Location: London, United Kingdom
Contract: Permanent
Sector: Senior Leadership and Management
Chemonics International is recruiting a Human Development Practice Lead to provide senior technical leadership and strategic direction for its Human Development portfolio within Chemonics UK. This is a senior leadership role responsible for driving technical excellence, portfolio growth, client engagement, and commercial performance across a diverse set of international development programmes.
About Chemonics
Chemonics International is a leading global development consultancy with over 50 years of experience delivering integrated solutions that support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. With operations in more than 150 countries and a global network of over 6,000 technical specialists, Chemonics is recognised as a trusted partner to governments, donors, and development institutions worldwide.
Since the formal launch of Chemonics UK in 2019, the organisation has built a strong portfolio of UK Aid-funded programmes, alongside partnerships with European bilateral donors and development banks. Chemonics UK works across sectors including climate action, education, governance, peacebuilding, stabilisation, social cohesion, and research.
About the Role
The Human Development Practice Lead is a Senior Director-level position accountable for the performance, growth, and quality of Chemonics UK’s Human Development technical area. The role provides senior technical oversight, leadership, and strategic direction across a portfolio of programmes focused on:
- Education
- Health
- Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI)
- Humanitarian assistance
- Service delivery
The Practice Lead is accountable for:
- Portfolio commerciality and key performance indicators
- Client engagement across the UK and European portfolios
- Developing and delivering growth strategies for priority countries
- Contributing to Chemonics UK and corporate strategies
The Human Development Practice Lead manages a team of Programme Directors, Team Leaders, and technical specialists, with responsibilities across the following areas:
Technical Leadership
- Providing senior-level technical expertise across Human Development programmes and proposals
- Ensuring high-quality project deliverables and achievement of technical objectives
- Advancing innovation, best practice, and lessons learned across the practice
- Representing Chemonics at technical conferences, professional networks, and industry events
- Contributing to publications, thought leadership, and practitioner knowledge
- Supporting billable technical assignments and setting billability targets
Market Positioning and Business Development
- Leading the growth of Chemonics UK’s Human Development portfolio through strategy and market positioning
- Tracking development trends, donor priorities, and upcoming opportunities
- Leading and contributing to proposal development and bid strategies
- Cultivating strategic partnerships with organisations and consultants
- Supporting country strategy development and pipeline management
- Strengthening Chemonics UK’s external profile as a thought leader in Human Development
Programme and Project Oversight
- Overseeing programme implementation quality across the Human Development portfolio
- Ensuring projects achieve annual performance ratings of A or higher
- Providing advanced project management, financial oversight, and technical assurance
- Supporting work planning, resourcing, progress monitoring, and reporting
- Tracking and reporting on portfolio commercial performance and profitability
- Acting as Team Leader when required
Client Engagement
- Building and maintaining strong relationships with clients, counterparts, and stakeholders
- Leading quarterly client consultations and annual performance review responses
- Monitoring evolving client priorities and identifying opportunities for programme adaptation or expansion
- Providing client insights to inform new business development
Corporate Compliance and Governance
- Ensuring programme commerciality and aligned resourcing plans
- Advising on corporate strategies and initiatives relevant to the Human Development practice
- Ensuring environmental safeguarding and compliance with donor requirements
- Coordinating stakeholder meetings and interpreting UK and European regulatory guidance
- Developing compliance frameworks, training materials, and delivering training
- Supervising technical consultants and quality assuring deliverables
Person Specification
Essential Experience and Skills
- Proven experience managing large, complex, multi-country portfolios with strong commercial and financial oversight
- Demonstrated success in designing and winning Human Development programmes at scale
- Extensive experience in upstream business development and pipeline management
- Strong leadership, decision-making, and people management capability
- Experience delivering external communications, thought leadership, and senior representation
- Advanced knowledge of donor regulatory and management requirements
Education
- Advanced degree in a relevant field, or 10–15 years of equivalent professional experience
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Safeguarding
Chemonics is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion across all aspects of its work and actively encourages applications from candidates of all backgrounds. Safeguarding is central to Chemonics’ mission, with a survivor-centred, trauma-sensitive approach applied across all programmes. Employment is subject to a DBS basic check or equivalent overseas police check.
How to Apply
Closing date: 1 February 2026
Candidates should apply by selecting “Apply Now” and submitting:
- A CV (maximum four pages)
- A cover letter (preferably in MS Word)
All applications must be submitted in English.
