Programme Manager (Governance in MSME's)

Pearl Initiative; Sharjah; On-site; AED 300,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

The Pearl Initiative seeks a Programme Manager to lead the governance in MSMEs programme across the GCC, strengthening governance, transparency, and accountability while boosting resilience in supply chains.

The role combines strategic development, fundraising, and stakeholder engagement to deliver high-impact programmes, manage contracts, and grow sustainable funding streams in partnership with regional actors.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant field with strong analytical skills.
• 7+ years of relevant programme management experience.
• Experience with MSMEs and governance/impact frameworks.
• Proven track record in business development, revenue generation, and fundraising.
• Fluency in English and Arabic.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the governance in MSMEs programme from design to execution.
• Develop strategies for programme growth, funding, and sustainability.
• Manage partnerships, proposals, and contracts.
• Oversee project delivery, risk management, and reporting.
• Coordinate thought leadership and convenings.
• Mentor programme team and ensure high performance.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Relationship management

Project management

Communication skills

English fluency

Arabic fluency

Education

Master’s degree in Business Administration or related discipline

Job description

The Programme Manager will lead the design, development, and execution of Pearl Initiative’s (PI) Governance in Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Programme. This role will build Pearl Initiative’s thought leadership and impact in strengthening and enabling the MSMEs sector in the GCC region. Programming will especially focus on building the long-term success and resilience of MSMEs, especially in supply chains, by advancing corporate governance, ethical, strategic, and accountable decision-making; transparency and disclosure; and innovation. They will lead the business development, revenue generation, and fundraising initiatives of the programme, ensuring high-impact and compliant delivery of all projects and contracts.

Success in this role requires a strategic, detail-oriented, and relationship-driven leader who can design and implement high-impact programming. This includes managing a strategic regional working group, delivering targeted interventions and projects, producing research and thought leadership that address the evolving needs of the sector, and hosting convenings and dedicated trainings.

Key responsibilities

Programmatic development and innovation

• Lead the design, development, and execution of the governance in MSMEs programme, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and strategic objectives.
• Continuously innovate and enhance the programme offering, identifying opportunities for improvement and greater impact in MSME governance.
• Develop and implement programme strategies that address emerging trends and challenges faced by MSMEs, ensuring relevance and long-term sustainability.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts, external consultants, and partners to co-create high-quality programme content and deliverables.
• Identify synergies between the programme and other organisational initiatives to drive greater impact across multiple business sectors.
• Co-create a strategic communications strategy, including priority social media channels and email campaigning, for the programme.

Business development, community enablement, and financial sustainability

• Develop and execute a business development and market stakeholders engagement strategy by identifying key target markets, potential funding sources, and partnership opportunities.
• Co-define funding targets to cover programmatic costs and work towards reserving longer-term working capital to ensure the financial sustainability of the programme.
• Explore and develop new revenue streams for the programme to diversify funding and enhance financial sustainability.
• Develop and lead community-building initiatives, such as workshops, convenings, online forums, and networking events, to facilitate knowledge sharing, collaboration, and relationship development.
• Represent the organisation by actively participating in relevant events, building new relationships with potential partners and collaborators, and promoting the organisation's programmes.
• Lead the development of compelling proposals that effectively communicate the value proposition of programmes to potential funders and partners, highlighting impact, sustainability, and strategic alignment with their objectives.
• Negotiate and finalise funding agreements and partnership contracts.

Projects management and contracts compliance

• Manage the design, execution, and timely high-quality delivery of collaborative needs-based projects and flagship initiatives, focused on research, executive education, capacity-building, and convenings.
• Adopt best practices in project management across all projects and initiatives, defining clear project scopes, developing detailed project plans, assigning roles and responsibilities, and implementing robust tracking and reporting.
• Manage programme teams and insourced third parties to ensure high accountability, strong performance, and preemptive risk management.
• Oversee the successful execution and delivery of all projects in line with contractual obligations, project timelines, and quality standards.
• Run projects and initiatives with careful cost control and resource allocation to support efforts to achieve financial sustainability with long-term working capital.
• Proactively communicate project and initiative updates to clients, partners, and internal stakeholders with timely reports on progress, challenges, and successes.

Expertise development and thought leadership

• Identify, study, and learn from market needs and pain points through research and stakeholder engagement to identify strategic opportunities for impact and growth.
• Lead the development of market-driven solutions by translating identified market needs and pain points into actionable programme initiatives.
• Curate and convene the programme’s working group, bringing in together working group members and special guests.
• Monitor the market’s offering, notable trends, and any disruptions to consistently strategically position the programme.
• Produce a consistent pipeline of high-quality, original bi-lingual content (e.g., op-eds, articles, blog posts, white papers, research reports, and working group position papers) that showcases expertise and generates meaningful conversations within the industry.
• Build a strong online presence by actively engaging in priority social media channels (e.g., LinkedIn, Twitter, industry-specific forums) to share content, participate in discussions, and network with other thought leaders.
• Cultivate relationships with journalists, analysts, and other industry influencers to amplify thought leadership and reach a wider audience.

Team mentorship and development

• Lead, mentor, and develop the programme team members, ensuring ongoing professional growth and skill development.
• Provide regular performance feedback and create growth opportunities for team members, including guidance on career development and training needs.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative work environment that encourages creativity, continuous learning, and innovation.
• Encourage cross-team collaboration and facilitate professional development opportunities to enhance team effectiveness and cohesion.

Impact measurement and reporting

• Co-define quarterly and yearly key impact metrics and engagement KPIs for the programme, ensuring milestones are achievable and validated with feasibility assessments.
• Develop surveys and feedback forms for programmatic impact and performance based on impact strategy, methodology, and templates.
• Coordinate data collection of surveys and feedback forms for programmatic impact and performance.
• Analyse data of surveys and feedback forms to study and learn from achieved and non-achieved programmatic impact and performance, based on key impact metrics and engagement KPIs identified in impact strategy.
• Develop an impact baseline assessment for the programme to measure progress towards meeting key market needs and addressing critical market gaps.
• Recommend and implement programmatic improvements, expansions, and other strategic directions from data and insights.
• Prepare impact reports and communicate findings on key impact metrics and engagement KPIs at key programme and project milestones.
• Curate, co-author, and publish programme specific sections for the annual report.

Qualifications and experience

• A master’s degree in a relevant field such as Business Administration and / or a related discipline, with proven expertise and strong analytical skills.
• Additional certifications in project management, corporate governance, impact measurement, small medium enterprise operations are highly desirable.
• At least 7 years of relevant experience in managing, coordinating, and executing programmes, academic institutions, think tanks, research centers, member-based networks/councils, or non-profit organisations.
• Work experience with MSMEs, entrepreneurial ventures and / or start-ups is highly desirable, with a deep understanding of governance and impact frameworks, regulatory compliance, and sustainability practices.
• Demonstrated experience leading in business development, revenue generation, and / or fundraising for programmes, projects, and / or initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver programmes independently while managing and building relationships with multiple senior market stakeholders, partners, and vendors.
• Expertise in research, impact analysis, impact-driven programme development, and curriculum design is highly desirable.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, and a portfolio of published writings is highly desirable.
• Fluency in English is required.
• Fluency in Arabic is required.

Personal attributes

• Self-initiator and self-learner
• Emotional and social intelligence
• Strategic and solutions-driven
• Passionate about subject area
• Hardworking and meticulous
• Natural leader and team manager
• Collaborative and adaptive
• Open and transparent communicator
• Purposeful and driven by impact
• Strong work ethic embodying good governance and integrity