The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) is recruiting a Program Manager for its Rwanda Centre of Excellence in Kigali. The position combines programme delivery, donor management, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation, partnerships and resource mobilisation in an organisation focused on mathematical sciences, STEM education and African scientific development.
The successful candidate will report to the Centre President and will help coordinate AIMS Rwanda’s programme portfolio, including work connected with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program and other donor-funded initiatives. Applications close on 31 August 2026.
Position at a Glance
- Organization: African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS)
- Centre: AIMS Rwanda Centre of Excellence
- Position: Program Manager
- Location: Kigali, Rwanda
- Employment: Full-time
- Reports to: Centre President
- Minimum experience: At least 5 years in programme and budget management
- Education: Relevant Master’s degree or equivalent
- Deadline: 31 August 2026
About AIMS Rwanda
AIMS Rwanda was established in 2016 with support from the Government of Rwanda and is the fifth Centre of Excellence in the wider AIMS network.
The centre provides postgraduate education in mathematical sciences and operates research and industry-linked programmes. AIMS Rwanda states that it has graduated more than 400 students, with women representing a substantial share of its graduates.
The institution’s broader mission is to strengthen African scientific capacity and prepare talented young Africans for leadership in science, technology, research, industry and public life.
Why This Program Manager Role Matters
This is not a narrow administrative position. AIMS needs someone who can keep programmes running day to day while also strengthening partnerships, supporting fundraising and contributing to the long-term sustainability of the Centre.
The Program Manager therefore sits between delivery and strategy. The person needs to understand implementation details, but also needs enough seniority to interact with donors, partners, staff, students and leadership.
Programme Coordination
A core responsibility is coordinating AIMS Rwanda’s programme activities and ensuring implementation remains aligned with agreed objectives.
That includes planning, scheduling, problem solving, coordination across teams, follow-up and making sure activities are completed to an appropriate standard.
The strongest candidates will have experience managing several workstreams at once without losing control of deadlines, dependencies or reporting obligations.
Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
The role includes responsibility connected with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at AIMS Rwanda.
That means the Program Manager needs to understand the demands of a major education and development partnership: student-focused delivery, donor accountability, monitoring, reporting, stakeholder communication and coordination across institutional functions.
Applicants with previous scholarship-programme, higher-education or youth-development experience should make that connection clear in their CV.
Other Donor-Funded Programmes
The Program Manager will also oversee other donor-supported work at the Centre. This requires familiarity with how international development programmes are planned, budgeted, monitored and reported.
Experience with donor agreements, results frameworks, implementation plans, budget tracking and narrative or financial reporting can be highly relevant.
Results-Based Management and M&E
AIMS expects a strong level of comfort with Results-Based Management (RBM), monitoring and evaluation and programme reporting.
That means candidates should be able to move from activities to measurable results. A good programme manager needs to understand the relationship between outputs, outcomes, indicators, data collection and donor reporting.
Applicants should highlight examples where they:
- Built or managed results frameworks.
- Tracked indicators.
- Produced donor reports.
- Used programme data for decision making.
- Improved an underperforming project.
- Supported external evaluations.
Impact Evaluation Experience
The position calls for understanding of impact-evaluation expectations associated with international foundations and development donors.
Experience working with organisations or funders such as Global Affairs Canada, IDRC, UK aid, USAID or comparable institutions can strengthen an application because these environments often require disciplined reporting, evidence and compliance.
Budget Management
At least five years of programme and budget-management experience is required.
Budget responsibility should be demonstrated with specific evidence. Instead of writing only “managed project budgets,” candidates should state the scale of the budget where appropriate, their responsibilities and how they monitored spending against plans.
Useful examples include forecasting, variance analysis, approval workflows, procurement coordination, donor budget revisions and financial reporting.
Partnership Development
The Program Manager will support the Centre President in strengthening national and international partnerships.
This can involve universities, governments, funders, foundations, companies, research institutions and other organisations connected to STEM education and African development.
Strong stakeholder management is therefore essential. Applicants should be able to demonstrate how they built or maintained partnerships rather than merely listing organisations they interacted with.
