Programme Manager – Umbrella Theme at Unearthodox (Remote Opportunity)Deadline 19 Mar 2026

The Unearthodox Programme Manager – Umbrella Theme role offers a unique opportunity for professionals passionate about systems change, sustainability, and social innovation. This remote position is open to candidates within ±4 hours of Central European Time (CET) and runs as a fixed-term contract until December 2027, starting in April 2026.

Unearthodox is a forward-thinking organization focused on tackling complex environmental and societal challenges through systems thinking, futures thinking, and co-creation. Its work aims to regenerate nature while transforming social systems for long-term impact.

Programme Overview

The Umbrella Theme programme is a long-cycle, three-year initiative designed to drive deep systemic change. The current theme, Regenerative Futures, explores innovative approaches to addressing nature-society challenges.

Unlike traditional programs, this initiative evolves continuously through learning, research, and collaboration, allowing flexibility to adapt to emerging insights and changing contexts. The programme focuses on shifting ecosystem-level conditions, rather than advancing individual projects, by fostering new narratives, partnerships, and opportunities for change.

Role Purpose

The Programme Manager is responsible for end-to-end delivery and stewardship of the Umbrella Theme programme. This includes guiding the programme from initial framing through implementation, learning, and transition to future themes.

The role balances:

• 50% Strategic Work: Sense-making, alignment, and continuous improvement
• 50% Operational Delivery: Planning, coordination, monitoring, and risk management

The Programme Manager ensures the programme maintains clarity, coherence, and momentum, even in complex and evolving environments.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will oversee all aspects of programme delivery, including:

Programme Leadership

• Define direction and adapt plans as the programme evolves
• Ensure alignment between strategy, activities, and outcomes
• Maintain programme coherence across phases and stakeholders

Planning and Execution

• Develop timelines, deliverables, and budgets
• Track progress and ensure milestones are met
• Identify and mitigate risks proactively

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build trust and collaboration across partners and contributors
• Facilitate alignment and shared understanding
• Coordinate multi-stakeholder engagements and events

Team Coordination

• Bring together the right expertise at each phase
• Manage roles and responsibilities across contributors
• Support collaborative, co-creative working processes

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a systems thinker and collaborative leader who thrives in complexity and ambiguity.

Essential skills and experience:

• Strong background in programme management, including budgeting and risk management
• Experience working in complex, adaptive environments
• Ability to translate research and insights into clear plans and decisions
• Experience organizing multi-stakeholder events and workshops
• Strong stakeholder engagement and facilitation skills

Desirable qualifications:

• Experience in sustainability, regeneration, or social innovation
• Familiarity with systems thinking or systems mapping
• Experience in innovation labs, incubators, or accelerators
• Knowledge of themes such as decolonial approaches, healing, or regenerative practices

Work Environment and Culture

The role is based in a globally distributed, remote team and operates within a flexible, asynchronous work environment using tools like Slack, Miro, and Google Drive.

Key features include:

• Collaboration with diverse international stakeholders
• Opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge innovation models
• Occasional travel for meetings and events
• A culture grounded in values such as curiosity, collaboration, authenticity, and care

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means delivering a programme that:

• Maintains clarity and direction despite complexity
• Adapts effectively to new insights and learning
• Builds strong alignment among stakeholders
• Sustains momentum over time
• Contributes to meaningful systemic and environmental change

Application Details

• Location: Remote (within ±4 hours of CET)
• Contract: Full-time, fixed-term until December 2027
• Start Date: April 2026
• Deadline: 19 March 2026
• Salary: Not disclosed

Final Thoughts

This Programme Manager role at Unearthodox is ideal for professionals seeking to lead transformative, long-term change initiatives. It offers a rare opportunity to work at the intersection of systems thinking, environmental sustainability, and social innovation, contributing to solutions that address some of the world’s most complex challenges.

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