Director of Programme Impact in Cambridge

We are seeking an inspiring and strategic leader who is passionate about delivering lasting impact for people with disabilities and other marginalised communities. As our new Director of Programme Impact, you will shape the strategic direction and development of our programme portfolio, ensuring our partner-led work continues to grow in reach, quality, effectiveness, and impact.

You will bring strong programme leadership, people management expertise, and a commitment to partnership-based approaches that support locally led development. As a member of CBM UK’s Leadership Team (LT), you will contribute to the overall strategic direction of the organisation while leading and motivating a committed Programmes Team. You will play a key role in strengthening CBM UK’s contribution to the CBM Global federation, working closely with country teams, technical specialists, and partners to maximise our collective impact.

An experienced leader, you will provide strategic oversight across a diverse portfolio of programmes, partnerships, and funding opportunities. Overseeing an annual budget of around £4 million, you will have a strong track record of delivering impactful programme strategies, building and developing high-performing teams, and fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, inclusion, and continuous learning. This role offers an exciting opportunity for an established senior leader who is ready to take the next step into their first Director-level position, as well as those with existing director-level experience.

Forward-thinking and adaptable, you will be excited by the opportunities and challenges facing the international development sector. You will play an instrumental role in exploring the changing role of UK INGOs within the localisation agenda and will work closely with the CEO and Leadership Team to develop new approaches and business models that respond to an evolving global context. You will also bring experience of securing and growing institutional and strategic funding opportunities, alongside the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and compellingly to a wide range of audiences.

Above all, you will share our commitment to inclusion, equity, and disability rights and be motivated by the opportunity to help create a world in which all people can enjoy their rights and fulfil their potential. You will be inspired by the chance to shape both organisational strategy and sector-wide conversations, ensuring that people with disabilities remain at the heart of international development and humanitarian action.

• Programmes Leadership & Management (70%)
  • Lead the strategic and financial development and oversight of CBM UK’s international programme portfolio, ensuring the organisation delivers its programme strategy with maximum impact and effectiveness in alignment with CBM Global’s strategy.
  • Support and line manage the team to translate strategic priorities into actionable plans to ensure excellence in programme funding, development and delivery.
  • Drive quality and effectiveness within CBM UK projects and across CBM Global by ensuring effective coordination of tasks, forward planning of key activities and events, and providing space for collaboration, problem-solving, escalation and innovation across the portfolio.
  • Identify and improve policies and procedures that ensure proportional programmatic oversight and support complex institutional funding management.
  • Support Programmes staff to work with country teams to pursue a localised approach to programming, drawing on the CBM Global localisation roadmap.
  • Work with Programme Funding colleagues to lead and oversee the development of strategic partnerships and packaging of programme approaches that secure institutional funding for CBM UK’s programmes, including by strengthening intelligence on donor trends and funder priorities, developing immediate responses to new opportunities as they arise in line with CBM UK’s mission.
  • Work closely with CBM UK finance, fundraising, communication teams and other CBM Global Members in creating and responding to opportunities for funding, driving growth, and promoting effective use of CBM UK’s voluntary income to leverage match funding.
  • Together with the Board and LT, actively manage programme risks based on CBM UK’s overall risk management framework.
  • Demonstrate leadership in maintaining an environment free from harm for project participants, CBM UK and partner staff by overseeing the management of safeguarding concerns arising in CBM UK supported projects, including reporting to the Board and Charity Commission where appropriate.
  • Promote within the Programmes Department a culture of learning, reflection and continuous improvement which only results in an improved programmatic approach but also informs and supports our advocacy, advisory, and evidence and learning work.
  • Liaise closely with CBM UK colleagues to ensure coordination and effective integration of programme activities into opportunities for fundraising, including contributing to the innovation in business models to diversify CBM UK’s funding base, including exploring sustainable funding approaches to enhance programme delivery and reduce dependency on the charitable model (in conjunction with the CEO and Director of Fundraising, Impact and Communications).
• Organisational leadership (20%)
  • Contribute to the overall leadership and strategic direction of CBM UK through the Leadership Team, and in collaboration with the CEO, including contributing to Board meetings.
  • As part of the Leadership Team, take shared leadership responsibility for the wider CBM UK team of staff and volunteers, supporting effective collaboration and organisational cohesion, and taking on cross-functional responsibilities where appropriate.
  • Encourage and promote a culture of ambition, learning and excellence across the CBM UK team.
  • Be responsible for producing and initiating regular reports, briefing papers and other relevant programmes information for the CEO and Board Programmes Committee as appropriate.
  • Lead on supporting the Board Programmes Committee, working closely with the Committee Chair to ensure members are provided with the information necessary to permit strategic oversight and robust risk management.
  • Lead UK’s engagement with CBM Global's programmatic leadership, in particular Directors of Programmes in other CBM Member Teams (Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland), CBM Global Secretariat, and Technical Directors, working towards greater alignment, escalation of issues, and collaboration to advance CBM UK’s approach to localisation.
• Representation and advocacy (10%)
  • Represent the organisation at the highest levels, including deputising for the CEO where required.
  • Act as a key spokesperson for CBM UK with a range of external audiences, including institutional and statutory donors and strategic partners, media, policy and decision makers and other international and national non-government organisations.
  • Develop and maintain strong relationships with key geographic stakeholders, including diplomatic representatives, ensuring effective engagement and alignment with CBM UK’s programme priorities.
  • In alignment with Advocacy and with Advisory colleagues, contribute to best practice in the UK disability and development sector by forging good relationships with UK-based and international NGO and disability sector networks to advocate for the adoption of inclusive development policies and practices, and champion innovative inclusive programmatic approaches.