We’re looking for the next leader of our programs team: the Deputy Director for Programs (DDP). In this role, you provide strategic leadership to our dynamic portfolio of programs. As a senior leader, your core responsibilities will include program oversight, grants and budget management, program quality, strategic direction and fundraising. You’ll report directly to the Country Director (CD) and lead a team of eleven experienced professionals in programs, grants and MEAL.
In Niger, we are currently leading a large scale humanitarian program focusing on Displaced people and host communities impacted by recent crises and conflicts, with a particular focus on women and girls. We work in Diffa, Tilabery and Maradi, and our driving vision is that in Niger, people affected by crisis including internally displaced persons, refugees, returnees, and their host communities receive rapid emergency assistance, have access to basic services, and have the ability to choose how to meet their needs through assistance provided primarily in cash.
Do you have past experience in program leadership? Are you passionate about quality design, strategy, and want to make a meaningful impact on those most in need in Niger? Then join us!
Major Responsibilities
This is a critical, strategic role for our country program. You are ideal for this role if you are keen to:
• Assume the programmatic leadership of a multi-million dollar program in Niger, covering implementation, grants management, MEAL and business development.
• Be the primary driver of program quality, through oversight and implementation monitoring, as well as guidance and support to the team of technical experts and program managers.
• Work to improve project management through project cycle meetings to strengthen oversight, coordination and collaboration
• Guide proposal and concept note development, and define with the CD the strategic direction of our programmatic and fundraising efforts.
• Mentor staff, providing guidance to the grants teams in writing proposal narratives and budgets.
• Represent the IRC in donor and partner meetings, expanding our participation and visibility in key coordination forums.
• Foster a positive and productive professional work environment and professional relationships amongst staff; and facilitate productive working relationships between the program and operations staff.
• Lead strategically, influencing the work of deputy directors leading other departments, regional teams, donors, and partners.
• Spearhead a multi-annual strategy that prioritizes localization, cash, responsiveness, and gender, diversity, equity & inclusion.
Program Strategy & Design
You and the CD will collaborate regularly to set the strategic direction for the country program and lead fundraising efforts accordingly. You will have the opportunity to be creative and innovative in translating our far-reaching strategy into concrete action.
• Leader in driving the IRC/Niger’s ambitious strategy, championing our key programmatic transitions. Among other priorities, you will work to significantly increase the proportion of IRC’s programming delivered in partnership with local actors; you will continue to increase the use of cash in our programs; and will help influence policy & practice through strategic advocacy efforts.
• Position IRC for future donor resources by initiating assessments (including qualitative and quantitative data gathering), and by furthering IRC’s reflective thought leadership around program quality in Niger.
• Provide mentorship to program staff regarding tools and strategies for programming that is based on input from communities and client feedback, a deep understanding of the context, and evidence of technical effectiveness.
• Lead the development and implementation of integrated programming initiatives so that technical sectors complement one another for greater impact.
Leadership and Representation
In this position you are part of the country office’s senior leadership, and will set the tone and pace for the programs team. As DDP, you will lead the largest department in the organization , so we are looking for exceptional leadership skills.
• Provide leadership and supervisory management to the programs department, as a key member of the SMT, including mobilization and stewardship of resources, program quality and accountability, and performance management.
• Drive the quality implementation and support of programs, informed by the country program’s Strategy Action Plan (SAP), monitoring and evaluation systems and technical unit support.
• Act as donor focal points on programmatic matters and lead on donor meetings and visits aimed at reviewing existing projects.
• Actively engage with donors, partner agencies, and the humanitarian community in Niger to ensure IRC is strongly represented in coordination and advocacy efforts.
Program Implementation & Grant Management
As DDP, you’ll be our main lead on all issues related to program implementation and quality, and will be the main driver of our strategy ambitions and the implementation of the IRC’s IMPACT Standards for program implementation. You will approve requisitions, work plans and budgets.
[note that this aspect of the DDP role is subject to ongoing restructuring conversations, to ease the workload on the position]
• Provide overall leadership and management of IRC Niger’s programming portfolio, ensuring strategically coherent program direction, well-managed growth, and compliance with IRC and donor regulations.
• Drive effective management of program implementation through structured work plans, spending plans, monitoring plans and regular field support visits; ensure that risks limiting achievement of objectives are reported and rapidly addressed.
• Strengthen our existing MEAL systems alongside the MEAL coordinator; ensure data is used for decision-making and improvement of outcomes for our clients. Promote robust Client Responsiveness initiatives.
Staff Performance Management and Development
You will be directly supervising a team currently comprising eleven people, and inspire them to deliver their best. You will have latitude to manage, lead and structure your team.
• Coach, supervise and mentor your team into a high-energy and high-performance team; communicate clear expectations, set performance objectives, provide regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and provide effective semi-annual performance reviews.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, nurturing a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Supervise Gender equality and Safeguarding initiatives.
Job Requirements
• You have a solid work ethic and desire to work every single day for the improvement of the lives of the people we serve.
• As a leader in a position of trust, you can lead by example and inspire others through your positive role modeling. You are innovative and a creative problem solver, able to deliver results in challenging contexts
• You can independently organize your work and prioritize tasks. You can coach and support your teams to do the same.
• You can demonstrate, and draw from, a successful track record on building and leading effective teams. You have led teams remotely in the past.
• You have held roles which required you to mobilize support and coordinate inputs from multiple sources, within and outside the organization, to achieve impact.
• You have designed or managed quality, effective, data-driven programs that received funding and were implemented successfully, on time, in compliance with donor requirements, within budget, and with the anticipated results.
• Within your team, you can foster dialogue and lead reflections on decolonization and anti-racism – contributing to a shift in how we conceive, design and implement humanitarian response programs.
• Excellent digital literacy, with skills and familiarity with budgeting strongly sought after
• Seven years of progressively responsible humanitarian response experience, preferably in conflict-affected settings and/or in the Sahel.
• Graduate degree in relevant field preferred
Fluency in English and French, both written and spoken, is required. Knowledge of other local languages in Niger is an added asset.
Please include in your application a high-quality cover letter, explaining why you are qualified for the position.
Work Environment
• Position is accompanied & covers private housing
• Security level: Yellow, but stable in Niamey. All international staff of IRC Niamey must comply with the rules and policies in place for security.
Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.
Gender Equality & Equal Opportunity: We are committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer generous benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances. We welcome and strongly encourage qualified women professionals to apply.
IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law
More Information
- Job City Niamey
