Director of Programs

POSITION SUMMARY:

World Relief is a unique and invigorating place to work. We are looking for talented, ambitious, and collaborative people to come alongside our mission, vision, and values as we partner with churches to empower the most vulnerable in the world. We hope these resources provide more insight into your hiring journey with us.

World Relief DRC has been working in DRC since 2002. Its current long-term development and humanitarian response programs include Agriculture and Food Security, Peace Building, Economic Development, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Peace Building, and Church Mobilization. The purpose of the Director of Programs position is to fulfill the Mission Statement of World Relief in WR DRC and manage all aspects of the implementation and development of the Country Office programs. The Director of Programs is expected to provide strategic leadership to the Program Department in the areas of program quality, development, and implementation. This includes playing a key role in country strategy development and dissemination. A major emphasis for this position is resource mobilization, external representation, program coordination, and technical leadership to ensure that the Country Office has a robust and diverse donor funding base and that programs are implemented fulfilling standards of quality and accountability along with delivering the desired impact in making a significant contribution to reducing poverty and saving lives.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Program Leadership

• Actively participate and contribute to the fulfillment of the WR DRC Country Office strategy
• Oversee the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of country office programs and projects, and ensure that they are in line with the Country Office program strategy and donor requirements
• Ensure that proper monitoring and evaluation systems are in place to demonstrate impact and that Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) techniques are used to promote improved programming and learning
• Contribute and support the development of proposals and reports for the respective projects
• Support field managers in all aspects of finance, administrative, human resource, and logistics management, ensuring knowledge of and adherence to applicable operational systems, donor requirements, and country program strategy
• Supervise and encourage Program Managers, and MEAL Managers in their leadership and management of program staff directly under them
• Assist Program Managers in monitoring program activities against program budgets, and act as a liaison between Program Managers and the other Departments
• Travel to the field as needed to supervise and review project/program progress and/or results, as well as security issues affecting programmatic implementation and staff safety

Staff Management

• Provide proper supervision and management for all direct reports and lead the establishment and functioning of a strong, effective, and coordinated Program team
• Ensure the proper implementation of a performance management system for direct reports, including job description and performance development, regular feedback, mid-term reviews, and annual performance appraisals
• Proactively address performance issues through regular, constructive, and honest feedback and coaching.
• Travel to the field as needed for staff management

Operations Management and Program Strategy

• Liaise with international donors and actively represent WR DRC at relevant national and local meetings with government officials, contractors, other NGOs, etc., reporting back as applicable to staff, field managers
• Prepare and implement policies, procedures, and guidelines, as appropriate and with the relevant field managers and programs, to enhance the smooth running of the program through standardized procedures and improved support
• Manage a comprehensive activity plan for the program, including resource needs analyses, following work plans and log frames outlined in the project proposals
• Work with World Relief’s Home Office and/or regional technical support to ensure that planned programs are implemented in an efficient and timely manner according to the project/program proposal and the donors’ policies/agreements
• Work closely with units in Program Support (finance, procurement, HR, etc.) to ensure proper coordination exists for efficient program implementation
• Ensure that qualified staff and appropriate policies, procedures, and systems are in place to properly manage WR DRC programs/projects
• Coordinate and assist in preparing and distributing all requisite reports for all programs. Ensure timely reporting of program activities to donors and Home Office Strategic Engagement staff
• Edit, as needed, written materials originating from WR DRC to ensure the quality of outgoing documents
• Develop and implement an information management system to include the dissemination of information from the World Relief Home Office and affiliates, donors, Government of DRC offices, etc., and all the appropriate individuals
• Regularly review and ensure that the most efficient Country Office program management structure is established and functional to ensure program quality and the cost-efficient achievement of project objectives
• Assist and oversee the recruitment and orientation of new senior program staff
• Seek strategic partnerships necessary to promote WR DRC’s strategic vision and programming principles, and ensure that those partners understand the Country Office’s program strategies

Team Spiritual Life

• Reflect the Christian spiritual values of WR DRC with team members, local staff, beneficiaries, and external contacts
• Fully contribute to the rich spiritual life of the WR DRC team, including team devotions, prayer times, words of encouragement, and integrity in all programmatic aspects of response and interaction with external contacts.

