Chief Programs & Partnerships Officer

Women for Women International, a global non-governmental organization dedicated to empowering women survivors of war and conflict, is recruiting a Chief Programs & Partnerships Officer (CPPO). Working within the Global Programs Unit (GPU), this executive leader will drive global program strategy, program quality standards, institutional business development, strategic partnerships, and delivery coherence across global, regional, and country teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Executive Strategy & Program Quality: Lead global program strategy development, establish program-quality standards, drive women-centered program innovations, and hold final decision rights on program model coherence.

• Regional & Country Portfolio Oversight: Provide matrix leadership for Regional and Country Directors, supporting phased structural transitions while mitigating operational delivery risks and maintaining capacity alignment.

• Business Development & Funding Governance: Oversee the Global Business Development Unit, guide donor engagement strategies, and hold final go/no-go authority for institutional grants, corporate funding, and strategic MOUs.

• Crisis Response Fund (CRF) Leadership: Act as Executive Sponsor and Steering Committee Chair for the CRF, directing partner allocations, risk assessments, and localization strategies in conflict areas where WfWI lacks physical country offices.

• Technical Oversight & Evidence Integration: Guide technical functions (Program Design, MERL, Grant Management) through the Deputy CPPO, embedding evidence-based decision-making and coordinating with communications/advocacy leadership.

• Strategic Partnerships & External Representation: Represent WfWI with bilateral/multilateral donors, research institutions, and international forums, championing women's rights, peace, and security.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Education: Master’s Degree or equivalent in International Development, Social Sciences, Public Policy, Gender Studies, Humanitarian Studies, or a related field.

• Senior Leadership Experience: Minimum of 15 years of progressive executive leadership experience within the international non-profit, development, or humanitarian sectors.

• Portfolio Management: Proven track record managing complex multi-country program portfolios, particularly within fragile, conflict-affected, or post-conflict environments.

• Institutional Business Development: Demonstrated success driving institutional fundraising, strategic donor engagement, and multi-sector proposal development.

• Matrix Leadership: Extensive experience leading large, culturally diverse, and geographically dispersed teams within complex matrixed governance structures.

Core Competencies

• Executive judgment and credibility for board-level, donor, and institutional partner engagements.

• Deep subject matter expertise in gender equality, women, peace, and security (WPS), localization, and multi-sector program models.

• Strategic agility to align enterprise vision, financial realities, and field-level delivery capacities.

• Strong collaborative mindset to interface across operations, finance, advocacy, communications, and regional revenue teams.

• Regional experience across Africa and the Middle East, or familiarity with graduation-style program models, is an added advantage.