Program Director in London

Location: London / Hybrid with international travel as required

Start Date: Subject to contract award

About Chemonics UK

Chemonics UK delivers transformative programmes that help people live healthier, more productive, and more independent lives. Working with governments, donors, the private sector, and civil society, we tackle some of the world's most complex development, humanitarian, and stabilisation challenges.

About the Programme

The UK Government's flagship humanitarian programme, HEROS 2.0, will define the UK's ability to respond rapidly and at scale to global humanitarian crises, protracted emergencies, and stabilisation challenges. Chemonics intends to bid for this strategically important programme in the latter half of 2026 and is seeking to engage with exceptional candidates who may be interested in leading its delivery.

About the Role

Reporting to the Managing Director, Chemonics UK, the HEROS 2.0 Director will provide strategic leadership to a large, complex, and high profile humanitarian programme. Acting as a trusted partner to His Majesty's Government (HMG), the successful candidate will ensure the programme delivers innovative, responsive, and high-quality solutions that strengthen the UK's global humanitarian response capability. The Director will oversee a substantial global portfolio of humanitarian and stabilisation activities, leading multidisciplinary teams and managing strategic relationships across HMG, the Chemonics family of companies, implementing partners, and the wider multilateral humanitarian system. This individual will be the senior point of accountability for programme performance, ensuring delivery against key performance indicators, contractual milestones, and value-for-money commitments while maintaining the highest standards of technical excellence and operational effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and direction across all programme workstreams.
• Serve as the senior point of contact for programme performance and client engagement.
• Lead a geographically dispersed team delivering humanitarian response, logistics, and technical assistance activities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with HMG, multilateral agencies, suppliers, and implementing partners.
• Oversee programme governance, risk management, contractual compliance, and financial performance.
• Drive innovation and champion technology-enabled solutions that improve humanitarian and stabilisation outcomes.
• Ensure rapid, effective, and accountable responses to emerging crises and complex operating environments.
• Foster collaboration across the Chemonics global network to maximise expertise, learning, and impact.
• Deliver against agreed KPIs, service levels, and contractual milestones.

We Are Interested in Hearing From Candidates Who Have:

• Significant leadership experience managing large, complex programmes, ideally for major international donors.
• A proven track record of setting strategic direction across multiple workstreams while balancing humanitarian, security, and political priorities.
• Experience engaging and negotiating with senior stakeholders across large organisations and, ideally, government clients.
• Experience managing portfolios of projects, humanitarian logistics and supply chains, and technical assistance deployments.
• Extensive experience leading humanitarian or emergency response operations, including field-based delivery.
• A strong understanding of innovation and the application of technology-enabled solutions within humanitarian and/or stabilisation contexts.
• Excellent people leadership, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated experience managing large budgets, contractual performance, risk, and value for money.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities, with the ability to remain calm and effective in complex environments.
• Commercial awareness and the ability to contribute to organisational growth and long-term success.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable Experience

• Formal programme management qualifications or equivalent expertise.
• Experience working within HMG or the multilateral humanitarian system.
• Fluency in an additional official UN language.

Register Your Interest

This is a scoping opportunity intended to identify and engage with potential candidates ahead of an anticipated bid. If you are an experienced humanitarian leader with a passion for delivering impact at scale and shaping the future of UK-funded crisis response, and you meet the above criteria, we would welcome a confidential conversation.

Chemonics is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics.

Safeguarding

At Chemonics, safeguarding – protecting a person’s right to live safely, free from violence, abuse, and neglect – is integral to the work we do. We integrate safeguarding measures to protect our staff, partners, and communities from all forms of violence and apply a survivor-centered approach that is trauma-sensitive, human-rights informed, intersectional, and locally led. All job applicants will complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) basic check or equivalent overseas police check will be obtained for Chemonics employees prior to their start date.

About Us

Chemonics is a sustainable solutions firm that designs and delivers people-centered solutions at the intersection of technology, data, and human progress. Building on 50 years of experience in 160 countries, our global network of experts collaborates with ambitious partners to navigate complex environments and achieve results. At Chemonics, we don’t just work on projects. We help shape what’s possible. For 50 years, we’ve delivered results in 160 countries in some of the world’s most complex environments. Today, we’re evolving how we work, harnessing the power of data, applied technology and AI, media, and a disciplined approach to project delivery to reach ambitious goals. Our teams are reengineering global supply chains, scaling clean energy solutions, and tailoring tech to local needs—all with proven expertise, creativity, and heart. The work is challenging, but that’s what draws us in. Because at Chemonics, we thrive where others hesitate. If you’re already part of this mission, thank you. And if you’re thinking about joining us—know that your ideas, skills, and energy are exactly what the future demands. This is more than a job. It’s a chance to drive real, lasting impact. Together, we’re building what’s next.