Project Manager - THRIVE

PROJECT MANAGER - THRIVE Hivos ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY Hivos, a leading international development organization, is recruiting an experienced Project Manager to lead the THRIVE Program - Promoting an Enabling Environment for Civil Society. This is an internal vacancy for suitably qualified and highly motivated candidates. The THRIVE Program represents a significant investment in strengthening civil society across Kenya, Zimbabwe, Colombia, and Lebanon under the Swedish Strategy for Support to Civil Society 2025-2029. As Project Manager, you will drive strategic and operational implementation of this ambitious multi-country initiative, ensuring timely delivery, quality outcomes, donor compliance, and adaptive management across all participating nations. This is a full-time position based in Nairobi, Kenya, reporting to the Global Head of Programs. You will supervise country focal points, consultants, and support functions as needed. The initial appointment is for one year, with possibility of annual renewal based on donor funding availability, performance, and organizational needs. This is a fixed-term contract. Position Details Scope: Global Hours: 40 hours per week Team: Programs Provisional Grade: KEN 13, 14 Application Deadline: May 15th, 2026 WHAT YOU WILL DO Program Management and Coordination You will lead day-to-day implementation across all THRIVE countries, develop annual plans and operational workplans, coordinate country teams and technical staff, and ensure all interventions align with program objectives. You will monitor progress continuously and adapt implementation in response to changing conditions. Partnership and Stakeholder Management You will nurture relationships with strategic partners and implementing organizations, maintain strong communication channels with country offices and regional teams, and represent the program internally and externally as delegated. Grants Management You will oversee the complete grant lifecycle - from calls and selection through contracting, monitoring, and closure. You will ensure due diligence, transparency, accountability, and compliance while actively monitoring grant portfolio performance and mitigating risks. Budget and Financial Compliance You will track expenditure, forecasts, and burn rates, work closely with finance teams on donor compliance and financial reporting, and ensure strict adherence to donor requirements and Hivos policies. Reporting and Learning You will coordinate narrative reports, internal updates, and donor submissions. You will track progress against indicators and milestones, and support knowledge capture and cross-country learning exchanges. Risk Management You will maintain the program risk register, identify operational, contextual, financial, and safeguarding risks, and propose mitigation measures while escalating critical issues appropriately. Team Leadership You will provide leadership to matrixed teams across multiple countries, foster collaboration and accountability, and support staff development and strong team performance. WHO YOU ARE Education You hold a Master's degree in Development Studies, International Relations, Political Science, Business Administration, or a related field. Experience You bring a minimum of 7 years managing complex donor-funded programs. You have proven experience managing multi-country projects and working with institutional donors such as Sida, EU, or MFA. You demonstrate strong grants management and partnership management expertise. Your background includes civil society, governance, human rights, or inclusion programming. You have successfully led multicultural and geographically dispersed teams. Core Competencies You possess strong project and budget management capabilities. You excel at coordination and stakeholder management, with excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities. Your communication, presentation, report writing, and facilitation skills are exceptional. You are fluent in English, both written and verbal. Additional proficiency in Arabic, Spanish, or French is an asset. IMPORTANT INFORMATION This position is contingent upon successful funding approval and signature of the donor agreement. Hivos reserves the right to pause, amend, or withdraw this recruitment process if funding is not confirmed. Any appointment remains subject to final donor approval, signed funding agreement, and internal authorization to proceed. HOW TO APPLY Submit a cover letter (maximum 1 page) and CV (maximum 2 pages) via the application portal. Applications close May 15th, 2026, at midnight EAT. Hivos is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all qualified individuals.