Director of Programs

About iDE

At iDE (International Development Enterprises), we believe lasting development is achieved by empowering people to build better futures through entrepreneurship. For more than 40 years, we have partnered with governments, private sector actors, financial institutions, and communities to create inclusive market systems that generate sustainable economic opportunities across Africa, Asia, and Central America.

Our mission—Powering Entrepreneurs to End Poverty—reflects our commitment to strengthening markets rather than creating dependency. Through Market Systems Development (MSD), we facilitate commercially viable, locally owned solutions that increase incomes, strengthen resilience, and create lasting impact beyond donor funding.

Operating across agriculture, food systems, climate resilience, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), nutrition, women's economic empowerment, youth livelihoods, financial inclusion, and enterprise development, iDE combines technical excellence, innovation, adaptive management, and evidence-based decision-making to deliver sustainable systems change.

About iDE Zambia

For more than two decades, iDE Zambia has been a leader in applying Market Systems Development approaches to improve livelihoods, strengthen rural economies, and expand opportunities for entrepreneurs, farmers, women, and young people.

Working alongside government, private sector, financial institutions, research organizations, and development partners, the Country Office delivers innovative, market-based solutions across agriculture, food systems, climate resilience, WASH, enterprise development, and financial inclusion. With a diverse portfolio funded by bilateral and multilateral donors, private foundations, and corporate partners, iDE Zambia is entering an exciting phase of growth. The organization is focused on expanding its technical leadership, strengthening institutional capacity, diversifying its funding base, and increasing its influence across Zambia's development landscape.

Role Purpose

The Director of Programs (DoP) is the senior technical and programmatic leader of iDE Zambia and a key member of the Senior Management Team. Reporting to the Country Director, the DoP provides strategic leadership across the organization's portfolio while contributing to organizational strategy, operational performance, and long-term growth.

As the Country Director's principal partner on program strategy, the DoP leads the design, implementation, quality, and performance of iDE Zambia's programs, ensuring interventions are technically rigorous, market-driven, evidence-based, and aligned with iDE's Market Systems Development approach. The role provides executive oversight of the full program lifecycle—from opportunity assessment and program design through implementation, adaptive management, learning, reporting, and close-out—ensuring strong technical quality, measurable impact, and responsible stewardship of donor resources.

The Director of Programs also plays a central role in organizational growth by partnering with the Country Director to identify strategic opportunities, cultivate partnerships, lead technical proposal development, and strengthen relationships with donors, government, the private sector, and consortium partners. Business development is a shared leadership responsibility and an integral part of the role.

Beyond program delivery, the DoP is responsible for building organizational capability by developing high-performing teams, strengthening cross-functional collaboration, promoting innovation and continuous learning, and fostering a culture of accountability, inclusion, and excellence. Success in this role will be measured by the Director's contribution to technical excellence, organizational leadership, business growth, people development, financial stewardship, and the long-term sustainability of iDE Zambia.

Leadership Accountabilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Organizational Performance

As a member of the Senior Management Team, the Director of Programs partners with the Country Director to shape the strategic direction, performance, and long-term sustainability of iDE Zambia. The role provides executive leadership across the organization, ensuring programs, people, and systems are aligned to deliver sustainable impact while fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Key Accountabilities

• Partner with the Country Director to provide strategic leadership and contribute to the long-term vision, growth, and sustainability of the Country Office.
• Lead the development and execution of iDE Zambia's program strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities, country needs, and donor expectations.
• Champion the application of Market Systems Development principles across the portfolio and promote evidence-based, market-driven programming.
• Strengthen cross-functional collaboration between Programs, Finance, Operations, MERL, Human Resources, Procurement, Business Development, and Global Technical Teams.
• Lead organizational planning, portfolio reviews, and strategic reflection to improve performance and organizational effectiveness.
• Identify strategic risks and opportunities and support informed decision-making that strengthens organizational resilience.
• Foster a culture of innovation, learning, ethical leadership, safeguarding, and continuous improvement.
• Develop future leaders through coaching, mentoring, and succession planning.

2. Program & Technical Excellence

The Director of Programs is accountable for the quality, effectiveness, and impact of iDE Zambia's portfolio. The role provides strategic oversight across the full program lifecycle, ensuring interventions are technically rigorous, operationally effective, financially sound, and designed to deliver sustainable systems change.

Key Accountabilities

• Provide executive oversight of the design, implementation, performance, and quality of the program portfolio.
• Ensure interventions are informed by market diagnostics, value chain analysis, political economy analysis, and systems thinking.
• Lead the development and application of robust theories of change, results frameworks, implementation plans, and adaptive management approaches.
• Ensure programs meet the highest standards of technical quality, donor compliance, financial stewardship, and measurable impact.
• Promote integrated planning across technical, financial, operational, procurement, and MERL functions.
• Strengthen organizational learning through evidence generation, portfolio reviews, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.
• Build technical capacity through coaching, mentoring, and quality assurance.
• Promote innovation, scalability, and locally owned market-based solutions that deliver sustainable impact.
• Ensure high-quality technical deliverables, reporting, and donor satisfaction.

