Vice President of Programs

East Africa/Ethiopia

Contract

Full time

Employer: Village Enterprise

Industry: Nonprofit/International Development/Social Entrepreneurship

Job Title: Vice President of Programs

Position Type: Full Time

Reports to: Chief Program Officer

Direct Reports: Country Directors

Location: Flexible - Candidates within Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia. This role will require frequent travel to program sites in sub-Saharan Africa.


About Village Enterprise:

Village Enterprise’s mission is to end extreme poverty in rural Africa through entrepreneurship, innovation, and collective action. By empowering women, refugees, and youth to launch small businesses and savings groups, our cost-effective model provides dignified and sustainable pathways for people to lift themselves and their families out of extreme poverty—for good. To date, Village Enterprise has trained 287,000 first-time entrepreneurs, launched 87,000 businesses, and impacted more than 1.8 million lives across Africa. Village Enterprise has operations in four countries—Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda—and works with partners in other sub-Saharan countries. As Village Enterprise continues to scale, our aim is to lift 20 million people out of extreme poverty by 2030.

 

About the Job:

Village Enterprise is seeking a dedicated and experienced Vice President of Programs Implementation to oversee the execution and delivery of our poverty alleviation programs in sub-Saharan Africa. This senior leadership role is crucial for ensuring that our programs are implemented efficiently, achieve their intended impact, and align with our strategic goals. The Vice President of Programs Implementation will also oversee country teams, ensuring consistent and effective program delivery across all regions. Additionally, this role involves overseeing projects within different countries and the implementation of technical assistance within direct implementation countries. The Vice President of Programs will work closely with internal departments, external partners and the executive team to align program implementation with the organization’s mission and strategic goals.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership and Strategic Planning:

  • Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy for program implementation that aligns with Village Enterprise’s mission and goals.
  • Lead and manage the implementation team, including country teams and Country Directors, providing guidance, mentorship, and performance feedback.
  • Collaborate with senior leadership to set strategic priorities and ensure alignment across all programmatic activities.

Program Implementation and Management:

  • Oversee the execution of all Village Enterprise programs, ensuring they are delivered on time, within budget, and meet quality standards.
  • Ensure that programs are effectively integrated and coordinated across different regions and projects.
  • Monitor program progress, identify and address challenges, and make adjustments as needed to ensure successful implementation.

Technical Assistance and Capacity Building:

  • Oversee the implementation of technical assistance within direct implementation countries, ensuring that best practices and innovative solutions are applied.
  • Provide technical guidance and support to country teams to enhance their capacity to deliver high-quality programs.
  • Develop and implement training programs to build the skills and knowledge of staff and partners.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting:

  • Develop and implement robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track program performance and impact.
  • Ensure timely and accurate reporting of program outcomes to stakeholders, including donors and partners.
  • Utilize data and insights to drive continuous improvement and inform future program design and implementation.

Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Development:

  • Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including donors, government agencies, and partner organizations.
  • Represent Village Enterprise in external forums, conferences, and meetings to advocate for our programs and share best practices.
  • Secure funding and resources to support program implementation through grant writing, donor engagement, and strategic partnerships.

Safeguarding

  • Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility at VE, and it begins with me
  • Continuously sensitize program participants on safeguarding
  • Ensure compliance with VE’s safeguarding policies.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

Program Delivery and Impact:

  • Ensure programs are delivered on time, within budget, and meet or exceed their impact targets.
  • Achieve excellent client satisfaction rate across all programs.
  • Implement process improvements that lead to increase in operational efficiency.

Stakeholder and Partnership Development:

  • Work with other departments to establish and sustain strategic partnerships that enhance scalability and deepen the program's impact.
  • Partner with the development team to support the cultivation of relationships that contribute funding, resources, and expertise to Village Enterprise

Requirements

Education and Qualifications:

  • Degree/master’s degree in international development, Business Administration, Project Management, or a related field.
  • Minimum of 10 years of experience in program implementation, management, and leadership within the development sector.
  • Proven track record of successfully delivering and scaling development programs.
  • Strong understanding of poverty alleviation, economic development, and entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Experience overseeing country teams and managing Country Directors.
  • Experience in providing technical assistance and capacity building within direct implementation countries.
  • Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
  • Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities.

Interested and qualified candidates who meet the set criteria are invited to submit their resume, a cover letter detailing their experience. Interested candidates should submit their resume and a cover letter detailing their relevant experience and vision for the role to online.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Please do not contact Village Enterprise to enquire about the status of your application, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Village Enterprise is an equal-opportunity employer


Benefits

  • Insurance
  • Pension

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