Senior Program Officer, Governance and Leadership

About this role

The role is for a Senior Program Officer overseeing the Leadership for Equity, Advocacy & Development fellowship and related governance initiatives. It targets individuals with experience in governance, civic engagement or leadership development who can manage multi-institutional programs and partnerships. The employer, Lopterra, positions itself as a leading human capital company focused on professional service, training, and client relationships in Africa. The job involves designing, coordinating and expanding fellowship activities, knowledge platforms, and policy labs, as well as managing cohorts and partnerships with civic and governance groups. The position is based in Abuja, with responsibilities spanning programme design, stakeholder convening and outcomes tracking.

What you would do

• Lead the design and execution of the LEAD Fellowship across ten institutions.
• Oversee review and expansion of the Campus Champion Manual and virtual learning lab modules.
• Manage the virtual learning lab, learning circles, capstone sessions, and fellowship cohort experience.
• Design and coordinate the Policy Lab, intra-campus competitions, regional semifinals, and national finale in Abuja.
• Identify sector and thematic partners and support technical placements for finalist teams in governance and civic organisations.
• Convene advisory meetings, inception sessions, and multi-stakeholder dialogues.
• Broker partnerships with civic organisations, governance institutions, feminist networks, and policy actors.
• Ensure documentation, knowledge management systems, and dashboard tracking of outcomes.

What they are asking for

• Master’s Degree in Gender Studies, Public Policy / Public Administration, Governance or Development Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, Law, Social Work, Human Rights, Peace & Conflict Studies or related field.
• 3–6 years progressive experience in governance, civic engagement, youth leadership development, gender justice, policy advocacy or related sectors.
• Demonstrated leadership in designing or managing programs, fellowships, or multi-institutional initiatives.
• Strong grounding in feminist principles, power analysis, and systems thinking.
• Proven ability to engage government actors, regulatory agencies, and institutional leadership.
• Exceptional partnership-building, coalition management, and multi-stakeholder convening skills.
• Strong writing, conceptualisation, and communication abilities.
• Experience working with young people, student movements, or leadership pipelines is an added advantage.
• Ability to ideate innovative frameworks and translate concepts into actionable strategies.
• Availability to travel.

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