Technical Program Director

Pact Overview

At the heart of Pact is the promise of a better tomorrow. A nonprofit international development organization founded in 1971, Pact works on the ground in nearly 40 countries to improve the lives of those who are challenged by poverty and marginalization. We serve these communities because we envision a world where everyone owns their future. To do this, we build systemic solutions in partnership with local organizations, businesses, and governments that create sustainable and resilient communities where those we serve are heard, capable, and vibrant.

Pact is a recognized global leader in international development. Our staff have a range of expertise in areas including public health, capacity development, governance and civil society, natural resource management, poverty, fragile states, monitoring and evaluation, small-scale and artisanal mining, microfinance and more. This expertise is combined in Pact’s unique integrated approach, which focuses on systemic changes needed to improve people’s lives.

Position Purpose

Pact is seeking a Technical Program Director for the USAID-funded CSM-Stand Sudan Strengthening Youth and Women’s Civic Participation Program. The Program aims to increase collaboration, sustainability, and resilience of civil society and independent media to advance the inclusion, participation and leadership of youth and women in Sudan. The activity will apply locally led, problem-driven, adaptive approaches. This program will be starting Y2 of an anticipated five-year activity, with a dramatic shift in the operating context since the program commenced startup in Khartoum in October 2o22 and has worked to adapt to the onset of violent conflict in April 2023. This position will support Sudan programming from a program office in Kampala, Uganda (or Nairobi, Kenya) with regular travel in the East Africa region.

The Technical Program Director will report to the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) and will be responsible for oversight of, and support to, the team of Program Officers, all of whom will have specific responsibilities disaggregated by the technical components of the program. The project’s areas of technical engagement include gender equity and social inclusion (GESI), media and access to information, youth engagement, psychosocial support and human rights reporting.

The TPD will support the Program Officers to serve as focal points for reviewing and negotiating grants mainly with local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), developing and strengthening partnerships, and accompanying the partners as they implement their priority activities.

The Technical Program Director will also be responsible for supporting Program Officers on cross cutting areas of engagement including conflict & gender sensitivity and broader civil society strengthening, S/he will contribute to training, mentoring and oversight of the Program Officers on Pact policies and procedures, donor regulations, and financial best practices related to grant making.

The Program Technical Director will also be responsible for supporting the Communications team, ensuring timely inputs from the program officers, towards all program reporting outputs , including bi-weekly, quarterly and annual reporting.

Finally, the chosen candidate will also work closely with the DCOP to manage a large portfolio of sub-grants with Sudanese, regional and international organizations.

Key Responsibilities

• With support from the DCOP, manage a team of flexible and adaptive Program Officers who may be in multiple locations in East Africa. Specifically: support the recruitment, mentoring and supervision of Sudan program officers across the five main thematic areas of the Program;
• Work closely with the DCOP in support of effective day-to-day management of the grant making portfolio, including through the development of realistic work plans and team adherence to deadlines;
• Oversee and manage the Program Officers in the development of grant concepts, finalization of grant awards, support to CSO partners in implementation of the grants. This includes coordination and support with MEL and Capacity Development (CD) team members in mentoring, accompaniment and monitoring implementation by partners;
• Support the program team to collaborate across technical areas and identify opportunities for sharing technical information and learning within the team.
• Oversee contributions from the Program Officers towards regular reporting requirements, including bi-weekly, quarterly and annual reports and other technical deliverables as per the contractual requirements with USAID.
• Support compliance with donor, organizational, legal, and other requirements, policies, and/or procedures in collaboration of the Program Officers with operational staff with a focus on the grants portfolio and partnership development
• Support with other tasks, as assigned by DCOP and/or COP.

Basic Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as international development, conflict transformation / peace building, political science, economics, or public policy
• 7+ years relevant experience in the successful management of grant making programs; a strong preference given to experience with democracy and governance activities;
• Knowledge of political, economic, and social context of Sudan
• Experience working with civil society organizations or media actors in Sudan and/or in the East Africa regions.
• Ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with civil society partners,
• Demonstrated experience implementing highly adaptive programs, including developing and implementing strategies in complex and evolving operating environments, in close coordination with multiple stakeholders, including implementing partners and CSOs.
• Proven program leadership, adaptive management, project planning, organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills to manage a team successfully.
• Professional fluency in English (oral, writing and reading)

Preferred Qualifications

• Fluency in Arabic
• Strong understanding of the role of civil society and media in Sudan, as well as organizational and technical challenges they face in implementing international programs.
• Familiarity with conflict sensitivity and gender and inclusion approaches in programming
• Experience in working in and on countries affected by violent conflict.
• Sudanese nationals are strongly encouraged to apply.

Pact is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, citizenship status, genetic information, matriculation, family responsibilities, personal appearance, credit information, tobacco use (except in the workplace), membership in an employee organization, or other protected classifications or non-merit factors.