Senior Programs Officer at Legend Golden Care Foundation (LGCF)

Legend Golden Care Foundation (LGCF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting social justice and human rights. LGCF works to improve the quality of life for vulnerable populations, including women, children and inmates through holistic and evidence-based approaches combining pro bono legal services, psychosocial support, livelihood empowerment, education, and advocacy to create sustainable impact. We work across three key thematic areas, including access to justice and security, rehabilitation, and gender.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Programs Officer

Location: Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja (FCT) 
Employment Type: Full-time

Description

• Legend Golden Care Foundation (LGCF) is seeking an experienced and exceptional Senior Programs Officer to provide strategic, technical, and operational leadership for all interventions within the organization’s Access to Security and Justice (ASJ)thematic area.
• This role is central and contributes to the overall efforts of our organization to promote justice, protect human rights, and support vulnerable populations across Nigeria.
• The ideal candidate must have proven experience in program management and litigation and a deep understanding of human rights issues and the Nigerian criminal justice system.
• In this role, he/she is responsible for ensuring program quality, effective partnerships, advocacy, and donor engagement, while aligning all activities with the organization’s overall program strategy.

Key Responsibilities
Program Planning, Management and Implementation:

• Lead the design, implementation, scaling and evaluation of programs.
• Review and ensure alignment of program priorities, strategies and plans with organizational goals and donor requirements.
• Provide leadership to the program team towards achieving the objectives of the ASJDepartment.
• Oversee ASJprogram team and provide technical guidance and capacity building.
• Ensure quality implementation of all projects of LGCF’s Access to Justice Initiatives.
• Ensure learning is documented by the program team in the most effective way.
• Develop, monitor, review and update the Access to Justice Department activity and work plan to ensure that it attains its objectives as cost-effectively and efficiently as possible
• Provide litigation support and legal guidance on access to justice and human rights issues.
• Contribute to organizational strategy, focusing on justice, human rights and fundraising priorities.

Partnerships, Networking and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Identify and build strategic partnerships with government agencies, NGOs INGOs and legal networks, donors, community leaders and other stakeholders.
• Support the Executive Director in developing and managing relationships with donors.
• Support LGCF to strengthen networks in the justice sector.
• Ensure effective information flow and communication with other stakeholders, including partners and donors.
• Initiate and nurture networks and alliances with academia, and research institutions
• Coordinate and support review of LGCF partnerships and lead negotiation and management of MoUs and partnership agreements relevant to ASJ.
• Ensure effective partnerships at all levels as per standard procedures and guidelines of LGCF
• Represent the organization in relevant forums and networks.
• Ensure follow-up of partners after reviews and reflections.

Program Reviews, Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Reporting:

• Ensure close monitoring of the program works in the field to ensure alignment and contribution to LGCF’s strategy, monitor the flow of information and systemic documentation of quantitative and qualitative achievements in the field, and document lessons learned.
• Ensure quality and timely submission of quarterly and annual or required program and project performance reports as per desired standards and guidelines.
• Ensure compliance of approved program and project plans.
• Promote evidence-based learning and the agenda of advancing alternatives
• Represent the organization/unit in various program-related knowledge-sharing and learning forums, and document and share feedback with the team.
• Track trends in contemporary development programming and program management practices, and document and provide advice/recommendations on key developments to the management.

Legal Support, Policy, Advocacy & Systems Strengthening:

• Represent pretrial detainees in courts, including filing applications, petitions, and other legal actions.
• Collaborate with the program team to ensure legal services are integrated with psychosocial, advocacy, and reintegration support.
• Provide legal advice and support to detainees and vulnerable clients.
• Lead ASJ related advocacy initiatives at community, state, and national levels.
• Contribute to policy dialogue on criminal justice reform, detention conditions, and survivor protection.
• Support the development of policy briefs, position papers, and advocacy messages.

Resource Mobilization:

• Lead the development of program ideas into quality grant proposals through a community-based, participatory approach or ASJfunding opportunities.
• Maintain strong working relationships with donors and funding partners.
• Lead the development and implementation of a fundraising plan and strategy.
• Collaborate with the program unit to respond to potential funding opportunities.

Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Law (a postgraduate degree in Law or a relevant discipline is preferred).
• A minimum of 8 years of relevant progressive experience in a similarrole in a reputable organization, preferably in the NGO sector, working on access to justice and human rights.
• Experience in litigation and providing legal support.
• Experience in conducting research and executing training projects.
• Demonstrated experience in program management in justice, legal aid, or human rights and leading programs involving vulnerable populations and justice sector reform.
• Experience in designing, setting up and coordinating monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment systems and processes of a program is required.
• Experience in managing funding from a diversity of sources, including governments and aid agencies and private sector donors.
• Proven experience of working with government agencies and research institutes.
• Sound and up-to-date knowledge of human rights issues and Nigeria’s criminal justice systems and justice sector reforms.
• Understanding of project cycle management
• Excellent understanding of development partnerships, fundraising, donor strategies and stakeholder engagement.
• Litigation experience in Nigeria’s legal system.
• Ability to adapt to evolving project needs and work in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong knowledge of M&E methodology, quality assurance
• Excellent leadership, management skills and strategic thinking
• Excellent presentation, communication, and negotiation skills.
• Networking, influencing and interpersonal skills.
• Crisis management and conflict resolution
• Planning, organization, time management, and coordination.
• Proficiency in MS Office.
• Work with minimum supervision and stay on track.
• Work under pressure and tight deadlines
• A proactive and innovative individual with excellent interpersonal skills, emotionally intelligent and decisive.
• Must reside in Abuja.

Application Closing Date
10th April, 2026.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their applications to: admin@legendcare.org using “Application – Senior Programs Officer” as the subject of the email.

Application Process
Attach a single PDF document that includes:

• CV (maximum 3 pages), including references.
• A detailed cover letter (maximum 1 page) explaining your motivation and relevant experience for the role.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

• Legend Golden Care Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and encourages qualified women to apply.
• We do not discriminate based on gender, disability, ethnicity, religion, or other protected characteristics.