Head of Program Delivery & Systems

Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy; Karachi Division; On-site; PKR 6,000,000 - 10,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Legal Aid Society (LAS) in Karachi, Pakistan, seeks a strategic Head of Program Delivery & Systems to drive organization-wide program delivery and donor compliance. You will oversee program managers, strengthen delivery systems, and modernize data, ERP, dashboards, AI, and automation for measurable results.

This senior role reports to the CEO and leads across major themes, with focus on risk management, data governance, and strategic operations to scale LAS’s impact.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Social Policy, Public Policy, Development Studies, Law, International Relations, or a related field is required.
• Certifications in project management (PMP, PRINCE2) or M&E are advantageous.
• Minimum 7–10 years of progressive program management experience, with 3–4 years leading multi-person teams.
• Experience with multi-donor portfolios (EU, FCDO, UN, US government, bilateral donors) is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery oversight for all active donor-funded programs across thematic pillars.
• Manage annual program budgets and new project budgets with Finance and department heads.
• Maintain a live data-driven portfolio tracker and ensure donor compliance.
• Oversee ERP, dashboards, BI tools, and CMS for real-time visibility and integration.
• Lead risk management, donor reporting, and cross-functional collaboration across teams.

Skills

Strategic leadership

People management

Risk management

Communication

Stakeholder management

Education

Master's degree in relevant field

Tools

ERP systems

BI dashboards

CRM data tools

Google Workspace

AI tools

Job description

The Head of Program Delivery & Systems will drive organization-wide program delivery, bringing together people, performance, data, systems, and donor compliance under one strong operational framework. Reporting directly to the CEO, this role will oversee Program Managers, strengthen delivery systems, and ensure LAS’s programs move from plans and commitments to measurable results.

The role is ideal for a senior program leader who can think strategically, spot delivery risks early, build high-performing teams, and modernize the way programs use data, ERP, dashboards, AI, and automation.

If you have experience managing complex donor-funded portfolios and want to shape how a growing justice-focused organization delivers at scale, this is a leadership role with real ownership and impact.

Position summary

The Head of Program Delivery & Systems is a senior leadership role responsible for the operational oversight, quality delivery, people management and systems infrastructure of Legal Aid Society's entire program portfolio. This role leads the program management team across all thematic pillars, owns donor compliance and reporting, and is directly responsible for the organization's program-level data, ERP and dashboard infrastructure.

This position is LAS's primary deputy for program operations and reports directly to the CEO. The Head of Program Delivery & Systems is expected to maintain CEO-level visibility of delivery results, proactively manage risk, build a strong program management team, and modernize LAS's program systems and data practices.

Key responsibilities

1. Program Leadership and Portfolio Oversight

• Lead delivery oversight for all active donor-funded programs across Gender, Access to Justice, Climate Resilience, FoRB and other institutional initiatives.
• Lead development of annual program budgets and new project/proposal budgets, in coordination with Finance and department heads
• Maintain a live, data-driven portfolio tracker; ensure project-level compliance with workplans, LFAs and donor commitments
• Chair monthly Business Reviews (MBR) with program teams; co-lead quarterly cross-functional reviews with M&E, Finance, Communications and Operations
• Proactively brief the CEO on delivery risks, emerging operational issues and course-correction proposals
• Review and approve all donor reports, narrative submissions and program-level communications before they go to the CEO or donor
• Lead quarterly program management cadence: team 1:1s, joint program meetings, cross-departmental coordination
• Provide Oversight on major program events, launches, workshops and seminars, including invitations, arrangements and logistics

2. People Management and Team Development

• Directly manage program staff (Program Managers and Associates) with 1:1s, structured check-ins and development-focused supervision
• Identify capacity gaps across the team; design and implement learning and development plans, mentoring structures and meaningful delegation
• Lead recruitment for program positions including JD development, shortlisting, test design and interview panels
• Conduct performance appraisals and hold accountability for results across the team
• Create a team culture of proactivity, data ownership and continuous improvement

3. ERP, Systems and Organizational Learning

• Ensure full ERP compliance across all program teams — workplans, LFAs, targets, results and donor reports uploaded and current
• Lead ERP stock-takes and data quality reviews; coordinate with the Program Delivery Associate and MERL advisor on data integrity
• Oversee development and maintenance of program dashboards, BI tools and CMS for real-time portfolio visibility; coordinate with the Tech team
• Build and maintain a knowledge management system — organized, accessible documentation for all program outputs, reports and institutional learning

4. Data Management & Technology

• Lead AI integration into program workflows — prompt design, automation of reporting cycles, and LLM-assisted case management tools and solutions
• Use vibe coding and low-code/no-code approaches to build lightweight tools and automations that support program delivery
• Clean, organize and analyze datasets to generate actionable insights that inform litigation programming and decision-making
• Maintain data hygiene across all departmental systems and tools

