PROGRAM MANAGER

Position: Program Manager

Country: Ukraine

Duty station: Lviv with frequent travelling to project area (at least 40%)

Start date: ASAP

Duration: 12 months

Report to: ProgrammeDesk officer

Supervision of: nr. 2 Project Managers

Context description

The war broke out in Ukraine in February 2022. Shortly after the outbreak of the conflict, VIS with the support of the Salesians Partner in Ukraine set up its emergency response from April 2022. Currently, the team in Ukraine is operating across two main operational hubs in Lviv for the West and in Dnipro for the East. All VIS interventions are embedded in a programmatic approach to respond to the multisectoral needs of the conflict-affected population, focusing on Protection, Education in Emergency, MHPSS, Health, Food Security and NFIs response serving internally displaced persons (IDPs), their host communities in areas of displacement, and with emergency humanitarian assistance in frontline. The project portfolio in Ukraine is supported by different donors and in line with its localization strategy, VIS works mainly in collaboration and coordination with the Salesians congregations and other partners across all oblasts of intervention. In the East main areas of intervention are: Dnipro, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia.

General purpose of the position

S/he is responsible for the overall development, management, planning, implementation, and monitoring of programs implemented under the area of responsibility at country level, ensuring quality implementation from development through execution. Identifies programming opportunities and builds stakeholder relationships and partnerships. In collaboration with the Desk Officer define and plan programme objectives and priorities according to VIS strategic direction, identifying humanitarian needs, analysing context and humanitarian issues at stake, risks and constraints and calculating human resources and financial needs. The Programme Manager brings together the different projects components and ensures quality and timely reports to the donor.

Main responsibilities and tasks

Project Identification and Design

• Support the team in identifying suitable areas for intervention, carrying out research and making recommendations for project responses.
• Liaison and collaboration with other INGOs and potential partners.
• Facilitation of project design in close collaboration with the team. Coordination with other organisations and authorities.

Programme/Project Management

• Oversee the overall implementation of the project(s) in consultation with the relevant Project Manager(s) in accordance with the project proposals ensuring objectives are met within the required time frame and budget. Where necessary ensure preventative and corrective action is taken.
• Support Project Manager(s) in decision making as required.
• Ensure that regular monitoring and evaluation assessments against project objectives are conducted and reports made to the relevant in-country or to donors.
• Maintain an overview of the regionals context with a view to the strategic development of new projects both in current project locations and in surrounding regions. This may include baseline needs assessments.
• Support the Desk Officer in the development and production of new concepts and proposals. Develop, in consultation with the other senior field managers, an implementation strategy which is appropriate to the country context and strategy.
• Ensure complete and timely reporting of activities and beneficiary numbers to donors, line managers and any other relevant bodies while ensuring documents are produced according to guidelines.

Representation, Partnership and Networking

• Develop and maintain relationships with relevant stakeholders (e.g. beneficiaries, community leaders, local and national government officials, donors, clusters, UN agencies and other NGOs) and represent VIS at relevant meetings in order to facilitate and ensure cooperation and partnerships.
• Water and Sanitation (WASH): VIS continues its commitment in this field, both through projects and participation to clusters at national and local level. Expansion of actions in the Tigray region, in collaboration with the local historical partner ADCS. With them we want to build a joint strategic planning to capitalise the acquired experience and know how. Implementation of an integrated programme in the Somali region, in partnership with partner DGMDA.

Financial Management

• Working with the relevant Project Manager(s), ensure that budgets are spent according to donor proposals and regulations and within the appropriate timeframe, making any budget adjustment recommendations to the Desk Officer
• Monitor the spending of the designated project(s) to ensure they operate in line with VIS and donor guidelines for financial accounting and reporting practices

HR and Capacity Building

• Ensure with the relevant Project Manager(s) all personnel related processes for the staff of the designated project(s) are carried out in accordance with VIS guidelines. This includes recruitment, appraisal, objective setting, development and training, disciplinary action, etc.
• Ensure that staff receive appropriate and adequate training by providing mentoring and coaching and through the promotion of capacity building of local staff.

Security Management

• Monitor, and review, in collaboration with the Project Managers and the Global Humanitarian & Security Advisor, the security assessments for new locations and the security status of the area(s) of operation on a regular basis, liaising as applicable with local authorities, other NGOs, INSO, the UNDSS or other relevant security bodies. Report as appropriate, to the Desk Officer and the Global Humanitarian & Security Advisor.

Requirements

Knowledge and skills:

• University degree in Political Sciences or International Relations or Humanitarian and International Cooperation Management/Development Studies or related field
• Minimum 3 years of professional experience in management of humanitarian project/program, including financial management and logistics responsibilities.
• Minimum 1 year experience in complex emergency settings and insecure countries
• Strategic program development skills
• Knowledge of Humanitarian Essentials, Sphere and Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP) Standards and other international humanitarian guidelines and protocols.
• Advanced planning, assessment, and analytical skills. Good report and proposal writing skills.
• Strong working knowledge of English (spoken and written).
• Analytical thinking, analysis capacity.
• Strong interpersonal skills: communication, diplomatic skills, and problem-solving
• Commitment to VIS and Salesians Partners value and principles.

Abilities and psychological attitude:

• High relational skills at various levels
• Stress management in living critical contexts.
• Enthusiasm and willingness to continue activities already underway
• Ability to work under pressure and in difficult and emergency contexts
• Creativeness, open-mindedness, flexibility context adaption
• Ability to work and interact permanently with religious counterparts