Human Development Practice Lead

About Chemonics

Chemonics International is a major international development consultancy, with a 50-year history and a track record of delivering integrated solutions across multiple sectors and geographies to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals. With experience in over 150 countries and a global network of over 6,000 technical specialists.

Chemonics is recognised as one of the world’s leading partners for international development.

Since formally launching Chemonics UK in May 2019, we have established a strong and diverse portfolio of UK Aid-funded programmes as well as partnerships with European bilaterals and development banks. We work with government and development sector counterparts across the world to deliver programmes in sectors including climate action, education, governance, peacebuilding, stabilisation, social cohesion, and research.

About the role

The Human Development Practice Lead is a Senior Director responsible for the performance of the Human Development technical area for Chemonics UK and for providing senior-level technical oversight, expertise and leadership to build and deliver a Human Development programme portfolio.

The Human Development Practice is responsible for securing and delivering a portfolio of projects within education, health, gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI), humanitarian and service delivery. The practice will also provide technical support in GEDSI across all Chemonics UK programmes, as well as technical quality assurance and resourcing for Chemonics Europe. In addition, the practice will also lead technical Communities of Practice for the whole of Chemonics’ family of companies for example in education, GEDSI, governance and EU accession This includes market positioning, business development, client engagement, growing a technical bench, external representation and engagement, thought leadership, project management, and team management and leadership.

The practice lead will be accountable for project commerciality and KPIs that sit under the portfolio, take a leadership role in engaging with Chemonics UK’s and Europe’s clients, develop and deliver a growth strategy for priority countries within the practice and contribute to UK and corporate strategies and initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

The Human Development Practice Lead will manage a team of Programme Directors, Team Leaders and potential technical specialists to deliver the following:

Technical  

• Develops effective working relationships with clients, partners, consultants and both internal and external stakeholders.
• Applies in-depth Human Development technical expertise to projects’ technical goals and objectives, new business efforts, projects and Chemonics knowledge base.
• Advances body of knowledge (e.g., innovations, best practices, lessons learned) and quality standards in Human Development and practice networks; formulates approaches to guide project work, new business efforts, and technical assignments; and advises clients on technical trends and programming priorities. Liaises with relevant Chemonics International practices and programmes to deliver this.
• Assumes a leadership role(s) in Human Development network development and professional societies, represents company at technical conferences, and prepares or improves technical and development practitioner publications.
• Ensures quality of project reports and deliverables; ensures project technical objectives are met in partnership with the team leader and programme directors (where the Practice Lead does not assume this role directly) and troubleshoots when deviations are needed.
• Identifies opportunities to conduct billable assignments for themselves and other Chemonics UK staff; sets billability targets to contribute to a billable project work or technical area.
• Ensures that existing best practices and innovative methodologies are utilised in current Human Development programme/s and proposals.

Market Positioning and Business Development 

• Takes a leadership role in growing Chemonics UK’s Human Development portfolio through strategy setting, outreach and network development, proposal development, and positioning with Chemonics’ clients and within the industry.
• Proactively tracks upcoming new opportunities, market opportunities with new clients, and informs relevant in-house parties of bids in sufficient time to make bidding decisions and effectively prepare for bids. Including monthly updates of practice pipeline and preparations for the bid decision committee on specific opportunities. Leads and provides input to country strategy working groups as relevant.
• Leads proposal teams including through strategy formulation and defining technical solutions and directly contributes to new business by participating in line roles.
• Cultivates strategic partnerships for growth with other organisations and consultants.
• Tracks, analyses, and shares development trends and priorities within the Human Development sector.
• Develops and delivers external communications that support the positioning of Chemonics UK as a thought leader in Human Development.
• Travels periodically to explore new business opportunities. Interacts with key client and counterpart staff related to new programming opportunities.

Programme / Project Management 

• Oversees quality of programme implementation for Chemonics UK’s Human Development portfolio to ensure all projects achieve an annual review rating of A or higher. Directly or indirectly leading project teams which provides contractual, financial, and administrative support and technical quality assurance. Responsible for providing project management (in partnership with Chemonics UK’s Programme Management Centre of Excellence) and technical support and oversight at advanced levels of authority and accountability to achieve results.
• Collaborates closely with team leader(s) and programme directors in developing work plans, ensuring timely resources to execute plans, supervising progress, and reporting of implementation, ensuring proper technical direction in fulfilling the project scope of work, and conceptualising new strategies to improve performance.
• Provides monthly commercial review updates to the Human Development programme portfolio – tracking key metrics around revenue and profitability.
• Supports and develops technical work products, reviews and provides comment on programme technical work, and provides technical input to reports and other documents.
• Provides strategic guidance and solutions to address technical and programmatic issues raised on programmes within your portfolio to Programme Directors and Programme teams.
• Serves as acting Team Leader as necessary.

