Head of Programme 123 views0 applications


Danish Refugee Council (DRC), one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently looking for a highly qualified Head of Programme to be responsible for the overall quality and delivery of DRCs program across seven established areas of operation in Ethiopia and Djibouti (Tigray, Gambella and Somali Regions in Ethiopia & Djibouti) – with a significant contribution expected to the conceptualization, technical support and implementation of development, emergency and “nexus” projects.

DRC has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. DRC promotes and supports solutions to the problems faced by refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and migrants. The organization has offices across the region, and has been operational in Ethiopia since 2009. With funding from bilateral and multilateral donors, DRC is currently implementing a range of activities across Ethiopia and Djibouti, including WASH and shelter provision, child and youth protection, gender based violence response, awareness-raising of migration risks, protection monitoring of migration routes, and livelihoods support for returning migrants or those at-risk of migration.

About the job

The Head of Program works under the direct supervision of the Country Director based in Addis Ababa and liaises with all program and operations across Ethiopia and Djibouti.
The Head of Programme will play a vital role as a member of the Senior Management Team and will drive the overall country-level vision, mission, and objectives, and guide implementation of area and technical level strategies. S/he ensures the development of country strategies, which are translated into action plans and day-to-day tasks. S/he will be active in high level and strategic decision-making, collaborating closely with the Head of Support Services and Country Director, ensuring outputs are in line with the programs country priorities, DRCs mandate and according to DRC policies and systems. The role provides support and/or technical guidance to country operations while overseeing country activities, and has a multi-country focus and ensures compliance to DRC procedures and guidelines.

More specifically, your main duties and responsibilities will be:

Program Strategy, Management, & Development

  • Participate in country level strategic planning and contribute to the sustainable management of program growth with an eye towards program growth and development.
  • Enabling and overseeing effective, efficient and timely implementation of all projects according to agreed contracts, budgets, policies and in accordance with specific donor requirements
  • Ensure that relevant beneficiary data is collected, compiled, analyzed and distributed and that relevant assessments are conducted in the project area
  • Lead the planning and development of concept papers, budgets and project proposals with support from country team
  • Provide regular internal and external reports, and other relevant information on programme activities, policy matters and external relations
  • Contribute to the conceptualization and evolution of the country strategy, develop/define the country programming in a collaborative way ensuring program appropriateness and accountability among the country program team.
  • Collaborate closely with senior management staff in the development and design of innovative initiatives to drive new program development in DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti in accordance with DRC’s assistance framework.
  • Foster synergies between program areas (integrated approach), support the strong integration of protection and age, gender, diversity throughout all humanitarian initiatives and ensure adherence to Sphere standards or any other international standards when relevant.
  • Lead assessment and rapid response in any humanitarian situation, with written report and recommendation to initiate and setup relevant emergency projects if a response is decided and in line with the country strategy.
  • Advocate for DRC’s program in DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti with government, donors and humanitarian stakeholders, in cluster meetings, workshops, conferences and in other relevant fora at the program level. Support the Country Director in advocacy at higher levels.
  • Support the Country Director to ensure effective coordination and visibility of the implementation of the projects with all humanitarian and development actors.

Fundraising, Grant proposals writing & reporting processes

  • Lead funding opportunities in all DRC areas of competence and coordinate the activities of the program managers, budget holders, and SMT to identify and materialize opportunities in alignment with country and regional strategies ensuring that all new funding opportunities and proposals reflect the existing capacities and strategy of the DRC country programme
  • Lead and oversee the drafting of concept notes, proposals, and donor reports by program managers (including budgets for cost-related activities) in coordination with support departments in line with DRC HQ/Region and donor requirements.
  • Ensure all concept notes and project proposals are well written, professionally presented, have undergone technical review by relevant sector focal points, are reflective of best practices and are in line with DRC’s country strategy as well as broader regional and global strategies of the organization. This responsibility may entail support in designing and coordinating needs assessments and other research initiatives.
  • Oversee the work of the program support function, and the budgeting coordinator to make sure timely and coherent budget preparation for all new proposals and budget revisions.
  • Ensure timely and targeted communication and information flow to all relevant internal and external parties in coordination with the Country Director, Regional Office, HQ and other program stakeholders to remain informed about program achievements.

Program Staff Management and Capacity Building

  • Effectively manage program teams, including managers, specialists and technical experts located at sites throughout the country with an emphasis on program implementation excellence, promoting a culture of cooperation, learning, creativity, and innovation.
  • Lead and manage the programme department staff including people planning, recruitment, objective setting, performance reviews, well-being, and development
  • Ensure that all new staff receive a comprehensive induction package from each sector lead upon arrival with the organization and as per DRC’s Operations Handbook requirements
  • Build a technically excellent team in accordance with programmatic and country-level strategy. Develop overall staff competence through leadership, training, and coaching of technical and management key program staff
  • Conduct annual staff performance reviews, ensuring that poor performance is identified and corrective measures are put in place to develop staff capacity and encourage improvements
  • Collaborate closely with the Head of Support Services to allocate funding for staff development, performance management, and team building processes.

