State Programme Manager

Reconnect Health Development Initiative (Reconnect-HDI) is a Nigerian non-governmental, non-profit organisation established in 2013 with a focus on improving mental health and psychosocial wellbeing and increasing access to psychological support and treatment.

Reconnect-HDI works with individuals, communities, government institutions, development partners and other stakeholders to promote mental wellbeing, reduce stigma associated with mental illness, protect vulnerable populations and improve access to mental health and psychosocial services.

Our work has included subsidised mental health treatment and rehabilitation, psychosocial support, support groups, gender-based violence interventions, training and capacity strengthening, advocacy and networking, and programmes addressing the psychological consequences of neglected tropical diseases.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: State Programme Manager

Location: Benue
Employment Type: Full-time

Job Summary

• We're looking for someone who can:
  • Lead teams and ensure programme quality, accountability and measurable results.
  • Develop competitive funding proposals and identify grant opportunities.
  • Lead and deliver impactful development programmes.
  • Manage donor-funded projects, budgets and reporting.
  • Build strong partnerships with government, NGOs and community stakeholders.
• Reconnect Health Development Initiative (Reconnect HDI) is looking for a results-driven State Programme Manager to lead our programmes in Benue State.
• Our ideal candidate: An experienced NGO/INGO professional with strong programme management, grant writing, donor compliance and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Are you an experienced development professional passionate about programme leadership, community impact, and sustainable development?

Job Purpose

• The role is responsible for the effective planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of programmes, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy, donor requirements and the needs of target communities.
• The postholder will build and maintain strategic partnerships with government institutions, civil society organisations, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), community structures, donors and other relevant stakeholders.
• The role will also contribute to organisational growth through resource mobilisation, proposal development, programme design and the identification of new funding opportunities.
• The State Programme Manager will provide strategic and operational leadership for Reconnect HDI's programmes and interventions in Benue State.
• The successful candidate will ensure that all programmes are delivered to a high standard, within approved budgets and timelines, while upholding safeguarding, accountability, gender equality, disability inclusion and other relevant humanitarian and development standards.

Key Responsibilities
Programme Planning, Design and Implementation:

• Strengthen referral pathways and coordination mechanisms across health, protection, psychosocial support and social services.
• Ensure that programmes respond to identified community needs and are designed with meaningful participation from beneficiaries and relevant stakeholders.
• Monitor implementation against agreed objectives, deliverables, milestones and performance indicators, taking corrective action where necessary.
• Ensure that programme activities comply with approved proposals, contractual obligations, organisational policies and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Lead the planning, coordination and implementation of Reconnect HDI's programmes and projects in Benue State, ensuring alignment with approved work plans, organisational objectives and donor agreements.
• Develop and maintain detailed programme work plans, activity schedules, implementation frameworks and operational plans.
• Support OPDs in organisational development, institutional strengthening, governance, capacity building and formal registration processes, as appropriate.
• Identify implementation challenges and operational risks and develop practical solutions to maintain programme quality and continuity.
• Coordinate programme activities relating to Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), Psychological First Aid (PFA), governance, leadership, disability inclusion and other relevant thematic areas.
• Oversee the planning and delivery of trainings, workshops, community engagements, stakeholder dialogues and capacity-building activities.

Programme Quality, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL):

• Work with relevant colleagues to conduct needs assessments, baseline studies, evaluations and other evidence-gathering exercises as required.
• Lead the implementation of programme monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning plans in collaboration with the relevant teams and partners.
• Document lessons learned, promising practices, success stories and programme outcomes to inform programme improvement and future project design.
• Conduct regular field visits, programme reviews and implementation assessments to verify the quality of activities and identify areas for improvement.
• Ensure that beneficiary feedback, complaints and community perspectives are systematically collected, documented and addressed through appropriate mechanisms.
• Ensure that programme data is accurate, securely managed and available for timely decision-making and reporting.
• Promote adaptive programme management by using monitoring findings and feedback to improve implementation and achieve intended outcomes.
• Ensure that programme objectives, outcomes, outputs, indicators and targets are clearly defined, measurable and consistently tracked.
• Oversee the collection, verification, analysis and documentation of programme data to assess progress, effectiveness and impact.

