PROGRAMME OFFICER

Position: Programme Officer

Reporting to: Senior Programme Manager

Location: Sidcup, Greater London, and hybrid working of 1 day in the office and 4 days remote (subject to change)

Contract Type: Permanent and full-time

Starting Salary: £28,000 – £32,000 gross per annum (based on experience) plus benefits

Interested in supporting projects that make a difference to the lives of others? This is an exciting opportunity for a person to grow and develop within a challenging but fulfilling sector. The Programme Officer will work closely with both the project teams and the wider organisation to support the effective management and delivery of projects across from our London office.

Purpose

The Programme Officer will be responsible for supporting the effective implementation of project delivery activities across our portfolio, predominantly in Africa, Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East. The post holder will support project delivery, ensuring quality expectations (internal and client), delivering within the scope and budgeted resources of projects, and in line with project timelines. They will work closely with other members of the programme delivery team, our technical team, delivery partners, and consultants to ensure projects maximise their positive impact and will also support the Senior Programme Manager to disseminate good management practice across the organisation, and advise on delivery approaches.

Main Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Programme Officer include the following:

1. Project Support

• Provide support to Programme Managers in the delivery of projects, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget and scope and comply with client contracts
• Take on the project management of assigned select projects within a determined budget/complexity threshold, ensuring that they are delivered to time and quality
• Set-up and monitor project workplans, including change requests ensuring that approvals are formally recorded and filed
• Manage day-to-day relationships with delivery partners and internal team(s) and build a solid understanding of delivery needs and timelines across projects
• Monitor and support timely client and consultant billing and invoices attached to delivery
• Support onboarding of consultants for new projects, including due diligence checks and contract preparation based on set templates
• Ensure project management software and tools are accurate and kept up to date for allocated projects
• Provide timely responses to client queries and alert the Senior Project Manager of any potential risks
• Lead duty of care and travel planning for staff and consultants, working alongside administrative officers
• Liaise closely with technical colleagues and Project Managers on project support needs.

2. Project Financial Management

• Monitor project budget performance, capturing variances and liaising with the Finance Team and Senior Programme Manager
• Monitor and support the processing of consultants’ expenses/fees against contracts and client invoices against contracts.
• Make recommendations to ensure financial outcomes are met with respect to time, quality and cost, and provide early warning of project overspend
• Prepare internal project update reporting including finances and resourcing using required management tools.

3. Organisational Support and Business Development

• Provide support in strengthening policies, procedures, and management tools for Development Pathways
• Coordinate with wider project teams to ensure technical capacity is well planned across Development Pathways’ portfolio of projects
• Signpost colleagues to relevant project management tools and processes, when required
• Support project closure processes as required, capturing and sharing lessons internally
• Provide ad hoc input to evolving organisational requirements as directed by senior members
• Assist with the identification and monitoring of business opportunities in donor markets, as requested
• Update SharePoint and ensure project data sheets are developed and up to date to facilitate bids for tenders
• Collate and share project information to support the Business Development and Communications department.

Skills, Knowledge and Behaviours

The Programme Officer will require the following combination of applied skills, knowledge, and behaviours to successfully contribute to team goals:

Required:

• An undergraduate degree in an appropriate subject
• Around 3 years’ experience working on project support or delivery within international development, research and/or the consultancy sector
• Ability and confidence to work independently and manage their own workflows
• Good communication skills and an ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with a broad range of stakeholders at the individual level and in representation of the organisation
• Excellent drafting skills
• Ability to understand and effectively analyse and utilise financial information
• Proven ability to resolve problems, anticipate barriers and create practical solutions
• High IT proficiency (Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, SharePoint, etc.)
• Demonstrated attention to detail ensuring quality standards are maintained
• Ability to travel internationally when required.

Advantageous:

• Up to 3 yeaers project management experience
• Proficiency in additional languages
• Commitment to social justice and gender equality.

Reporting Lines:

This post will report to the UK Office Senior Programme Manager.

Terms of Employment and Benefits

Recruitment will be at the junior level and is a permanent and full-time post. Along with basic salary, the successful candidate would receive an attractive package of the following:

• Fulfilling work - working to make a difference to some of the world’s most under-served communities
• Flexible working – Development Pathways offers employees flexible work hours and hybrid working
• Generous time off – recharge with 30-holiday entitlement plus public/bank holidays
• Excellent health and well-being provision – access to the company private health care scheme (after the satisfactory completion of the probationary period), pension scheme, long-term sickness benefits and Employee Assistance Programme
• Group Life Insurance
• Commitment to professional development opportunities – we encourage our staff to participate in professional learning and development
• Provision of a company laptop
• Yearly working at home allowance
• Reward Scheme for involvement in winning bid work.

How to Apply

We invite interested candidates to please apply for the post by including all of the following:

1. A cover letter explaining why you are applying for this position, and how you would meet the selection criteria for the post of Programme Officer
2. A detailed CV (curriculum vitae) specifying your qualifications, education, and relevant work experience
3. All applicants will be required to specify if they have the right to work and live in the UK.

Closing date for this post will be the close of business on the 20th June 2025.

Applications should be submitted by email.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and we retain the right to close this role without notice. So, if you are interested, please apply early.

Due to the high number of applications expected, unfortunately only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Applicants, please note the Privacy Notice on our website.

Development Pathways is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate and support diversity and are committed to providing a work environment that is inclusive and free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are based on individual qualifications and abilitie without regard to race, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, family or parental status, or disability status.

About us

Founded in 2010, Development Pathways has grown rapidly into an internationally renowned and respected consultancy business, providing high quality consultancies and project management throughout Africa, Asia, Middle East and the Pacific in social protection, inclusive programming and management information systems. We have offices in the United Kingdom, Kenya and Australia, focused on: social protection; social and economic analysis; research and evaluation; training and capacity building; and, digital technology.

We are committed to transformative social policies to promote social justice and gender equality, women’s empowerment and social inclusion. We work hard and are passionate about what we do. We find time to discuss important issues and how we, as a company, can support initiatives that we care about.

Please note our staff have a hybrid working arrangement of 4 days remote and 1 day working in the office per week although this may be subject to change

For more information about our organisation, please visit our website.

Please click on the apply button to progress with your application.