Donor liaison, Partnerships and Representation

  • As required represent DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti program to existing and potential donors
  • Cultivate key relationships that enhance DRC’s visibility, credibility and notoriety in DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti
  • Identify local NGOs/partners with whom to cooperate and partner
  • Provide support to the Country Director and Area Managers in advocacy efforts

Program Implementation & Coordination:

  • Provide oversight, guidance, and leadership to all aspects of program implementation in DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti.
  • Collaborate closely with Area Managers and provide daily oversight to programmatic technical needs
  • Ensure effective and transparent budget follow up, planning, and use of financial resources in coordination with the Area Managers (budget holders), in compliance with DRC and donor policies and priorities.
  • Work with Area Managers to ensure that Detailed Implementation Plan and Project Management Plans are updated and reviewed on a bi-weekly basis, driving implementation teams to achieve results as per donor contracts and monitoring of burn rates associated with program activities.
  • Effectively stay abreast of donor policies, procedures, rules and regulations; and train DRC program and support staff in these policies, developing guidelines and ensuring kick-off meetings take place in both the Country Office and Area Offices to ensure compliance with donor rules and regulations.

Program Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning:

  • Design and ensure the implementation of effective and participatory program monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning strategies at all levels of the DRC’s program in DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti.
  • Ensure that all projects contribute to measuring impact and are in line with DRC’s country strategic plan.
  • Ensure quality programming by coordinating the technical support provided by the Regional Office and HQ and contributing to the development of M&E tools and indicators and other quality improvement initiatives
  • Identify, propose, test, and roll-out new monitoring and evaluation approaches and methods
  • Promote learning and knowledge management within the country program.
  • Document lessons learned and best practices for dissemination within DRC country and Region teams, to donors and to other stakeholders when relevant in order ensure synergetic programming and cross-program collaboration in DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti and in the whole region.
  • Supervise monitoring and evaluation of the operations to ensure the overall implementation is in accordance with agreed work plans, donor agreements, and humanitarian accountability framework.
  • Develop appropriate monitoring, tracking and reporting systems, tools and templates that enhance monitoring of programme outputs and quality, generate quality evidence on program impact and promote and ensure use of data for decision-making processes/ program adjustments.

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to posses the following:

  • Master’s degree in law, social sciences, international development, or another relevant field
  • Over 8 years of progressively responsible experience in program management, leadership, and design
  • At least 7 years of experience in managing program operations, including 4 years minimum at country senior management level and at least 2 years in Senior Management
  • Demonstrate experience and skill in proposal development, budget development, program implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
  • Proven leadership skills and a competence in people management and leading by example as per DRC Core Competencies
  • Proven experience in effectively coordinating with national governments, international, and national NGO partners.
  • Proven experience in managing a diverse program portfolio, particularly in protection programming integrated with WASH and livelihoods, in both development and humanitarian contexts
  • Full professional proficiency in English is required; full proficiency in French is highly desirable

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:

Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
emonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer

Contract length: 24 months
Level: E
Designation of Duty Station: Accompanied duty station
Start date: As soon as possible

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to drc.ngo under Vacancies.

More Information

  • Job City Addis Ababa
  • This job has expired!
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The Danish Refugee Council is currently implementing a broad range of activities relevant to conflict affected communities and persons. The activities are categorized in ten sectors:

Shelter and Non-food Items, Food Security, Protection, Income Generation, Coordination & Operational Services, Community Infrastructure & Services, Humanitarian Mine Action, Armed Violence Reduction (AVR), Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH), and Education.

Here you can read some short exemplifications of what types of activities the respective sectors include:

Shelter and Non-food Items: Provision of emergency shelter, emergency cash grants, rehabilitation of housing, distribution of non-food items (NFIs) and provision of return and repatriation kits.

Food Security: Emergency food provision or food voucher programmes. Training and capacity development in agriculture, agricultural inputs (e.g. tools and seeds), agricultural grants.

Protection: Advocacy for the rights of displaced people in their context of displacement, child protection initiatives, individual protection assistance based on vulnerability, legal aid, land & property rights, sexual and gender-based violence prevention, registration services for the internally displaced and refugees, monitoring of rights and rights awareness-raising, facilitation of return and repatriation processes.

Income Generation: Business training and SME development, business grants, life-skills training, literacy and numeracy training, vocational training, micro-credit loans, savings groups, group enterprise development and facilitation.

