Senior Lead Country Portfolio

Mothers2Mothers; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Incentives

Health benefits

Retirement plan

Career development

Job summary

Mothers2Mothers is seeking a Senior Lead Country Portfolio to provide strategic and operational leadership across the country portfolio, ensuring compliant, high-quality delivery of donor-funded programmes while strengthening performance, financial discipline, and risk management across countries.

This role will bridge strategy, funding, and implementation, collaborating with Programme Development and Impact leadership and cross-functional teams to support smarter scale, cost efficiency, and

Qualifications

• Master's degree or higher in a relevant field.
• Minimum 10 years of donor-funded programme management experience.
• Experience with multi-country health programmes and major donors (USAID, Global Fund, UNICEF) is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic oversight of the country portfolio and line-manage Country Leads.
• Oversee end-to-end donor-funded awards, ensuring timely delivery and reporting.
• Manage budgets, financial performance, and cost-efficiency across countries.
• Provide line management, coaching, and performance feedback to Country Leads.
• Coordinate with Finance, HR, Procurement, M&E, and Technical teams to support delivery.
• Ensure compliance with donor requirements, policies, and regulatory frameworks.
• Align delivery with pipeline development and strategic priorities with PID leadership.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Donor engagement

Grant management

Financial management

Risk management

Communication & coordination

Team leadership

Cost efficiency

Education

Master's degree in Public Health, International Development, Business Administration, or related field

Job description

The Senior Lead Country Portfolio provides strategic and operational leadership across m2m's

country portfolio managed through Country Leads.

The role is responsible for ensuring high

quality, compliant, and efficient delivery of donor-funded programmes, while strengthening

performance, financial discipline, and risk management across countries.

This role works in close collaboration with Programme Development and Impact (PID)

leadership to ensure alignment between pipeline development, funding opportunities, and delivery capacity. It plays a critical role in bridging strategy, funding, and implementation to support smarter scale, cost efficiency, and sustainable growth.

The position serves as a key interface between country teams, Programme & Impact leadership, and cross-functional support units to ensure aligned, responsive, and high-performing programme delivery.

Key Performance Areas

Country Portfolio Leadership and Oversight

• Provide strategic oversight of countries within the country portfolio
• Line manage and support Country Leads to ensure strong leadership, accountability, and performance
• Ensure delivery of programmes in line with organisational strategy and donor expectations
• Monitor country performance and drive timely corrective actions where required
• Support countries in strengthening sustainability, scale, and alignment with national systems

Grant and Award Management

• Oversee end-to-end management of donor-funded awards across countries
• Ensure timely and high-quality delivery against donor deliverables, milestones, and reporting requirements
• Strengthen grant management practices, including planning, implementation tracking, and close-out processes
• Support Country Managers in donor engagement and relationship management
• Ensure alignment between programme delivery and contractual obligations

Financial Oversight and Cost Efficiency

• Oversee budget management, forecasting, and financial performance across countries
• Ensure effective use of resources and adherence to donor financial requirements
• Drive improved cost efficiency, utilisation, and value-for-money across the portfolio
• Identify financial risks and support mitigation strategies
• Work closely with PID to ensure alignment between pipeline, costing, and delivery capacity

Human Resources and Team Management

• Provide line management, coaching, and performance management for Country Leads
• Ensure appropriate staffing structures aligned to programme needs and budgets
• Support workforce planning, recruitment, and retention strategies
• Foster a high-performance culture aligned with m2m values (Driven, Nimble, Decisive)
• Strengthen leadership capacity within country teams

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Ensure effective coordination between country teams and central support functions (Finance, HR, Procurement, M&E, Technical)
• Facilitate timely and appropriate support to countries to enable delivery
• Strengthen communication and alignment across Programme & Impact teams
• Work closely with PID leadership to ensure strong alignment between programme delivery and pipeline development
• Support integration of technical assistance, innovation, and best practices across countries

Compliance, Risk, and Quality Assurance

• Ensure full compliance with donor requirements, organisational policies, and regulatory frameworks
• Monitor programme and operational risks across the portfolio and implement mitigation measures
• Strengthen internal controls and accountability mechanisms
• Support audit processes and ensure timely resolution of findings
• Ensure consistent quality of programme implementation and reporting

Strategic Contribution and Portfolio Alignment

• Work in close collaboration with PID leadership to align country delivery with pipeline development and strategic priorities
• Contribute to decisions on country portfolio management, including scale, optimisation, or redesign
• Support identification of new opportunities and ensure readiness for implementation
• Ensure alignment between funding opportunities, operational capacity, and strategic focus

Qualifications, Experience and Competencies

• Master's degree in Public Health, International Development, Business Administration, or a related field
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in managing donor-funded programmes, preferably in multi-country settings
• Proven experience in grant and portfolio management, including working with major donors (e.g. USAID, Global Fund, UNICEF)
• Strong financial management and budgeting experience
• Demonstrated leadership and team management experience across diverse and geographically dispersed teams
• Experience in health systems strengthening, technical assistance, or large-scale programme implementation is an advantage

Key Competencies

• Strategic leadership and decision-making
• Strong programme and grant management skills
• Financial acumen and cost management
• Stakeholder and donor engagement
• Risk management and problem-solving
• Ability to operate in complex, multi-country environments
• Strong communication and coordination skills
• Results-driven with a focus on impact and efficiency

Success Profile

The successful candidate will:

• Drive high-quality, compliant programme delivery across countries
• Strengthen cost efficiency and operational performance
• Ensure strong alignment between delivery, pipeline, and strategy in collaboration with PID
• Enable responsive, well-supported country teams
• Contribute to smarter scale and sustainable growth
• Foster a high-performing and accountable team culture

Working Conditions

• Full time role
• Limited travel required across sub Saharan Africa
• Working over weekends / overtime maybe required occasionally.

The Package

• Competitive salary and performance-based incentives.
• Comprehensive benefits (health, retirement, leave, etc.).
• Opportunities for growth, leadership, and professional development.