🌍 CARE International UK Director of Programmes, Policy and Advocacy Job 2026: £88,800–£91,761 Salary
🌍 CARE International UK Director of Programmes, Policy and Advocacy Job 2026: £88,800–£91,761 Salary. CARE International UK is recruiting for a senior leadership opportunity in international development, humanitarian programming, policy and advocacy: Director of Programmes, Policy and Advocacy.
The advertised salary range of £88,800–£91,761 per year makes this a senior-level opportunity for an experienced humanitarian or development professional capable of providing strategic leadership across programmes, policy, advocacy and organizational partnerships.
CARE International UK employs around 100 people, while the wider CARE network has approximately 11,000 staff working across more than 100 countries.
📌 Job Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Organization | CARE International UK |
| Position | Director of Programmes, Policy and Advocacy |
| Sector | International Development & Humanitarian Action |
| Location | United Kingdom |
| Career Level | Director / Senior Leadership |
| Salary | £88,800–£91,761 per year |
| Areas | Programmes, Policy, Advocacy, Humanitarian Action |
| Employment | Senior leadership position |
| Application | Through CARE International UK recruitment channels |
Candidates should verify the live recruitment page for the final contract terms, location/hybrid requirements, closing date and right-to-work conditions before applying.
About CARE International UK
🌍 CARE International UK Director of Programmes, Policy and Advocacy Job 2026: £88,800–£91,761 Salary
CARE is a major international humanitarian and development organization focused on fighting poverty and inequality, with a particular emphasis on the rights, leadership and empowerment of women and girls.
CARE International UK is part of the wider CARE confederation and contributes to humanitarian response, international development programmes, policy, advocacy, fundraising and partnerships.
Its current leadership information highlights CARE’s ambition to put women at the centre of its humanitarian and development work. The organization says its UK operation employs around 100 staff, with some personnel based in CARE offices internationally.
This Director position therefore sits within an organization operating across a significant international network.
What Is the Director of Programmes, Policy and Advocacy Role?
The Director of Programmes, Policy and Advocacy is a senior strategic leadership position.
Rather than managing a single development project, a director-level role of this nature connects CARE International UK’s programme portfolio with its wider policy and influencing ambitions.
The successful candidate can therefore expect their work to intersect with areas such as:
Humanitarian programming | International development | Programme quality | Policy | Advocacy | Partnerships | Gender equality | Funding | Organizational strategy
CARE International UK’s leadership page currently identifies an Interim Director of Programmes and Policy, whose remit highlights programme funding expertise, programme design, grant management, donor reporting, rural livelihoods and natural-resource management.
That provides useful context for the breadth of expertise associated with this part of the organization.
💷 Salary: Up to £91,761 Per Year
The advertised salary range for the opportunity is:
£88,800–£91,761 per year
At the top of the range, that is approximately £7,647 gross per month before UK tax and other deductions.
At £88,800 annually, the equivalent is approximately £7,400 gross per month.
This compensation reflects the seniority and strategic responsibilities associated with a director-level position.
CARE International UK’s salaries vary considerably by responsibility. For context, another senior 2026 recruitment campaign for Head of Advocacy and Influencing advertised £62,651 per year, while a Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager vacancy advertised £49,100.
🌍 Strategic Programme Leadership
🌍 CARE International UK Director of Programmes, Policy and Advocacy Job 2026: £88,800–£91,761 Salary
A major element of this position is likely to be leadership of CARE International UK’s international programme priorities.
At director level, candidates should expect to demonstrate experience overseeing complex development or humanitarian portfolios rather than only implementing individual projects.
Strong applicants are therefore likely to bring experience involving areas such as programme strategy, quality assurance, institutional funding, partnerships, risk management, monitoring and learning, and management of senior teams.
CARE International UK’s programme leadership has historically combined expertise in programme design, grant management and donor reporting, demonstrating the importance of both technical development knowledge and strong programme-management capability.
📢 Policy and Advocacy Leadership
Policy and advocacy are also central to the portfolio.
CARE International UK’s recent advocacy recruitment describes its influencing work as encouraging the UK Government and other UK-based stakeholders to use their international influence to address the rollback of women’s rights.
The Director can therefore be expected to operate in an environment involving senior external stakeholders and complex global policy issues.
This may include engagement with governments, institutional donors, policymakers, international organizations, civil society and other members of the CARE confederation.
👩💼 Gender Equality and Women’s Leadership
Gender equality is fundamental to CARE’s mission.
CARE International UK’s current strategy work emphasizes women’s leadership in crisis and stronger engagement with women’s rights and women-led organizations.
For candidates, this means knowledge of gender equality should not be treated as an optional addition to a general programme-management background.
Strong applicants should be able to demonstrate how they have incorporated gender equality, inclusion and locally led development into previous programmes, policies or organizational strategies.
🎯 Who Should Consider Applying?
This is not an entry-level position.
The salary, director title and strategic scope indicate that CARE International UK is looking for an established leader.
Potential candidates may currently hold positions such as:
- Director of Programmes
- Country Director
- Deputy Country Director
- Head of Programmes
- Humanitarian Director
- Head of Policy and Advocacy
- Programme Quality Director
- Regional Programme Director
- International Programmes Director
- Senior Humanitarian Adviser
Candidates moving from other international NGOs, UN agencies, development institutions or relevant civil-society organizations may also have transferable experience.
