Program Manager

Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC) is an international development organization and registered charity that concentrates on a number of specific development challenges in health, education, rural development and civil society. AKFC partners with communities, businesses, and governments to find innovative, lasting solutions to global challenges. Working in Africa and Asia, we invest in local institutions and systems that anchor progress over the long term. In Canada, AKFC mobilizes funding and expertise, and promotes awareness of global issues. In all of our work, advancing gender equality, inclusion and pluralism are key objectives and approaches. AKFC is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network, one of the world’s most comprehensive development organizations. Since 1980, AKFC has helped millions of women and men unlock their own potential to build a better life. 

The Position

The position of Program Manager is responsible for overseeing the grant management of a portfolio of assigned grants, contributing to global program and proposal development, representing AKFC at various networking events, conferences and meetings of technical groups, supporting public engagement and professional learning, and contributing substantively to AKFC’s strategic partnership with Global Affairs Canada. The Program Manager also supports AKF’s global partnerships function.

The Program Manager’s main areas of responsibility include:

• Providing overall guidance, oversight, quality control and coordination for all components of the assigned grant portfolio, including grant management and project implementation. Activities include work planning, budgeting, reporting, field missions, monitoring and evaluation, ensuring environmental compliance and integration of gender equality, ensuring more general compliance and provision of technical assistance.
• Identifying new opportunities for programs and leading on the response to solicited or unsolicited requests from donors. Coordinating proposal development through consultations with AKFC’s Finance and Public Affairs departments, implementing agencies, and AKF’s Global Programs Team.
• Providing support to AKF’s Global Partnerships function and team, including on managing global processes related to resource mobilization and grant management, mentoring partnerships’ staff in field offices and providing support on program design and proposal development processes.
• Providing mentorship to Program Officers and Assistants within the Programs team as relevant to develop and foster competencies and independence in roles.
• Developing positive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, particularly donor representatives for relevant projects, sectors and/or geographies, consultants, AKF and AKD colleagues technical working groups, NGOs, etc.
• Contributing to visibility and engagement of AKFC’s work in international development in North America and abroad; developing abstracts for relevant conferences and presenting on behalf of AKFC; fostering partnerships, cooperation and coordination with other organizations in Canada and overseas; representing AKFC at relevant provincial, national and international forums.
• Collaborating with the AKFC Public Affairs team to develop and execute public engagement strategies and activities that communicate the impact of projects and activities to diverse Canadian audiences. Contributing to the development of communications materials both for internal and external dissemination, including project summaries, briefs and other materials, as needed and identifies opportunities to engage Canadian audiences in development, particularly related to women’s empowerment.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• A graduate degree in a relevant discipline, such as international development.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of experience in a program management role, including at least one (1) year of field experience preferred.
• Proven experience in business and proposal development.
• Experience working with donor-funded projects; strong understanding and experience with meeting donor criteria in project design, reporting and monitoring/evaluation; experience with GAC-funded development programming is an asset.
• Knowledge and experience of gender sensitive results-based management and evaluation with particular attention to assessing gender equality results.
• Superb analytical, organizational, negotiation and problem-solving skills. Proven interpersonal and communication skills in diverse and cross-cultural settings.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English; candidates who can also work in French are strongly preferred.
• Ability to travel to project locations (approximately 25% of time).

Essential Skills and Attributes

• Dynamic, collaborative, and able to work in challenging contexts with patience, perseverance and flexibility.
• Capacity to work independently, take initiative, set priorities, and manage a variety of activities simultaneously.
• Enthusiastic about learning from others and sharing knowledge.
• Demonstrated intercultural competence and ability to adapt professional skills to fit local conditions and constraints.

AKFC is committed to advancing gender equality and inclusion through our programming and operations in Canada and overseas. AKFC requires all employees to review and abide by the AKFC Gender Equality Policy.

AKFC recognizes the importance of safeguarding and is committed to ensuring it manages a wide range of risks such that beneficiaries, staff, other associates, and the organization as a whole are kept safe from harm.

AKFC welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

Qualified applicants should submit a cover letter, CV and the names and contact information of three professional referees via email by Friday, 8 January to:

[email protected]

Subject line: Program Manager

To learn more about us, please visit our website at: www.akfc.ca

Thank you for your interest. Only those selected for further screening or an interview will be contacted.Please note that this position is only open to those who are legally able to work in Canada.