Coordination & Operational Services: Coordination and management of refugee and IDP camps, active participation in UN cluster coordination, humanitarian surveys and studies, facilitation of NGO Networks focused on displacement solutions, capacity development, training and support to local NGOs, secondment of experts to UN emergency operations worldwide

Community Infrastructure & Services: Provision of physical infrastructure like roads, bridges, community centres, irrigation systems or other community structures, facilitation and training of infrastructure management groups at community level, facilitation and funding of community development plans, initiatives for disaster risk reduction at community level.

Humanitarian Mine Action: Manual or mechanical mine clearance, clearance of former battle areas, education for affected communities – with special focus on children on how to avoid harm from mines and UXO, surveys of expected and confirmed mined or UXO areas, explosive ordnance disposal and stockpile destruction, capacity building of national demining institutions.

Armed Violence Reduction (AVR): Education in procedures for safe storage and safe handling of small arms and light weapons (SALW), capacity building of institutions for safety, local and community level conflict management and mitigation.

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH): Emergency water supply, hygiene item distribution, hygiene information and education, construction of latrines, installation water points, wells and water storage. Water purification.

Education: Education grants and fee support, school feeding programmes, teacher training and support, school materials provision and construction or rehabilitation of school structures.

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0 USD Addis Ababa CF 3201 Abc road Full Time , 40 hours per week Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

Danish Refugee Council (DRC), one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently looking for a highly qualified Head of Programme to be responsible for the overall quality and delivery of DRCs program across seven established areas of operation in Ethiopia and Djibouti (Tigray, Gambella and Somali Regions in Ethiopia & Djibouti) - with a significant contribution expected to the conceptualization, technical support and implementation of development, emergency and “nexus” projects.

DRC has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. DRC promotes and supports solutions to the problems faced by refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and migrants. The organization has offices across the region, and has been operational in Ethiopia since 2009. With funding from bilateral and multilateral donors, DRC is currently implementing a range of activities across Ethiopia and Djibouti, including WASH and shelter provision, child and youth protection, gender based violence response, awareness-raising of migration risks, protection monitoring of migration routes, and livelihoods support for returning migrants or those at-risk of migration.

About the job

The Head of Program works under the direct supervision of the Country Director based in Addis Ababa and liaises with all program and operations across Ethiopia and Djibouti. The Head of Programme will play a vital role as a member of the Senior Management Team and will drive the overall country-level vision, mission, and objectives, and guide implementation of area and technical level strategies. S/he ensures the development of country strategies, which are translated into action plans and day-to-day tasks. S/he will be active in high level and strategic decision-making, collaborating closely with the Head of Support Services and Country Director, ensuring outputs are in line with the programs country priorities, DRCs mandate and according to DRC policies and systems. The role provides support and/or technical guidance to country operations while overseeing country activities, and has a multi-country focus and ensures compliance to DRC procedures and guidelines.

More specifically, your main duties and responsibilities will be:

Program Strategy, Management, & Development

  • Participate in country level strategic planning and contribute to the sustainable management of program growth with an eye towards program growth and development.
  • Enabling and overseeing effective, efficient and timely implementation of all projects according to agreed contracts, budgets, policies and in accordance with specific donor requirements
  • Ensure that relevant beneficiary data is collected, compiled, analyzed and distributed and that relevant assessments are conducted in the project area
  • Lead the planning and development of concept papers, budgets and project proposals with support from country team
  • Provide regular internal and external reports, and other relevant information on programme activities, policy matters and external relations
  • Contribute to the conceptualization and evolution of the country strategy, develop/define the country programming in a collaborative way ensuring program appropriateness and accountability among the country program team.
  • Collaborate closely with senior management staff in the development and design of innovative initiatives to drive new program development in DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti in accordance with DRC’s assistance framework.
  • Foster synergies between program areas (integrated approach), support the strong integration of protection and age, gender, diversity throughout all humanitarian initiatives and ensure adherence to Sphere standards or any other international standards when relevant.
  • Lead assessment and rapid response in any humanitarian situation, with written report and recommendation to initiate and setup relevant emergency projects if a response is decided and in line with the country strategy.
  • Advocate for DRC’s program in DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti with government, donors and humanitarian stakeholders, in cluster meetings, workshops, conferences and in other relevant fora at the program level. Support the Country Director in advocacy at higher levels.
  • Support the Country Director to ensure effective coordination and visibility of the implementation of the projects with all humanitarian and development actors.

