Programme Lead

Location: Dnipro, Ukraine

Reports to: Humanitarian Programme Manager

Contract: Fixed-term (6 months)

Ukraine Crisis

HelpAge has been present in Ukraine since 2014 and is one of the few INGOs based in country, with a total workforce of +600 people including staff and volunteers/contractors. As one of the few INGOs with an operational presence in Ukraine, we are already responding with initial life-saving activities in the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions, with the intention to scale-up assistance in the Central and Western Regions of Ukraine. In addition, we have also launched a programme to support arriving Refugees in Moldova, where we also already have a presence and are currently investigating the option of a further response in Poland. Our response plan includes cash assistance, food distributions, NFI distribution/ health and dignity kits, support to access health services, care and support, WASH, Protection and Mental Health and Psychosocial First Aid.

We are now seeking passionate professional and experienced candidates for a number of roles to support our response to the Ukraine crisis. We are looking for talent which thrives in collaborating with others (inside HelpAge International and beyond) and who can work in agile ways and across boundaries.

Job purpose

To lead on the effective planning and designing the programme, proactively monitoring its progress, resolving issues and initiating appropriate corrective action and defining the programme’s governance arrangements in due regard to HAI Inclusive Humanitarian Action in Ukraine.

Key areas for impact/influence and responsibilities:

• Lead, in consultation with the CD and the Humanitarian Programme Manager, on the programme work Ukraine in terms of development, implementation, co-ordination (internal/external), linkages with key stakeholders and networks.
• Provide strategic advice and support for programme activities in East Ukraine, fostering cooperation and learning through supportive working relationships
• Ensure that projects are managed effectively and in line with organisational and country specific strategies, policies and frameworks in association with Project Coordinators and Partners.
• Liaise with MEAL and Programme Quality staff to ensure high quality, impactful and accountable programming, and documentation of learning and best practices within projects to guide future project designs
• Ensure Project Coordinators, Project Officers and Social Workers have the support and information they need to effectively implement the project in line with HAI policies and standards
• Ensure that contractual commitments and applicable quality standards are met in a consistent manner
• Regularly travel to assess progress of program activities
• Identify training needs and build capacity of HelpAge Ukraine and partner staff, to be able to effectively implement the project activities
• Ensure high quality narrative and financial reports as required, and ensure that all the reports are timely and in line with HelpAge and donor requirements
• Oversee effective management of existing and new partners as per HelpAge’s Partnership Management guidelines and other applicable standards, foster experience exchange and networking among partners.
• Ensure that relations between HelpAge and local partners are based on equality, dignity and respect for the autonomy of local partners, while ensuring accountability to communities and to the wider sector.
• Represent HelpAge International and the work of partners in Ukraine at meetings with key stakeholders in the region of responsibility
• To contribute to the development of strategic and annual plans with the team in accordance with HelpAge International’s overall strategy Ukraine
• Ensure safety and security of staff by maintaining an overview of security issues in East Ukraine, liaising closely with the Regional Security Adviser to ensure coordination and consistency of Security Management Plans and SoPs, ensure orientation and regular training of the teams, visitors and local partners.
• Model and promote HelpAge’s core values, as they shape the way we work and organizational culture.
• Supervise and mentor direct report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, provide regular and timely performance feedback.
• Support the growth and development of HelpAge International in Ukraine through active membership of the Country Management Team role modelling open and professional relations with colleagues, promoting a strong team spirit and providing guidance to enable staff to perform successfully and collaboratively with partners and networks

Let’s talk about you

You will be someone with:

Essential

• Extensive experience of managing and developing quality programmes, including managing large donor budgets
• Experience of using participatory approaches and techniques and working with local partner organizations.
• Good representational and networking skills
• Demonstrable experience of liaising with government agencies, and of networking and advocating for older people
• Staff Management and capacity development experience
• Ability to write high quality proposal, concept papers and reports
• Fluent written and spoken English
• Proven capacity to develop budgets and monitor expenditure and logistics
• Able to prioritise work and meet tight deadlines
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to influence, communicate and negotiate with a wide range of people and organizations at all levels with tact, diplomacy and sensitivity

Desirable

• Experience or working knowledge of ageing and the issues facing older people in emergencies or development contexts
• Experience of working in Ukraine
• Fluent written and spoken Ukrainian language skills

At HelpAge International, we believe in the importance of empowering our people to be change makers and leaders at all levels. We expect our people to embrace and live our values, challenging themselves every day to identify issues that are most important to older persons and their communities, and to make an impact that matters.

In addition, as an HelpAge employee you are expected to:

• Work collaboratively, building mutual trust and respect, with external organizations and partners to achieve our strategic aims and objectives; being accountable for the work you do together
• Adapt to new directions or opportunities arising within the organization and in your work area; being flexible in your role, constantly using the feedback to learn more and evolve further.
• Lead behavioral and cultural change through embracing a supportive, collaborative and highly inclusive environment where everybody feels supported, respected and engaged
• Extend HelpAge’s reach and impact, by creating and identifying new business development opportunities and building relationships with new partners.
• Lead and promote a culture of including the voices of older people across our support, convening and thought leadership roles, in a way that is transformative, empowering and highly inclusive of those marginalized by gender, economic status, disability and other factors of discrimination.

Safeguarding

HelpAge International is committed to safeguarding the communities with which we work, our partners, staff and any others who we come into contact with.

Therefore you will also be responsible for:

• Preventing harm and abuse from our people, operations and programmes, to anyone that encounters our work;
• Reporting all safeguarding incidents you see, hear, hear about or suspect, using our internal reporting mechanism;
• Complying with all safeguarding framework policies and practices

Completing mandatory training courses relating to our safeguarding policy framework and complying