United Purpose (UP) Malawi is an international non-governmental organisation working to create opportunities for lasting improvement in peoples’ lives. We work in partnership with others to support a range of livelihoods and food security, WASH and health, sustainable energy and gender equality programmes reaching over 1,200,000 people a year across Malawi. Globally, we work in nine countries across Africa, Asia and South America, however, our Malawi programme is by far and away from our largest and most established country programme. UP currently operates in 24 districts in Malawi, supporting over 30 on-going projects, with a total staff of around 250.
CUMO Microfinance Limited, a subsidiary of United Purpose, is the largest provider of rural microfinance services in Malawi. With over 10 years’ experience, CUMO currently covers 18 districts. It has over 87,000 rurally based clients, 83% of whom are women, with a variety of cash loan, savings, Agri-input, and micro-insurance products.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategy
- Proactive contribution to the overall organisational strategy: enabling community-led development by working together with people living in poverty to enable them to improve the quality of their lives and influencing and inspiring others through amplifying the voices of people living in poverty, enabling them to advocate for a fairer and more environmentally sustainable world.
- Leadership and proactive contribution to the development and implementation of the United Purpose Malawi Country Strategy.
Programme Direction, Management and Development
- To develop the Country Programme based on the existing country strategy and oversee structured strategic reviews to respond to changing circumstances.
- To proactively seek new opportunities for funding of projects through in-country and external relationship building with donors and the submission of programme initiatives.
- To ensure continued funding for the programme through oversight of well-researched proposal preparation and clear operational plans.
- To ensure that adequate assessments are carried out in accordance with good working practice.
- To ensure that the impact of programme activities are evaluated and draw learning for best practice for future intervention and shared across the organisation and other actors.
- To oversee the preparation of reports for funding partners, both financial and narrative, in accordance with United Purpose’s cost recovery policy and funding partner requirements.
- To coordinate the meticulous organisation and execution of informative and inspiring field visits for supporters of our work (including funding partners) to showcase the good work United Purpose, partners and programme participants implement on the ground.
- To write regular reports for UK office, government and partners as required, including monthly reports for the UK office.
- To actively communicate and work with local partners and communities on programme development, proposal articulation and report writing.
- To build and maintain positive and professional relationships with existing and possible new partners and to identify areas for capacity building with partners such as project cycle management, organisational management, human resource management, financial management, governance, etc.
- To ensure MOUs and funding-specific sub-contracts are in place with all partners.
Representation
- To represent United Purpose to government, Embassies/Delegations, the UN and other international agencies, funding and other partners, potential donors and other bodies including civil society networks, the media and the public.
- To maintain relationships with government and partner agencies at all levels to enable the appropriate development of the Malawi programme.
- To be cognizant of advocacy opportunities and, following internal discussion, to develop these as appropriate through the media, government, the UN, international agencies, civil society networks, funding partners and diplomatic missions.
- To contribute to the promotion of effective co-ordination between United Purpose, Government, UN, NGO and, where appropriate, other bodies.
- To contribute to the strategic development of CUMO Microfinance Limited.
- To be a non-executive Board member of CUMO
Staff Management and Development
- To nurture the role of the Senior Management Team and infuse the values of United Purpose in the development and implementation of organisational policies and practice and programme development.
- To provide inspiring and effective leadership for all staff and integrate programme and operations teams in the achievement of the strategy.
- To encourage staff involvement and commitment to the running of the programme through regular meetings and visits and a participatory team approach to decision making.
- To assist in the review, design and implementation of operational structures and staffing requirements for the effective implementation of United Purpose’s activities.
- To recruit and induct staff according to in-country guidelines and United Purpose policy, including equal opportunities.
- To ensure the conditions of service for national staff are kept up to date.
- To ensure that all staff have well defined and understood contracts and job descriptions.
- To ensure that all staff participate in annual appraisals.
- To identify the training needs of staff and ensure processes are in to support and encourage the appropriate personal and professional development of staff within the context of the organisational objectives.
- To conduct exit interviews for staff before they leave United Purpose.
Resources and Financial Management
- To outline the resource requirements for the programme and ensure that systems are in place for the effective management of resources in relation to finance, transport, supplies and capital assets, including maintenance of assets, register and vehicle logbook.
- To ensure that effective and secure budgetary control of the programme’s finances and expenditures are established and maintained, in line with United Purpose’s financial procedures guidelines.
