Partnerships and Programmes Manager

Job Title: Partnerships and Programmes Manager (PPM)
Reporting to: Managing Director
Location: Remote working with meetings in GMT and EAT
*Contract Type:*Full-time
Salary: £30,000 – £35,000 (dependent on experience)

Position Overview:

The successful applicant will lead on donor communication across a medium sized NGO managing projects in Madagascar. This remote role will coordinate and manage all donor-facing documentation, oversee donor compliance, and provide high-level programme management support. As a key member of the management team, the PPM will manage SEEDs portfolio of trusts, foundations and institutional donors (ranging from £5,000 to over £1,000,000) and bears ultimate responsibility for the quality of all donor-facing communication.

The successful applicant will work in close collaboration with the Madagascar-based Programmes team and supports building their capacity and providing technical input where required.

This post would suit someone who has two to four years’ experience in international development and is now ready to make the move into managing a portfolio of projects across our range of programmes. It is essential that the post holder has grant writing experience and is able to work in English to a high standard. Candidates who do not meet these criteria will not be considered.

This role is based remotely, has regular online meetings with the UK and Madagascar based teams and includes some travel to Madagascar.

SEED Madagascar is a British-registered charity whose mission is to enhance the capacity of individuals, communities, organisations, and government in fulfilling sustainable environment, education, and development goals in southeast Madagascar. The acronym SEED (sustainable environment, education, and development) reflects the organisation’s integrated approach to programmes, all of which are built around the most pressing and directly expressed needs of disadvantaged communities.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Build and maintain partnerships with Trusts, Foundations and Institutional Donors in furtherment of SEED’s charitable mission and in line with SEEDs organisational strategy
• Manage and build SEED’s existing relationships with Trusts, Foundations and institutional donors, ensuring excellent account management.
• Maintain and review standards for all donor-facing documentation in the project cycle (e.g. proposals, reports, project planning documents, and budgets) in terms of content, style, grammar, and internal coherence/integrity.
• Monitor progress of donor contracts and agreements to efficiently manage complex funder requirements
• Ensure the efficient use and continued improvement and development of programmes-related processes, systems, and spreadsheets, reflecting internal lessons learned and external best fit practices.
• Provide mentorship and capacity building to other members of staff to improve their ability to produce donor-facing documentation.
• Provide technical expertise on key documents, where required (e.g. log frames and theories of change).
• Manage and coordinate deadlines for the production and submission of all donor-facing documentation.
• Represent SEED Madagascar in external meetings with agencies, donors, and partners.
• Manage and support the Grants and Administrative Assistant
• Support the Corporate Liaison Officer in developing corporate applications.
• Contribute to management meetings ensuring information on SEEDs portfolio is proactively shared and opportunities for greater engagement are known.
• Support in the recruitment of new staff on the Madagascar and U.K. teams.
• Develop and maintain close working relationships with the Programmes Team in Madagascar and jointly lead meetings and trainings with the team.
• Ensure all of SEEDs policies and procedures are evident throughout the work of the department, including those for safeguarding, whistleblowing, and anticorruption, and undertake continual training to ensure these are always promoted.
• Work flexibly, including changing work priorities at short notice and working unsociable hours when necessary to meet a short deadline, for example the submission of project funding documents within the timeframe set by donors
• Provide core support to the Managing Director as needed.
• Complete any other tasks required by the Managing Director commensurate with this role.

Person Specification:

• Educated to at least degree level in a related field.
• Demonstrable knowledge and keen interest in at least one of SEED Madagascar’s five programme areas (community health, WASH, rural livelihoods, education infrastructure, and conservation).
• At least three years’ experience developing and securing funding from trusts, foundations, and/or institutional donors.
• Experience using a CRM system, such as Beacon and a task management system, such as MeisterTask
• Ability to produce and edit documents to a high standard and provide detailed, constructive feedback to build capacity of Programmes team.
• Have a proven track record of managing six-figure grants from institutional donors.
• Meticulous attention to detail and excellent analytical skills, with demonstrable ability in gathering and assimilating information from various sources, compiling reports and proposals, and identifying lessons learnt and best practice.
• Familiarity with the use of project management tools including logical frameworks, theory of change models, budgets, activity plans, and monitoring & evaluation frameworks.
• Fluency in written and spoken English with excellent written communication skills, to the level of editing English documents for publication or donor communications to a very high standard.
• Excellent proposal- and report-writing and editing skills, with previous experience compiling project proposals and reports and the ability to tailor written information to various audiences.
• An understanding of, and commitment to, SEED’s ethos and approach and be a good ambassador for the organisation at all times.
• Confidence presenting to senior level decision makers, both internal and external
• Passion, curiosity, and motivation for the job and the ability to enthuse others.
• Experience working with country offices in a developing country, with the ability and desire to work with team members from different backgrounds and across multiple language barriers.
• Proven ability to work well under pressure and problem solve effectively.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills and confidence to give clear guidance and support to other members of the team in respect of the philosophy and procedures and Code of Conduct of SEED.
• Able to work to and advocate for all of SEEDs policies and procedures, working within SEEDs Code of Conduct, safeguarding those that SEED works with and reporting any concerns appropriately.
• Punctual, organised and able to work to tight deadlines, whilst maintaining a high standard.
• Thrives working independently, as much as they enjoy being part of a team.
• Experience working remotely.
• Excellent listening and verbal communication skills and a flexible, patient attitude.
• Experience managing a team and has a supportive and results-driven management style.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Suite