3. Business Development & External Engagement

Working in partnership with the Country Director, the Director of Programs plays a leading role in expanding iDE Zambia's funding portfolio and strategic partnerships. The role provides technical leadership throughout the business development cycle while strengthening the organization's visibility, credibility, and influence across Zambia's development ecosystem.

Key Accountabilities

• Co-lead the Country Office's business development strategy and funding diversification efforts.
• Identify and pursue strategic funding opportunities aligned with organizational priorities.
• Lead the technical development of competitive concept notes, proposals, and capture strategies.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with donors, government institutions, private sector partners, research organizations, and consortium members.
• Represent iDE Zambia in strategic external forums, technical working groups, and donor engagements.
• Position iDE Zambia as a recognized leader in Market Systems Development and inclusive private sector development.
• Strengthen donor stewardship by ensuring high-quality technical delivery, communication, and partnership management.
• Foster a culture where business development is a shared organizational responsibility.

4. People & Organizational Leadership

The Director of Programs builds organizational capability by developing people, strengthening leadership, and fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing culture. The role is responsible for creating an environment where individuals are empowered to grow, innovate, and contribute to organizational success.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead, coach, and develop high-performing multidisciplinary teams.
• Strengthen leadership capacity through mentoring, succession planning, and professional development.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, inclusion, and continuous learning.
• Lead performance management and talent development processes.
• Promote staff wellbeing, safeguarding, and ethical leadership.
• Strengthen collaboration across technical and operational functions.
• Support workforce planning, recruitment, and organizational capacity development.

5. Stewardship, Governance & Risk Management

The Director of Programs ensures that iDE Zambia's portfolio is delivered with the highest standards of financial stewardship, donor compliance, governance, and organizational accountability. Working closely with Finance, Operations, and the Senior Management Team, the Director strengthens institutional systems that enable sustainable organizational performance.

Key Accountabilities

• Ensure effective delivery of programs on time, within budget, and in compliance with donor requirements.
• Strengthen financial stewardship through integrated planning, forecasting, and portfolio oversight.
• Promote effective collaboration between technical and support functions to maximize organizational performance.
• Identify and manage strategic, operational, financial, safeguarding, and reputational risks.
• Ensure organizational readiness for audits, evaluations, donor reviews, and compliance assessments.
• Strengthen governance, internal controls, organizational systems, and evidence-based decision-making.
• Promote organizational learning by integrating lessons from monitoring, evaluations, audits, and donor feedback into continuous improvement.
• Serve as a member of the Senior Management Team, contributing to institutional leadership and long-term organizational sustainability.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role extends beyond delivering projects. The Director of Programs will be recognized as a trusted organizational leader who strengthens iDE Zambia's technical excellence, organizational performance, and long-term sustainability while contributing to a collaborative and high-performing leadership team.

Within the first  year, the successful candidate will have:

• Established themselves as a trusted strategic partner to the Country Director and an influential member of the Senior Management Team.
• Built and maintained a high-performing program portfolio that consistently delivers technical excellence, measurable impact, donor confidence, and sustainable systems change.
• Strengthened the application of Market Systems Development, evidence-based programming, adaptive management, and organizational learning across the portfolio.
• Contributed to a diversified and growing funding pipeline through successful business development, strategic partnerships, and competitive proposal development.
• Developed a high-performing, collaborative, and accountable technical team through coaching, mentoring, succession planning, and leadership development.
• Strengthened financial stewardship, governance, risk management, and organizational systems, leaving the Country Office better positioned for sustainable growth and long-term impact.

The successful candidate will be an accomplished development leader with a proven track record of delivering complex development programs while building high-performing teams, strengthening institutions, and cultivating strategic partnerships. They will combine technical credibility with strong business acumen, collaborative leadership, and a commitment to sustainable systems change.

Education

• A University Degree (Master's degree is a plus) in International Development, Agricultural Economics, Economics, Business Administration, Public Policy, Rural Development, Development Studies, Natural Resource Management, Social Sciences, or a related discipline. An equivalent combination of education and professional experience will also be considered in lieu of a Master's Degree.

