Senior Manager

Application Deadline: 5 January 2025

Start date: As soon as possible

Hours: Full time

Location: Remote. If based in London, the ability to co-work from our office three days per week is required. We are currently unable to sponsor visas, but may be able to in the future.

Time Zone: Candidates must be located between UTC -5 and UTC +6, with a preference for those between UTC and UTC +3. Candidates outside this preferred range must be highly flexible with their work hours to ensure significant overlap with their team (who will mostly be within UTC to UTC+3).

Language Requirements: Full professional proficiency in English

Salary: Competitive depending on location and experience

How to apply: Fill out this application form

Contact: [email protected]

About LEEP

LEEP is an impact-driven, evidence-based nonprofit that aims to eliminate childhood lead poisoning, which affects an estimated one in three children worldwide. We primarily focus on one important source of exposure: lead paint. Our paint programs involve generating data, supporting governments with the introduction and enforcement of regulation, and assisting manufacturers in switching to lead-free paints. Beyond our paint programs, we are piloting interventions to address other sources of lead exposure, such as spices and cosmetics.

Since our founding in September 2020:

• We have initiated lead paint elimination programs in 31 countries and completed paint studies in 18.
• We have agreed on goals to establish lead paint regulation with government agencies in 16 countries (e.g., in Angola).
• We have received reports in 10 countries of manufacturers representing more than 50% of the lead paint market share (in that country) reformulating to lead-free (e.g., in Pakistan).
• We have conducted a repeat paint study which showed more than a 50% reduction in lead paint market share since our initial study in Malawi.
• We have conducted lead in spices studies in Ethiopia and Türkiye.
• Founders Pledge estimates that it costs $1.66 to prevent one child’s lead exposure (in expectation) through our work, making LEEP one of its most cost-effective nonprofit recommendations. Our own analysis estimates that it costs under $5 to avert one DALY-equivalent through LEEP’s first 13 established programs.
• We are a partner of the WHO and UN Environment Programme’s Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint, and a member of the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future, launched by USAID and UNICEF.
• We have received grants from major grantmaking organisations, including USAID, Founders Pledge, Open Philanthropy, and Schmidt Futures.
• We have appeared in Nature, Vox, Time Magazine, The New Yorker, Prospect, on the 80,000 Hours Podcast, at the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future launch on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly, and our co-founders were named in Vox’s Future Perfect 50.

About the Role

As a key leader in the organisation, you will manage and inspire a talented group of Program Managers, guiding them to deliver meaningful results whilst thriving in LEEP’s dynamic, fast-paced work environment.

This role goes beyond exceptional people management. You will provide strategic guidance to your team on the steps of our paint programs, act as a trusted escalation point for program partners, and tackle context-specific challenges with creativity. This involves offering nuanced guidance on government engagement, building strong relationships with policymakers, advising on how to tailor messaging for diverse industry audiences, and navigating cross-cultural stakeholder dynamics. You should enjoy international travel, and your adaptability will enable you to step in wherever LEEP and your team need you most.

With significant responsibility in a growing organisation and direct line management from LEEP’s Program Director, you will collaborate closely with both LEEP’s senior leadership and your peers. Together, you’ll translate LEEP’s long-term goals into tangible outcomes, lead cross-functional projects to refine our systems and playbook, and potentially contribute beyond our lead paint programs as we broaden our scope.

As a Senior Manager, you must bring exceptional people skills and strategic insight to a role that is critical to driving LEEP’s next phase of growth and amplifying our global impact.

Responsibilities

• Strategic program guidance (40%)
  • Provide strategic oversight and feedback on Program Managers’ plans and implementation
  • Support your team throughout meetings, trips, and key milestones, offering guidance while empowering them to drive forward implementation
  • Act as a trusted advisor, troubleshooting roadblocks and guiding complex decisions or adjustments as needed
  • Serve as the escalation point for key stakeholders, including government officials, who are critical to eliminating lead paint
  • Manage your team’s budget, ensuring efficient use of resources to achieve program goals
• Team management (40%)
  • Lead and inspire a team of three to five Program Managers, ensuring alignment with LEEP’s strategic goals and mission, and empowering your team to consistently meet or exceed their goals
  • Accountable for the results and performance of your team, you will foster a high-performance and trusting culture through clear expectations, regular and open feedback and a shared sense of purpose
  • Conduct one-on-one meetings, training, and appraisals to support your team’s development and success
• Program and internal systems development (15%)
  • Collaborate with your peers and the wider team to develop our paint playbook and internal systems
• Special Projects (5%)
  • Take on high-priority or cross-functional projects or workstreams as required, managing them from planning to completion

What We’re Looking For

Successful applicants will possess most of the following:

• Passion for LEEP’s mission and a strong commitment to achieving meaningful, scalable impact.
• A demonstrable track record of line management and a proven ability to guide and motivate teams to achieve results.
• Strong skills in delivering feedback and coaching to drive performance and professional growth.
• Expertise in guiding strategic plans and managing projects that align with organisational goals.
• Excellent stakeholder management, influencing and communication skills.
• Comfort with acting as an escalation point in complex situations.
• Strong problem-solving skills to unblock barriers.
• A desire for continuous improvement, which will involve regularly reviewing strategies and sharing insights to refine programs.
• Experience working in low- and middle-income countries and/or collaborating with governments and policymakers.
• Capable of working in a remote environment (unless based in London) and experience in managing remote teams.
• Willing to travel for 8 to 12 weeks per year.
• Full professional proficiency in English.

Other promising attributes:

• Full professional proficiency in additional languages is not essential but is beneficial, particularly in French and Spanish. Portuguese, Arabic, Mandarin, Hindi, and Urdu are also helpful.

Work Environment

Our culture is one of genuine care for each other and passion for our work and its impact. We are a team that values collaboration, openness, and mutual support, which creates an environment where everyone can thrive while contributing to meaningful work. Though we are a remote team, we are supportive and close-knit. We stay connected through weekly team calls and 1:1 calls, where we have conversations about both non-work and work topics; we regularly share photos and celebrate milestones and successes in our Slack; and we come together annually for an in-person retreat to strengthen relationships and reflect on our mission.

Our team of 18 people is based across five continents and speaks over 10 languages. We have diverse expertise, from medicine to environmental health to international law.

Our work schedule is flexible. Some of the team work 9-5:30, and some adjust their daily schedule around school pick-up. We value work-life balance and rarely contact the team members outside their work hours.

LEEP offers:

• A chance to have a very large positive impact on the world
• 33 days of paid leave
• Generous sick leave and parental leave policies
• 4% pension contribution or equivalent salary match