We're Hiring: Palestine Programme Manager

1. Purpose of the Role

To lead the design, implementation, and evaluation of a new six-month pilot programme dedicated to supporting Palestinian academics at risk. This role is responsible for establishing a "Virtual Fellowship" framework that bridges the gap between Palestinian scholars facing severe disruption and the UK higher education sector and to assess the potential for a longer-term Cara Palestine country programme (in line with Cara’s country programme framework).

2. About Cara

The Council for At-Risk Academics is a UK-registered charity founded in 1933 under the leadership of William Beveridge, to rescue academics suffering persecution under the rise of Nazism and facilitate their continued work in safety.

Cara has been a lifeline to academics at risk for over 90 years, as and when world events have placed them in the line of fire: Hungarian Uprising, Cold War, Apartheid South Africa, Iran, Latin American Juntas, Vietnam, Kosovo, DRC, Rwanda, Sudan, Zimbabwe etc. and, more recently Iraq, Turkey, Yemen, Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine. Cara provides support to academics through our fellowship and country programmes at times of heightened risk. The objectives of Cara are:

• To assist academics who have been, or are, or are at risk of being, subject to discrimination, persecution, suffering or violence on account of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, to relieve needs among them and their dependants and ensure that their specialist knowledge and abilities can continue to be used for the benefit of the public.
• To advance education by supporting academics and their educational institutions in countries where their continuing work is at risk or compromised, to ensure that such academics and institutions can continue to fulfil their critical role as educators for the public benefit.

This is a critical time to join our small and dedicated team as we expand our work in response to the growing risk to academics and universities in the world most high-risk environments.

1. Key Responsibilities

• Programme Design & Pilot Leadership: Develop the structural framework for new virtual fellowships, including defining eligibility, support packages, and clear success metrics.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Act as the primary point of contact for senior leaders within UK universities, NGOs, and international bodies to secure support and resources.

• Fellowship Management: Oversee the end-to-end lifecycle of the pilot, including:

• Promotion: Creating targeted outreach for Palestinian academic communities.

• Selection: Designing a fair, neutral selection process based on academic merit and risk assessment and in line with Cara’s Country Programme eligibility criteria, Uk legislation and the needs of partner universities

• Matching: Identifying suitable host departments and support including mentors within UK universities for virtual collaboration.

• Risk management: ability to identify and put in place risk mitigation strategies for international higher education co-operation programmes

• Monitoring & Evaluation: Documenting lessons learned during the pilot to provide a data-driven recommendation for future programme scaling – develop a case of support based on the outcomes of the pilot to influence future operations of the programme and funding

• Resource mobilisaiton: work with Cara Funding and Communications Manager to identify potential funding sources for the next stage of the programme, assess feasibility, and design a campaign to secure the time, funds and experience required to deliver the programme.

• Neutrality & Risk Governance: ensuring all communications, selection processes, and partnerships remain focused on humanitarian and academic objectives, and are anchored in Cara’s charitable objectives

• Design and deliver support: for Virtual Fellows and Mentors, including webinars and instructional guides

• Advising: provide support to universities who wish to continue to run their own programmes with the support of the Cara programme

3. Person Specification:

• Academic Sector Expertise: Deep understanding of the UK higher education landscape. Proven experience managing complex, sensitive international academic programmes at a senior level.
• Programme management: experience developing programmes and workplans including theory of change, activity plan, and results frameworks.

• Operational Delivery: Demonstrable experience in leading end‑to‑end delivery of complex academic or humanitarian programmes, including providing practical support to partner institutions (e.g. guiding universities through unfamiliar processes, troubleshooting, and ensuring follow‑through on agreed actions).

• Contextual Knowledge: A nuanced understanding of the specific challenges facing the Palestinian education sector, including the impact of conflict on academic freedom and institutional continuity, and/or experience supporting students and/or academics in conflict‑affected/highly constrained environments.

• Diplomatic Skills: Proven ability to work in sensitive, highly politicised environments while maintaining strict organisational neutrality and a focus on humanitarian/academic objectives. Exceptional ability to engage with diverse stakeholders whilst maintaining a professional and neutral stance.

• Stakeholder Communication: Effective communicator, with the ability to adapt messages and tone for different audiences and spaces (e.g. UK universities, Palestinian partners, media, government departments, NGOs, and donors), while maintaining a clear, neutral, and evidence‑based narrative.

• Virtual Innovation: Experience in developing or managing online communities, remote learning, or virtual collaboration tools.

• Operational Resilience: Experience navigating the specific technical and logistical challenges of the Palestinian territories

• Adaptability: The resilience to work in a rapidly changing context where "plan B" is often required due to shifting ground realities in the region.

• Partnership development: understand how to establish and manage equitable partnerships with universities and NGOs

• Travel: Willingness and ability to travel within the region as required to meet partners, fellows, attend events, and support programme delivery

4. Desirable Qualifications

• Fluency or professional proficiency in Arabic.
• Existing networks within Palestinian higher education and/or those in the region