Program Development Managers

Program Development Managers

LEEP seeks multiple Program Development Managers with exceptional strategic judgement and research skills to drive the exploration of new effective programs across numerous countries.

Position Summary

Application Deadline: Rolling applications, until August 11th 2025

Start date: As soon as possible

Hours: Full time

Location: Remote with a preference for being based in a region where research work will likely be conducted (sub-Saharan Africa, MENA, South Asia).

Time Zone: Candidates must be located between UTC and UTC +6. Candidates outside this preferred range must be highly flexible with their work hours to ensure significant overlap with their team.

Language Requirements: Full professional proficiency in English

Salary: Salary is dependent upon location and experience. E.g., £50,000-£53,333 GBP for London-based roles; $50,000-$53,333 USD for Delhi-based roles; $50,000-$53,333 USD for Nairobi-based roles; $50,000-$53,333 for Cairo-based roles.

How to apply: Fill out this application form

Contact: hiring@leadelimination.org

About LEEP

LEEP is an impact-driven, evidence-based nonprofit that aims to eliminate childhood lead poisoning, which affects an estimated one in three children worldwide. We primarily focus on one important source of exposure: lead paint. Our paint programs involve generating data, supporting governments with the introduction and enforcement of regulation, and assisting manufacturers in switching to lead-free paints. Beyond our paint programs, we are piloting interventions to address other sources of lead exposure, such as spices and cosmetics.

Since our founding in September 2020:

• We have initiated lead paint elimination programs in 31 countries; completed paint studies in 18; and agreed on goals to establish lead paint regulation with government agencies in 16 (e.g., Angola).
• We’ve made crucial progress in engaging with manufacturers in 10 countries (e.g., Pakistan), and in reducing the lead paint market share in Malawi.
• Founders Pledge estimates that it costs $1.66 to prevent one child’s lead exposure (in expectation) through our work, making LEEP one of its most cost-effective nonprofit recommendations. Our own analysis estimates that it costs under $5 to avert one DALY equivalent through LEEP’s first 13 established programs.
• We are a partner of the WHO and UN Environment Programme's Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint and a member of the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future.
• We have received grants from major grantmaking organisations, including Founders Pledge, Open Philanthropy, and Schmidt Futures.
• We have appeared in Nature, Vox, Time Magazine, The New Yorker, Prospect, on the 80,000 Hours Podcast, and our co-founders were named in Vox’s Future Perfect 50.

About the Role

This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the next chapter of LEEP’s global impact. As a Program Development Manager, you’ll play a key role in identifying and testing new opportunities to eliminate lead exposure beyond paint—including in spices, traditional cosmetics, plastics, and water.

You will be part of a newly formed research team tasked with exploring high-impact interventions across multiple geographies and lead sources. We are hiring several Program Development Managers, each with a regional and/or thematic focus. Your work will help uncover the most promising policy, industry, or public health strategies in these contexts.

This role involves a hands-on approach to research: from conducting field studies and leading data collection, to analyzing findings and engaging directly with government and industry stakeholders. You’ll work closely with LEEP’s Director of Research and Strategy and collaborate with country partners to understand the scale and sources of lead exposure and test feasible solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Developing and Testing New Interventions (50%)

• Design and oversee field studies, pilots, and data collection to assess the potential impact in addressing different sources of lead exposure and test intervention feasibility.
• Interpret research findings to refine intervention strategies and guide decision-making.
• Engage with policymakers and industry stakeholders to ensure research is actionable and drives real-world policy change.
• Hands-on involvement in early research phases, including setting up studies, hiring and training field teams, and troubleshooting field logistics.

Leading Research Strategy and Execution (30%)

• Use research findings across projects and refine impact models to inform LEEP’s allocation of resources across sources and locations.
• Develop protocols to ensure high-quality data collection, analysis, and synthesis across research projects.
• Oversee research assistants and partners to ensure consistency and quality in data collection.

Collaboration and Organizational Growth (20%)

• Work closely with the program teams to align research with LEEP’s programmatic goals.
• Contribute to scaling LEEP’s impact by refining research processes and identifying key partnerships.
• Engage with funders, policymakers, and global health experts to communicate findings and shape policy.

Who We’re Looking For

A successful applicant will possess the following:

• Strategic decision-making: Ability to set priorities, allocate resources, and make informed choices that balance ambitious goals with feasibility.
• Strong quantitative research skills, including expertise in designing and implementing field data collection, advanced statistical analysis, and evaluating interventions using empirical causal inference methods.
• Entrepreneurial mindset: Comfortable navigating uncertainty, generating new ideas, and making things happen.
• Experience conducting policy-relevant research and translating findings into actionable recommendations.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to balance rigor with real-world implementation.
• Comfort working in fast-moving, unstructured environments.
• Ability to build relationships with government officials, industry leaders, and researchers.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information clearly.
• Willingness to be hands-on in early project phases, including fieldwork, data collection oversight, and logistics management.
• Experience working in low- and middle-income countries.
• Willingness to travel 8 to 12 weeks a year.

A successful applicant may also possess:

• Familiarity with public health, environmental health, or policy research.
• Proficiency in additional languages (Hindi, Arabic, French, Spanish etc.).

Work Environment

Our culture is one of genuine care for each other and passion for our work and its impact. We are a team that values collaboration, openness, and mutual support, which creates an environment where everyone can thrive while contributing to meaningful work. Though we are a remote team, we are supportive and close-knit. We stay connected through weekly team calls and 1:1 calls, where we have conversations about both non-work and work topics; we regularly share photos and celebrate milestones and successes in our Slack; and we come together annually for an in-person retreat to strengthen relationships and reflect on our mission.

Our team of 30+ people is based across five continents and speaks over 10 languages. We have diverse expertise, from medicine to environmental health to international law.

Our work schedule is flexible. Some of the team work 9-5:30, and some adjust their daily schedule around school pick-up. We value work-life balance and rarely contact the team members outside their work hours.

LEEP offers:

• A chance to have a very large positive impact on the world
• 33 days of paid leave (inclusive of public holidays)
• Generous sick leave and parental leave policies
• 4% pension contribution
• Health insurance in countries where government healthcare is limited