Programme Director

BACKGROUND

Y-ACT, Youth in Action is a multi-country youth-led initiative established in 2017 at Amref Health Africa. With current presence in over 21 countries in Africa, Y-ACT mentors, supports, and increases the capacity of youth advocates and youth-led organizations to influence youth health policy and resource priorities. Y-ACT believes that Africa’s youth have a huge opportunity to shift policy landscapes to address challenges that the youth face and subsequently achieve their full potential. Y-ACT’s network comprises youth-led organizations in 21 countries. Since inception Y-ACT has been funded at a total of US $11.5M from various partners, contributing to movement building, youth advocacy and capacity strengthening of youth-led organizations in the region.

JOB PURPOSE

The Programme Director will provide overall strategic leadership and coordination of Y-ACT’s advocacy and capacity strengthening programmes in Africa, manage relations with partners and donors, manage an average annual budget of US $2M, and an average team of 15 staff, and 2 senior staff. The Programme Director will work with a Regional Youth Steering Committee and will oversee and ensure the management and accountability of technical staff and consultants as needed.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Overall Programme Leadership

• Provide leadership and oversight for Y-ACT’s initiatives, while upholding its values of a youth-led, youth-driven approach to its operations.
• Represent Y-ACT as needed by participating in technical advisory groups, steering committees, conferences, and other forums.
• Lead and oversee the role of a Youth Steering Committee (external young experts in youth advocacy) actively engaging and consulting the members and other youth in project-related planning, priorities, and activities.
• Provide strategic guidance and strong leadership and ensure technically sound decision-making processes in coordination with the regional programme leads and technical leads

Youth Advocacy Leadership

• Provide leadership and expertise on youth policy advocacy, social accountability and empowerment in Africa.
• Drive the identification and pursuit of opportunities to apply existing and high-impact approaches to enhance the region’s youth advocacy and policy influence.
• Provide leadership to the implementation of meaningful youth engagement in Y-ACT’s work, while ensuring that youth across Y-ACT’s network are meaningfully engaged in the design, implementation and monitoring of Y-ACT’s products and initiatives.

Financial Management

• Monitor and review the annual budget and operational plans to support the program.
• Take full responsibility for the delegated budget and financial decision-making, ensuring integrity, and efficiency, and effective utilization of Y-ACT’s resources.
• Ensure compliance with donor and institutional reporting, tracking, monitoring and documentation.
• Liaise with the Director of Finance – Amref USA and the Senior Programme Accountant – ICD, to ensure adherence to the budget and financial commitments for efficient and effective implementation

Team Leadership

• Lead a team of 20 staff and consultants, and motivate the team for high-performance.
• Provide overall technical assistance, mentorship and support to team members in all aspects of the programme.
• Overall accountability of Y-ACT staff and consultants in implementation of Y-ACT’s initiatives

Networking, Partnerships and Relationship Building

• Establish, maintain, and strengthen partnerships with stakeholders in Africa and across the globe on empowerment of the youth, and to effectively grow Y-ACT’s portfolio.
• Represent Y-ACT’s interests at national, regional and global convening and stakeholder engagement forums
• Serve as the main point of contact with all partners and donors and maintain regular communication.

Coordination of Periodic Planning and Reporting Processes to the Donor

• Lead the coordination, input, review and submission of donor reports.
• Provide leadership to the implementation of tracking systems for programme and institutional management and oversight

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Professional Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, International Development, Social Studies, Public Policy or another relevant field. Master’s degree is an added advantage.
• Strong and passionate commitment to and knowledge of youth and adolescents’ policy and programmatic priorities in Africa.
• Results-based programme management for (I)NGOs and donor-funded initiatives of similar scope.
• Team leadership and management of teams for high-performance.

Experience

• At least six (6) years’ experience, including three (3) years of leadership experience in results-based a programming for donor-funded programmes of similar scope.
• Experience implementing/leading successful youth and adolescents’ advocacy initiatives in the region (Africa).
• Experience in senior management/leadership roles will be an added advantage.

Competences and Skills

• Passionate about youth in all their diversity.
• Ability to exercise high integrity, tact and discretion when dealing with diverse processes and partners.
• Proven experience effectively leading and mentoring teams for high performance.
• Demonstrated experience fostering and strengthening relationships and partnerships with targeted stakeholders.
• Practical decision-making skills in relation to systems and/or processes, particularly within a changing environment.
• Strong analytical, planning, organisational and problem-solving capability.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, negotiation and networking skills.
• Ability to prioritize and multi-task.
• Ability to work and report to multiple partners
• Ability to work under minimal supervision