Fundraising and Resource Mobilisation
AIMS also expects the Program Manager to contribute to fundraising and revenue-generating initiatives.
That can include identifying funding opportunities, supporting proposal development, contributing programme information to fundraising materials and helping build partnerships that create longer-term financial sustainability.
Applicants with grant-writing, donor engagement, partnership development or business-development experience should highlight it prominently.
Required Academic Background
AIMS is looking for a relevant Master’s degree or equivalent qualification. Relevant disciplines can include:
- International Development.
- Economics.
- Business Administration.
- Project Management.
- Social Sciences.
- Education.
- Related fields.
The precise degree title matters less than whether the applicant can demonstrate the programme-management and development expertise required for the role.
Professional Programme-Management Qualification
The recruitment information identifies recognised project or programme management credentials such as:
- PMP.
- PgMP.
- MSP.
If you hold one of these or another recognised credential, place it near the top of the CV rather than burying it in a training section.
Five Years of Experience Means This Is Not Entry Level
The minimum five-year requirement is important. This role is aimed at an experienced professional who has already managed programme delivery and budgets.
Candidates whose experience is mainly internships or junior project support should assess the requirement realistically before applying.
STEM and African Development Experience
AIMS has a specific interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education in Africa. Candidates who have worked in higher education, research, STEM programmes, scholarship initiatives or youth development may have a strong contextual advantage.
However, candidates from broader international-development backgrounds can still be relevant if they can demonstrate transferable experience in donor-funded programme leadership.
Gender Equity
AIMS also values awareness of gender equity and inclusion. The organisation has a stated focus on increasing opportunities for women in STEM.
Applicants should avoid treating inclusion as a slogan. If you have worked on gender-responsive programming, equitable participant selection, safeguarding, accessibility or inclusive monitoring, describe the specific contribution.
Language Skills
Excellent written and spoken English is required. French is an advantage.
The position involves donor reports, partnership communication, meetings, presentations and work with an international network, so written communication quality is particularly important.
Technical and Office Skills
Strong Microsoft Office skills are expected, especially Excel, PowerPoint and Word.
For a senior programme role, Excel competence is not just about basic spreadsheets. Candidates may need to work with budgets, implementation trackers, monitoring data and reporting tables.
How to Strengthen Your CV
Build the first page around evidence that matches the role:
- Programme leadership.
- Budget responsibility.
- Donor-funded project experience.
- Monitoring and evaluation.
- Results-Based Management.
- Partnership development.
- Fundraising or resource mobilisation.
- Education or STEM programmes.
- Team leadership.
Use measurable outcomes where possible. For example, describe the number of participants supported, the size of a donor portfolio, the percentage of milestones delivered on time or the funding secured through a proposal.
How to Approach the Cover Letter
The letter should explain why your programme-management experience fits an education and STEM institution, not simply why you want to work in Rwanda or for an international organisation.
Connect your background to three core needs: reliable programme delivery, donor accountability and institutional sustainability.
If you have managed scholarships, education initiatives, research programmes or large multi-partner projects, use one strong example to demonstrate how you handled complexity.
About the AIMS Environment
AIMS operates as a pan-African network and works with students, researchers, lecturers, governments, foundations and international partners. The Rwanda Centre also hosts research activity in areas including data science, climate science and other quantitative disciplines.
The Program Manager therefore needs to be comfortable in a multicultural and intellectually diverse environment.
How to Apply
Applications are submitted through the official AIMS recruitment portal hosted on BambooHR. Candidates should review the live job description and complete all required fields and document uploads.
The deadline is 31 August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the AIMS Rwanda Program Manager based?
The position is based at the AIMS Rwanda Centre of Excellence in Kigali.
How much experience is required?
Applicants need at least five years of professional experience in programme and budget management.
Is a Master’s degree required?
Yes. A relevant Master’s degree or equivalent qualification is expected.
Is French mandatory?
No. Excellent English is required, while working knowledge of French is an advantage.
What kind of programmes will the manager support?
The portfolio includes work connected with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program and other donor-funded AIMS Rwanda initiatives.
