Project Director, GCF Malawi Project

The Opportunity

Save the Children is inviting applications from suitably qualified personnel to fill the position of Project Director – Climate-resilient Healthcare and Wellbeing for Rural Communities in Southern Malawi for the Malawi Country Office, Lilongwe.

Save the Children (SC) is seeking a dynamic and experienced Project Director for the Climate-resilient Healthcare and Wellbeing for Rural Communities in Southern Malawi Project, funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The five-year project will be co-executed by the Ministry of Health and Save the Children in Malawi and aims to reduce the burden of climate-related diseases, strengthen the climate resilience of healthcare systems and infrastructure, and build the capacity of healthcare workers and communities to respond effectively to the health impacts of climate change.

This senior leadership role will provide overall strategic direction, management oversight, and quality assurance for the project. The Project Director will report directly to the Country Director of Save the Children Malawi, with a dotted reporting line to the Principal Secretary for Health at the Ministry of Health. The role holder will lead a National Project Management Unit and oversee implementation across six climate-vulnerable districts in southern Malawi.

The Project Director will ensure strong coordination and collaboration with government ministries, technical advisory committees, donors, civil society organisations, and consortium partners to ensure the successful delivery of project objectives in line with GCF and Save the Children standards.

The post holder will be responsible for leading project inception and setup, managing project implementation and compliance, overseeing monitoring and evaluation systems, ensuring financial accountability, strengthening stakeholder engagement, and driving high-quality technical and operational performance across all project components.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder may be required to work outside the normal role profile and vary working hours accordingly.

In order to be successful, you will bring/have:

• An advanced degree in Public Health, Environmental Health, Climate Change, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Project Management, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of progressive experience managing large-scale donor-funded development or humanitarian projects, preferably within health systems strengthening and climate resilience programming.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-stakeholder projects involving government institutions, donors, and international partners.
• Strong experience in project management, including planning, budgeting, compliance, risk management, and team leadership.
• Proven experience managing large and geographically dispersed teams and fostering collaborative and high-performing work environments.
• Experience working with Green Climate Fund (GCF) projects or other large institutional donors will be an added advantage.
• Strong understanding of climate-related health risks, health systems strengthening, WASH, infrastructure, safeguarding, and community resilience programming.
• Excellent communication, coordination, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong analytical, report writing, and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage partnerships and represent organisations at senior government and donor levels.
• Strong commitment to Save the Children’s values, child safeguarding, and humanitarian principles.

The Organisation

We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the rights of children and ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organisation, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

We believe in providing reasonable accommodations to support the professional growth and success of all employees. We therefore encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including persons with disabilities.

Application Information

Please attach a copy of your CV and cover letter with your application and include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found at www.savethechildren.net/careers

The recruitment process for this position will include multiple assessment stages. Shortlisted candidates will first undergo a written assessment. Candidates who successfully meet the required benchmark at this stage will proceed to the first oral interview. Depending on the outcome of the assessment process, selected candidates may be invited for a further oral interview or final assessment.

We need to keep children safe, so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our global anti-harassment policy.

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