
Strong interpersonal and team-working skills – an ability to build and maintain strong relationships based on trust and mutual respect with clients, counterparts, sub-contractors, and team members;
Excellent English verbal and written communication skills (reports, presentations, etc.);
Strong organisational skills, with a focus on results;
Ability to take initiative – a penchant for taking personal accountability – and to collaborate effectively with others;
Mastery of the most common IT tools (MS Word, Excel, PPT, Teams);
Capacity to work under pressure and tight deadlines.

Applications:

Please send your CV and Cover Letter to admin@cigzambia.org. For application to be considered, subject line in the email must be completed as follows: SPDM – Candidate Last Name, First Name.
Please note that the applicant must be a Zambian resident with a Zambian work permit
Deadline for Applications: June 25, 2025