Overview
Head of Programs and Operations Jobs in Arua, Northern Region, Uganda at YSAT Uganda
Title: Head of Programs and Operations
Company: YSAT Uganda
Location: Arua, Northern Region, Uganda
Company Description YSAT Uganda is a refugee-led nonprofit NGO established in 2016 and fully registered in 2017, dedicated to supporting conflict-affected children and youth in Uganda. The organization focuses on improving access to quality education, sustainable livelihoods, and addressing root causes of violent conflict to build self-sustained, violence-free communities. YSAT’s 2030 Strategic Framework is anchored in five program areas: humanitarian response and peacebuilding, protection, livelihoods and environmental protection, education in emergencies, and system strengthening. The organization has impacted over 1.3 million lives since 2017, working across multiple refugee settlements and Arua city with support from leading international donors and partners. YSAT is recognized for innovation and leadership, including nominations and awards from UNHCR and Response Innovation Lab, and serves on the UNHCR Advisory Board for organizations led by displaced people.
Role Description The Head of Programs and Operations is a full-time, on-site role based in Arua, responsible for overseeing the design, implementation, and monitoring of YSAT Uganda’s strategic program areas. This role leads program planning and budgeting, ensures quality and timely delivery of humanitarian, protection, livelihoods, education, and system-strengthening interventions, and aligns all activities with organizational strategy and donor requirements. The Head of Programs and Operations supervises program and operations teams, provides technical guidance, strengthens internal systems and processes, and promotes effective coordination across field locations. The role includes managing partnerships with donors, INGOs, and community stakeholders, overseeing compliance, risk management, and reporting, and ensuring that all operations support a safe, inclusive, and accountable working environment. The position also involves representing YSAT Uganda in coordination forums, advocating for refugee-led approaches, and continuously improving program effectiveness through learning and adaptation.
Qualifications
- Strong program management and operations skills, including planning, budgeting, implementation oversight, and monitoring and evaluation.
- Experience in humanitarian response, protection, livelihoods, education in emergencies, or peacebuilding, preferably in refugee or conflict-affected contexts.
- People management and leadership abilities, including team supervision, capacity building, and performance management.
- Stakeholder engagement and partnership skills, with experience working with donors, INGOs, government entities, and community structures.
- Proficiency in project reporting, proposal development, and compliance with donor and organizational policies and procedures.
- Excellent communication skills in English, both written and verbal; ability to present complex information clearly and persuasively.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with the ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities.
- Commitment to gender equality, safeguarding, accountability to affected populations, and inclusive, non-dis
