Head of Programmes and Partnerships

About Restless Development

Restless Development is a non-profit global agency. We support the collective power of young leaders to create a better world. We are independently registered and governed in nine countries (India, Nepal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, UK, USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe) bound together by our vision for youth power.

We are a global team of more than 200 people based in 13 countries and we also host a growing youth collective of close to 4,000 youth organisations in 185 countries. We are committed to creating an agency that paves the way on youth-led change and walks the talk on power shifting

Since 2003, Restless Development Zambia has been empowering youth to voice their concerns, facilitating their access to decision-makers for accountability, and fostering platforms for youth to showcase their effectiveness as change agents. We focus on strengthening the capacity of government institutions, civil society partners and NGOs to engage effectively with the youth. Our evidence based policy engagement spans across government, private sector and NGO sectors, positioning us as an innovative partner in development.

Our approach to Safeguarding

Restless Development Zambia considers the welfare and protection of children, young people and vulnerable adults to be an  organisational imperative with primacy over the success of programmes or strategic objectives. We recognise that  safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and we expect all of our staff, volunteers and partners to ensure we protect  the communities in which we operate from harm and abide by our Safeguarding policy.

About the role

Restless Development Zambia is taking up a position as the banner carrier for youth-led development demonstrating at the grassroots and policy levels that young people can and must play a lead role in development. More detail on Restless Development Zambia’s mission, strategy, operations and programmes can be found in the organisational description accompanying this Job Description. Restless Development Zambia is seeking to recruit a dynamic and experienced Head of Programmes and Partnership who will be Working alongside the Hub Director in Zambia.

Skills and experience

Essential

• Graduate-level Degree in relevant field of study, or equivalent work experience.
• 5–7 years of experience in a leadership role, ideally NGO experience preferred.
• Proven leader, with at least three years management experience in programme and/or human resources management.
• Experience in the development sector.
• Strong leadership skills with a focus on team development, staff wellbeing, and inclusive management practices.
• Ability to turn organizational goals into clear operational plans that are achievable and measurable.
• Skilled in managing limited resources effectively, including donor funding, grants and organizational budgets.
• Comfortable working across programs, finance, HR, and to ensure integrated support for all teams.
• Understanding of safeguarding, health and safety, and compliance issues relevant to NGO operations.
• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills, including working with diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively within a team.
• Strong project management skills and experience in managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders.

Desirable

• Distance management of field offices preferred.
• Experience in programme management, strategic leadership, fundraising, monitoring and evaluation and/or capacity building
• Fluent written and spoken English. Fluency in local languages is preferred.
• Experience working with young people is highly preferred.
• Knowledge of relevant national and international strategies and frameworks in the areas of youth empowerment, sexual and reproductive health, HIV and AIDS, livelihoods and other poverty-related global development priorities preferred.
• Understanding of risk and how to respond and mitigate it in local and international settings.
• Understanding of how to manage the safety of people working in diverse and often rural communities
• Proven track record of working collaboratively with different teams on complex matters.
• Belief in the values of Restless Development Zambia and ability to uphold them personally.
• A strong personal commitment to the values. Code of conduct and methods of  Restless Development Zambia.

Person Specification

• The successful individual will have the interpersonal skills necessary to establish and manage working relationships in large teams of staff with varying levels of management and programmes experience.
• The successful candidate will enjoy working in a youthful, multi-cultural environment.

How to Apply 

Please send a completed application form to zambiajobs@restlessdevelopment.org by 9th September, 2025.  For example subject: Application – Your Name – Head of Programmes and Partnerships

Click here to download the Application Form
Click here here to download the Job Description

Kindly note that the application form can not be edited online. It has to be downloaded offline to be edited. If you encounter any challenges with downloading the Application form and the Job description you can request for them.

First round interviews are scheduled to take place on a date to be advised.

Restless Development Zambia is an Equal Opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sectors of  the community. Restless Development Zambia will ensure that no applicant or staff member receives less favourable  treatment on the grounds of gender, marital status, social status, caste, race, ethnic origin,  religious belief, age, HIV status, disability, or any other factor that cannot be shown to be relevant to  performance