Deputy Director Of Global Programme Operations

Islamic Relief Worldwide; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Islamic Relief Worldwide in Birmingham, UK, seeks a Deputy Director - Global Programme Operations to lead and oversee its international programme portfolio, ensuring high standards of quality, accountability, and safeguarding across diverse contexts.

As a senior leader you will mentor programme managers, engage with donors and governments, and drive operational excellence, risk management, and learning across country offices with international travel expected.

Qualifications

• Significant senior leadership experience within a large international NGO or similarly complex organisation.
• Proven experience leading complex humanitarian and development programmes across multiple countries.
• Experience of managing major humanitarian emergency responses and organisational crisis situations.
• Strong operational leadership skills with ability to oversee programme delivery across diverse global contexts.
• Extensive knowledge of international humanitarian systems, donor requirements, accountability frameworks, and sector best practices.
• Demonstrable experience developing and implementing organisational strategies and operational plans.
• Strong experience in donor compliance, financial oversight, safeguarding, governance, and risk management.
• Experience leading, coaching, and developing senior leaders and geographically dispersed teams.
• Excellent stakeholder management, influencing, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to analyse complex operational, financial, and risk information and make sound strategic decisions.
• Highly developed communication and leadership skills with the ability to inspire confidence and drive performance.
• Experience representing organisations with donors, governments, UN agencies, international networks, and strategic partners.
• The ability to work effectively within a matrix management environment while managing competing priorities.
• A commitment to Islamic Relief's mission, values, and humanitarian principles.
• A postgraduate qualification, or equivalent senior-level experience, in international development, humanitarian studies, management, or a related discipline.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across Islamic Relief's international programme portfolio, overseeing programme performance, risk management, compliance, safeguarding, financial stewardship, partnerships, and emergency preparedness.
• Act as second-in-command within the International Programmes Division, supporting translation of strategy into operational delivery.
• Lead senior programme managers and regional leaders to drive accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Oversee donor compliance, governance, risk management, and reporting to strengthen organisational effectiveness.
• Represent Islamic Relief with donors, governments, UN agencies, and strategic partners to secure funding and partnerships.
• Travel internationally to emergency and complex operating environments as required.

Skills

Senior leadership

Programme operations

Donor compliance

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Executive leadership

Education

Postgraduate qualification in international development or related discipline

Job description

We are seeking an exceptional Deputy Director - Global Programme Operations to join our International Programmes Division, based in Birmingham, UK.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced humanitarian leader to help shape and oversee the delivery of Islamic Relief's global programme portfolio. You will play a critical role in ensuring that our humanitarian and development programmes are delivered safely, compliantly, efficiently, and with the highest standards of quality and accountability, enabling vulnerable communities around the world to access the support they need.

As a senior leader within the organisation, you will work closely with the Director of International Programmes, Regional Leadership Teams, Country Offices, donors, and strategic partners to strengthen organisational effectiveness and maximise programme impact across diverse and complex operating environments.

About the Role

The Deputy Director - Global Programme Operations provides strategic and operational leadership across Islamic Relief's international programme portfolio, overseeing programme performance, risk management, compliance, safeguarding, financial stewardship, partnerships, and emergency preparedness.

Acting as the second-in-command within the International Programmes Division, you will support the translation of organisational strategy into effective operational delivery, ensuring that regional and country teams are equipped to deliver high-quality humanitarian and development programmes at scale.

You will provide leadership to senior programme managers and regional leaders, driving a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, learning, innovation, and operational excellence. The role requires strong oversight of programme quality, donor compliance, financial performance, safeguarding, and risk, while supporting strategic decision-making through robust analysis and reporting.

The postholder will also represent Islamic Relief with donors, governments, UN agencies, strategic partners, and other external stakeholders, helping to strengthen relationships, secure funding opportunities, and enhance organisational influence within the humanitarian and development sector.

Given the nature of the role, there will be a requirement to travel internationally, including to emergency and complex operating environments, sometimes at short notice.

The Successful Candidate Will Have:

• Significant senior leadership experience within a large international NGO or similarly complex organisation.

• Proven experience leading complex humanitarian and development programmes across multiple countries.

• Experience of managing major humanitarian emergency responses and organisational crisis situations.

• Strong operational leadership skills, with the ability to oversee programme delivery across diverse global contexts.

• Extensive knowledge of international humanitarian systems, donor requirements, accountability frameworks, and sector best practices.

• Demonstrable experience developing and implementing organisational strategies and operational plans.

• Strong experience in donor compliance, financial oversight, safeguarding, governance, and risk management.

• Experience leading, coaching, and developing senior leaders and geographically dispersed teams.

• Excellent stakeholder management, influencing, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.

• The ability to analyse complex operational, financial, and risk information and make sound strategic decisions.

• Highly developed communication and leadership skills with the ability to inspire confidence and drive performance.

• Experience representing organisations with donors, governments, UN agencies, international networks, and strategic partners.

• The ability to work effectively within a matrix management environment while managing competing priorities.

• A commitment to Islamic Relief's mission, values, and humanitarian principles.

• A postgraduate qualification, or equivalent senior-level experience, in international development, humanitarian studies, management, or a related discipline.

Desirable

• Experience operating at Director, Deputy Director, or executive leadership level.

• Professional qualifications in programme management, leadership, risk, safeguarding, finance, or a related field.

• Experience leading organisational transformation, change management, or operating model improvements.

• Experience working with boards, trustees, or governance committees.

• Experience of partnership-led programming and localisation approaches.

• Experience producing executive-level assurance reporting and organisational performance analysis.

• Working knowledge of an additional language relevant to Islamic Relief's international operations.

Why Join Islamic Relief?

This is an opportunity to play a pivotal leadership role within one of the world's leading humanitarian and development organisations.

As Deputy Director - Global Programme Operations, you will help shape how Islamic Relief delivers life-changing programmes across some of the world's most challenging contexts. Your leadership will directly influence programme quality, operational effectiveness, emergency response capability, and the impact delivered to millions of people globally.

You will join a passionate and purpose-driven organisation that values compassion, accountability, innovation, partnership, and excellence, while providing the opportunity to contribute to meaningful change on a global scale.

If you are a strategic humanitarian leader with a track record of driving operational excellence, strengthening programme performance, and leading high‑performing international teams, we would welcome your application.