SPARK is an international non-governmental organisation dedicated to creating opportunities for young people in fragile and conflict-affected contexts through entrepreneurship development and higher education. By strengthening local ecosystems, supporting entrepreneurs, and building institutional capacities, SPARK contributes to inclusive economic growth and sustainable employment.
Vacancy details: Position: Programme Manager. Location: Ramallah, Palestine (with travel across the West Bank as required). Application Deadline: 15th September 2026. Start date: 15th October 2026. Duration: 12 Months with possible extension. Position type: Full-time employment, contingent upon finalization/signing of the donor funding agreement.
About the Programme: SPARK will soon launch a four-year programme in Palestine aimed at strengthening Palestine's innovation ecosystem by enhancing technology transfer, commercialization of research, university-industry collaboration, innovation governance, and private sector competitiveness through a Market Systems Development (MSD) approach. Works closely with public institutions, academia, the private sector, and other strategic partners to promote sustainable economic development, foster innovation, and create opportunities for inclusive growth.
Role Summary: The Programme Manager will provide overall strategic, technical, operational, and financial leadership for a multi-year economic development and innovation programme in Palestine, ensuring high-quality and timely implementation, effective resource management, achievement of agreed results, and compliance with SPARK policies and donor requirements. Leads programme planning and implementation, coordinates partners/stakeholders, supervises the programme team, and maintains relationships with donors, government institutions, universities, private sector actors.
Main Tasks and Responsibilities include: Lead overall management, planning, coordination and implementation per approved programme documents, results frameworks, workplans, budgets, and donor requirements. Provide strategic/technical leadership. Lead development/review of annual and quarterly workplans, schedules, budgets, procurement plans, risk registers. Coordinate programme partners and supervise programme staff. Build/maintain strategic relationships with government institutions, universities, private sector actors, donors, development partners. Ensure interventions respond to market/institutional needs and promote sustainability, local ownership, scalability. Monitor programme performance against results/indicators/targets; lead corrective/adaptive management. Work with MEL function to ensure evidence and lessons learned inform implementation. Oversee programme financial management (budget utilization, expenditure monitoring, forecasting) with Finance team. Ensure compliance with SPARK policies, donor requirements, contractual obligations, procurement procedures, safeguarding standards. Lead preparation/submission of narrative reports, annual plans, donor deliverables, progress updates. Identify/monitor strategic, operational, financial, contextual and partnership risks. Lead programme governance mechanisms (steering committee meetings, partner meetings, technical working groups, donor missions). Promote programme learning, knowledge management, visibility. Represent SPARK in meetings, conferences, policy dialogues.
Requirements and Skills: Master's degree in Business Administration, Economics, International Development, Public Administration, Engineering, Project Management, or related field. At least 8 years of progressively responsible professional experience, including substantial experience managing donor-funded development programmes. Demonstrated experience/knowledge of technology transfer, research commercialization, IP, patents, licensing, innovation management within universities, research institutions, entrepreneurship ecosystems, or private sector development. Experience facilitating university-industry collaboration and supporting pathways from research/innovation to market. Demonstrated experience in programme/project cycle management (planning, implementation, budgeting, monitoring, risk management, donor reporting). Proven experience coordinating multi-stakeholder programmes/consortium partners. Strong knowledge of private sector development, entrepreneurship.
Apply via: https://vacancy.spark-online.org/Tab1/LoadProfileFromVacancy/701
Closing date: 2026-09-15