Financial Management, Budgeting and Donor Compliance:

• Escalate suspected fraud, misuse of funds, significant budget variances or other compliance concerns through established organisational procedures.
• Review programme expenditure and financial reports with the Finance Department to ensure consistency between financial and programmatic performance.
• Support financial forecasting, budget revisions, expenditure tracking and the preparation of donor budget reports.
• Develop programme budgets, budget narratives, resource plans and operational forecasts in collaboration with the Finance Department and relevant management personnel.
• Ensure that appropriate documentation is maintained for programme activities, including attendance records, training reports, procurement records, activity approvals and supporting evidence.
• Ensure that programme resources are used efficiently, transparently and for their intended purposes.
• Support internal and external audits, donor verification exercises and compliance reviews by ensuring that relevant programme documentation is complete and accessible.
• Ensure compliance with donor financial rules, procurement requirements, documentation standards, reporting obligations and other contractual conditions.
• Monitor programme expenditure against approved budgets and work plans, identifying variances and recommending corrective actions.

Donor Reporting and Stakeholder Communication:

• Maintain an organised programme filing and documentation system, ensuring that key records are accurate, current and readily retrievable.
• Contribute to the development of organisational reports, presentations, concept notes and programme updates as required.
• Coordinate the collection of reporting inputs from project staff, implementing partners and relevant departments.
• Support the Country Director in responding to donor enquiries, coordinating donor visits and providing updates on programme implementation.
• Ensure that reports clearly communicate programme achievements, challenges, expenditure progress, lessons learned, outcomes and corrective actions.
• Prepare and submit timely, accurate and high-quality narrative reports, progress updates, case studies and other programme documentation for management, donors and partners.
• Ensure that donor commitments, reporting deadlines, deliverables and visibility requirements are tracked and met.

Business Development and Resource Mobilisation:

• Track proposal submissions, funding decisions, donor feedback and opportunities for resubmission or further engagement.
• Work closely with the Country Director and relevant technical and finance personnel to ensure that proposals are evidence-based, costed appropriately, aligned with organisational priorities and compliant with donor requirements.
• Maintain a funding opportunity tracker and provide periodic updates to the Country Director on resource mobilisation activities and the funding pipeline.
• Develop and maintain relationships with prospective donors, funding partners, implementing partners and other strategic stakeholders.
• Lead or coordinate the preparation of high-quality concept notes, expressions of interest, grant applications, technical proposals and full funding proposals.
• Identify opportunities to scale successful interventions, develop new programmes and expand Reconnect HDI's presence and impact in Benue State.
• Monitor funding announcements, Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Calls for Proposals, Expressions of Interest (EOIs), grant opportunities and other competitive funding mechanisms.
• Ensure that funding applications are submitted on time and include all required technical, financial, organisational and compliance documentation.
• Develop programme designs, theories of change, logical frameworks, implementation plans, monitoring frameworks and budget narratives to support funding applications.
• Research and maintain a pipeline of prospective donors, including international development agencies, multilateral institutions, government funding programmes, foundations, corporate social responsibility initiatives and other relevant funding sources.
• Contribute to strategies for improving proposal quality, funding success rates and the sustainability of existing programmes.
• Proactively identify and pursue funding opportunities relevant to Reconnect HDI's mission, strategic priorities and programme areas.

Partnership Development and External Representation:

• Identify opportunities for strategic collaboration, joint programming, referral partnerships and consortium participation.
• Strengthen coordination and collaboration among stakeholders working in mental health, psychosocial support, GBV prevention and response, disability inclusion, protection and community development.
• Represent Reconnect HDI at relevant government meetings, technical working groups, stakeholder consultations, workshops, conferences and community engagements, as authorised.
• Support the development and maintenance of partnership agreements, memoranda of understanding and other collaboration arrangements where required.
• Build and maintain productive working relationships with relevant state ministries, departments and agencies, local government authorities, health and social service providers, CSOs, OPDs, community-based organisations and traditional and community leaders.
• Ensure that external engagements uphold Reconnect HDI's values, professional standards and organisational reputation.
• Maintain effective communication with implementing partners and ensure that agreed responsibilities, deliverables and reporting requirements are understood and fulfilled.
• Participate in programme coordination platforms and contribute to policy discussions and advocacy initiatives relevant to the organisation's mandate.

Salary
N600,000 - N700,000 monthly.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their CV and cover letter to: [email protected] using "SPM, Benue State" as the subject of the mail.

Application Deadline: 1st December, 2026.