Skills That Could Make Candidates Competitive
🌍 CARE International UK Director of Programmes, Policy and Advocacy Job 2026: £88,800–£91,761 Salary
A strong candidate for this type of position would typically need substantial evidence of senior leadership and management.
That can include experience managing multidisciplinary teams, setting organizational strategy, overseeing complex international programmes and communicating with executive-level stakeholders.
Programme leadership is equally important. Candidates should be comfortable with programme quality, donor requirements, funding, risk, partnerships and results.
Policy and advocacy experience is particularly relevant because the position brings together programme delivery with influencing.
Candidates should also be able to demonstrate strong stakeholder-management skills and an ability to build relationships across organizational and geographic boundaries.
Finally, an understanding of gender-transformative and locally led approaches would align closely with CARE International UK’s strategic direction.
🌐 International Development Experience
This role is especially relevant to candidates with experience working across multiple countries or regions.
CARE International’s global footprint means senior UK-based leaders operate within a much larger international confederation.
The wider CARE organization works across more than 100 countries, while CARE International UK notes that some of its own staff are based in CARE offices internationally.
The successful candidate therefore needs to be comfortable collaborating across cultures, organizations and time zones.
Humanitarian Experience
Humanitarian leadership may also be particularly valuable.
CARE works in crisis environments and emphasizes the disproportionate impact that emergencies can have on women and girls.
Recent CARE International UK recruitment material describes the organization as working in some of the world’s most challenging situations and placing women and girls at the centre of its work.
Experience in humanitarian response, emergency programming, fragile contexts or crisis policy could therefore strengthen an application where required by the final person specification.
Benefits of Working at CARE International UK
Beyond the advertised £88,800–£91,761 salary, senior employment with CARE International UK offers the opportunity to contribute to a large international humanitarian network.
Potential professional advantages include exposure to international programmes, participation in global policy discussions, engagement with institutional partners and donors, leadership of multidisciplinary teams and opportunities to influence approaches to humanitarian and development challenges.
Candidates should consult the specific vacancy’s recruitment pack for the definitive employee benefits attached to this appointment rather than assuming that benefits offered for other CARE UK roles automatically apply.
Diversity and Inclusion
CARE International UK states that it is committed to equality and values diversity.
Recent CARE UK recruitment material says the organization is a Disability Confident Employer and particularly welcomes applications from disabled candidates. It has also encouraged applications from people from underrepresented backgrounds.
Applicants requiring reasonable adjustments during recruitment should follow the instructions in the vacancy announcement.
How to Prepare a Strong Application
🌍 CARE International UK Director of Programmes, Policy and Advocacy Job 2026: £88,800–£91,761 Salary
For a director-level appointment, a generic CV is unlikely to communicate the required level of leadership effectively.
Candidates should quantify the scale of their previous responsibilities wherever possible.
Instead of simply saying:
“Managed international programmes.”
A stronger application would explain the size of the portfolio, number of countries, team size, donor relationships, budget responsibility and measurable results achieved.
Applicants should also demonstrate specific examples of influencing policy, developing organizational strategy, managing change and building partnerships.
Leadership examples should show not only what the applicant personally delivered, but also how they enabled teams and partners to succeed.
📝 How to Apply
🌍 CARE International UK Director of Programmes, Policy and Advocacy Job 2026: £88,800–£91,761 Salary
Applications should be made through CARE International UK’s official recruitment channels.
Before applying, candidates should obtain and carefully review the complete job description and person specification. These documents should be treated as authoritative for the exact qualifications, experience, employment conditions and selection criteria.
Prepare any required CV and supporting statement specifically around the essential criteria.
Director-level supporting statements should provide concrete evidence rather than simply repeating the wording of the person specification.
Why This Opportunity Stands Out
This role combines four significant areas of international development leadership:
Programmes + Policy + Advocacy + Organizational Strategy
That combination makes the opportunity particularly relevant for experienced professionals who want to move beyond management of individual projects and influence the strategic direction of a major international NGO.
The £88,800–£91,761 annual salary also places it among CARE International UK’s senior leadership opportunities.
More importantly, the role provides the successful candidate with an opportunity to influence how international programmes, policy and advocacy work together to advance CARE’s broader humanitarian and development mission.
Final Thoughts
The CARE International UK Director of Programmes, Policy and Advocacy job for 2026 is a significant senior-career opportunity for professionals with substantial experience in international development and humanitarian leadership.
CARE operates across more than 100 countries, while CARE International UK’s programme and policy leadership sits within an organization strongly focused on gender equality, women’s leadership and humanitarian action.
🚨 Key Details
🏢 Organization: CARE International UK
💼 Position: Director of Programmes, Policy and Advocacy
🌍 Sector: International Development & Humanitarian Action
💷 Salary: £88,800–£91,761 per year
💰 Monthly equivalent: Approximately £7,400–£7,647 gross
🎯 Level: Senior Leadership / Director
📢 Focus: Programmes, Policy, Advocacy & Strategy
👩💼 Mission: Poverty reduction, humanitarian action and gender equality
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