Programme Manager or Senior Programme Officer

Near East Foundation – UK

Job Announcement

Title: Programme Manager or Senior Programme Officer

Reports to: VP of Programs or Programme Manager

Location: London

Travel: Regular travel to field sites

Salary: £40,000 – £52,000 (position grade and corresponding salary will be based on relevant experience, skills, and qualifications).

The Near East Foundation UK (NEF UK) is seeking candidates for Programme Manager or as Senior Programme Officer to be based in its London office. NEF UK is a part of the Near East Foundation Family of Entities. For over 100 years, the Near East Foundation (NEF) has worked to build more sustainable, prosperous, and inclusive communities in the Middle East, Caucasus, and Africa through education, governance, and economic development initiatives. Working through a network of country offices and local partners, NEF has operations in ten countries: Armenia, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Mali, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan, and Syria. Its programs are organized around three themes: Inclusive Economic Development, Climate-resilient Development, and Stabilization and Peacebuilding.

Position Description

NEF UK is seeking a dynamic and experienced individual to serve as Programme Manager (PM) or as Senior Programme Officer (SPO). The PM/SPO will primarily provide overall coordination of HQ support to field teams to facilitate timely, effective, and impactful project implementation and growth. PM/SPO may support programmes such as the first refugee impact bond (DIB; www.refugeeimpactbond.org) implemented by NEF in Jordan (phase 1; launched in 2021) and Lebanon (phase 2; anticipated in 2022) and also other innovative and blended financing programmes in Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Mali and other countries.

The PM/SPO works directly with local teams to ensure the effective delivery, programmatic excellence and growth of projects. The PM takes additional roles such as by working closely with external stakeholders (e.g. donors, investors, international partners), developing and maintaining key stakeholder relationships, and creating opportunities to advance external relationships. The PM will work under the supervision of the VP of Programs and SPO will work under the supervision of the Programme Manager and in close collaboration with the NEF US, UK and Belgium headquartersteam.

Responsibilities

The PM/SPO will work directly with country and project leadership to support the effective and timely implementation of NEF projects while also developing and maintaining key stakeholder relationships. Specific responsibilities include:

Contract Management, Coordination, Program Growth

• Tracking progress and providing support as necessary to ensure timely implementation of project activities and program growth plans;
• Coordinating headquarters management and technical support to project teams to ensure programmatic impact, growth and excellence;
• Assisting in the preparation and timely completion of key deliverables such as workplans, monitoring and evaluation plans, progress reports, in-depth reviews, learning documents, and growth plans; ensuring quality control of project deliverables;
• Identifying and advocating for professional development and capacity building needs and opportunities for local teams;
• Keeping up to date with funders policy developments and trends, both within the relevant country/sector and more generally, and represent NEF in funding review groups/networks as appropriate;
• Convening regular work planning and budget management review sessions with local country/project leadership and HQ colleagues;
• Conducting periodic visits to project sites to monitor and support project implementation and growth;
• Communicating with other NEF teams to ensure that programmes are well understood and that information is available for program development, fundraising and communication needs; may involve participation in sessions/events with supporters, communities of practice, working groups;
• Ensuring compliance with agreements, regulations and requirements attached to our work (including on funders compliance requirements) and NEF quality standards;
• Identifying, tracking and managing risks (operational, economic, environmental) for projects;
• Contributing to periodic program and portfolio reviews;Contributing to the conceptualisation and preparation of proposals that support program growth;
• Representing NEF as required in external meetings and forums;
• Assessing quality of partnerships; ensuring effective communication with partners; addressing contract-related issues in a timely manner;
• Assist with the coordination of visits to programmes by HQ colleagues, funders, NEF board members, and other stakeholders;
• For PM, working closely with external stakeholders (e.g. donors, investors, international partners), developing and maintaining key stakeholder relationships, and creating opportunities to advance external relationships;
• Assess coordination, support and quality assurance processes and systems and, for PM, strengthen them;
• Other project management and representational needs as needed.

Essential Qualifications

Band 1: SPO position; Band 2: PM position

• A university degree in a relevant subject;
• Demonstrated experience in development and/or humanitarian organisations, including significant experience of working with partners and consortia [Band 1: 4-7 years of experience; Band 2: 7-10 years of experience];
• Demonstrated experience working with partners and consortia [Band 1: 2-4 years of experience; Band 2: 4-6 years of experience];
• Demonstrated experience and effectiveness in project management and knowledge of project management tools and systems [Band 1: 2-4 years of experience; Band 2: 4-6 years of experience];
• Extensive experience in report writing and compliance and risk management;
• Experience in (or understanding of) effective management of risk related to innovative finance;
• Fluency in English required (written and oral);
• Ability and willingness to travel to field sites outside the UK, sometimes at short notice;
• Candidates must have the right to work in the UK.

Additional Desired Qualifications

• Experience in enterprise development, market systems, or labour activation programming in fragile settings;
• Experience in business lending or micro-finance programming;
• Experience in refugee/IDP livelihoods programming;
• Experience in innovate finance programming;
• Experience and success with proposal development and fundraising for NGOs;
• Previous field experience in one or more countries in an NEF region of interest is a plus; understanding of context and operating environment;
• Arabic and/or French language skills are a plus.

Position Criteria

• Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English;
• High degree of flexibility and adaptability with a willingness to travel to countries where NEF works;
• Ability to work effectively across a wide variety of cultural contexts;
• Ability to communicate with colleagues and partners at a distance;
• Understanding of effective and values-based partnership work;
• Strong relationship building skills, particularly at a distance; effective team player; able to develop and maintain working relationships within a disperse and dynamic team;

Creative thinker; display solutions-oriented approaches in an innovative and frequently high-pressure environment.