The Donkey Sanctuary is an international animal welfare organisation, offering care and protection to donkeys worldwide. Our vision is a world where every donkey has a good quality of life, and our mission is to improve the lives of donkeys every day. We will achieve this by transforming the lives of donkeys in need worldwide by fostering greater understanding, collaboration and support, and by promoting lasting, mutually life-enhancing relationships. 

These are exciting times for the charity, and we now have an excellent opportunity for a self-motivated and professional individual with project/programme management skills to join our dedicated International Programmes and Partnerships Department. As Programmes and Partnerships Coordinator for Zimbabwe you will work alongside the Regional Programmes and Partnerships Advisor (RPPA) – Africa, to ensure the internal capacities, competencies and resources are in place to effectively deliver The Donkey Sanctuary’s strategy in support of donkey and mule welfare. The post-holder will support in relationship management with strategic partners in the focus area and assist in the processes of the project cycle, working closely with the RPPA Africa, to support the expansion of programmatic work across the region.

About you:

• Demonstrate significant Zimbabwean experience in a sector adjacent to Animal Welfare, International Development or other.
• Educated to degree level or above (or equivalent experience).
• Demonstrable project/programme cycle management experience, ideally in animal welfare or international development.
• Understanding and experience of appropriate use of project monitoring and reporting tools.
• Experience of working and communicating internationally, demonstrating an ability to build strong working relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Competent IT Skills, including MS Office.
• Be fluent in English.

About the role:

Your principal duties and responsibilities will include –

• Support programme cycle management in relation to funded partnerships in Zimbabwe. This includes: processing funding applications, arranging project grants, maintaining effective partnership relationships, reporting and learning.
• In support of the RPPA Africa, ensure demonstrable compliance with organisational policies and procedures, especially in relation to partner due diligence.
• Alongside the RPPA Africa ensure the internal capacities, competencies and resources are in place to effectively deliver The Donkey Sanctuary’s strategies in Zimbabwe.
• Co-ordinate Zimbabwe projects and programmes to ensure that they are monitored and evaluated appropriately, to ensure positive outcomes and the effective deployment of resources.
• Liaise regularly with partners and stakeholders to maintain strong working relationships and ensure smooth communication to deliver project plans.
• Support the collation of context analysis, data, case studies and photographs to contribute to how we manage and talk about our work.

What we offer in return:

This role could be based in the UK, Ethiopia or Kenya – this is a full-time, fixed-term contract until 30 November 2027, starting as soon as possible, working 35 hours per week, 08.30 – 16.30 Monday – Friday.

The working pattern for this role will be hybrid working, which combine onsite and home working under our guiding principles for such roles, with onsite attendance currently anticipated to be 1-2 days a month. The working pattern will be agreed between the line manager and post-holder.

Benefits:  

Competitive pension.

Life assurance.

31 days holiday (including Bank holidays), rising to 34 with each full year of service.

Wellbeing team.

Recorded Pilates and Yoga classes.

Long service awards.

Healthshield plan –

• Reimbursement of some medical expenses up to the specified limits per membership.
• Offers, discounts and cashback on shopping, travel and entertainment from participating outlets.
• Access to a 24/7 GP and counselling service.

Free parking.

Subsidised restaurant and shop.

Closing date for completed applications: Monday 11 May 2026.

This role may also be based from one of our branches in Ethiopia or Kenya, provided the post holder has the legal right to live and work in that country. Local employment legislation, salary (including currency and core working hours), and any benefits applicable in the respective location will apply.

Please note the salaries for candidates based in Ethiopia and Kenya are below:

Ethiopia – (ETB) 59,150

Kenya – (KES) 2,302,095

Before submitting your application, please ensure you read our candidate journey page, in particular our FAQs section – https://jobs.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/jobs/candidate-journey/

The Donkey Sanctuary is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable people (children and adults), and expects all staff and volunteers to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to safer recruitment processes, including an application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where required for the post.

The Donkey Sanctuary also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and, for relevant posts, may request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.

Please note: The Guaranteed interview scheme is only applicable to candidates who consider themselves to have a disability applying for roles based within the United Kingdom.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: We look forward to receiving your application, but we do ask you to complete this in your own words, and not to employ an Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing tool or assistant. Applications that are considered not to be an applicant’s own work may not be shortlisted for interview.