Program Director - Turkey

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Program Director

Istanbul, Türkiye — Global / Organization-wide Role

Sheikh Al-Taher Al-Zawi Charitable Organization (STACO) is a leading humanitarian and development organization with extensive experience and a proven track record, delivering principled assistance to vulnerable communities through relief, livelihoods, education, protection, healthcare, and community-development programs. Founded in 2011, STACO holds Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and membership of the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), and has reached more than four million people across its areas of operation.

STACO operates through a growing international network of country and hub offices spanning Libya, Sudan, Kenya, Brazil, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Istanbul office serves as a regional and operational hub supporting logistics, procurement, and — through this position — the organization's global programs and grants function.

STACO is seeking an exceptional, highly experienced Program Director to lead the organization's global programs and grants function — one of the most strategically critical roles within STACO. Based at the Istanbul Hub Office, the Program Director will hold organization-wide responsibility for proposal and budget development, donor engagement, program oversight, and resource mobilization across the entirety of STACO's international portfolio, spanning all current and future country offices.

This is not a country-specific position. The Program Director will work directly with the Executive Director and country/hub leadership across Libya, Sudan, Kenya, Brazil, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States to ensure a coherent, high-quality, and well-funded global program strategy. The role combines high-level strategic leadership with hands-on excellence in proposal writing, budgeting, donor relations, and program monitoring — making it one of the primary engines of STACO's continued growth and impact.

STACO is looking for a candidate who combines outstanding technical writing and financial skills with exceptional relationship-building and persuasion abilities, a strong command of relevant program and grant-management software, and a genuine passion for expanding the organization's reach and funding base on the global stage.

▸  Proposal & Budget Development

•      Lead the design and writing of high-quality, competitive concept notes, proposals, and full project budgets for submission to institutional, multilateral, and private donors across STACO's global portfolio.

•      Ensure proposals and budgets are technically sound, strategically aligned with STACO's mission, and fully compliant with individual donor guidelines and formats.

•      Coordinate closely with country program teams and technical specialists to translate field-level needs and data into compelling, fundable project designs.

▸  Donor Relations & Communication

•      Serve as a primary point of contact for STACO's international institutional donors, maintaining continuous, professional, and relationship-driven communication.

•      Represent STACO in donor meetings, coordination forums, and strategic partnership discussions at the global level.

•      Build and sustain long-term relationships with existing donors to support multi-year funding pipelines and repeat engagement.

▸  Program Oversight & Strategic Planning

•      Provide organization-wide oversight of program implementation, ensuring quality, coherence, and strategic alignment across all country and hub offices.

•      Develop and monitor global program plans, timelines, and performance indicators in coordination with country leadership and the Executive Director.

•      Identify implementation risks and bottlenecks across the portfolio and support country teams in resolving them proactively.

▸  Project Closeout & Reporting

•      Lead the compilation and submission of high-quality final narrative and financial reports to donors at project closeout, ensuring full compliance with donor requirements and deadlines.

•      Conduct post-closure follow-up, capturing lessons learned and best practices to strengthen future proposal design and program delivery.

•      Ensure timely, accurate interim and periodic donor reporting throughout the project lifecycle.

▸  Resource Mobilization & New Partnerships

•      Proactively identify, research, and cultivate new institutional, multilateral, and private donors to diversify and expand STACO's global funding base.

•      Develop and lead a structured resource-mobilization strategy in coordination with the Executive Director and External Relations function.

•      Lead the development of new project concepts and program ideas aligned with emerging humanitarian and development needs and STACO's strategic priorities.

▸  Cross-Office Coordination & Leadership

•      Coordinate closely with program teams across all STACO country and hub offices to ensure a unified, high-quality global program approach.

•      Provide technical guidance, mentorship, and capacity-building support to country-level program staff on proposal development, budgeting, and donor reporting.

•      Contribute as a member of STACO's senior leadership to organization-wide strategy, planning, and decision-making.

▸  Compliance & Quality Assurance

•      Ensure full compliance with donor regulations, grant agreements, and international humanitarian and development standards across the entire program portfolio.

•      Uphold the highest standards of accuracy, integrity, and accountability in all financial and narrative reporting to donors.

•      Support internal and external audits and due-diligence processes related to grants and donor-funded projects.

•      Master's degree in International Development, International Relations, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field (a Bachelor's degree with extensive senior-level experience will also be considered).

•      A minimum of 8 to 10 years of progressive experience in program and grants management within the humanitarian or international development sector, including significant senior-level experience.

•      Demonstrated, proven track record of successfully writing and securing funding through proposals submitted to major institutional donors.

•      Experience overseeing multi-country or global program portfolios, coordinating across diverse teams, contexts, and time zones.

•      Strong track record in project closeout, final reporting, and post-project evaluation and learning processes.

•      Experience in strategic donor cultivation and resource mobilization, with a demonstrated ability to expand an organization's funding base.

•      Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English, including outstanding proposal, budget, and report writing.

•      Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and budget-development tools; familiarity with grant-management, CRM, or donor-database software is a strong asset.

•      Excellent negotiation, relationship-building, and persuasion skills, with the credibility to represent STACO at the highest levels with international donors.

•      Strong strategic thinking and organizational leadership abilities, with experience mentoring and guiding program teams across multiple locations.

•      High level of accuracy, integrity, and sound judgement in managing sensitive donor relationships and compliance matters.

•      Genuine commitment to humanitarian principles, safeguarding, and the mission and values of STACO.

•      Willingness and ability to travel internationally on a regular basis.

•      Fluent, professional-level English (written and spoken) is essential — English is the primary working language of this role.

Interested and exceptionally qualified candidates are invited to submit a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a compelling cover letter outlining their qualifications and relevant achievements to: hr@staco.org.ly

Please include the following subject line in your email:

“Program Director – Istanbul – [Your Full Name]”

Given the strategic importance of this role, candidates are encouraged to highlight specific examples of proposals successfully funded and donor relationships successfully cultivated and sustained.