Programme Manager: Strengthening Activists and Defenders; STAND

ABOUT OUR ORGANISATION

Womankind Worldwide is a global women's rights organisation working in partnership with women's rights movements and organisations to transform the lives of women and girls. We strengthen and support women's movements in our focus countries in Africa and Asia, and take collective action at regional and global levels, to ensure women's voices are heard, their rights are realised, and their lives are free from violence.

Currently, Womankind has staff based in Kenya and the UK. This position can be based in Kenya or the UK. You must have the right to work in either Kenya or the UK to apply for this role, in line with the laws and regulations of these countries.

Strengthening Activists and Defenders: A Global Feminist Initiative to Strengthen Women Human Rights Defenders (STAND) is a Norad-funded, three-year project working across six countries (Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Uganda and Zimbabwe) to protect and strengthen feminist movements of Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) in a climate of shrinking civic space and rising anti-rights backlash. Womankind leads the STAND partnership, working with seven implementing partners including AWN (Afghanistan), EWLA (Ethiopia), YWLI (Kenya), WHR (Nepal), WIPC (Uganda) and WCoZ (Zimbabwe).

The STAND Programme Manager leads the day-to-day coordination of the STAND partnership at Womankind, ensuring the project is delivered to a high standard across all six countries, on time, within budget and in line with donor requirements. Working closely with the seven STAND partners and Womankind's Grantmaking and Feminist Partnerships (GFP), Fundraising & Marketing (F&M), Finance, Policy and Advocacy (P&A), and Communications teams, the role holder coordinates, financial monitoring, programme reporting, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) implementation and cross-country learning.

Strategic, contractual and high-risk matters are escalated to the Director of Grantmaking and Feminist Partnerships. The role ensures that feminist, safeguarding and risk-aware approaches are embedded throughout the project, working in coordination with relevant Womankind's teams.

• Lead day-to-day management and coordination of the STAND project at Womankind, Coordinate the sub-grant lifecycle with STAND partners,
• Coordinate and deliver the project events, building cross-country solidarity and exchange between partners.
• Lead the internal coordination and project management of STAND, bringing relevant teams together, clarifying responsibilities, and documenting and communicating progress, risks and learning to colleagues and leadership.
• Coordinate cross-regional learning with Regional Managers to strengthen Womankind’s grantmaking and partnership practice.

• Coordinate donor reporting and compliance, working with Fundraising & Marketing, Finance and partners to ensure accurate and timely submissions.
• Oversee programme budgets, expenditure, forecasts and grant amendments, escalating significant financial or compliance issues.
• Maintain effective project management, risk and audit systems, including risks arising from insecure and restrictive operating contexts.

• Coordinate implementation of the project's MEL framework with the MEL Manager, supporting partners to establish baselines, track results and use evidence to strengthen delivery.
• Coordinate the planning and delivery of STAND shared learning spaces and partner convenings in close collaboration with the MEL Manager and Regional GFP Managers and the Advocacy Manager.
• Ensure that evidence and learning from STAND contribute to…