Fundraising, Grant proposals writing & reporting processes

  • Lead funding opportunities in all DRC areas of competence and coordinate the activities of the program managers, budget holders, and SMT to identify and materialize opportunities in alignment with country and regional strategies ensuring that all new funding opportunities and proposals reflect the existing capacities and strategy of the DRC country programme
  • Lead and oversee the drafting of concept notes, proposals, and donor reports by program managers (including budgets for cost-related activities) in coordination with support departments in line with DRC HQ/Region and donor requirements.
  • Ensure all concept notes and project proposals are well written, professionally presented, have undergone technical review by relevant sector focal points, are reflective of best practices and are in line with DRC’s country strategy as well as broader regional and global strategies of the organization. This responsibility may entail support in designing and coordinating needs assessments and other research initiatives.
  • Oversee the work of the program support function, and the budgeting coordinator to make sure timely and coherent budget preparation for all new proposals and budget revisions.
  • Ensure timely and targeted communication and information flow to all relevant internal and external parties in coordination with the Country Director, Regional Office, HQ and other program stakeholders to remain informed about program achievements.

Program Staff Management and Capacity Building

  • Effectively manage program teams, including managers, specialists and technical experts located at sites throughout the country with an emphasis on program implementation excellence, promoting a culture of cooperation, learning, creativity, and innovation.
  • Lead and manage the programme department staff including people planning, recruitment, objective setting, performance reviews, well-being, and development
  • Ensure that all new staff receive a comprehensive induction package from each sector lead upon arrival with the organization and as per DRC’s Operations Handbook requirements
  • Build a technically excellent team in accordance with programmatic and country-level strategy. Develop overall staff competence through leadership, training, and coaching of technical and management key program staff
  • Conduct annual staff performance reviews, ensuring that poor performance is identified and corrective measures are put in place to develop staff capacity and encourage improvements
  • Collaborate closely with the Head of Support Services to allocate funding for staff development, performance management, and team building processes.

Donor liaison, Partnerships and Representation

  • As required represent DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti program to existing and potential donors
  • Cultivate key relationships that enhance DRC’s visibility, credibility and notoriety in DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti
  • Identify local NGOs/partners with whom to cooperate and partner
  • Provide support to the Country Director and Area Managers in advocacy efforts

Program Implementation & Coordination:

  • Provide oversight, guidance, and leadership to all aspects of program implementation in DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti.
  • Collaborate closely with Area Managers and provide daily oversight to programmatic technical needs
  • Ensure effective and transparent budget follow up, planning, and use of financial resources in coordination with the Area Managers (budget holders), in compliance with DRC and donor policies and priorities.
  • Work with Area Managers to ensure that Detailed Implementation Plan and Project Management Plans are updated and reviewed on a bi-weekly basis, driving implementation teams to achieve results as per donor contracts and monitoring of burn rates associated with program activities.
  • Effectively stay abreast of donor policies, procedures, rules and regulations; and train DRC program and support staff in these policies, developing guidelines and ensuring kick-off meetings take place in both the Country Office and Area Offices to ensure compliance with donor rules and regulations.

Program Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning:

  • Design and ensure the implementation of effective and participatory program monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning strategies at all levels of the DRC’s program in DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti.
  • Ensure that all projects contribute to measuring impact and are in line with DRC’s country strategic plan.
  • Ensure quality programming by coordinating the technical support provided by the Regional Office and HQ and contributing to the development of M&E tools and indicators and other quality improvement initiatives
  • Identify, propose, test, and roll-out new monitoring and evaluation approaches and methods
  • Promote learning and knowledge management within the country program.
  • Document lessons learned and best practices for dissemination within DRC country and Region teams, to donors and to other stakeholders when relevant in order ensure synergetic programming and cross-program collaboration in DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti and in the whole region.
  • Supervise monitoring and evaluation of the operations to ensure the overall implementation is in accordance with agreed work plans, donor agreements, and humanitarian accountability framework.
  • Develop appropriate monitoring, tracking and reporting systems, tools and templates that enhance monitoring of programme outputs and quality, generate quality evidence on program impact and promote and ensure use of data for decision-making processes/ program adjustments.

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to posses the following:

  • Master’s degree in law, social sciences, international development, or another relevant field
  • Over 8 years of progressively responsible experience in program management, leadership, and design
  • At least 7 years of experience in managing program operations, including 4 years minimum at country senior management level and at least 2 years in Senior Management
  • Demonstrate experience and skill in proposal development, budget development, program implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
  • Proven leadership skills and a competence in people management and leading by example as per DRC Core Competencies
  • Proven experience in effectively coordinating with national governments, international, and national NGO partners.
  • Proven experience in managing a diverse program portfolio, particularly in protection programming integrated with WASH and livelihoods, in both development and humanitarian contexts
  • Full professional proficiency in English is required; full proficiency in French is highly desirable

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:

Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process. Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback. Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation. Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly. emonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer

Contract length: 24 months Level: E Designation of Duty Station: Accompanied duty station Start date: As soon as possible

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to drc.ngo under Vacancies.

2020-08-17

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