Title: Program Design Officer
Location: Uganda
Start date: As soon as possible
Contract duration: 2 years, renewable
Description of the profile:
The Program Design Officer (PDO) contributes to NGO’s Country Program in Uganda by cultivating relationships that are key to programming overseas development assistance (ODA), advising governments on conservation and development policies and programs, making the case for increased financing to biodiversity conservation nationally and leading the development of proposals to finance our work in the country. The PDO will be a member of a global team that manages public donor relationships, prepares complex proposals in response to identified opportunities, tracks and ensures quality in project reporting to donors, and tracks and informs the leadership of developments in donor strategies and priorities. The PDO will also carry policy functions that are a priority to the Uganda country strategy.
The PDO position will be embedded within the Uganda country program, and as such will be an integral part of the NGO’s focal country presence. The PDO will be responsible for identifying, defining, and developing funding proposals in coordination with country, field, program, PD, and finance teams in order to raise public funds for existing and planned program activities in Uganda. This includes prospecting, researching, proposal process management, writing, and submitting grant applications to public donors. The position may also provide similar support to other countries as needed. The PDO will also be responsible for representing the NGO to public sector partners, and supporting the management of relationships with government agencies, civil society organizations (CSOs), and other important stakeholders. In this respect, the PDO will support identifying and promoting policies that support biodiversity conservation and sustainable development including engaging with CSOs to articulate and promote effective policies and engagement with platforms at all levels in strengthening capacities on effective policies and policy processes.
Working closely with the Director Program Design (DPD), the Country Director, donor Account Managers and the Africa Policy lead, the PDO will work to win support for NGO’s organisational and Uganda country strategies, cultivate existing and new donor and partner relationships, and elevate the conservation agenda in development cooperation and policy dialogues in Uganda. The position will be based in Kampala, Uganda.
Qualifications
- Reputable Master’s degree (or equivalent combination of education and experience) in a relevant field: including conservation, natural resource management, rural/international development, economics, political science, or similar;
- Minimum 5 years of experience in fundraising, proposal design, and donor engagement and relationship management, preferably in the field of conservation or environmental management;
- Experience in proposal design with demonstrated ability to develop high-quality Logical frameworks and results in chains, design technical and cost proposals, and concept papers;
- Experience working with major public donor agencies such as USAID, EU, the GEF, or Germany;
- Track record of successfully writing proposals to and securing funding from bilateral and/or multilateral institutions;
- Good understanding of Uganda A’s public donor environment and government’s development agenda as well as of issues faced by NGO in delivering its mission in Uganda and across Africa. A similar understanding of East Africa, in general, is an additional advantage;
- Experience in policy-making and engagement in the Government of Uganda’s policy and strategy development processes is highly desired;
- Experience in partnership management with government and civil society stakeholders is an advantage;
- Highly skilled to conceptualize project design and write project documents (including budgets, log frames, and work plans) and reports;
- Existing relationships with donors in Uganda and up-to-date understanding of bilateral and multilateral donor agencies’ priorities in Uganda;
- Strong interpersonal skills including the ability to work as a team member and to negotiate and manage donor relationships;
- Have a logical perspective on things and the ability to reduce mechanisms, processes, proposals, ideas, or formulas to their basic parts and understand and explain how they interrelate in a project or contribute to the fulfilment of higher agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals, national development plans, and NGO’s mission, strategies, and plans;
- Excellent writing skills are necessary, including the ability to shift writing style and purpose to be appealing and persuasive to the designated target audience;
- Fluency in speaking and writing both English and French is essential and mandatory;
- Must possess strong editing skills and pay attention to detail;
- Comprehensive knowledge of contemporary conservation and development issues in Africa including a good understanding of sustainable development, adaptive project management, monitoring & evaluation, and knowledge management concepts and application;
- Demonstrate commitment to and a good understanding of NGO’s Rights Based Conservation approaches, values, and principles;
- High degree of responsibility and accountability for tasks, projects, assignments, and commitments including meeting strict deadlines;
- Ability to communicate effectively with a wide group of colleagues and partners, including proactive sharing of information and reporting;
- Proven ability to work independently, effectively, and collaboratively in cross-functional teams;
- Advanced computer and internet skills.
The updated CVs and cover letters should be submitted to [email protected], under the title: DRS 11389 (ref. number). Due to the high number of applications received, we can reply to shortlisted candidates only. Please note that the above requirements can be modified during the recruitment process according to the client’s procedures.
