Job Description

CeSHHAR Zimbabwe is an organisation that specialises in population health research and programming, including on sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. CeSHHAR has an extensive national, regional, and international academic and community partnership network. CeSHHAR has a diverse range of funders which include the Wellcome Trust, Gates Foundation, United States NIH, UK Medical Research Council, European Commission, Templeton World Charity Foundation, and Global Fund for AIDS TB and Malaria. We partner very closely with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (UK), Zimbabwe's Ministry of Health and Child Care and international and regional centres of research excellence to evaluate national programmes and determine the impact, uptake, and cost effectiveness of novel reproductive health interventions.

Duties and Responsibilities

Job Role
The Senior Programme Manager (SPM) will serve as the department’s cross-project operational alignment Manager for the Implementation Science Portfolio, reporting directly to the Director and Head of the Climate, Environment, and Health Department. The SPM will work in close partnership with the Head of Department to support grant-making, scientific submissions, and the integration of research outputs into implementation Science portfolio and policy processes. The SPM will have oversight of the operational delivery of only five of CEHD flagship studies— HIGH Horizons; HAPI; MERCURY, GHAP, and REACT Studies. This includes ensuring consistent project management systems, adherence to timelines, and quality standards across all sites within our Implementation Science Portfolio in the demonstration sites. The SPM will directly supervise Programme Managers and Research Managers, ensuring they deliver on their project mandates, while fostering cross-project learning, innovation, and continuous improvement. The role will be ensuring alignment between field teams, technical leads, and policy actors, and providing the CEHD Director and Head of Department with timely intelligence from implementation sites.

Key Responsibilities:
• Provide operational leadership across the department’s five of CEHD flagship studies– HIGH Horizons; HAPI; MERCURY, GHAP, and REACT Studies – ensuring strategic alignment and quality delivery.
• Supervise Programme Managers and Research Managers; ensure coordinators are supported through their line managers.
• Work with the Head of Department to support grant-making, journal submissions, and research uptake planning.
• Ensure alignment of project activities with departmental objectives, donor requirements, and ethical standards.
• Lead cross-project learning and adaptation workshops across sites to enhance innovation and knowledge transfer.
• Establish and maintain systems for monitoring progress, managing risks, and ensuring quality across all studies.
• Coordinate operational stakeholder engagement with implementing partners, government agencies, and community structures.
• Provide the Head of Department with timely intelligence and recommendations from implementation sites.
• Support scale-up strategies and operational readiness for national or regional replication of successful interventions as agreed with the CEHD Head of Department.
• Uphold safeguarding and risk management protocols in all operational activities.
• Undertake other duties as assigned by the Director/HOD of Climate, Environment and Health.

Qualifications and Experience

• A master’s degree in public policy and management, Development Policy and Management, Population Studies and Settlements, Business Management, Health Systems, or a related field.
• At least 8 years’ experience managing complex health or climate-health programmes in low-resource settings.
• Demonstrated experience supervising multi-project teams and delivering results across multiple sites.
• Familiarity with climate adaptation, maternal and newborn health, or health systems strengthening.
• Proven ability to manage budgets, logistics, and donor reporting requirements.
• Strong interpersonal and organisational skills, with the ability to work with diverse teams and partners.
• Experience working with government stakeholders and contributing to policy engagement processes.
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and community-centred practice.

How to Apply

Step 1: Click Here
Step 2: If you are interested in the above position, please email your CV and application cover letter addressed to the Human Resources Director and send to [email protected] Indicate the position you are applying for in the subject line. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

CeSHHAR Zimbabwe is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, sexual orientation, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply.

The successful candidate will undergo relevant background checks and will be required to commit in writing to comply with the CeSHHAR Zimbabwe safeguarding guidelines.

Click to Apply