Other

• Work to strengthen the local church’s capacity for supporting programmatic initiatives
• This job description covers the main tasks that are anticipated. Other tasks may be assigned by the WR DRC Country Director as needed
• This is an unaccompanied position

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Strong knowledge of program areas and ability to communicate practices to various constituencies in the U.S. and Africa
• At ease with Microsoft Office programs (in particular with Word & Excel), Internet, and e-mail writing
• Excellent verbal and written English and French communication required
• Ability to understand and/or communicate in Swahili preferred
• Ability to work independently and to deal with problems and issues both promptly and efficiently
• Ability to diplomatically liaise in a team setting, listen to and take into account team suggestions, and create a sense of team connectivity
• Experience in training and mentoring staff
• Capacity to work under pressure and tight deadlines
• Good negotiation skills, especially in the context of another culture
• Ability to manage budgets, understand financial accountability procedures, logistics, and commodity tracking
• Strong time management, prioritization, and multi-tasking skills

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in development studies, social sciences, or related subjects, Master’s degree preferred
• At least 7 years of demonstrated experience in Relief and Development work in the developing world, preferably in Africa
• At least 4 years of experience in senior management and leadership positions in Humanitarian programs
• Experience working with donors such as USAID, EU, GAC, UN Agencies, etc.
• Experience serving in a hardship post in a complex emergency setting
• Personal Christian Faith and a heart for serving vulnerable people -Committed to the Mission, Vision, and Values of World Relief, and ability to provide Christian leadership

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to have ordinary ambulatory skills sufficient to visit other locations
• The ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and manipulate (lift, carry, move) light to medium weights of 10-15 pounds
• Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand, and finger dexterity, including the ability to grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard, operate equipment and read the application information
• The employee frequently is required to sit, reach with hands and arms, talk, and hear

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• General office setting
• Great lengths of time working on a computer, reading from a computer screen, entering information, standing at a copier or fax machine, and some time on the phone or in skype meetings may be required
• Year-end archiving activities involve repeated lifting and bending
• Physical, emotional, and intellectual demands
• Equipment used: Employee computer (desktop or laptop), printer, and copier
• All of the above duties and responsibilities are essential job functions subject to reasonable accommodation. All job requirements listed indicate the minimum level of knowledge, skills, and/or ability deemed necessary to perform the job proficiently. This job description is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. Individuals may be required to perform any other job-related instructions as requested by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation. This position description is not all-inclusive and is always under review.

World Relief offers a competitive benefits package (25 hours + per week):

World Relief contributes to monthly premiums:

• Medical
• Dental

Additional Benefits:

• Offer 16 Paid Holidays!
• Vision
• Offer Paid Sick and Vacation Leave
• Paid Maternity & Paternity Leave
• Parental Leave
• FSAs: Medical & Dependent Care, & Commuter Funding
• Supplemental Life Insurance (employee, spouse, and children)

World Relief pays 100% for eligible employees:

• Group Term Life (employee, spouse, and children)
• Long-Term & Short-term Disability
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D)
• Long Distant Travel Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

World Relief – Retirement:

• 401K & Roth
• WR matches up to 4%, then an additional quarter percent up to 10%
• Eligibility: Full Time is eligible after 3 months of employment. Part-time is eligible after 1000 hours in a year

World Relief Discounts (Immediately Eligible):

• Verizon
• Pet Insurance through Nationwide
• Home and Auto insurance through Liberty Mutual

We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.

For World Relief staff, a strong commitment to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief is essential, and Christian faith is a prerequisite for employment, based upon United States federal guidelines provided in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Legal Background in the United States

World Relief is both an equal opportunity employer and a faith-based religious organization. This means that we conduct hiring without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, marital status, parental status, membership in any labor organization, political ideology, or disability of an otherwise qualified individual. The status of World Relief as an equal opportunity employer does not prevent the organization from hiring staff based on their religious beliefs so that all staff share the same religious commitment.

Pursuant to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 702 (42 U.S.C. 2000e 1(a) World Relief has the right to and does, hire only candidates who agree with World Relief’s Statement of Faith.