Senior Portfolio Lead – SPA III / Frameworks

Danish Refugee Council (DRC), one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently looking for a highly qualified Senior Portfolio Lead for the Danida SPA III to manage one of DRC’s largest and most strategically important institutional partnerships.

 

About the job

The Strategy, Programming and Results (SPR) department in DRC is responsible for DRC’s global strategic direction, program quality, and global framework agreements with major institutional donors. From January 2027, DRC will implement its new Strategic Partnership Agreement III (SPA III, 2027-2031) with the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA/Danida) – a multi-year framework spanning 19 country operations alongside  a portfolio of global projects. We are looking for an experienced program manager to lead the day-to-day management of this portfolio, working closely with senior management, country teams and the donor. The portfolio may gradually be increased to include one to two smaller framework agreements alongside the SPA III.

The Senior Portfolio Lead is a new and senior program position within DRC, established to provide dedicated leadership, management and coordination across this significant portfolio. The role brings together, under a single point of accountability, the day-to-day direction of the SPA III Management Team, oversight of portfolio performance and risk, and the SPA III relationship with the Danish MFA (in close coordination with the strategic Danida lead) – ensuring the portfolio is led with the consistency and seniority its scale and strategic importance require.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

• Maintain a consolidated overview of portfolio delivery, expenditure and risk, and lead preparation of the annual portfolio review,
• Provide supervision of the SPA III Program Coordinator, and direct a cross-functional SPA III Management Team drawing on colleagues from across HQ,
• Oversee and ensure high-quality guidance, support and compliance monitoring is delivered to country operations, executed through the SPA III management team,
• Oversee the global projects on the SPA III to ensure coherence and quality of delivery,
• Oversee the results monitoring and reporting pipeline to Danida,
• Act as facilitator to the high level SPA III Steering Committee across DRC, advising, informing and ensuring follow up on key decisions,
• Hold the SPA III portfolio relationship with the Danish MFA, and participate in Danida reviews of DRC,
• As additional donor framework agreements come into effect, integrate these into the portfolio’s management arrangements.

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to bring significant experience managing large, multi-country programs funded by institutional donors, strong financial oversight skills, and the ability to lead and coordinate cross-functional teams. Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required

• 8-10 years experience in international humanitarian and/or development program management,
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-country portfolios and donor relationships,
• Strong budget management and financial oversight skills,
• Strong understanding of conflict and displacement settings and program responses,
• Experience in managing donor framework agreements (e.g. Danida, SIDA, NORAD),
• Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field,
• Fluency in English.

Desirable

• Proficiency in Danish,
• Experience with Nordic institutional donors (e.g. Danida, SIDA),
• Field experience from a fragile, conflict or displacement context.
   

All employees are expected to demonstrate DRC’s five core competencies: 

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process. 
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback. 
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation. 
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly. 
• Demonstrating integrity: You uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.
   

We offer

Contract length: Permanent.

Work location:  Lyngbyvej 100, 2100 Copenhagen Ø (just by Ryparken station), Denmark.

Start date: 1 August 2026 – or as soon as possible thereafter.

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with the agreement between DRC and AC. This is a national position for which local terms and conditions apply. 

We welcome all nationalities to apply for the role. If you do not have the existing right to work in Denmark, DRC will support with applying and paying for a work permit.

Application process

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV in English (no longer than four pages) as well as degree certificate. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Closing date for applications: 30th of June 2026. Due to the urgency in filling the role, we expect to conduct the screening and interview process on a rolling basis during and immediately after the application period. We anticipate that the recruitment process will be concluded by 13th July 2026.

 

Further information 

For questions regarding the vacancy please contact Jason Lee ([email protected]). We will do our best to respond to as many inquiries as possible.

For more information about the Danish Refugee Council, please visit our website drc.ngo.

Danish Refugee Council is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive and positive work environment based on mutual respect for all employees. All applicants are considered for employment regardless of personal characteristics or attributes.

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