5. Donor Compliance, Reporting and Risk Management

• Own the organization-wide donor reporting calendar; ensure all reports are submitted on time, to standard and with verified data
• Lead or review all quarterly progress reports, annual reports, completion reports and endline evaluations
• Ensure compliance with donor-specific requirements: procurement thresholds, safeguarding standards, financial reporting linkages and audit readiness
• Identify and document delivery and compliance risks; maintain a live risk register; elevate critical risks to CEO in a timely, solution-oriented manner
• Review publications — result reports, project reports, research reports, newsletters and other outputs — and provide technical feedback prior to finalization
• Coordinate with Finance, HR and Operations on cross-cutting compliance requirements

6. Stakeholder and Partner Management

• Represent LAS in government engagements, delivery-focused donor meetings and multi-stakeholder forums at provincial and federal level
• Lead and oversee Implementation Partner (IP) relationships — due diligence, contract management, progress monitoring and capacity support
• Build strategic relationships with government departments, bar associations, civil society organizations, academic institutions and peer agencies
• Coordinate with Litigation, SLACC, Research, Communications and Finance to ensure integrated program delivery
• Work in structured lockstep with the Business Development & Partnerships Lead, supplying delivery data, results and evidence for proposals and donor narratives
• Develop annual procurement plans in coordination with Program leads and the Procurement department;
• Support department heads in developing annual recruitment plans, beyond hiring for program team roles;
• Provide strategic oversight of the Justice Hub network, including operational systems, staff performance and stakeholder integration
• Lead Justice Hub strategy implementation, target-setting and 6-month forward operational planning
• Ensure integration of JH activities into ERP, CRM and the organizational dashboard; oversee NOC processes, office setup and legal registration
• Oversee CRM, intake management, mediation referral systems and court representation reporting across all hubs

8. Strategic Planning Contribution

• Contribute program delivery data, risk assessments and operational feasibility input to the CEO's organizational strategy, OKRs and Growth Strategy sessions
• Translate organizational strategy into actionable program delivery frameworks; ensure every program team's activities are linked to strategic outcomes
• Support institutionalization of Program Management SOPs — project cycle management, results measurement, reporting standards and data governance

Requirements

Education

• Master's degree in Social Policy, Public Policy, Development Studies, Law, International Relations, or a related field
• Relevant professional certifications in project management (PMP, PRINCE2) or M&E are an advantage

Experience

• Minimum 7–10 years of progressive experience in program management and delivery, with at least 3–4 years directly managing multi-person teams
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-donor institutional portfolios (EU, FCDO, UN, US government, bilateral donors)
• Proven track record supervising, developing and holding accountable a team of program managers
• Experience in access to justice, rule of law, gender, human rights, or legal aid sectors is preferred
• Experience working in Pakistan — provincial and federal government engagement, NGO compliance and local implementation contexts

Technical Skills

• Program management: project cycle, LFA design, results measurement, workplan management
• Donor reporting: writing, formatting and compliance across multiple donor frameworks
• Data systems: ERP use, dashboard tools, Google Workspace, data visualization
• Proficient in AI tools, workflow automation and low-code/no-code build approaches
• Risk management: delivery risk identification, escalation and recovery planning
• People management: structured supervision, performance management, capacity development

Knowledge

• Deep knowledge of program management cycles and donor compliance frameworks
• Familiarity with thematic areas: gender justice, access to justice, rule of law, child protection, climate resilience
• Understanding of Pakistan's legal, civil society and development landscape
• Knowledge of organizational systems: ERP, MIS, CRM and data governance

Values and Personal Attributes

• Committed to social justice, equity, inclusion and the rule of law
• Strong operational leader — anticipates delivery risk before it becomes urgent
• Proactive, takes initiative and leads with accountability
• Strong communicator — clear, timely, well-framed written and verbal communication
• Collaborative and developmentally focused in managing teams
• Resilient and calm under pressure; manages complexity with clarity

WHAT THIS ROLE OFFERS

Senior leadership role with direct CEO reporting and org-wide delivery visibility

• Ownership of LAS's program operations, people and systems — without proposal-writing pressure diluting focus
• Diverse portfolio multiple donors, thematic areas and geographic reach
• Platform to modernize institutional systems, build a strong program management bench and mentor a growing team

EEO & Non-Discrimination Statement:

Integrated into our shared values is LAS’s commitment to diversity and equal employment opportunity.All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of sex, age, race, colour, creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristics or conduct protected by law. LAS is committed to being an inclusive organization where all people are treated fairly, recognized for their individuality, promoted based on performance and encouraged to strive to reach their full potential. We believe in understanding and respecting differences among all people.Every individual at LAS has an ongoing responsibility to respect and support a diverse environment.

Safeguarding & PSEA Commitment

Legal Aid Society (LAS) is committed to the prevention and protection from all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA). LAS explicitly prohibits its staff, associates, partners, consultants, or any other representatives associated with the delivery of its work from:

• Engaging in any form of sexual exploitation or abuse;
• Sexual activity with children (persons below the age of 18) irrespective of a mistaken belief of the age of the child which shall not amount to a defense;
• Exchange of money, employment, goods or services for sex, including sexual favors or other forms of humiliating, degrading or exploitative behavior, is prohibited. This includes any exchange of assistance that is due to beneficiaries of assistance;
• Sexual relationships between LAS staff and beneficiaries of assistance, since they are based on inherently unequal power dynamics, undermine the credibility and integrity of the work of LAS and are strongly discouraged.