Deputy Manager, Planning job at Raising The Village

Department/Group: Planning & Design
Reporting To: Manager, Planning & Design
Years of Experience 7yrs
Location: Mbarara (with regional travel as required)
Travel Required: 80%

About Raising The Village
At Raising The Village (RTV), we are dedicated to eradicating ultra-poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa. As a dynamic, rapidly growing international development organization, we’ve assembled a team of over 500+ passionate individuals in Uganda, Tanzania, DRC and Tanzania, alongside an additional 15+ professionals in North America. Together, we are committed to elevating communities out of ultra-poverty by implementing innovative solutions and leveraging advanced data analytics to drive impact.

To date, our holistic approach has positively impacted over 1,000,000 lives since 2012, and we’re poised to achieve even greater milestones, aiming to assist 2 million individuals annually by 2027. Our growth and success are fueled by the invaluable support of global partners who share our vision of sustainable change. Learn more about our impactful programs at www.raisingthevillage.org

Job Purpose:
The Deputy Manager, Planning is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the day-to-day delivery of the Planning function across RTV’s countries of operation.

The role supports the Manager, Planning & Design in translating organizational strategy, country growth ambitions and program priorities into clear, practical and coordinated implementation plans. The position ensures that annual and multi-year planning processes are completed on time, supported by reliable data and aligned with operational capacity, financial resources, government requirements and organizational performance targets.

The Deputy Manager provides direct leadership to the Planning team, strengthens planning systems and processes, coordinates cross-departmental inputs and ensures that management receives timely, accurate and decision-ready information.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Annual and Multi-Year Planning

• Coordinate the development of annual, cycle-level and multi-year operational plans across RTV countries.
• Translate approved organizational reach and growth targets into country, district, cluster and implementation-cycle plans.
• Lead the development and analysis of planning scenarios, including base, medium and accelerated growth scenarios.
• Ensure plans clearly outline proposed reach, geographical coverage, implementation models, staffing requirements, timelines, costs and operational dependencies.
• Support the alignment of organizational planning cycles with government calendars, budgeting timelines and program implementation requirements.
• Track approved plans and ensure that significant changes are documented, assessed and escalated for decision-making.

2. Expansion and Country Readiness Planning

• Coordinate feasibility assessments for entry into new countries, provinces, regions, districts and other geographical areas.
• Oversee the development of country and district readiness plans before expansion or launch.
• Ensure expansion plans assess key requirements relating to staffing, finance, logistics, office infrastructure, government engagement, legal compliance, systems, procurement, security and program delivery.
• Coordinate the identification of critical gaps, risks and dependencies that may affect implementation readiness.
• Support the development of realistic expansion timelines, including recruitment, onboarding, preliminary activities, program design and launch preparation.
• Ensure lessons from previous expansion processes are incorporated into future country and district planning.

3. Cross-Functional Planning and Coordination

• Coordinate planning engagements with departmental heads and designated focal persons across Implementation, Finance, Human Resources, Operations, Venn, Program Design, Partnerships, Legal, Communications, Venn and other relevant functions.
• Ensure all departments understand the planning assumptions, timelines, required inputs and key decision points.
• Consolidate departmental inputs into clear and integrated implementation plans.
• Track cross-departmental actions, dependencies, owners and timelines and escalate delays that may affect program delivery.
• Facilitate country planning and readiness meetings and ensure decisions and action points are properly documented and followed through.
• Maintain regular communication with country teams and departmental leadership throughout the planning process.

4. Planning Analysis and Decision Support

• Lead the analysis of program reach, household numbers, population, clusters, staffing, geographical coverage and implementation capacity.
• Develop decision briefs, scenarios, presentations and recommendations for the Manager, Planning & Design, Regional Programs Director, Executive Leadership Team and other decision-making forums.
• Ensure planning recommendations are supported by credible data, clear assumptions and an assessment of operational and financial implications.
• Work with Finance to assess cost implications, cost per participant, resource requirements and affordability of proposed plans.
• Support analysis of the likely impact of planning decisions on program quality, operational efficiency, return on investment and implementation timelines.
• Maintain accurate planning datasets, trackers, dashboards and planning assumptions.

5. Planning Systems, Processes and Quality Assurance

• Develop, standardize and continuously improve planning tools, templates, frameworks and operating procedures.
• Ensure consistent planning methodologies and outputs across Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, DRC and any future countries of operation.
• Establish quality assurance processes for reviewing planning submissions before they are presented for approval.
• Ensure planning documents are complete, accurate, internally consistent and aligned with approved organizational targets.
• Strengthen documentation, version control and storage of planning information to maintain a reliable single source of truth.
• Identify opportunities to automate or simplify planning processes and reduce unnecessary manual work.
• Promote the use of evidence, structured analysis and scenario modelling in organizational decision-making.

