The Ugandan Jobline

Job Title:  Director of Programs

Organisation: Mercy Corps

Duty Station:  Kampala, Uganda

About US:

Mercy Corps is an international non-profit organization which implements high-quality, analytical development programmes in very difficult places. Mercy Corps has been operating in Uganda since 2006. It has and continues to implement programs in Acholi and Karamoja sub regions. Mercy Corps is taking a community-led, market driven approach to address poverty and food insecurity needs through interventions that get to the root causes and contributing factors of economic vulnerability.

Job Summary:  The Director of Programs (DOP) role is an exciting opportunity to shape and lead our programs in country.  The DOP is a proven leader that is directly responsible for overseeing the programs portfolio in Uganda.  The role will ensure that adequate leadership is applied to the implementation of relevant, innovative and adaptive programs. He/she will work closely with the Country Director (CD) to lead new program development and strategy, and ensure effective program coordination and technical support, program quality and accountability in close collaboration with the operations, finance and internal control teams. The position will be based in Kampala with frequent travel to the field offices.  S/he will help represent Mercy Corps Uganda at the highest level to donors, major stakeholders (including those from the private sector), relevant government authorities and is able to articulate and deliver strategic vision in the complex Ugandan environment. The DOP is able to lead complex program implementation in a country program that operationally spans 9 field offices, and works in complex, insecure and unpredictable environments. The role will develop, articulate and deliver a strategic operational vision in line with the rapid evolution of the context and the strategic decisions made by the organization’s executive leadership.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategy and Planning

• Support Country Director to communicate a clear vision of present and future program goals of Mercy Corps Uganda to team members and stakeholders that translates into concrete programs and work plans.
• Support countrywide program strategy development and prioritize and organize actions and resources to achieve objectives set through those processes.
• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to the country strategy, including through fundraising.
• Identify opportunities for innovative action, coordination and collaboration, creating an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcome.
• Ensure that analytical, program quality and technical support teams are collaborating with program and other internal stakeholders effectively, adding value to the program and maintaining strategic focus.

Program Development

• In coordination with the Country Director, Chiefs of Party, Program Directors, Program Managers, Technical Advisors and other relevant personnel and counterparts, lead the identification of new initiatives and program opportunities that respond to identified needs and the country strategy;
• Provide overall leadership to relevant Program teams and MEL teams working on the program development process.
• Support Country Director to cultivate strategic partnerships or relationships with new/existing donors to further strategic development opportunities.

Program Leadership and Coordination

• Ensure effective cross-team coordination, collaboration, communication and alignment of Mercy Corps’ programming and operations;
• Ensure regular coordination of program directors/managers, finance managers and operations focal points to review BVAs, operation plans and ensure regular communication;
• Facilitate sharing and learning across programs portfolios, teams, offices and support teams to incorporate learning in program design and management;
• Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and aligned with Mercy Corps principles, values and strategic roadmap and country strategy;
• Provide leadership and oversight to ensure program adherence to grant agreements, Mercy Corps policies and procedures and relevant external rules and regulations;
• Support Program Directors/Managers to oversee performance of partners, sub-grantees, and technical contractors;
• Ensure that programs are implemented on time, on scope and on budget.
• Promote a culture of gender-sensitive, and where appropriate, gender-transformative programming.

Program Performance and Quality

• Support MEL Manager in establishing systems, policies and approaches necessary to ensure tools and systems are in place for effective program monitoring, evaluation and learning.
• Support the MEL Manager to put in place effective program quality tools and measures in place and to regularly monitor and improve quality control;
• Ensure that programs and MEL team members are actively linked to those at HQ to ensure that global indicators and practices are considered and adhered to where necessary;
• Ensure all program teams have received training on program quality and minimum standards;
• Ensure program documentation and program minimal standards are consistently adhered to;
• Ensure that a comprehensive reporting schedule is maintained and adhered to according to requirements;
• Ensure program teams are trained on community response mechanism (CRM), CRMs are put into place and operational, and anti-fraud and safeguarding measures considered in program design/implementation.
• Support TOLA, an open-source software built internally to improve how we evaluate program data by providing adaptable tools, and promoting better learning and sharing of information.

Team Management

• Ensure appropriate staffing for program leadership positions.
• Develop the capacity of the team, ensure program team members have a clear and deep understanding of their roles and assist with career development.
• Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
• Manage performance of program leaders including establishment of clear and measurable objectives, ongoing feedback, periodic reviews and regular check-ins.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Hire, orient and provide mentorship and capacity building to team members as necessary.

Finance & Compliance Management

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to all programs.
• Manage and support budget holders for individual programs and awards and ensure project expenditure is in line with work plans and commitments to donors.

Influence & Representation

• Build close and productive relationships with donors, national/regional/local government authorities, private sector actors, and local/international organizations in Uganda in close coordination with the Country Director, Heads of Offices, and Program Directors;
• Represent Mercy Corps at all relevant coordination meetings and increasingly play a lead role in other advocacy and coordination bodies;
• Coordinate with other NGOs in Uganda to consolidate Mercy Corps’ strategic niche and comparative advantages, while identifying strategic partnerships;

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organizational Learning

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

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Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The applicant must hold a Masters Degree or equivalent in management, international development, economics or other relevant field.
• A Bachelors or equivalent in social sciences, management, development or other relevant field.
• Over ten years of senior-level leadership and management experience in large and complex programs.
• Experience managing humanitarian relief and/or transitional programs in areas affected by conflict and insecurity.
• Prior experience with funding from USG, DFID, and other leading donors.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills required, including influencing, negotiation and coaching;
• Strong management skills with good understanding of managing international, cross-cultural teams;
• Proven track record in proposal writing and business development.
• Experience managing programs in relevant technical area(s) including food security, market systems development, gender, livelihoods and financial services.
• Strong analytic skills and ability to develop solutions to complex issues required;
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members.
• Strong M&E skills with extensive field experience in developing practical, useful and timely monitoring systems, both at the program- and country-level, which promote the use of data for adaptive management and learning.
• Knowledge of major donor requirements and compliance issues.
• Strong understanding of conflict sensitive program mainstreaming and gender or protection mainstreaming would be an advantage.
• Previous experience working Africa is desired.
• The successful Director of Programs (DOP) will have senior level experience in coordinating and managing complex programs.
• S/he will have exceptional program development skills and an outstanding ability to manage and lead complex and diverse program teams. S/he will have proven experience with cross-cultural teams, with strong leadership, communication, coordination and mentoring skills.
• Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential.
• The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.
• Patience, tenacity, diplomacy and a sense of humor will contribute to success.
• Fluent written and oral communication in English required.

How to Apply:

All candidates should submit their applications online at the link below.

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