Job Description
Role Overview
NurtureFirst is seeking a Head of Programs (Director Level) to lead the design, delivery, and learning agenda across our portfolio. This role will ensure program quality, integrity of implementation, and evidence-based outcomes, while stewarding country leads and building systems that test and refine interventions.
The Head of Programs will be a strategic partner to the CEO, responsible for operational excellence in program delivery and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL). While expansion strategy is led by others, this role will contribute insights from program evidence and country experience to inform future growth.
This is a director-level leadership role, currently overseeing implementation in Kenya, with responsibility to prepare for and support entry into additional countries in the coming years. The Head of Programs will interact with NurtureFirst’s Global HBCC Alliance work to share evidence and learning, but will not be responsible for leading or managing the alliance itself.
Level: Director
Location: Kenya is preferred. A different location that allows frequent travel to Kenya can be considered.
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer, NurtureFirst
Contract Type: Full-time
Key Responsibilities
Program Design & Delivery
- Lead the design and execution of NurtureFirst’s programs, ensuring alignment with organizational vision and caregiver-centered values.
- Integrate early childhood development science and cultural context into program architecture.
- Translate strategic priorities into actionable program plans with clear milestones and accountability structures.
- Oversee program implementation in Kenya, supporting the country leadership to deliver with integrity and impact.
- Oversee program design and implementation in new geographies in collaboration with various partners.
- Prepare systems and processes to support expansion into new countries.
- Support resource mobilization by contributing to proposal design, program concepts, and donor engagement.
Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)
- Build and oversee robust MEL frameworks to track outcomes, test interventions, and generate actionable insights.
- Ensure evidence is systematically captured, analyzed, and shared to inform decision-making and external learning.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement and adaptive learning across teams and with and among partners, including setting up a partner learning framework
Program Quality & Integrity
- Establish and maintain standards for program quality, safeguarding, and ethical implementation.
- Ensure interventions are tested rigorously and scaled responsibly, with fidelity to caregiver dignity and maternal agency.
- Provide technical guidance and operational support to country teams.
- Lead the development of a learning-oriented culture that normalizes honest reflection, supporting teams to identify what is not working and adapt accordingly.
Leadership & Collaboration
- Supervise and mentor Country Leads and/or teams (currently Kenya), enabling strong local leadership and accountability.
- Collaborate closely with the CEO and leadership team to align program delivery with organizational strategy.
- Contribute programmatic evidence and insights to expansion discussions, while respecting ownership of strategy by others.
- Engage with the Global HBCC Alliance to share program evidence and learning, while not holding responsibility for alliance leadership.
Candidate Profile
Essential
- Master’s degree in Early Childhood Development, Public Health, Education, Development Studies, or Social Policy.
- Deep understanding of early childhood development science, caregiver dynamics, and systemic factors shaping early years outcomes.
- Proven experience in program leadership and implementation, ideally in early childhood, maternal health, education, or development sectors.
- Strong expertise in program design, delivery, and MEL systems, with the ability to translate evidence into practice.
- Demonstrated ability to oversee multi-country or complex program portfolios.
- Commitment to ethical stewardship, caregiver dignity, and evidence-based practice.
- Exceptional leadership, mentoring, and cross-cultural collaboration skills.
- Lived or professional experience in the Global South, with deep appreciation for local contexts and caregiver realities.
Desirable
- Advanced experience, training or certification in MEL or Implementation Science.
- Experience working in or with Global South contexts, particularly Kenya.
- Familiarity with testing and scaling interventions in early childhood or maternal health.
- Ability to synthesize research and technical evidence into actionable insights for diverse audiences.
- Based in Kenya
Why NurtureFirst
- Mission-driven team with a strong culture of care and excellence
- A defining moment: play a central role in shaping NurtureFirst’s independence as we transition out of incubation and establish our own operational foundation
- Opportunity to shape both the strategy and operations of a high-impact global initiative
NOTE: This job has no deadline and is open until filled.
