Program Manager- Philippines (Local Hire – Manila)

Location: Manila, Philippines Work Days : 5 days per week Travel: Ability to travel within the Philippines and regionally, as needed Position Type: Full-time About Spirit of America Spirit of America is a privately funded U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Our mission is to engage citizens in preserving the promise of a free and better life.

Spirit of America works internationally with local communities, civil society organizations, public institutions, nonprofit organizations, and other partners to provide timely and practical assistance that strengthens communities, advances shared priorities, and contributes to peace, stability, and opportunity. Our approach is entrepreneurial, collaborative, and focused on achieving meaningful results.

We value trusted relationships, strong local knowledge, responsiveness, sound judgment, and the ability to bring together people and organizations around opportunities for positive impact. The Opportunity Spirit of America is seeking a Manila-based professional to serve as Program Manager – Philippines. The Program Manager will support the Country Manager in developing and implementing high-impact programs in the Philippines.

This is a local-hire position based in Manila and does not include international relocation assistance. The Program Manager will play a senior role in program design and implementation, translating partner-identified needs into actionable project plans, supporting project development and execution, coordinating with partners and stakeholders, and helping ensure that program activities are implemented in alignment with Spirit of America’s policies, standards, and risk-management requirements.

The position will help ensure that project concepts are technically sound, implementation plans are realistic and achievable, partners have the guidance needed to deliver effectively, and internal coordination supports timely, accountable, and high-impact execution. Reports To: Country Manager Direct Reports: None Responsibilities Program Design & Implementation Support the Country Manager in translating partner-identified needs into clear project concepts, implementation plans, budgets, and timelines.

Lead and support the technical design and implementation of Spirit of America programs, ensuring activities are feasible, well-scoped, and aligned with country priorities. Coordinate project implementation with local partners, vendors, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders. Monitor implementation progress, identify challenges, and recommend practical adjustments to support timely and effective delivery.

Partner & Stakeholder Coordination Support the Country Manager in maintaining strong relationships and regular communication with local partners, NGOs, civil society organizations, government entities, and other implementation stakeholders. Help prepare partners for implementation by clarifying project expectations, deliverables, documentation requirements, and timelines.

Coordinate with the Operations Coordinator on partner vetting, contracting, payments, procurement, and documentation to ensure operational processes support program implementation. Identify implementation risks or partner-related concerns and elevate them to the Country Manager and appropriate Spirit of America teams with practical recommendations.

Project Management & Internal Coordination Maintain organized project plans, activity trackers, implementation updates, and other program documentation. Develop and support project proposals, scopes of work, budgets, implementation plans, and related documentation. Work with U.S.-based Spirit of America staff, Program Operations, Legal, Finance, and regional team members to address implementation needs and advance projects.

Support reporting on project progress, outcomes, lessons learned, and impact stories in coordination with the Country Manager. Operational & Risk Awareness Support the Country Manager in tracking duty of care, field activities, and implementation-related security considerations. Help ensure programs are implemented in accordance with Spirit of America policies, risk-management standards, and ethical expectations.

Conduct research and analysis to support project design, partner engagement, implementation decisions, and risk mitigation. What Success Looks Like in This Role Projects are technically sound, feasible, and aligned with Spirit of America’s mission and country priorities. Project implementation is well coordinated, timely, and clearly documented.

Partners understand project expectations, deliverables, documentation requirements, and timelines. Implementation risks and challenges are identified early and elevated with practical recommendations. The Country Manager receives reliable senior-level programmatic and implementation support to advance high-impact programs.

Project documentation is complete, accurate, and audit-ready, with clear reporting on project progress and outcomes.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in international relations, international development, public administration, security studies, or a related field . 8+ years of experience in program implementation, international development, civil society programming, stabilization, humanitarian assistance, security cooperation, or related work. Experience managing or supporting projects in complex operating environments, preferably in the Philippines or Indo-Pacific region.

Strong understanding of project design, implementation planning, partner coordination, budgeting, and monitoring of project activities. Demonstrated ability to translate partner needs and technical requirements into clear implementation plans, scopes of work, budgets, and project documentation. Experience working with NGOs, civil society organizations, government entities, military stakeholders, or international organizations.

Strong judgment, attention to detail, and ability to manage sensitive information with discretion. Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment. Ability to work collaboratively across cultures and with locally and internationally based teams. Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Fluency in Filipino required; proficiency in another Philippine language preferred. Supervisory or team-lead experience preferred.

Benefits

and employment arrangements will be structured in accordance with applicable local employment requirements. This is a Manila-based local-hire position. International relocation assistance is not provided. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.