We support people in overcoming emergencies and we strive to guarantee that everyone can have a decent and dignified life as well as opportunities and a better future. We work in more than 20 countries around the world, including in Italy, with more than 166 emergency, humanitarian aid and development projects. Our activities mainly involve women, girls and young people, actors of change in every community for a fairer and more inclusive world.

We operate in several natural and man-made crisis in various regions of the world. The emergency response is composed by multi-sectorial interventions comprising of WASH, EiE, CVA, Food Security, Protection, and others. We operate also in protracted crisis with provision of humanitarian aid through a prevention, emergency relief and rehabilitation approach. In the last 4 years we have strengthened the regions and the countries where we have been working, we have created new programs, developed new quality and compliance systems and now we need new people who want to join us to build the world we want in the coming years. We believe in a world where everyone has equal opportunities and rights and we work everyday to make it happens. Join us.

Position: Head of International Programmes Department (IPD)

Reporting Relationship: CEO

Location: hybrid working inItaly (home/ Milan or Bologna offices, with frequent missions abroad)

Type of contract: Permanent (contratto TI/ CCNL commercio – quadro)

Deadline: 08/03/2026

Starting date: ASAP

The International Programmes Department (IDP) oversees all international programmes at both the country and regional levels. The IDP is ultimately responsible for making strategic and operational decisions regarding these programmes and countries where operations take place, working closely with Regional Units, Country Offices, and Headquarters.

The department is tasked with cost control, ensuring timely delivery and quality outputs, maintaining donor compliance, and being accountable for results and impact related to the implementation of international programmes.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

Under the supervision of the CEO, the Head of International Programmes provides leadership and operational oversight to all international programmes and regional portfolios, in line with the organisation’s Strategic Plan 2024–2030.

The role ensures that programmes are relevant, effective, financially sustainable and delivered in a safe and accountable manner, while supporting organisational growth, positioning and long-term sustainability at global, regional and country level.

The Head of International Programmes leads a Department managing multiple missions with an annual portfolio (2026) of approximately €60 million.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Programmes Strategy, Operational Management, Quality and Accountability

• Lead the planning, design, launch, monitoring and implementation of international programmes, ensuring quality standards, donor compliance and adherence to internal policies and procedures.
• Develop and oversee regional and country-level strategies, ensuring coherence with global, regional and country strategic frameworks.
• Monitor programme performance, results and impact, ensuring timely reporting, learning and final accountability.
• Provide strategic and operational oversight to Regional Units and Country Offices, ensuring alignment with approved objectives, timelines and resources.
• Strengthen the organisation’s capacity to respond to new humanitarian developments and emergencies.
• Ensure regular and structured reporting flows between Country Offices, Regional Units and Headquarters on programme achievements, challenges and critical issues, highlighting areas requiring targeted support and decision-making.
• Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of organisational policies, processes and guidelines related to programme management.

 Risk and Security Oversight

• Ensure staff safety and security procedures are applied, monitored and regularly reviewed across all countries of operation ensuring appropriate mitigation measures are in place.
• Ensure timely escalation and management of critical incidents, in coordination with senior management and relevant functions.

Financial Oversight and Sustainability

• Guarantee sound financial management of programmes, including budget oversight, cost control, margin monitoring and optimisation.
• Lead the elaboration of budget forecasts and country-level financial planning, ensuring sustainability and strategic allocation of resources.
• Define and oversee country-level investments in line with programme priorities and organisational strategy.
• Monitor financial performance and compliance at country and regional level, ensuring corrective actions when required.

People Management and Organisational Development

• Lead and manage programme teams at regional and country level, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration and performance.
• Manage and develop human resources through capacity building, training, mentoring and performance management.
• Promote staff motivation, well-being and retention, ensuring clear roles, responsibilities and development pathways.

Partnerships, Donor Relations and External Representation

• Proactively support the International Partnership and Strategy (IPS) Department in diversifying the donor portfolio and exploring new funding streams identified at regional and country level
• Coordinate and support Regional and Country Offices’ engagement in donor initiatives led by the IPS ensuring that operational perspectives are fully considered.
• Evaluate new donors and partnerships during and after grant implementation, assessing efficiency, risk and impact.
• Ensure effective liaison with high-value and private fundraising initiatives, providing programme perspectives and strategic inputs.

Internal Coordination and Communications

• Lead and promote integrated work processes between Regional Units and all other organisational departments and functions, ensuring a unified organisational approach to field support.
• Contribute to the definition and implementation of operational communications in coordination with the Communications Department, ensuring coherence between programme realities and organisational messaging.

Requirements

Education

• University degree in Political Sciences, International Relations, Business Administration or related fields.
• Post-graduate qualifications in humanitarian or development studies are considered an asset.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in the NGO sector.
• Proven experience in senior programme management roles, with responsibility for complex, multi-country portfolios.
• Strong background in people management, strategic planning and programme oversight.
• Solid experience working with institutional donors and complex funding environments.

Skills

• Strong strategic, analytical and decision-making skills
• Excellent leadership and people management abilities
• Sound financial and budget management capacity
• Ability to operate in complex and high-risk environments

Languages

• Fluent Italian and English, written and spoken.
• Additional languages are an asset.

The recruitment process may be closed early if a suitable candidate is found.

Due to the large number of applications, we apologise in advance and will only respond to those profiles deemed suitable for the role.