Senior Program Manager

The Senior Program Manager (SPM) is a part of the Program Support Team (PST) and works to advance Ipas’s mission by providing operational program management support to selected programs within the global Ipas network. SPM operates with high levels of autonomy and leverages their strategic leadership, risk management, and collaboration skills to provide support to the assigned Ipas country / regional program (Ipas Implementing Nodes) based on agreed upon levels of support. SPM models shared leadership approaches and plays a critical role in supporting country programs to deliver on their overall objectives and ensure strong program management, collaboration, communication, as well as successful new business development.

The SPM is responsible for overall award management of multi-country projects up to $5 million per year, serves as the main donor/partner liaison for assigned project/s and works collaboratively to deliver on the award scope within schedule, budget, and per donor requirements and Ipas’s quality standards. SPM also supports selected strategic organizational initiatives.

*This position may work remotely from any of the following US states: AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, MD, MA, MI, NJ, NY, NC, PA, SC, TX, VA, WA. Additionally, the position may work remotely from any of the following countries outside of the US: Bangladesh, Bolivia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya/Alliance locations, Malawi, Mexico, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, and Zambia.

Primary Responsibilities:

Strategic and Operational Support

Provide strategic, programmatic, and operational support to assigned country and/or regional programs to ensure delivery on organizational and donor commitments, strengthen institutional capacity, and advance Ipas’s mission across designated geographies.

• Function as the primary liaison between assigned country programs and the US team, ensure alignment on priorities, facilitate access to resources and support from Ipas US and service units, and represent Ipas US team.
• Partner with country program leadership to fulfill key organizational requirements, including performance monitoring, annual planning and budgeting, financial oversight, risk management, global reporting, and adherence to network quality standards.
• Support the development of high-quality internal and donor-facing reports by ensuring accuracy of data, compliance with award terms and conditions, alignment with donor expectations and contribute to positioning of country programs as the ‘partner of choice’ for the donors/partners.
• Lead or support capacity strengthening efforts for country teams across areas such as organizational policies, financial and program management, compliance, and risk mitigation, through training, mentoring, and knowledge sharing.
• Facilitate cross-country learning and collaboration by promoting peer exchanges, contributing to communities of practice, and coordinating webinars, workshops, or other learning forums and practices.
• Lead or contribute to new project start-up efforts and collaborate with HR and country leadership to ensure effective onboarding and orientation for new staff in assigned countries.

Program Management and Award Assurance

Provide support to country programs across all phases of the project lifecycle to ensure effective program delivery, donor compliance, and achievement of results in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.

Program Management

• Guide country programs in strengthening program management practices across diverse and complex projects, ensure that projects are managed within scope, timeline, and budget.
• Support operational planning, project implementation, and the integration of robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks to drive adaptive management and continuous improvement.
• Provide operational support to country implementation teams to optimize performance, drive results, and ensure alignment with organizational goals and committed donor deliverables.
• Conduct needs-based country visits to strengthen project delivery, address implementation challenges, and support staff capacity development.
• Support country leadership with problem-solving, as needed.
• Streamline coordination across multiple country programs when managing joint or regional programs.
• Provide inputs on country-level external engagement to enhance Ipas’s visibility, influence, and positioning.
• Support program start-up and close-out processes, ensuring smooth transitions and alignment with organizational standards.

Award Assurance and Compliance

• Support the Program Support Director in ensuring ‘Project set-up’ for assigned multi-country projects, including developing project charter, RACI