Program Officer

ELMA Philanthropies seeks a Program Officer to join our Kampala based team to develop and manage grant investments, and provide strategic leadership for the dynamic and growing community-led initiatives portfolio in Africa. The Program Officer will report to the Regional Director, and will work closely with ELMA’s program, finance, and legal, teams across offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Kampala, and New York. The ability to be an active, collaborative, and collegial team member of a dynamic global team and to demonstrate flexibility to provide support across the ELMA portfolios is essential for success in this role.

Job Responsibilities:

Working closely with the Regional Director, the Program Officer will be expected to:

• Identify programs and organizations in East Africa that fit within ELMA Philanthropies’ community-led initiatives focus areas and broader approach to philanthropy
• Conduct thorough grantee due diligence, including critical analysis of applications, budgets, organizational strengths and weaknesses, and external risk factors
• Develop, write, and present concise, high quality investment recommendations
• Critically monitor programmatic effectiveness and grantee’s financial management of grant funds through review of periodic reports and grantee site visits
• Diligently manage all relevant aspects of grants administration
• Analyze grantee reports and prepare documentation to facilitate timely grant payments and other grant actions
• Support the success of grantees in the portfolio, including connecting them to appropriate resources
• Assess performance of the portfolio, and design solutions to improve performance and impact
• Manage and grow strategic relationships with grantees, co-funders, government, and other key stakeholders
• Contribute to organizational learning and strategy development
• Other duties, as assigned

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the incumbent(s) of this job. They are not intended to form an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and activities required for the position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Alignment to Values:

All ELMA employees are expected to demonstrate fit with ELMA’ Philanthropies’ organizational values and culture. Specifically, all employees are expected to demonstrate a commitment to:

• ELMA Philanthropies’ core values of: humility and integrity; respect for human dignity; pursuit of excellence; commitment to partnership; and a results-orientation informed by continuous learning; and
• Gender equity, social justice, and combatting white supremacy, patriarchy, homophobia, colonialism, and other intersecting systems of oppression.

Required Qualifications:

• Educational background and/or professional interest in at least one or more areas of ELMA Philanthropies’ focus areas
• A minimum of five years’ experience in managing programs, grant making, or equivalent private sector experience
• Demonstrated facility with analyzing budgets, financial statements and conducting thorough financial due diligence of potential grantees
• Excellent analytical skills and ability to strategize, plan, prioritize and identify/assess opportunities, risks, challenges in programming
• Ability to source, analyze, synthesize, and effectively present information and data for a variety of audiences
• A strong understanding of how to apply racial and gender analyses to programming so that ELMA’s philanthropy is directed to diverse, gender-equitable, BIPOC and African-led organizations
• A strong and critical understanding of international development
• Passion for social justice and improving the lives of children in Africa
• Ability to work in a dynamic organization; flexible and adaptable to rapid change; quick learner, comfortable with fast paced environment; a self-starter and team-player
• Strong work ethic and ability to prioritize and multi-task
• Excellent relationship-building skills and ability to collaborate on internal teams of diverse backgrounds as well as with external stakeholders and partners
• Experience developing and managing partnerships and programs
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Ability to work non-traditional hours and travel locally and internationally as needed
• Fluency in English and excellent oral and written communication skills
• Excellent Excel skills and ability to analyze and present data in a highly organized manner
• Bachelor’s degree is required
• Master’s degree in a relevant field is strongly preferred but not required
• Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship
• Ability to work in-person in Kampala, 9am-5pm and work early mornings and evenings on a limited basis.

Salary, Benefits & Other Details:

Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications with attractive benefits. The salary range for this position is USD45,000 to USD50,000.

ELMA Philanthropies’ employees are expected to work in the office located in Kampala city Monday – Thursday, full time with the option to work remotely on Friday.

How to Apply:

The ELMA Philanthropies is an equal opportunities employer and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply for this position. All employment decisions shall be made without regard to race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, family responsibility, ethnic or social origin, national origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, genetic information, HIV or other health status, conscience, belief, political opinion, culture, language, birth, military or veteran status, or any other arbitrary ground in accordance with applicable national laws or regulations.

If you would like to apply for this position, please submit your application with the following:

• A cover letter
• CV
• Details of contactable references