Client Engagement 

• Develops effective working relationships with internal and external clients, counterparts and stakeholders and continually promotes outstanding client service with corporate office staff and project teams; leads discussions as part of quarterly client consultations; leads response on annual client performance reviews in consultation with the team leader and submits the final version in the system.
• Develops a deep understanding of the changing client requirements and priorities and adapt the project as necessary and/or seek opportunities of new funding.
• Provides any relevant client insights to the new business team.

Corporate Compliance 

• Oversees project commerciality under the technical practice, and make resourcing plans aligned to this.
• Reviews and advises on corporate strategies and initiatives for Chemonics UK and Chemonics International relevant to the technical area of the practice.
• Responsible for ensuring that Chemonics UK projects are implemented in an environmentally sound manner, in line with any applicable environmental safeguarding measures that are required or requested by the current client base.
• Will coordinate and facilitate meetings with diverse stakeholders; synthesise and explain technical and administrative requirements based on UK and European regulations and guidance.
• Assists in the development of training materials and lead trainings; develop Human Development compliance frameworks; and communicate effectively with diverse audiences in person and in writing.
• Supervises technical consultants and quality assures deliverables.

Person Specification

Essential Skills

• Demonstrable experience managing complex, large, multi-country portfolios, including robust programme and financial management experience, with strong commercial acumen.
• Experience in the technical design of Human Development programmes designed to work at scale and work systemically, including proven success at winning new projects; leading upstream business development; proactively managing pipeline and intel to build out pipeline.
• Experience in providing direct technical assistance to Human Development projects and to develop and manage short term assignments delivered by technical specialists.  
• Demonstrable experience of solving complex technical, managerial, or operational problems and evaluating options based on relevant information, resources, well-rounded experience, and knowledge.
• Demonstrable leadership, management, organisational, and decision-making skills. 
• Demonstrable progressive professional experience including positions requiring supervision and mentorship of multiple staff required.  
• Demonstrable experience leading and delivering external communications, such as participating on panels, publishing thought leadership papers and blogs and providing senior corporate representation at industry events.
• Fluency in donor/client regulatory and management requirements and demonstrable ability to apply and adhere to those requirements in programme / project management. 
• Able to operate at advanced levels of authority and controls significant activities, budgets, and resources to produce and take responsibility for results.  
• Advanced knowledge and skills within a relevant technical or professional discipline with broad understanding of other areas within the job area.  
• Recognised by others as an experienced international development practitioner in a specific technical area; and mobilises existing client and professional networks.
• Previous experience working in international development and/or living or conducting work in foreign countries preferred.  
• Demonstrable awareness of cultural sensitivity and an ability to manage with sensitivity to cultural differences and similarities.  
• Able to lead effective meetings and also be able to present information confidently and authentically orally and in writing using multimedia. 
• Foreign language proficiency in a relevant region Chemonics operate in preferred. 
• Ability and willingness to travel and work abroad up to 3 months per year.  
• Ability to comply with corporate and client codes of conduct.

Education / Professional Skills

• Advanced degree in relevant field or 10-15 years equivalent work experience required.

Chemonics Competencies

Chemonics competencies translate our shared values into specific behaviours and help to reinforce what it means to be part of the global Chemonics family.  The following competencies are specifically relevant to this role.

Leadership and Management Competencies

• Creates Strategic Vision
• Drives Organisational Achievement
• Inspires Team

Core Competencies

• Works Inclusively & Collaboratively
• Embraces Continuous Learning
• Reinforces Transparency
• Thinks Critically
• Drives Results
• Operates with Agility and Resiliency

APPOINTMENT TERMS

Location: London, UK.

Salary and Benefits: Competitive and commensurate with the seniority of the post within the market.

Contract length: Permanent

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion 

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-centred 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.

HOW TO APPLY

Closing date: 1^st February 2026

To apply please click ‘Apply Now’ above

Candidates are kindly asked to submit a CV of no more than four (04) pages and a cover letter, preferably in MS Word. All application documents (cover letter and CV) should be submitted in English.

Should you require access to information in a different format to facilitate your application please contact us via [email protected]

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