Head of Programme

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), one of the world’s leading humanitarian organizations, is seeking an experienced and dynamic Head of Programs to lead and strengthen the quality and impact of our operations in South Sudan.

About the Role:

DRC South Sudan is looking for a dynamic and experienced Head of Programmes (HoP) who will provide leadership over the quality and delivery of DRC’s programs across all established areas of operation in South Sudan with a significant contribution expected to the conceptualization, technical support and implementation of development, emergency and resilience-oriented projects.

As a member of the Senior Management Team, the HoP will support the Country Office strategy with leadership in driving achievements in grant development, technical quality and MEAL.  The HoP will also provide leadership to the South Sudan’s Mobile Response Team that provides emergency services in hard-to-reach areas and the Humanitarian Disarmament & Peacebuilding Team, which helps make communities safer through mine action and peacebuilding activities.

 The HoP will work closely with the Head of Support Services and Head of Safety ensuring outputs are in line DRC policies and systems and support a country operation that balances :

a) programmatic excellence

b) cost efficiency

c) safety.

Key Responsibilities

Program Strategy & Development

• Participate in country level strategic planning and contribute to the sustainable management of program growth with an eye towards program growth and development.
• Foster synergies between program areas (integrated approach), support the strong integration of protection considerations throughout all humanitarian initiatives and ensure adherence to humanitarian principles and  any other international standards when relevant.
• Contribute to the evolution of the country strategy, develop/define the country programming in a collaborative way ensuring program appropriateness and accountability among the country program team.
• Collaborate closely with CD and senior management staff in the development and design of innovative initiatives to drive new program development in DRC South Sudan in accordance with DRC’s assistance framework.
• Advocate for DRC’s program in South Sudan with government, donors and humanitarian stakeholders, in HCT, consortia, cluster meetings, workshops, conferences and in other relevant fora.
• Establish strong and efficient partnerships with organisations, donors and authorities, in line with the country programme strategy and DRC partnership management policy.

Program Implementation & Coordination

• Provide oversight, guidance and leadership to all technical coordinators and specialists to ensure quality program implementation and integration in DRC South Sudan.
• Provide oversight on programmatic needs, gaps and opportunities to the Project manager.
• With the technical teams, continually evaluate current methodologies and policies, determine their effectiveness and provide suggestions on ways to improve compliance, and to ensure program and organizational success.
• Ensure effective and transparent planning and use of financial resources in compliance with DRC and donor policies and priorities.
• Lead Technical Coordinators in compiling and developing work plans for PMs and achieving benchmarks for program activities.
• Effectively stay abreast of donor policies, procedures, rules and regulations; and train DRC program staff in these policies

Program Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

• Promote learning and knowledge management within the country program by documenting lessons learned and best practices for dissemination within DRC country and regional teams, to donors and to other stakeholders when relevant in order to ensure synergetic programming and cross-program and cross-border collaboration in DRC South Sudan and in the whole region
• Ensure that all projects contribute to measuring impact and are in line with DRC’s country strategic plan. Implement appropriate monitoring, tracking and reporting systems, tools and templates that enhance monitoring of program outputs and quality, generate quality evidence on program impact and promote and ensure use of data for decision-making processes/ program adjustments.
• Ensure quality programming by coordinating the technical support provided by the Quality Assurance team into progrms with a keen focus on IM, MEAL and other quality improvement initiatives.

Fundraising, Proposal Development and Reporting

• Pursue funding opportunities in all DRC areas of competence and coordinate the capacities of the Technical Coordinators and SMT to identify and materialize opportunities in alignment with country and regional strategies
• Trigger and oversee the drafting of concept notes, proposals and donor reports by program managers (including budgets for cost-related activities) in coordination with grants departments in line with DRC HQ/Region and donor requirements
• Ensure timely and targeted communication and information flow to all relevant internal and external parties in coordination with the Country Director, Regional Office, HQ and other program stakeholders to remain informed about program achievements

Staff Management and Capacity Building

• Effectively manage program teams, including, international and national managers, specialists and technical experts, coordinators, officers, located at sites throughout the country with an emphasis on excellence, promoting a culture of cooperation, learning and innovation.
• Develop job descriptions and Terms of Reference and conduct annual staff performance review. Develop overall staff competence through leadership, training and coaching of technical and management key program staff.
• Lead or contribute to recruitment processes and the orientation of new staff.
• Collaborate with the Head of Support Services to allocate funding for staff development and team building processes.

Donor liaison, Partnerships and Representation

• Together with Country Director, ensure adequate bilateral representation of DRC with government authorities, donors, UN agencies, humanitarian agencies and other partners in regard to programme and participation in coordination meetings as relevant.
• Liaise with government counterpats to ensure DRC grant sub agreements are signed in a timely manner.

Advocacy and Communication

• Work in collaboration with CD on developing advocacy and policy key messages across programmatic platforms.
• Support the CD in the development and review of communication materials, including brochures, case studies as well as press releases.

About You:

• Min 8 years management experience, of which at least 3 should include management of a large portfolio of programmes across multiple sectors.
• Post-graduate degree in International Relations, Humanitarian Programs Management, Social Science, International Development or a similar field
• Min 4 years of experience in staff management and development in complex environments
• Good understanding of displacement issues and related international standards/frameworks
• Strong experience in programme quality, MEAL, programme development and proven fundraising abilities with key donors
• Proven experience of representing externally to key stakeholders, including government authotities, donors, embassies and clusters.
• Experience of leading strategic programming and planning processes
• Experience of managing systems and tools to oversee complex project portfolios across different sectors and locations as well as within consortia
• Ability to live and work under pressure in a rapidly changing and sometimes insecure environment
• Team player with excellent communication and strong participatory leadership skills
• Ability to work in harazarous environments with limited social possibilities

Why Join Us?

This is a unique opportunity to shape impactful programming in one of DRC’s most complex country operations. You will be part of a supportive leadership team, driving solutions that make a real difference in people’s lives.

Interested? Apply now to join a committed and passionate team delivering lasting humanitarian solutions in South Sudan.

We offer

Band: Employment band Management E

Work location: Juba with travel to field locations

Start date: September 2025 

Reporting to: Country Director

Direct reports: Technical Coordinators, Grants, MEAL and Mobile Response Team

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for employees on Expat or national contract.

Application process

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Closing date for applications: 31st August 2025

For more information about the Danish Refugee Council, please visit our website drc.ngo.

Danish Refugee Council is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive and positive work environment based on mutual respect for all employees. All applicants are considered for employment regardless of personal characteristics or attributes.