| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | NGO and Social Sector |
| Level | Manager |
| Reports to | Programme Director |
| Direct reports | Programme Coordinator, Programme Officer |
| Experience | 5 to 9 years in programme delivery |
Programme Manager job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Programme Manager
Department: NGO and Social Sector
Reports to: Programme Director
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Programme Manager runs one programme or project of an NGO end to end: planning, budget, field team, delivery and reporting. They break the design into activities and targets, manage staff and partners, track spending against the grant, and report to donors and leadership. The role reports to the Programme Director. A good programme manager delivers the programme's targets on time and within budget, keeps the field team motivated, and meets every donor commitment with clean data.
Key responsibilities
- Break the programme design into a work plan with activities, targets, budget and timelines.
- Manage the field team and partners to deliver activities to plan and quality.
- Track spending against the grant budget and keep utilisation on schedule.
- Monitor programme indicators with the M and E team and act on off track results.
- Prepare and submit donor reports against the log frame and grant conditions.
- Coordinate procurement, logistics and payments needed for field activities.
- Build relationships with government, community leaders and local partners.
- Solve field problems and adjust plans within the grant when conditions change.
- Support the recruitment, induction and training of programme staff across field locations.
- Document activities, beneficiaries and outcomes for reporting and audit.
Requirements
- Postgraduate in social work, rural development or management
- MSW or MA in development is common
- Field programme experience
- 5 to 9 years in programme delivery
KRAs and KPIs for a Programme Manager
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Delivery | Programme activity and beneficiary targets met against the annual work plan |
| Budget | Spending within the grant budget with utilisation above the agreed level |
| Donor reporting | Donor reports submitted on time and accepted without major revision |
| Data quality | Beneficiary and activity data verified and accurate each reporting round |
| Team | Field positions filled and staff attrition within the programme target |
| Compliance | Grant conditions and procurement rules followed with no audit finding |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: MS Excel and PowerPoint, Programme trackers, KoboToolbox or ODK, Accounting or expense trackers, Video conferencing.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior Programme Manager, Programme Director, Deputy Director
Interview questions for a Programme Manager
- How do you turn a programme design into a work plan the field team can follow?
- How do you keep grant utilisation on track without rushing poor quality work?
- How do you manage a field team spread across several villages?
- What do you do when field conditions force you to change the plan mid grant?
- How do you make sure beneficiary data is accurate for donor reports?
- Tell me about a programme you delivered and the biggest hurdle you overcame.
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What does a programme manager do in an NGO?
A programme manager runs one programme or project end to end. They turn the design into a work plan, manage the field team and partners, track spending against the grant, monitor indicators, and report to donors and leadership. Their job is to deliver the programme's targets on time and within budget with clean data.
What is the difference between a programme manager and a programme coordinator?
A programme manager owns the whole programme, including budget, donor reporting and staff, and is accountable for its results. A programme coordinator supports delivery on the ground, organising activities, coordinating field staff and collecting data. The coordinator usually reports to the manager and focuses on execution rather than budgets and donors.
What qualifications do you need to be a programme manager?
Most programme managers hold a postgraduate degree in social work, rural development or management, such as an MSW or MA. Employers look for field programme experience, skill in work planning and budget tracking, the ability to manage a field team and partners, and confidence in donor reporting and grant compliance.