Director of Programmes and Organisational Development

Rural Community Network Northern Ireland (RCN NI)

Charity Jobs NI is delighted to be exclusively partnering with Rural Community Network Northern Ireland (RCN NI) to recruit a dynamic, strategic, and experienced Director of Programmes and Organisational Development. This newly created senior role, established in response to RCN NI’s ambitious Strategic Plan 2025–2030, offers an exceptional opportunity to influence and lead impactful rural development initiatives across Northern Ireland.

About Rural Community Network Northern Ireland: RCN NI is dedicated to promoting inclusive rural development, community empowerment, and resilience across Northern Ireland. Through strategic advocacy, funding coordination, and community-led initiatives, RCN NI plays a vital role in addressing rural challenges and shaping policy to benefit rural communities.

About the Role: The Director of Programmes and Organisational Development will support the CEO and Senior Leadership Team in operationalising RCN’s Strategic Plan (2025–2030). This role encompasses strategic oversight, programme coordination, policy advocacy, operational management, and people leadership.

Key Responsibilities:

· Strategic and Policy Delivery: Translate strategic goals into actionable plans, ensuring effective alignment and clear performance milestones.

· Funding Coordination and Accountability: Manage diverse funding streams, ensuring efficient delivery, robust monitoring, and evaluation, and proactive identification of funding opportunities.

· Operational Oversight and Governance: Lead operational functions including HR, finance, compliance, governance, and risk management, embedding clear internal processes and accountability.

· People Management and Leadership: Foster an inclusive, collaborative culture, provide clear goal setting, support professional development, and build leadership capacities internally and within communities.

· Community Engagement and External Representation: Represent RCN NI at policy forums, build strategic cross-sectoral relationships, and facilitate inclusive community participation and advocacy.

Qualifications & Experience:

Experience listed below must have been gained within the last ten years

Essential – Programme & Organisation Development

5+ years proven leadership in the voluntary, public, or community development sectors.
3+ years senior-level strategic management as part of an SMT/SLT: co-developing organisational and business plans, setting KPIs/OKRs, agreeing delivery milestones, and reporting progress to the CEO/Board.
3+ years operational and financial management (planning, budgeting, compliance, risk, funder reporting).
3+ years people leadership (line management, performance frameworks, coaching and team development).
2+ years monitoring, evaluation and learning with outcomes-based reporting.
Strategic organisational development: partnering with the CEO/SMT to strengthen systems, governance and culture; aligning resources, workforce plans and budgets to strategic goals; leading change and continuous improvement.

Essential – Policy

2+ years policy development/analysis and external engagement (e.g., drafting briefings, consultation responses, evidence reviews), with the ability to translate programme evidence into clear policy positions.
Experience representing the organisation in external forums/alliances and engaging with officials and elected representatives.

Role-wide Essentials

Managing diversified funding streams and producing clear narrative and financial reports for multiple funders.
High-quality stakeholder engagement across community, statutory, funder and academic partners; excellent written and verbal communication.
Strong analytical judgement and problem-solving—turning evidence into practical delivery plans and measurable outcomes.

Desirable

Rural policy exposure/experience in Northern Ireland, including post-Brexit contexts (e.g., DAERA policy contexts, UK policy and funding mechanisms).
Familiarity with EU and cross-border programmes (e.g. Shared Island, PEACEPLUS).
Experience leading organisational change and internal restructuring.
Public engagement/representation and policy influencing, with evidence of positive impact for communities.

Skills: Strategic leadership, robust financial oversight, exceptional communication, stakeholder engagement, and advanced problem-solving capabilities.

Why Join RCN NI:

· Meaningful Leadership: Lead initiatives making tangible differences to rural communities.

· Professional Development: Opportunity to influence policy, manage significant funding streams, and drive strategic community development.

· Supportive Environment: Collaborative and values-driven workplace.

Hours: 35 hours per week, Full-time

Location: RCN Office, Cookstown (travel across rural regions required)

Salary: Between NJC Point 32 (£42,839) and NJC Point 35 (£46,142), salary determined dependent on demonstrated experience.

Contract Type: Permanent

Benefits:

· Annual Leave: 25 days, increasing to 30 days after 5 years' service, plus 11 statutory holidays.

· Pension: 6.5% employer contribution to NEST Pension Scheme.

· Flexible working arrangements (occasional evenings/weekends required).

You might currently be working in roles such as: Director of Programmes, Head of Policy, Senior Programme Manager, Strategic Development Director, Head of Community Development, Policy Lead, or similar.

Applications Close: Tuesday, 23rd September 2025

Please Note: Applications may be reviewed upon receipt, and this vacancy may close early if sufficient applications are received. Early application is strongly advised.

Interested? To apply, please submit your updated CV via our online application system or email directly to Charity Jobs NI at hello@charityjobsni.com. If you'd like an extended job description or have questions about the role, please contact our team on 028 9248 2205.

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Director of Programmes and Organisational Development