Programme Lead Job Description
King’s Global Health Partnerships (KGHP) works with health facilities, academic institutions, and governments to strengthen health systems and improve the quality of care in Sierra Leone, Somaliland, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Gambia. We bring together health, academic and international development expertise from King’s College London, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) and our international partners to:
- Educate, train and support healthcare workers
- Strengthen healthcare and training institutions
- Enhance national health policies and systems
We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Programmes Lead to oversee the implementation and provide programmatic leadership for project workstreams within the KGHP-SL office, with a focus on the FCDO Saving Lives in Sierra Leone phase 3 grant and EKFS Emergency Care Systems Development grant. The Programme Lead will be responsible for the successful planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of all project activities in alignment with the grant’s objectives and donor requirements. This position requires strong leadership, project management, communication, and coordination skills, as well as a commitment to improving healthcare outcomes in Sierra Leone.
This role sits within the KGHP-Sierra Leone Senior Management Team (SMT), alongside the Clinical Lead and Operations Director, led by the Country Director. The Programme Lead will work in close collaboration with the Country Director to shape and deliver the organisation’s strategic vision. As a senior leadership role, the Programme Lead will be expected to bring creativity and foresight, positioning KGHP as an agile and forward-thinking organisation in a changing global health landscape. The Programme Lead will act as a deputy to the Country Director, stepping in to represent the organisation as needed. This requires an individual with the credibility, judgement, and ambition to drive new models of thinking, champion innovative partnerships, and help steer KGHP’s long-term growth and sustainability.
The Programme Lead is a full time contract offered for one year with the possibility of renewal annually and based in the KGHP-SL offices in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Job Title: KGHP – Sierra Leone Programme Lead
Location: Sierra Leone, Freetown with travel to districts to support project activities
Line management: Reports to the Country Director; manages a team comprising a Programme Officer and three – four Global Health Fellows.
Key Responsibilities:
Grant & Project Management
- Manage the implementation of projects, ensuring that activities are delivered on time, on budget and in line with donor compliance.
- Develop and manage detailed project work plans, budgets, and timelines in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
- Ensure the management of compliance and risk across grants, including monitoring and mitigation of risk.
- Lead on the donor reporting (narrative and financial) in collaboration with relevant teams, ensuring clear and responsive communication with partners and donors.
- Oversee financial management and budget monitoring, ensuring expenditures align with Budget vs Actuals (BvAs), donor regulations, and organisational policies.
- Support financial forecasting and cashflow management to anticipate project needs and ensure resources are used efficiently and accountably.
- Oversee monitoring and evaluation in collaboration with the KGHP Monitoring Advisor, ensuring robust MEL frameworks are in place to track outputs, outcomes, and impacts.
- Regularly collect, analyse, and interpret project data to inform adaptive management, and ensure lessons learned are disseminated among partners.
- Develop standardised grant and project management tools, processes and systems to streamline project management processes in collaboration with finance and operations teams.
Business Development
- Lead on the development of high-quality funding proposals, concept notes, and expressions of interest tailored to a wide variety of donors (bilateral, multilateral, foundations, INGOs, and private sector).
- Conduct prospect research and proactive donor mapping to identify new funding opportunities and align them with organisational and partnership strategies.
- Initiate and secure meetings with potential donors and partners, cultivating relationships and leading on negotiations to strengthen long-term partnerships.
- Maintain and update a central repository of donor intelligence, including donor profiles, funding cycles, and reporting details, ensuring information is accessible and used.
- Collaborate with programme and finance teams to ensure business development efforts are aligned with programme priorities, financial sustainability, and donor compliance requirements.
Strategic Leadership
- Serve as a core member of the Senior Management Team, working alongside the Clinical Lead and Operations Director under the leadership of the Country Director.
- Act as deputy to the Country Director when required, ensuring leadership continuity and representing KGHP-SL at high-level meetings with government, donors, and partners.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including government agencies (namely Ministry of Health), NGOs, healthcare facilities, and community representatives, to ensure sustainability and scalability of project interventions
- Contribute to KGHP-SL’s strategic vision and long-term positioning within Sierra Leone and the wider KGHP network, ensuring programmes remain relevant, impactful, and sustainable.
- Lead by example in fostering a collaborative, high-performing team culture that values accountability, innovation, and continuous learning.
- Drive organisational growth and sustainability through innovative programming, thought leadership, and strategic partnerships that respond to a changing global health landscape.
Team Management
- Lead on team management and capacity building, including direct supervision, coaching, and professional development of programme staff such as the Programme Officer, ensuring skills are strengthened and roles expanded.
- Support the training and development of UK Fellows and Sierra Leonean staff, fostering a robust and collaborative team environment that drives quality and impact.
- Facilitate learning workshops and internal training sessions to strengthen team capacity and embed best practices.
- Provide line management to the Programme Officer and Global Health Fellows, including 1:1 performance management, professional development, workload oversight, and pastoral support.
Volunteer Management
- In collaboration with the Country Director, oversee the recruitment, coordination, and oversight of UK volunteers and fellows.
- Lead on the end-to-end volunteer management process, including the engagement, recruitment, and onboarding of volunteers for the Sierra Leone partnership.
- Ensure opportunities are widely advertised via agreed channels and that volunteers receive timely and comprehensive information about their assignments.
- Safeguard quality standards by ensuring that safeguarding, occupational health, and compliance requirements are fully met prior to engagement and maintained throughout the volunteer placement.
Qualifications and Experience:
Essential criteria
- Bachelor’s degree in public health, International Development, or a related field.
- Significant field experience managing health or development projects in Sierra Leone or similar LMIC contexts
- Proven track record of successfully implementing donor-funded projects (e.g. FCDO, USAID, GAVI, IrishAid), including compliance and risk management.
- Demonstrated success in securing funding through development of high-quality proposals, concept notes, and donor engagement.
- Understanding of health systems strengthening, with knowledge of key stakeholders, policies, and challenges in LMIC settings.
- Strong project management skills, including strategic planning, budgeting and forecasting, risk management, monitoring and evaluation, reporting and compliance.
- Demonstrated leadership, including team management, capacity building, and effective collaboration across cultures and stakeholder groups.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience preparing clear, compelling reports and presentations for diverse audiences.
- Committed to KGHP’s mission and values of equity, partnership, and sustainability in global health.
Desirable criteria
- Master’s degree in public health, international development or another relevant subject.
- Strong understanding of the Sierra Leonean health system, including knowledge of key stakeholders, policies, and challenges.
- Proficiency in Krio or other local languages.
- Experience of working with / managing international volunteers.
- Experience working with FCDO processes of planning, audits, reporting, monitoring evaluation and learning activities, budget reforecasting etc.
How to apply
Those interested in applying should submit their CV and cover letter by email to KGHP at [email protected] by 26th September 2025. Please note that applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and assessed on a first come, first served basis. Once the available slots have been filled, no further applications will be considered. We are receiving a high volume of interest, so we strongly encourage early submission.
Hiring Manager: Aneesah Peersaib, Country Director KGHP-SL [email protected]
