Programme Manager job description
A Programme Manager runs one programme of an NGO or social enterprise from design to close, keeping field delivery, budgets and donor commitments in step. The role suits organisations with grant-funded projects in several districts.
Why the role exists
The Programme Manager turns a funded plan into work that happens in villages, schools or urban settlements. The role reports to the director or head of programmes and manages coordinators, field teams and partner organisations. It sits between donors, finance and the communities served.
What the person does
- Turn the approved proposal into a work plan with activities, owners and dates for each district or project site.
- Lead the field coordinators and partner organisations through weekly review calls and regular site visits.
- Track spending against the donor-approved budget with the finance team and flag variances before they grow.
- Prepare narrative progress reports for donors and trustees using data from the monitoring and evaluation team.
- Meet government departments, local bodies and community leaders to keep permissions and relationships in good order.
- Resolve field problems such as delays in material supply, staff exits or community concerns, and record the decisions.
- Review beneficiary lists, attendance records and case files to confirm the work reaches the intended households.
- Contribute to new proposals by costing activities, setting realistic outputs and sharing lessons from running projects.
Skills and tools
- Project planning with logical frameworks, work plans and milestone tracking
- Budget reading and variance review with finance colleagues
- Donor reporting in narrative and results formats
- Team leadership across remote field locations
- Stakeholder handling with panchayats, officials and partners
- Excel or Google Sheets for trackers and dashboards
- Working knowledge of Hindi or the local language of the project area
- Clear writing in English for proposals and reports
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- Postgraduate degree in social work, development studies, rural management or a related field is preferred, or equivalent experience.
- Several years of programme delivery in an NGO or social enterprise is preferred, or equivalent experience.
- Experience of managing a grant-funded project through at least one reporting cycle is useful.
- Comfort with regular field travel, including to remote project areas, is preferred.
How the work is judged
- Programme activities completed on schedule against the approved work plan
- Spending stays in line with the donor budget, with variances explained early
- Donor and trustee reports are accurate, on time and accepted without major queries
- Field team stays stable and well supported, with clear reviews held on schedule
- Partners, officials and communities give positive feedback on how the programme is run
Where the role can lead
- Senior Programme Manager or Programme Head across several projects or states
- Director of Programmes or Chief Operating Officer in a larger organisation
- Moves into donor-facing strategy, partnerships or a country or regional lead role
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- Tell us about a programme that fell behind plan in the field. What did you change and what happened next?
- How do you check that a project's reported numbers match what you see on a village visit?
- A donor asks for a budget reallocation midway. How do you decide what to propose and whom to consult?
- How would you handle a partner organisation that keeps missing reporting dates?
- Describe how you have supported a field coordinator who was struggling with a difficult community.
- What would you want to see in your first sixty days before changing how a running programme works?
Hiring tips for this role
- Ask for a short case on a real programme the candidate ran, including the budget, the team size and what went wrong. Detail shows who did the work.
- Test donor reporting by asking the candidate to turn rough field notes into a short progress paragraph. Check clarity and honesty about gaps.
- A common mistake is hiring a strong field person who has never managed a budget or a donor. Look for both skills before you shortlist.
- Check references with former donors or partner organisations, not only with managers. They see how the person handled commitments.
Questions about hiring a programme manager
The person plans and runs a funded programme, supervises field teams, tracks the budget, reports to donors and keeps government and community relationships working. The work mixes office planning with regular field visits.
Not necessarily. Many employers prefer a degree in social work, development or management, but equivalent experience running field programmes can count. Set the requirement to match your donor and project needs.
A Field Coordinator handles day-to-day activity in a cluster of villages or sites. The Programme Manager owns the whole programme, including budgets, donor reports, partners and the field coordinators who report to them.
Yes. GullyHR helps with permanent hiring: it agrees the job description with you, finds and screens candidates with development-sector experience, and supports the offer stage. You make the final choice.
Hiring a programme manager?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.