Professional Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience managing complex international development programs, preferably within Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary teams and managing diverse donor-funded portfolios.
• Proven expertise in Market Systems Development (MSD) and one or more complementary areas such as agriculture, food systems, climate resilience, WASH, enterprise development, nutrition, financial inclusion, women's economic empowerment, or youth livelihoods.
• Strong experience designing and managing evidence-based programs using market diagnostics, value chain analysis, political economy analysis, systems thinking, theories of change, results frameworks, and adaptive management approaches.
• Demonstrated success overseeing the full program lifecycle, from opportunity assessment and program design through implementation, monitoring, learning, reporting, and close-out.
• Proven success in business development, technical proposal development, donor engagement, partnership building, and capture planning resulting in successful funding awards.
• Strong financial stewardship, portfolio oversight, donor compliance, budgeting, forecasting, and risk management experience.
• Demonstrated ability to lead organizational change, strengthen institutional systems, and develop future leaders.
• Experience working in Zambia or the Southern Africa region is highly desirable.

Core Leadership Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate the following leadership capabilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Shapes strategy and translates vision into measurable results.
• Anticipates emerging opportunities and leads effectively through change and complexity.
• Exercises sound judgment and makes informed, timely decisions.

Technical & Business Excellence

• Demonstrates technical credibility and a commitment to evidence-based decision-making.
• Applies systems thinking, innovation, and adaptive management to deliver sustainable development outcomes.
• Identifies growth opportunities and contributes to successful business development and strategic partnerships.

People Leadership

• Builds, coaches, and develops high-performing and inclusive teams.
• Creates a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and professional growth.
• Empowers others through delegation, mentoring, and succession planning.

Partnership & Influence

• Builds trusted relationships across government, donors, private sector, communities, and development partners.
• Represents iDE with professionalism, credibility, and integrity.
• Promotes collaboration across organizational functions and external stakeholders.

Stewardship & Integrity

• Demonstrates strong financial stewardship, accountability, and responsible resource management.
• Champions safeguarding, diversity, equity, inclusion, transparency, and ethical leadership.
• Maintains a focus on sustainable impact, institutional strengthening, and continuous improvement.

Who You Are

You are an accomplished leader who combines technical credibility with strategic vision and a genuine passion for developing people and strengthening organizations.

You are equally comfortable discussing national development policy with government officials, designing innovative market systems interventions with technical teams, negotiating partnerships with donors, coaching emerging leaders, and making difficult organizational decisions when circumstances require.

You thrive in collaborative environments, value diverse perspectives, and believe that the best ideas emerge through partnership and shared ownership. You lead with integrity, humility, curiosity, and resilience, creating space for others to contribute while maintaining clear accountability for results.

You are energized by complexity, motivated by impact, and committed to building systems that continue delivering benefits long after projects have ended.

Most importantly, you believe that empowering entrepreneurs, strengthening markets, and investing in local leadership are among the most powerful ways to create lasting pathways out of poverty.

Why to join iDE Zambia

Joining iDE Zambia offers an opportunity to shape the future of one of the country's leading organizations advancing inclusive market systems development and private sector-led economic growth.

As Director of Programs, you will:

• Help define the strategic direction of a respected and growing Country Office.
• Lead a diverse portfolio of innovative, high-impact programs.
• Work alongside experienced national and international professionals committed to learning and collaboration.
• Build partnerships with government, donors, private sector organizations, research institutions, and entrepreneurs.
• Influence national conversations on market systems development, food systems, climate resilience, WASH, and inclusive economic growth.
• Develop future leaders while strengthening one of Zambia's most experienced technical teams.
• Contribute to an organization that values innovation, evidence, entrepreneurship, inclusion, integrity, and continuous learning.
• Be part of a global network committed to Powering Entrepreneurs to End Poverty.

Travel

This position is based in Lusaka, Zambia, and requires regular travel throughout the country to support program implementation, partner engagement, business development, and stakeholder relationship management (up to 30%).

Occasional regional and international travel may be required to participate in organizational meetings, donor consultations, learning events, conferences, and technical exchanges.

Safeguarding

iDE is committed to safeguarding the communities we serve and maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct. All employees are expected to uphold iDE's safeguarding policies, protect the rights and dignity of vulnerable populations, and contribute to a safe, respectful, and inclusive working environment.

Employment is contingent upon satisfactory reference checks, background verification, and adherence to iDE's safeguarding and code of conduct requirements.

Application Process

Qualified candidates are invited to submit their application through iDE's Workable recruitment platform.

Only applications submitted through the Workable platform will be considered.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and shortlisted candidates will be contacted directly to participate in the selection process. Interviews are expected to begin on or around [Insert Date]. Early applications are strongly encouraged, as highly qualified candidates may be prioritized throughout the recruitment process. iDE reserves the right to close this vacancy at any time once a suitable candidate has been identified. 

Selected candidate is expected to start early 2027.

DURATION AND COMPENSATION

• The initial duration for this position is two years, pending a combination of performance, project extension, and program expansion.
• The salary for this position is subject to negotiation and benefits are standard based on iDE policy.