Programme Director

Reference number: Rec/009/23

Introduction

CORDAID is a Dutch, international non-governmental organization which combines 100 years of experience and expertise in emergency aid and structural poverty eradication. CORDAID believes in a world without poverty and exclusion. We strive for a just and sustainable society where every person counts. We stand for knowledge and talent sharing between North and South, between farmers and businesses, between activists and policymakers. Where poverty, conflict and exclusion tear up societies, we connect people and communities. We also stand for professionalism, expertise and solidarity across borders, to make a difference where it is most needed. Together with more than 600 partner organizations in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America we structurally improve the living conditions of the poorest and most excluded populations – the bottom billion.

Purpose of the position

The Programme Director provides leadership to Cordaid Ethiopia’s respective programmes and will line manage the respective teams. She/he collaborates with technical focal points of the respective programme units at Cordaid Global Office in The Hague. S/he is responsible for the overall programmatic strategy across the entire country operation and ensures strategic coherence and vision of Cordaid programmes, based on active participation in the development of Cordaid Strategic Programme Plan document.

S/he takes responsibility for the effective planning, implementation, coordination, standardisation and monitoring the efficient delivery of Cordaid in Ethiopia. Working with programme team, managers and coordinators, s/he maintains strategic donor relations management, executes resource mobilising strategy with current and potential donors. The Programme Director coordinates all monitoring, reporting and documentation of evidence on outcomes, programme-based human-interest stories, lessons, best practices and internal knowledge development and innovation in Cordaid Ethiopia programme.

S/he continuously works on improving quality of products and services by formulating the strategies and programme developments.

Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Programme Development, Management and Reporting

• Support the country team to develop, implement and update the programmatic strategy and profile positive Cordaid visibility, representation and participation in the respective sectors.
• Lead programme team managers/coordinators/team, providing relevant technical guidance on various programmatic approaches management (identification, formulation, monitoring, and evaluation, learning and reporting).
• Manage strategic donor relations management, and with the team of programme managers, execute resource mobilising strategy with current and potential donors, mainlining up-to-date donor intelligence profiles, and monitors and delivers on fundraising plans.
• Ensure capacity and risk assessment of national/local partners and enforce dialogue with partners on (strategic) relation between Cordaid and local partners.
• Conduct regular on-site visits to project sites to build relationships, and continuously support and monitor the progress of projects funded by Cordaid and/or donors.
• Ensure that Cordaid Ethiopia programmes are sensitive to gender and vulnerable groups (incl. women, minors, people living with disabilities and older adults, etc.) and incorporate identified risks reduction measures into the full life cycle of the programme design, operations & maintenance, etc.
• Manage disaster risk reduction projects in Ethiopia and lead the expansion and growth of disaster risk reduction programming and ensure value addition in the conflict-affected areas.
• Guide and participate in report writing to ensure accuracy in evidence harvesting, consistency, high quality documents submitting them on time to donors.
• Ensure organisational programme accountability and transparency and produce key programme documents, reports submitting them to whether Cordaid Ethiopia Management or Cordaid GO, donors and to other stakeholders as requested.

Strategy, Programme Development & Management

• Take lead to develop and implement an effective Cordaid programme strategy and implementation plan relevant to the country priority needs transiting Recovery to development.
• Implement short-term and long -term programmes which create new opportunities for diversified resource mobilising base

Grant Acquisition

• Provide overall strategic leadership the respective programme and initiative and input in continuous donor mapping, donor intelligence, competitor analysis identifying that lead to concrete results in resource mobilising to secure financial and other resources for the programmes.
• Lead response to call for proposals observing laid out donor requirements and standards and taking into account relevant sectoral strategies, with evidence-based proposal development processes and quality technical writing for award opportunities

Bid Management

• Lead the bid project of calls for proposals and tenders related to the assigned specific donor portfolio.
• Guidethe project opportunity from the lead stage to the contracting stage – ending with a signed donor contract.
• Ensure the writing of the technical and financial proposal through facilitating the technical writing team, finance lead and monitoring progress.
• Participate in writing and developing proposals when needed Leads negotiations for specific assigned bids.
• As manager of the bid team provides donor specific advice on rules, regulations and policy. Use donor contacts to ensure the winning outcome of calls and proposals. Oversees (parts of) the role division, planning and communication with donors and a consortium in order to achieve a positive outcome for Cordaid

Networking, Representation and Visibility

• Develop & maintain close relationships with current and potential donors and counterparts such as EU, Dutch Embassy, ECHO, the UN system, , and other in-country INGO and NGO fraternity networks for information sharing, exchange, building relations and networks to further Cordaid aims in Ethiopia. Participate in relevant ACT Alliance, Caritas, UN, , and other relevant networks thematic cluster meetings and other meetings at government and national level. All these tasks should be done in close collaboration and under the supervision of the Country Director.
• Facilitate documentation of stories and media materials with human interest related to Cordaid and partners’ programmes and projects and liaise with concerned units for broader coverage (digital and print media).
• Monitoring, EvaluationLeads the development of program opportunities for learning,
• & Learning (MEL) research and publications and implementation of relevant policies and guidelines. Facilitates the dissemination of promising practices and lessons learned for better programming and sound decision-making. Monitors the implementation to post completion on projects in designated Cordaid online systems.

