Program and Compliance Manager

Job description

About IFDC
IFDC is a public international organization active in 27 countries in Africa, Asia, and America.

IFDC uniquely approaches the global issues of food security and poverty by bridging the gap between research and impact, combining science-based innovations, holistic market systems development, an enabling policy environment, and strategic partnerships to assist farmers and countries to identify and scale sustainable agricultural solutions, including improved nutrient use efficiency.

These approaches are needed to boost soil health and crop productivity while reducing the environmental impact of fertilizer use.

IFDC translates research into action by using locally driven, environmentally sound, and impact-oriented solutions.

With our partners, we seek to close the yield gap, eradicate global hunger, safeguard the soil on which our lives depend, and generate economic resilience for farming households and the countries in which they live.

Position Summary
The Program and Compliance Manager will play a critical role in the successful delivery of the Sustain Africa Program, ensuring that program activities are executed in line with donor requirements, IFDC policies, and local regulations.

The role combines program management, resource mobilization and proposal writing support, oversight with compliance leadership, supporting effective implementation, accountability, and learning across multiple workstreams.

The incumbent will coordinate with program teams including business development, partners, and donors to maintain high-quality implementation, compliance assurance, and risk management, ultimately contributing to Sustain Africa's mission of strengthening food security and resilience across Africa.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day implementation of Sustain Africa program activities in collaboration with technical leads and implementing partners;
• Develop and manage work plans, budgets, and deliverables, coordinate across country offices, regional hubs, and IFDC headquarters, and ensure integration of cross-cutting priorities such as gender, inclusivity, sustainability, and market systems;
• Ensure compliance donor and IFDC procedures, policies, and processes, oversee planning, progress monitoring, budgeting financial tracking and reporting, and facilitate alignment across work streams;
• Support in identifying donors, cultivating relationships, writing proposals and grant applications, managing donor reporting, and staying informed about trends in fundraising and development to ensure financial sustainability and growth;
• Organize project team meetings, coordinate with program partners and donors, and serve as a liaison with internal functions such as audit, communications, HR, finance, and compliance;
• Review and approve project documents, ensuring accuracy and consistency;
• Ensure adherence to donor, IFDC, and host country regulation, lead audits and compliance reviews, oversee procurement and financial processes, manage risk registers and mitigation strategies, and train staff and partners on donor requirements;
• Collaborate with MEL teams to track progress against log frames and donor indicators, ensure timely and accurate reporting, and support adaptive management and knowledge sharing;
• Promote transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement by documenting lessons learned and facilitating learning events;
• Provide technical oversight, guide annual work plans, manage budgets, coordinate with partners, lead and motivate teams, address challenges proactively, and safeguard against fraud.
  
  

Requirements

• Master's degree in international development, Business Administration, Project Management, or related field;
• Minimum of 7–10 years of experience managing large, donor-funded programs, with at least 3 years in compliance-focused roles;
• Proven track record of working with international donors (USAID, EU, FCDO, BMGF, AGRA, etc.);
• Strong understanding of program cycle management, compliance frameworks, and risk management;
• Experience in agriculture, market systems development, or food security programming is an asset;
• Excellent initiative and proactive leadership, facilitation, and communication skills;
• Have strong writing, reporting, and analytical skills, quickly adapt to new concepts (e.g., guarantees, pre-financing), apply business thinking and adjust plans to evolving realities;
• Fluency in English (French is an advantage);
• High level of integrity and ability to manage sensitive information with discretion.
  
  

Reporting and Work Relationships
The Program and Compliance Manager will report to the Executive Director, Sustain Africa Program.

Location
This is a national recruitment with a duty station at the IFDC Nairobi office based in Kenya.

Benefits
IFDC's benefits include annual and sick leave, health and group life insurance coverage, a 13th-month salary, social security and pension contribution in compliance with local laws and end-of-contract benefits.

Salary Clause
The salary grade for this position is BG 10 with a proposed starting salary of KES 478,677 per month.

The determination of new employee salaries takes into account various factors.

These include the salary range linked to the assigned job grade, the candidate's qualifications in relation to the job's responsibilities and prerequisites, internal fairness, the competitive state of the job market, as well as potential organizational and budgetary considerations.

Diversity Clause
IFDC is committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We believe in the value of bringing together people with a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

All employment decisions at IFDC are made on the basis of ability, performance, and organizational need, in alignment with our values of fairness, respect, and opportunity for all.

About Program/Project
About Program Sustain Africa is a multi-stakeholder initiative launched in 2022 to support smallholder farmers (SHFs) in SubSaharan Africa (SSA) through crisis response and long-term resilience-building.

Initially created in response to the global fertilizer price surge, the program has delivered over 200,000 metric tons of fertilizer to 2 million farmers across 10 vulnerable countries.

Sustain Africa works closely with the private sector, agrodealers, distributors, financial institutions, and input suppliers to ensure affordable access to agricultural inputs, technical assistance, and data-driven insights that strengthen food security and farmer livelihoods.

As of September 2024, Sustain Africa operates across three strategic workstreams: its flagship Crisis Response Program, including a major intervention in Sudan, Fertilizer and Soil Health, which includes the Sustain Africa Fertilizer Monitor, liming initiatives, and a leadership role as Secretariat for the Coalition for Private Sector Engagement, a key outcome of the 2024 AU African Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit, and Food Systems Transition, which supports national food strategies, import substitution, and climate resilience.

Sustain Africa's integrated, private sector–driven model ensures scalable, sustainable solutions aligned with both national priorities and continental frameworks.

Required Skill Profession

Other General