- To monitor project finances on a monthly basis and liaise with funding partners if necessary regarding projected under- or over-expenditure.
- To provide financial reports on a monthly basis to the UK office.
- To monitor the funds transferred to partner organisations and to ensure partners have adequate financial systems and controls.
- To prepare an annual budget for core costs and identify where funding will come from to cover these costs in collaboration with the UK office.
Internal Control, Regulatory Compliance and Advisory Committee
- To ensure that there is a robust internal control environment, policies and procedures that safeguard the assets of the organisation and funding partners and that improve the effectiveness and the efficiency of the organisation.
- To review the work plan of the Senior Internal Auditor and to manage her/his internal audit work with particular emphasis on ensuring the effective implementation of recommendations included in internal audit reports.
- To support the Deputy Country Director Operations in the preparation and completion of organisational external annual audits and contract specific audits required by funding partners; to ensure that recommendations included in management letters are properly followed up and implemented unless there are justified reasons not to do so.
- To ensure that United Purpose complies with all relevant regulatory requirements including registration with the Government of Malawi and other appropriate bodies such as the NGO Board and CONGOMA.
- To assess and implement advice received from external auditors, legal advisers, Advisory Committee members and other contacts on changes to the legal and regulatory environment in Malawi (e.g. duty-free status, registration, taxation, etc.).
- To organise and manage United Purpose Malawi Advisory Committee meetings and to meet with Advisory Committee members on an individual basis when issues that could benefit from their experience and wisdom arise.
Staff Wellbeing, Security And Health & Safety
- To take all reasonable steps to ensure the wellbeing of staff, partner staff and relevant stakeholders.
- To maintain an overview of the political and security context, noting how developments may affect programme work. To ensure regular reporting to the UK office on these matters.
- To ensure that robust and effective security and evacuation plans and procedures are in place and regularly reviewed and updated in order to secure the safety of all staff at all times.
- To ensure that the health and safety policy is regularly reviewed and all staff are aware of this policy and follow its guidelines.
- To ensure all staff, volunteers and visitors are aware of and follow United Purpose’s security procedures.
- To comply with United Purpose’s safeguarding policies and practice and all other related policies and procedures.
- To ensure that the safeguarding policy and reporting channels are known, understood and used by staff.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Qualifications
- Relevant Master’s level qualification or similar academic achievement.
Preferred Experience
- Minimum of five years overseas experience, preferably in a Country Director capacity in Malawi or in Southern Africa.
- Proven proposal writing and budget design experience.
- Experience of multiple donor grant management and reporting to major donors particularly the European Union, DFID and USAID.
- Staff management experience in an international organisation.
- Security management experience.
- Knowledge, experience and appreciation of the dynamics of local institutions including local governments and community-based development practices.
- Strong experience in participatory planning and programme design.
Key Skills and Competencies
- Commitment to the fight against poverty and United Purpose’s values and mission.
- Commitment to the capacity building of local institutions based on mutual respect and a partnership approach.
- Positive outlook and stand-alone disposition.
- Determined hard worker, capable of rapid and quality turn around on a high workload and multiple tasks.
- Outgoing personality with solid interpersonal and diplomatic skills.
- Self-starter, capable of innovatively developing the programme.
- Adaptable and responsive disposition relative to the demands of the programme.
- Attention to detail and a flexible approach to work.
- Excellent communication and team-working skills, with the ability to build good relations, both internally and externally.
- Numeric skills, including a proven understanding of financial management.
- Excellent strategic judgement, planning, co-ordination and prioritisation skills.
Languages
- Fluent written and spoken English.
Safeguarding
- United purpose takes the safety and well-being of all those we work with, and our staff, very seriously and we have a zero-tolerance policy on any form of abuse.
- Our commitment to protecting people from harm is reflected in our safeguarding policy which all candidates are expected to comply with.
How to apply:
To apply for this role, kindly send through a Microsoft Word version of your CV and a cover letter detailing why you are suited to this role. Please mark it for the attention of Javier Martín Cantera, email address: [email protected]. Please subject your email with the following reference: UP_CD_Malawi
Please note that the interview dates for this role will be confirmed with you should your
Red Sea is committed to meeting the standards set out in their Equality and Diversity recruitment policy; this includes not discriminating under the Equality Act 2010 and building an accurate picture of the make-up of the workforce in encouraging equality and diversity.
More Information
- Job City Malawi