6. Team Leadership and Performance Management

• Provide day-to-day leadership, supervision and technical guidance to the Planning team.
• Translate departmental priorities into clear individual and team workplans.
• Allocate responsibilities across the team and monitor progress against agreed deliverables and timelines.
• Conduct regular check-ins, performance conversations and documented performance reviews with direct reports.
• Coach and mentor team members to strengthen their analytical, coordination, communication and leadership capabilities.
• Identify team capacity gaps and recommend appropriate training, coaching or staffing interventions.
• Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, ownership, continuous learning and timely delivery.
• Support succession planning and the development of a strong internal pipeline of Planning leaders.

7. Risk Management and Continuous Improvement

• Maintain visibility of major planning and expansion risks across countries and implementation cycles.
• Ensure risks relating to timelines, recruitment, legal processes, partner selection, security, government approvals, systems and departmental dependencies are identified early.
• Develop and track appropriate mitigation actions in collaboration with responsible departments.
• Escalate unresolved risks and delays to the Manager, Planning and Design/line manager in a timely manner.
• Facilitate after-action reviews following major planning cycles, launches and expansion activities.
• Document lessons and ensure agreed improvements are incorporated into future processes.

Key Performance Indicators

Performance in this role will be assessed against indicators including:

• Annual, multi-year and cycle planning processes completed within approved timelines.
• Country and district level plans supported by clear assumptions, accurate data and documented cross-functional inputs.
• Readiness gaps, risks and dependencies identified and escalated early enough to support corrective action.
• Expansion and launch readiness plans completed before approved implementation dates.
• Quality and consistency of planning tools, analyses, briefs and recommendations.
• Percentage of cross-departmental planning actions completed within agreed timelines.
• Accuracy of reach, cluster, staffing, geographical and cost projections.
• Timeliness and quality of information provided to management for decision-making.
• Reduction in planning delays caused by missing information, unclear ownership or weak coordination.
• Effective supervision, performance management and development of Planning team members.
• Improved standardization, documentation and efficiency of planning processes.
• Evidence that planning decisions contribute to improved program quality, cost efficiency, ROI and sustainable organizational growth.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, development studies, Economics, Statistics, Business Administration, Project Management, and Evaluation, Strategic Planning or another relevant discipline.
• A postgraduate qualification in a relevant field is an added advantage.
• At least Seven years of relevant professional experience in planning, program management, strategy, operations, expansion or a related field.
• At least three years of experience supervising or coordinating teams.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating complex planning processes involving multiple departments or countries.
• Experience in developing implementation plans, scenarios, budgets, feasibility assessments or expansion strategies.
• Strong experience analyzing data and translating findings into practical recommendations.
• Experience working in an international development, nonprofit or multi-country operating environment is an added advantage.
• Familiarity with rural development, poverty graduation, livelihoods or community-based programming is desirable.
• Proficiency in French and Swahili and any other SSA language will be an added advantage.

Required Skills and Competencies

Technical Competencies

• Strategic and operational planning.
• Data analysis and scenario modelling.
• Expansion and feasibility planning.
• Project and process management.
• Risk identification and mitigation.
• Budget and resource planning.
• Development of decision briefs and management presentations.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word and relevant planning or datamanagement tools.

Leadership Competencies

• Ability to lead, organize and develop a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong accountability and follow-through.
• Ability to translate strategy into clear actions, responsibilities and timelines.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver under tight deadlines.
• Sound judgement and confidence in escalating risks and recommending decisions.
• Ability to work independently while maintaining appropriate alignment with management.

Interpersonal Competencies

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to work effectively with senior leaders, departmental heads, country teams and external stakeholders.
• Collaborative approach and ability to influence teams without relying solely on formal authority.
• High level of integrity, professionalism and attention to detail.
• Adaptability and ability to work effectively in changing and complex environments.

