CARE International is a major humanitarian agency delivering emergency relief and long-term international development projects.

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Global Programme Implementation & Operations Excellence Advisor

Job TypeFull Time

QualificationBA/BSc/HND

Experience8 years

LocationNairobi

Job FieldProject Management

This role focuses on improving how CARE plans, launches, manages, and delivers projects in complex humanitarian and development settings. The incumbent should have the ability to provide temporary cover for staffing gaps on projects as well as temporary deployment to provide on-site support in the field.

You will work closely with Country Directors, Heads of Programs, Operations leads, and Project Managers to:

• Strengthen grant start-up and close-out processes
• Improve budget utilization and delivery timelines
• Diagnose implementation bottlenecks
• Improve cross-functional coordination between programme and operations
• Deepen project cycle management capacities
• Translate lessons learned from one country into practical improvements in others

You will bring deep practical understanding of both programme implementation and programme operations — not just theory, but real-world delivery experience.

What You Will Do

Implementation Strengthening & Delivery Support

• Strengthen grant start-up, work planning, risk management, and close-out practices.
• Conduct deep dives into programme implementation challenges in priority countries.
• Identify operational inefficiencies affecting delivery (start-up delays, HR bottlenecks, pipeline gaps, procurement delays, etc.)
• Support country offices to resolve structural barriers to timely and high-quality implementation.

Cross-Country Learning & Systems Improvement

• Capture and translate implementation learning from one context to improve delivery in others.
• Facilitate peer learning among programme and operations teams across ESA.
• Standardize practical tools that improve delivery efficiency and accountability.
• Support replication of successful operational models across countries.

Programme & Operations Integration

• Strengthen collaboration between Programme and Business Services teams.
• Improve alignment between budgets, procurement planning, HR planning, and work plans.
• Support risk-informed, adaptive implementation in fragile and humanitarian settings.

Strategic Advisory

• Advise Country Directors and SMTs on improving programme execution and operational effectiveness.
• Support country offices during scale-up, emergency response, or complex transitions.
• Contribute to Global strategies on programme delivery excellence.

Required Qualifications:

What We Are Looking For:

• 8+ years of hands-on experience leading programme implementation in humanitarian and/or development contexts.
• Demonstrated ability to improve delivery efficiency, budget utilization, and programme quality.
• Strong understanding of programme operations: procurement, finance, HR planning, supply chain, compliance.
• Solution-focused tenacity and ability to thrive in a matrixed management structure
• Experience resolving implementation bottlenecks in fragile or high-risk environments.
• Proven experience managing complex, multi-sector grants (USAID, ECHO, FCDO, etc.).
• Global, Regional or multi-country experience strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting or advising senior country leadership teams.
• Comfortable working across both humanitarian response and long-term development programming.

• Strengthen grant start-up, work planning, risk management, and close-out practices.
• Conduct deep dives into programme implementation challenges in priority countries.
• Identify operational inefficiencies affecting delivery (start-up delays, HR bottlenecks, pipeline gaps, procurement delays, etc.)
• Support country offices to resolve structural barriers to timely and high-quality implementation.
• Capture and translate implementation learning from one context to improve delivery in others.
• Facilitate peer learning among programme and operations teams across ESA.
• Standardize practical tools that improve delivery efficiency and accountability.
• Support replication of successful operational models across countries.
• Strengthen collaboration between Programme and Business Services teams.
• Improve alignment between budgets, procurement planning, HR planning, and work plans.
• Support risk-informed, adaptive implementation in fragile and humanitarian settings.
• Advise Country Directors and SMTs on improving programme execution and operational effectiveness.
• Support country offices during scale-up, emergency response, or complex transitions.
• Contribute to Global strategies on programme delivery excellence.

• Demonstrated ability to improve delivery efficiency, budget utilization, and programme quality.
• Strong understanding of programme operations: procurement, finance, HR planning, supply chain, compliance.
• Solution-focused tenacity and ability to thrive in a matrixed management structure
• Experience resolving implementation bottlenecks in fragile or high-risk environments.
• Proven experience managing complex, multi-sector grants (USAID, ECHO, FCDO, etc.).
• Global, Regional or multi-country experience strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting or advising senior country leadership teams.
• Comfortable working across both humanitarian response and long-term development programming.

• 8+ years of hands-on experience leading programme implementation in humanitarian and/or development contexts.
• BA/BSc/HND