Program Officer: Ethiopia

Masana wa Afrika seeks a Program Officer to be based in Ethiopia. Reporting to the Masana wa Afrika Director, the Program Officer will assist in the development and management of investments for Masana wa Afrika, in East Africa with a focus on Ethiopia. The Program Officer will work closely with a team in the Cape Town, South Africa office, as well as colleagues based in Kampala, Uganda. S/he will be joining a collaborative and dynamic team. The ability to be an active, collaborative, and collegial team member of a dynamic team and to demonstrate flexibility to provide support across Masana wa Afrika's portfolio is essential to success in this role.

About Masana wa Afrika

With an office in Cape Town, Masana is an Africa-based foundation that provides grants and capacity-strengthening support to community-based organisations serving children in Africa. In 2023, Masana wa Afrika spun out of The ELMA Foundation's Community Grants Program (ECGP) which had invested in African community-based organisations between 2012 and 2022. A full description of Masana wa Afrika can be found on our website:

Job Responsibilities

Working closely with the Director, the Program Officer will develop and manage Masana's East Africa portfolio of investments with a focus on Ethiopia. Specifically, the Program Officer will be expected to:

• Identify programs and organisations in Ethiopia that fit within Masana wa Afrika's focus areas and broader approach to philanthropy
• Conduct thorough grantee due diligence, including critical analysis of applications, budgets, organisational strengths and weaknesses, and external risk factors
• Develop, write, and present concise, high quality investment recommendations
• Critically monitor programmatic effectiveness and grantee's financial management of grant funds through review of periodic reports and grantee site visits
• Diligently manage all relevant aspects of grants administration
• Analyse grantee reports and prepare documentation to facilitate timely grant payments and other grant actions
• Support the success of grantees in the portfolio, including connecting them to appropriate resources
• Assess performance of the portfolio, and design solutions to improve performance and impact
• Manage and grow strategic relationships with grantees, co-funders, government, and other key stakeholders
• Contribute to organisational learning and strategy development
• Other duties, as assigned

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the incumbent(s) of this job. They are not intended to form an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and activities required for the position. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Alignment to Values

All Masana wa Afrika employees are expected to demonstrate fit with Masana wa Afrika's organisational values and culture. Specifically, all employees are expected to demonstrate a commitment to:

• Masana wa Afrika's core values of: humility and integrity; respect for human dignity; pursuit of excellence; commitment to partnership; and a results-orientation informed by continuous learning; and
• Gender equity, and social justice, and combatting white supremacy, patriarchy, homophobia, colonialism, and other intersecting systems of oppression.

Required Qualifications

• Educational background and/or professional interest in at least one or more areas of the foundations' focus areas
• A minimum of five years' experience in managing programs, grant making, or equivalent private sector experience
• Fluency in English and a local language and excellent oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrated ability with analysing budgets, financial statements and conducting thorough financial due diligence of potential grantees
• Excellent analytical skills and ability to strategize, plan, prioritise and identify/assess opportunities, risks, challenges in programming
• Ability to source analyse, synthesize and effectively present information and data for a variety of audiences
• A strong understanding of how to apply racial and gender analysis to programming so that Masana's philanthropy is directed to diverse, gender-equitable, BIPOC and African-led organizations
• A strong and critical understanding of international development
• Passion for social justice and improving the lives of children in Africa
• Ability to work in a dynamic organization; flexible and adaptable to rapid change; quick learner, comfortable with fast paced environment; a self-starter and team-player
• Strong work ethic and ability to prioritize and multi-task
• Excellent relationship-building skills and ability to collaborate on internal teams of diverse backgrounds as well as with external stakeholders and partners
• Experience developing and managing partnerships and programs
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Ability to work non-traditional hours and travel locally and internationally as needed
• Excellent Excel skills and ability to analyze and present data in a highly organized manner
• Bachelor's degree is required
• Master's degree in a relevant field is strongly preferred but not required
• Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship
• Ability to work remotely full-time Monday – Friday with regular travel to the Uganda and Cape Town office

Salary and Benefits

Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications with attractive benefits.

Personal Information

Should you apply for this position, you consent to us collecting, using, disclosing, and storing your personal information and such special personal information, as defined in the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013, as may be required for the purposes of processing and evaluating your

application, and any other purposes set out or implied when you provide the relevant personal information to us. You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. If you do not consent to us collecting, using, disclosing, and storing your personal information and special personal information for the purposes of processing and evaluating your application, we regret that we will be unable to process your application.

How to Apply

Masana wa Afrika is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply for this position. All employment decisions shall be made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other basis as protected by local law.

If you would like to apply for this position, please submit to with the subject
Ethiopia Program Officer by 12 December 2025
. Your application should include the following:

• Cover letter
• CV
• Details of contactable references.