Associate Director -Programs & Design NGO Job GDCI

Job Title: Associate Director -Programs & Design

Date Posted: 23/06/2026

Job Type: Remote

Employer: Global Designing Cities Initiative

Industry: Project Management

Salary: Open

Location: Nairobi

Country: Kenya

Deadline: 15/07/2026

Summary:

The Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI) is seeking an Associate Directorto join its mission to

transform streets around the world. This role will be working alongside another Associate Director, based in the Americas and will help oversee both programmatic and design work, with a focus on delivery and impact. This position will support a matrix reporting system and play an instrumentalrole within the Executive team.

What you’ll do

• Reporting to the Director of Design and Programs and as a vital member ofthe GDCI executive leadership team, you will serve as a strategic bridge between high-level vision and on-the-ground execution of quality streettransformations in over 30 cities around the globe. In this role, you will provide oversight of GDCI’s diverse portfolio offunded programs, working in partnership with another Associate Director based in the Americas, ensuring every commitmentfrom grant deliverables, schedules, and multi-million dollar budgets is delivered atthe highest standards.
• By maintaining and improving systems to measure and promote ourimpact, you will ensure our global work directly advances GDCI’s mission to reimagine streets as safe, healthy, and equitable spaces for all.
• Beyond programmatic management, you will co-lead a talented, multi-disciplinary team and serve as a critical supportrole to the Directors and the Executive Director. You will supportinternal leadership needs and advance critical decision-making. Whether managing complex funder relationships or acting as an external ambassadorin high-level globalforums, you will be instrumental in scaling GDCI’s influence and operationalizing our core values.

Job Responsibilities

Programmatic Oversight and Stakeholder Management

• Drive Programmatic Impact: Oversee the performance of funded programs against established goals, metrics, and internal GDCI quality standards, and when needed, step in to provide direct program management.
• Design Quality Oversight: Ensure technical design accuracy, quality, and consistency across all funded programs, working with program and regional leads to uphold GDCI’s street design standards. Support project design reviews and help facilitate decision-making on design recommendations and proposals.
• Cultivate Funder Relationships: Build and maintain strong relationships with funders and ensure timely delivery of all reporting.
• Budgetary Stewardship: Manage programmatic budgets to ensure accuracy and enable proactive planning and coordination in collaboration with the executive team.
• Systems and Reporting: Maintain and strengthen systems to capture, track, and report on program impacts relative to specific funder or internal performance metrics.
• Contextual Understanding and Problem Solving: Support programmatic teams in balancing empathetic, locally grounded approaches with ambitious, globally informed strategies and best practices. Help navigate complex implementation challenges by integrating local realities, stakeholder perspectives, and technical excellence into practical solutions.

Organizational Leadership and Operations

• Strategic Decision-Making: Contribute to the executive team by bringing unique perspectives to strategic direction and conducting external research to challenge and improve organizational norms.
• Operational Excellence: Co-led internal leadership and all-staff meetings to build a cohesive leadership team and coordinate events that support operational objectives.
• Design Excellence: Co-lead design strategy with the Leadership team to ensure consistency across GDCI’s programs, resources, and assets. Champion cross-programmatic design learning and the integration of GDCI’s technical stance, graphic standards, and visual identity into all organizational outputs. Help ensure new tools, products, and publications are aligned with GDCI design standards.
• Executive Presence: Serve as an internal and external leader for the organization, maintaining operations and external presence in the absence of the Executive Director or Directors.

Team and People Management

• Professional Development: Manage hiring and staffing issues, ensuring that advancement pathways and professional development are considered for all employees.
• Coaching and Feedback: Guide the team’s skill development through timely feedback to ensure long-term success.

Program Growth and Partnerships

• Strategic Growth: Work with the Associate Director of Strategy and Development to seek and evaluate new partnership opportunities and secure ongoing program funding.
• Design Thought Leadership: Represent GDCI’s design philosophy and technical expertise at global forums and peer networks, contributing to the broader discourse on safe, equitable, and sustainable street design. Support the dissemination of GDCI’s design resources, precedents, and best practices to external audiences.
• Expanding GDCI’s Mission: Represent and present on behalf of GDCI in various global forums, maintaining relationships with peer organizations complementary to GDCI’s mission.

Requirements

This role demands a rigorous yet collaborative leader who thrives at the intersection of technical street and urban design expertise and effective organizational management. You are comfortable challenging the status quo and working within a dynamic, passionate, multicultural team that isn’t afraid to push for bold changes in cities. Because GDCI’s work spans the globe, you are adept at building relationships across cultures and navigating partnerships with ease, including senior leaders, city officials, and global partners. As a strong communicator, you are equally effective in live discussions as in asy