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Programmes Manager

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Johannesburg, South Africa 

 

Summary

 

Futurelect seeks a sharp, curious, and politically savvy Programmes Manager: Southern Africa. The Programmes Manager: Southern Africa is responsible for supporting the Regional Head of Programmes: Southern Africa in designing, implementing and improving Futurelect’s Southern Africa public leadership and civic education programmes. The Programmes Manager: Southern Africa will report directly to the Regional Head of Programmes: Southern Africa.

 

About Futurelect

 

Founded in 2018 in Johannesburg, Futurelect is a non-profit, public benefit organisation with operations in South Africa, Kenya, and the United Kingdom, committed to strengthening democracy in Africa. We support a new generation of ethical political and government leaders and promote active, engaged citizenship amongst Africa’s young electorates. 

 

Our non-partisan, interdisciplinary public leadership programmes in Southern, East, and West Africa are designed to increase the participation of African women and youth in government by addressing the unique challenges they face when running for office and by helping them build the skills and networks to lead with integrity and impact. Our online Civic Education Programme in South Africa is designed to build vibrant, engaged electorates by equipping them with the knowledge to participate in civic life.

 

Responsibilities and Duties

 

Programme Design

 

  • Support the design, implementation and improvement of Futurelect’s Southern Africa public leadership and civic education programmes in line with organisational strategy;

  • Assist with the development of programme implementation plans, including annual, quarterly and monthly workplans;

  • Support the development of programme curricula and the adaptation of new ideas, taking into account regional and national contexts;

  • Provide innovative ideas for programmes, including new learning formats, partnerships, and delivery models;

  • Support quality assurance across all programme content, learning journeys, and participant experiences.

 

Programme Delivery

 

  • Support the end-to-end delivery of Futurelect’s Southern Africa public leadership and civic education programmes, ensuring timely, efficient, and high-quality execution;

  • Draft and monitor programme performance indicators, learning outcomes, and impact metrics;

  • Review programme information, including reports and evaluations, to inform decision-making and continuous improvement;

  • Support programme risk management, troubleshooting delivery challenges, and ensuring contingency planning;

  • Ensure compliance with organisational policies, donor requirements, and reporting standards.

 

Budgeting and Reporting

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  • Help develop and manage programme budgets, forecasts, and expenditure tracking;

  • Ensure cost-effectiveness and donor compliance;

  • Compile monthly progress reports;

  • Ensure high-quality donor, impact, and performance reporting aligned with funding agreements and organisational standards.

 

Communications & Stakeholder Engagement

 

  • Provide support in building strategic partnerships with governments, political institutions, public sector bodies, universities, think tanks, the private sector and civil society organisations across Southern Africa;

  • Help build long-term relationships with partners that strengthen Futurelect’s positioning and programme sustainability;

  • Identify potential partnership opportunities that advance the impact of Futurelect’s Southern Africa programmes;

  • Support responses to media enquiries, including drafting op-eds, press statements, and related content as required;

  • Support organisational brand-building through collaboration with the marketing and communications team to enhance storytelling and public engagement.

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Minimum Requirements

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Non-negotiable Experience

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  • Minimum of 3 to 5 years’ experience in programme coordination, management or implementation within public leadership development, civic education, governance and democracy support or related fields;

  • Demonstrated experience managing regional and national programmes from planning to delivery, monitoring, reporting and close-out;

  • Proven experience supporting donor-funded programmes, including compliance with donor requirements, budget tracking, and narrative reporting;

  • Experience working in or on Southern Africa, with a strong understanding of regional and national political and civic contexts;

  • Experience contributing to programme design and curriculum development;

  • Strong written communication experience, including drafting programme reports, donor updates, learning or impact documentation;

  • Proficiency in Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides);

  • Experience using online meeting platforms (e.g. Zoom, MS Teams, Google Meet);

  • Experience working with at least one project management tool (e.g. Monday.com, Trello, Asana or similar).

 

Key Competencies

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  • Ability to manage multiple programmes simultaneously without compromising quality;

  • Strong programme planning and coordination skills; 

  • Experience tracking performance indicators, learning outcomes and impact metrics;

  • Comfort working with facilitators, subject-matter experts and institutional partners;

  • Understanding immersive and experiential learning approaches;

  • Knowledge of programme budgeting, forecasting and expenditure monitoring;

  • Ability to compile well-structured and accurate narrative and performance reports;

  • Strong interpersonal skills for engaging with government and political institutions, universities and think tanks, civil society and private sector partners;

  • Ability to collaborate effectively with various teams;

  • High level of organisation, accuracy and document management, including familiarity with cloud-based systems.

 

Advantageous

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  • Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Development Studies, International Relations, Governance, or a related field;

  • Postgraduate qualification (Honours or Master’s) in a relevant field;

  • Direct experience working with political actors, elected officials, and/or public office bearers;

  • Existing professional networks across Southern Africa in governance, leadership, or civic education ecosystems;

  • Experience with innovative learning formats, including blended learning, e-learning platforms, or cohort-based leadership programmes.

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Our Work Style

 

​Futurelect values hard and smart work, encouraging creativity and innovation while having fun along the way. We respect and support people’s lives outside of work. We are an agile, high-performing team in a flexible and supportive workplace—from location to hours and holidays—asking all members to consider the team's needs and deadlines. We are committed to building an organisation that is great for Africa and the world and great for the people who work with us.

 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy

 

Futurelect was founded on the principle of diversity and inclusion in the public sector in Africa, where politics and government remain dominated by one gender and age demographic. We believe deeply in the importance of diversity and inclusion and have these values embedded in our programme selection processes, as well as in our hiring practices. We operate on the principle that a candidate recruitment or selection process can never be considered meritorious unless it is also rooted in diversity.

 

Futurelect is an equal-opportunity employer. We will not discriminate and will take affirmative action measures to prevent discrimination against any employee or job applicant on the basis of race, colour, gender, national origin (ancestry), age, religion, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression in recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, promotions, and other conditions of employment. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.

 

How to Apply

 

  1. Click on the Apply Now link to complete the application form;

  2. Upload your most recent comprehensive resumé / CV and;

  3. Upload your motivation letter.

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Applications close on 17 February 2026.

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Should you have any questions, contact us via email with the subject line “Programmes Manager” to careers@futurelect.org.

 

NB: Candidates who progress beyond the interview stage will be required to complete a short assignment to further assess their skills and critical thinking.

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