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Job Title:   Head of Programs

Organization: Action Against Hunger (ACF)

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

About US:

Action Against Hunger-ACF, worldwide is recognized as a leader in the fight against malnutrition, with a purpose to save the lives of undernourished children while providing communities with access to safe water and sustainable solutions to hunger. ACF implements innovative and life-saving programs in the sectors of Nutrition, Food Security & Livelihoods (FSL), and Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene (WASH) through capacity building projects in collaboration with government structures. Over the past 30 years of ACF has been delivering robust operations in Uganda and has gained significant knowledge and expertise using a multi-sectoral approach to design and implement program intervention based on the context, geared towards long-term solutions to hunger both in refugee and Host communities. Since 2013, the organization has been worked in the refugee settlements of Northern and Western Uganda providing emergency response as well as long-term development interventions.

Job Summary:  The Head of Programs is responsible for the strategic leadership, development and management of Action Against Hunger Uganda’s program and ensure that it effectively aligns and supports efficient operationalization of the country offices’ strategic plan. The Head of Programs position is charged with developing and implementing Action Against Hunger Uganda’s technical strategy, steer current projects and identify new, creative and innovative opportunities for programming. He/she will provide expertise to and oversight of all program/project related activities and responsibilities to ensure they are efficiently executed;

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Program / Project & Staff Management

• Provides programming support to all field teams – including designing and implementing capacity building programs for program/project staff
• Coordinates staff performance management – ensuring that all program staff set performance objectives/KPIs, receive regular feedback on their performance and appropriate ongoing coaching – in accordance with Action Against Hunger-Uganda HR policies and procedures
• Oversee that all field programs are efficiently executed – meeting and surpassing all donor requirements and targets (both for outputs and outcomes)
• Conduct monthly grant expenditure tracking, financial projections and reports are reviewed, and any concerns are identified and resolved timely
• Liaise with the country office security coordinator to ensure that all program operations meet minimum security standards – including security planning, monitoring, reporting and timely reporting/ resolution of security incidents

Strategy Development and Operationalization

• Be accountable to and coordinate the participation of program staff in strategic development processes
• Develops and implements multi-year and annual departmental plans which enable the program team to effectively cascade and achieve Action Against Hunger Uganda’s strategic goals and objectives
• Liaise with country office technical specialists/coordinators to develop and effectively roll-out standardized technical approaches and project models which enhance Action Against Hunger Uganda’s programming expertise, thought leadership and influence

Program Monitoring and Evaluation

• Deliver demonstrable impact and take accountability for overall program quality and learning for Action Against Hunger – Uganda country program
• Works with the Head of MEAL to develop, implement and embed a knowledge management system, that will ensure the sharing of knowledge across the programs/ mission
• Ongoing monitoring of the operating context and adaptation of program strategies to enhance ongoing relevance and impact
• Oversee that all programs develop and implement annual work plans and budgets which are regularly updated and executed in line with donor and Action Against Hunger standards
• Together with Regional Program Coordinators develops program and project improvement plans and/or functional dashboard to monitor and track timely submission of key donor deliverables and ensure effective and timely implementation of the projects and program
• Develops, regularly updates and implements an enterprise-wide risk management plan for all programs
• Led in ensuring overall reporting of donor-funded projects, reporting requirements are met and all reports are subjected to rigorous quality assurance processes
• Submits monthly progress reports to the country director – highlighting progress of implementation and impact of all Action Against Hunger supported programs in Uganda

Program and Resource Development

• In coordination with the country director and the technical team, mobilizes program staff to develop strategic concepts and plans for program innovation and fundraising in alignment with Action Against Hunger Uganda’s country strategy
• See to it that all project proposals address community needs/include community participation and are in alignment with Action Against Hunger global and country strategic priorities
• Incorporate the input of program staff in all proposal development processes (including needs assessments, selection of technical approaches, budgeting, negotiations with donors, etc)

Partnership and Collaboration

• Collaborates with other Action Against Hunger Uganda teams – especially logistics, HR and finance to ensure that all programs receive timely support and inputs
• Collaborates closely with all Action Against Hunger-donors – ensuring that donors receive ongoing updates on the progress of the programs they fund; Action Against Hunger provides all information that is requested by donors and; arranges quarterly “catch-up meetings” with all donors
• Under the guidance of the country director, represents Action Against Hunger-Uganda at appropriate UN, donor and NGO meetings and forums
• Oversee that all field coordinators and program managers actively participate in important stakeholder coordination meetings at all levels (especially at national and district levels)
• Lead the process of identifying potential implementation partners and champions the capacity building of all existing partners
• Closely collaborates with regional and HQ program teams to ensure Action Against Hunger Uganda programs remain aligned with Action Against Hunger global strategic priorities and receive ongoing technical support
• Supervisory Responsibilities
• Line manages the Regional Program/Field Co-ordinators and/or Program Managers to foster program integration, achieve excellence in execution and broaden program impact and sustainability.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The applicant must hold a Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, International Development or any other relevant field.
• Solid experience in strategic planning, program development, project management, monitoring and evaluation
• Extensive experience in facilitating emergency response and integrated rural community development programming and processes
• Solid experience in managing complex programs, large budgets and diverse teams
• Ability to maintain performance expectations and healthy social interactions in psychologically stressful environments and physical hardship conditions with limited resources
• Extensive experience building partnerships with donors, government and other stakeholders including representing a country office in UN and donor coordination mechanisms
• Strong team management skills and experience collaborating with key business partners i.e., finance, HR, supply chain management and ensuring that programs receive timely project support and inputs
• A self-starter who can work independently under pressure and who has ability to management competing priorities without direct supervision

Required Skills & Experience

• 10 years of senior leadership experience involving strategic planning, operations management, fundraising, external engagement/networking in a reputable international organization.
• Experience working with diverse donors such as SIDA, WFP, USAID, EU-Trust Fund, Global Affairs Canada, Swedish Embassy, French Government among others.
• Advanced English language proficiency is a must.
• Strong cross-cultural experience (including leading programs in fragile and stable contexts)
• Demonstrated commitment to Action Against Hunger global core values and development approaches.

How to Apply:

All candidates should apply online at the link below.

Click Here

Deadline: 3rd June 2024

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