• Coordinate the development of annual, cycle-level and multi-year operational plans across RTV countries.
• Translate approved organizational reach and growth targets into country, district, cluster and implementation-cycle plans.
• Lead the development and analysis of planning scenarios, including base, medium and accelerated growth scenarios.
• Ensure plans clearly outline proposed reach, geographical coverage, implementation models, staffing requirements, timelines, costs and operational dependencies.
• Support the alignment of organizational planning cycles with government calendars, budgeting timelines and program implementation requirements.
• Track approved plans and ensure that significant changes are documented, assessed and escalated for decision-making.
• Coordinate feasibility assessments for entry into new countries, provinces, regions, districts and other geographical areas.
• Oversee the development of country and district readiness plans before expansion or launch.
• Ensure expansion plans assess key requirements relating to staffing, finance, logistics, office infrastructure, government engagement, legal compliance, systems, procurement, security and program delivery.
• Coordinate the identification of critical gaps, risks and dependencies that may affect implementation readiness.
• Support the development of realistic expansion timelines, including recruitment, onboarding, preliminary activities, program design and launch preparation.
• Ensure lessons from previous expansion processes are incorporated into future country and district planning.
• Coordinate planning engagements with departmental heads and designated focal persons across Implementation, Finance, Human Resources, Operations, Venn, Program Design, Partnerships, Legal, Communications, Venn and other relevant functions.
• Ensure all departments understand the planning assumptions, timelines, required inputs and key decision points.
• Consolidate departmental inputs into clear and integrated implementation plans.
• Track cross-departmental actions, dependencies, owners and timelines and escalate delays that may affect program delivery.
• Facilitate country planning and readiness meetings and ensure decisions and action points are properly documented and followed through.
• Maintain regular communication with country teams and departmental leadership throughout the planning process.
• Lead the analysis of program reach, household numbers, population, clusters, staffing, geographical coverage and implementation capacity.
• Develop decision briefs, scenarios, presentations and recommendations for the Manager, Planning & Design, Regional Programs Director, Executive Leadership Team and other decision-making forums.
• Ensure planning recommendations are supported by credible data, clear assumptions and an assessment of operational and financial implications.
• Work with Finance to assess cost implications, cost per participant, resource requirements and affordability of proposed plans.
• Support analysis of the likely impact of planning decisions on program quality, operational efficiency, return on investment and implementation timelines.
• Maintain accurate planning datasets, trackers, dashboards and planning assumptions.
• Develop, standardize and continuously improve planning tools, templates, frameworks and operating procedures.
• Ensure consistent planning methodologies and outputs across Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, DRC and any future countries of operation.
• Establish quality assurance processes for reviewing planning submissions before they are presented for approval.
• Ensure planning documents are complete, accurate, internally consistent and aligned with approved organizational targets.
• Strengthen documentation, version control and storage of planning information to maintain a reliable single source of truth.
• Identify opportunities to automate or simplify planning processes and reduce unnecessary manual work.
• Promote the use of evidence, structured analysis and scenario modelling in organizational decision-making.
• Provide day-to-day leadership, supervision and technical guidance to the Planning team.
• Translate departmental priorities into clear individual and team workplans.
• Allocate responsibilities across the team and monitor progress against agreed deliverables and timelines.
• Conduct regular check-ins, performance conversations and documented performance reviews with direct reports.
• Coach and mentor team members to strengthen their analytical, coordination, communication and leadership capabilities.
• Identify team capacity gaps and recommend appropriate training, coaching or staffing interventions.
• Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, ownership, continuous learning and timely delivery.
• Support succession planning and the development of a strong internal pipeline of Planning leaders.
• Maintain visibility of major planning and expansion risks across countries and implementation cycles.
• Ensure risks relating to timelines, recruitment, legal processes, partner selection, security, government approvals, systems and departmental dependencies are identified early.
• Develop and track appropriate mitigation actions in collaboration with responsible departments.
• Escalate unresolved risks and delays to the Manager, Planning and Design/line manager in a timely manner.
• Facilitate after-action reviews following major planning cycles, launches and expansion activities.
• Document lessons and ensure agreed improvements are incorporated into future processes.

• Strategic and operational planning.
• Data analysis and scenario modelling.
• Expansion and feasibility planning.
• Project and process management.
• Risk identification and mitigation.
• Budget and resource planning.
• Development of decision briefs and management presentations.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word and relevant planning or datamanagement tools.
• Ability to lead, organize and develop a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong accountability and follow-through.
• Ability to translate strategy into clear actions, responsibilities and timelines.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver under tight deadlines.
• Sound judgement and confidence in escalating risks and recommending decisions.
• Ability to work independently while maintaining appropriate alignment with management.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to work effectively with senior leaders, departmental heads, country teams and external stakeholders.
• Collaborative approach and ability to influence teams without relying solely on formal authority.
• High level of integrity, professionalism and attention to detail.
• Adaptability and ability to work effectively in changing and complex environments.

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, development studies, Economics, Statistics, Business Administration, Project Management, and Evaluation, Strategic Planning or another relevant discipline.
• A postgraduate qualification in a relevant field is an added advantage.
• At least Seven years of relevant professional experience in planning, program management, strategy, operations, expansion or a related field.
• At least three years of experience supervising or coordinating teams.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating complex planning processes involving multiple departments or countries.
• Experience in developing implementation plans, scenarios, budgets, feasibility assessments or expansion strategies.
• Strong experience analyzing data and translating findings into practical recommendations.
• Experience working in an international development, nonprofit or multi-country operating environment is an added advantage.
• Familiarity with rural development, poverty graduation, livelihoods or community-based programming is desirable.
• Proficiency in French and Swahili and any other SSA language will be an added advantage.