Application Guide
How to Apply for Programme Manager - Arabic speaking
at MENTOR Initiative
🏢 About MENTOR Initiative
The MENTOR Initiative is the leading humanitarian organisation dedicated to controlling malaria and other vector-borne diseases in complex, vulnerable settings. Operating across Africa, the Middle East, and South America, MENTOR works with communities affected by conflict and natural disasters, building local capacity to create sustainable disease control systems. Working here means joining a specialised, expert-driven team that delivers large-scale health interventions where they are needed most.
About This Role
As Programme Manager - Arabic speaking, you will lead MENTOR's disease control interventions across the Middle East, managing large-scale health programmes in conflict-affected communities. You will coordinate with donors, local partners, and international teams to ensure effective delivery of malaria and vector-borne disease control, while building the technical and operational capacity of local organisations. This role is critical to MENTOR's mission of saving lives in some of the world's most challenging humanitarian settings.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve coordinating with field teams across multiple Middle Eastern countries, reviewing programme reports and budgets, and communicating with donors in Arabic and English. You could be troubleshooting a supply chain issue for vector control commodities, mentoring a local partner on monitoring and evaluation, or preparing a proposal for a new emergency response. The role is fast-paced and requires balancing strategic oversight with hands-on problem-solving in a remote, multicultural team.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who MENTOR Initiative Is Looking For
- Public health professional with a postgraduate qualification in public health, epidemiology, or infectious disease control, and experience in conflict or humanitarian settings.
- Extensive programme management experience in health/humanitarian contexts, including direct donor engagement and familiarity with NGO procedures.
- Essential experience working in the Middle East, with fluency in Arabic and strong cross-cultural communication skills.
- Highly organised, with excellent coordination and project management abilities, and a commitment to gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory practices.
📝 Tips for Applying to MENTOR Initiative
Highlight your Middle East work experience prominently, specifying countries and contexts (e.g., conflict zones, refugee settings) to demonstrate you meet the essential requirement.
Quantify your programme management achievements: mention budget sizes, number of beneficiaries reached, and specific donors you've worked with (e.g., DFID, ECHO, UN agencies).
Emphasise your Arabic language proficiency in your CV and cover letter, and if possible, provide examples of how you've used it professionally (e.g., negotiating with local partners, drafting reports).
Demonstrate familiarity with MENTOR's technical focus on malaria and vector-borne diseases; even if your experience is broader public health, show how you've tackled infectious diseases in emergencies.
Tailor your application to show you understand MENTOR's approach of building local capacity—mention any experience training or mentoring local staff or partners.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
Your cover letter should emphasise: 1) Your hands-on experience managing health programmes in the Middle East, ideally in conflict or humanitarian settings, and how you navigated challenges specific to the region. 2) Your technical knowledge of disease control, particularly malaria or vector-borne diseases, or your ability to quickly grasp specialised health interventions. 3) Your donor management experience, including specific donors and the size of grants you've managed. 4) Your Arabic fluency and cultural competence, with concrete examples of how you've used language skills to build relationships and deliver results.
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Explore MENTOR's current and past programmes in the Middle East, including countries of operation, donor partners, and specific disease control interventions.
- → Understand MENTOR's technical approach to malaria and vector-borne disease control, including any innovative methods or tools they use in emergency settings.
- → Research the humanitarian context in the Middle East, including ongoing conflicts, displacement crises, and health challenges that MENTOR addresses.
- → Look into MENTOR's partnerships with local organisations and how they build capacity—this will help you speak to their operational model in interviews.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Failing to explicitly state your Middle East work experience—this is an essential requirement, so omitting it or being vague will disqualify you.
- Underestimating the importance of Arabic fluency: do not just list it as a skill; demonstrate it through examples of professional use.
- Applying with a generic cover letter that doesn't mention MENTOR's specific focus on malaria/vector-borne diseases or their capacity-building approach, which shows a lack of research.
📅 Application Timeline
⏰ Deadline: October 16, 2026
We recommend applying at least a few days early to avoid last-minute technical issues.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to MENTOR Initiative!