Communication, Representation & Advocacy

• Ensure to appropriately represent Cordaid in all relevant forums a) donors, government, and other key actors; b) Cordaid partners (present and past including relevant partner network consortia, alliance forums, and other relevant sector cluster meetings).
• Facilitate programme representation and accountability of Cordaid in relevant strategic levels, platforms, sector, cluster forums and events that profile visibility, and offer opportunity to share exchange and improve relations, space and opportunities for Cordaid at regional, Woreda and among institutional forums.

Leadership & Management

• Maintain strong focus on leadership and people management, ensuring the most capable and competent staff members are in place to implement the programme strategy and operational plans. Lead and manage Cordaid’s Programme team to facilitate high-performance culture, open trustworthy relationships and integrity.
• Ensure all programme-based needs and requirements are timely and efficiently shared with support services for best coordinated implementation.
• Provide excellent standards in the management of human, financial, capital and technical resources of the Office, which includes inspiring and maintaining high standards of work and clear accountability to stakeholders.
• Establish a consultative and participative management environment that engages and develops Cordaid project teams to deliver on donor obligations hence meeting programme commitment priorities

Financial & Operational Compliance

• Ensure quality adherence, contractual compliance and timely reporting on all projects. In collaboration with the Finance and Operations – Director, ensure responsibility for project expenditure, financial accountability and planning requirements, and provide a high level of support to programme processes and procedures.
• Work with other finance and operations teams to monitor the overall financial integrity of Cordaid programme funds through grant management, monitoring and evaluation.
• Lead the coordination of grant opening and closing meetings and propose resource mobilising strategies.
• Provide capacity building to managers to strengthen the organisational practices which result in successful financial and operational audit scores and take lead in the implementation of risk management, risk mitigation, and in executing audit recommendations.
• Familiarise self and understand to Cordaid Donor Compliance issues, specifically to the terms and conditions of the donor the programme is working on and comply with same in area of responsibility.
• He/she is co-responsible for the overall budget of the sectoral programme.
• Ensure project compliance with donors’ regulations, organisational and local government policies.
• Ensure a timely pace of implementation in a challenging environment, with spending in line with budget forecasts.
• Approve project expenditures, carry out regular budget tracking and take the lead on official requests for modifications in consultation with Finance & Operations and -Compliance/Partnership team when needed.
• Ensure project implements and adheres to approved visibility, marking and branding plan.

Accountability and Reporting

• Maintain management accountability, reporting and updating the Country Director on all – programmatic performance and progress in programme, including resource mobilising processes, decisions and actions. Present project/programme progress and challenges on a regular basis as appropriate to the Country Director. Undertake functions and roles delegated by the Country Director

Integrity

• Showcase integrity standards as outlined in Cordaid’s integrity policies. Fulfill integrity responsibilities as outlined in Cordaid’s Integrity Framework and Standard Operating Procedures. Actively contribute to a safe environment within his/her scope of influence by encouraging dialogue, trust, as well as understanding and adherence to Cordaid’s integrity standards and procedures

Others

• Ensure logistics, procurement, HR and finance protocols are followed by all respective programmes team members, and collaborate closely with Internal/external Audit and compliance and partnership team to ensure the integration of compliance concerns into the work of the programme respective sector.
• Ensure appropriate HR planning, training, staff performance management, resource allocation, etc. is made as required for the successful implementation of programme objectives, including having the appropriate support personnel at Cordaid’s field sites

Job Requirements

Qualification, skills and experience required

1. Master or post-graduate in International Relations, Humanitarian Programmes Management, degree, International Development, Disaster Risk Management and/or similar fields.
2. Minimum 5 years’ management experience, of which at least 3 should include management of a portfolio of programmes across Development, Humanitarian and Recovery sectors.
3. At least 7 years proven experience with strategy and programme development and management of humanitarian aid and/or sustainable livelihoods programmes.
4. Proven experience in writing proposals.
5. Demonstrable experience of driving integrated advocacy, communications, and fundraising approaches.
6. Proven skills in leading strategic programming and planning processes.
7. Ability to live and work under pressure in a rapidly changing and insecure environment.
8. Team player with excellent communication and strong participatory leadership skills.

Knowledge and Experience

1. Knowledge of Cordaid multiple fields of expertise; health, education, justice, agriculture, livelihood, resilience, gender and inclusion, peacebuilding, microfinance, DRR/climate change, emergency or other relevant subject on an academic level.
2. Proven competencies and experience in representation externally to key stakeholders, including donors, embassies and clusters.
3. Experience of managing programme systems and tools to oversee complex project portfolios across different sectors and locations as well as within consortiums.
4. Experience in working with national/local actors and capacity building of national and local organisations in emergency preparedness and response.
5. Experience with maintaining donor relations and policies in particular EU, Dutch Embassy, ECHO, UN funding mechanisms, and cluster approach.
6. Competence in resource mobilising and working knowledge on how to meet requirements for call for proposals, and the relevant attendant pre, in situ, and post proposal procedures; including skills for adapting to different donor requirements and procedures for funding.
7. Strong experience in programme quality, PMEAL, programme development and proven
8. Behavioral values and skills: accountability, respect, diversity & inclusion, sustainability, entrepreneurship, teambuilding, negotiation, conflict management, collaboration
9. Writing skills to clearly formulate program and project proposals, plans and reports.
10. Proficient in Microsoft office packages such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Competences

1. Leadership, Critical Thinking & Problem Solving.
2. Collaboration & Influence.
3. Agility & Adaptability.
4. Initiative and Entrepreneurship.
5. Effective Communication: Oral and Written of English language.
6. Assessing and Analysing Information.
7. Curiosity and Imagination