Programme Manager – Contingent to donor funding

Company Description

SNV is a global development partner, deeply rooted in the countries where we operate. We are driven by a vision of a better world: A world where across every society all people live with dignity and have equitable opportunities to thrive sustainably. To make this vision a reality, we need transformations in vital agri-food, energy, and water systems. SNV contributes by strengthening capacities and catalyzing partnerships in these sectors. We help strengthen institutions and effective governance, reduce gender inequalities and barriers to social inclusion, and enable adaptation and mitigation to the climate and biodiversity crises. Building on 60 years of experience we support our partners with our technical and process expertise and methodological rigor. We do this in more than 20 countries in Africa and Asia with a team of approximately 1,600 colleagues. By being adaptable and tailoring our approaches to these different contexts, we can contribute to impact at scale, resulting in more equitable lives for all. 

Our core values of people-centeredness and respect, equity and equality, and diversity and inclusion, are fundamental to who we are, and what we do. This is reflected in our vision and mission, and strategy, which sets out our aspirations and commitments as our compass towards 2030. 

For more information on our operations in Ethiopia and SNV generally visit our website: www.snv.org 

Project background 

SNV Ethiopia is recruiting an experienced, Programme Manager (PM) for an anticipated flagship programme. The programme aims to secure 800,000 dignified and fulfilling work opportunities for rural young women. The programme will embrace a market system approach in high-potential value chains, (horticulture, poultry, dairy and complementary value chains), grounded in seven regional clusters. It will be deliberate in integrating Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) transformative approaches and safeguarding mechanisms across all programme interventions, empowering young women to secure jobs through initiatives on market and socio-economic barriers and on location-specific gendered root causes. 

SNV will implement the programme jointly with five other Ethiopian/ international NGOs, who will deliver their work in specific clusters. Together, these clusters will integrate technical expertise, and they will support the programme’s ecosystem to achieve longer-term systems change for youth employment in agriculture. 

Purpose of the Job 

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who wants to apply their background in market systems development, youth engagement, gender transformation, and private sector growth. We are looking for a strong leader with considerable experience and coordination and management skills to build and maintain effective relationships within the team and partners. 

In this role, you will be expected to manage the overall planning, implementation and management of the programme including technical, financial, operational and grant management and subsequent monitoring, reporting, evaluation and learning. The position will serve as a key liaison with the donor, government counterparts and consortium partners. The PM will manage the key cross-cutting functions and subcontracts/subgrantees and ensure that the programme support is technically sound and appropriate. 

Job Description

Strategic Leadership and Direction: 

• Provide strategic vision, guidance, leadership, management, and general technical oversight of a complex consortium of five partners.
• Lead overall implementation and management of the anticipated programme from inception to close-out, ensuring that the programme achieves established goals, objectives, and targets.
• Supervise a large team, including direct reports from two deputy PMs (Technical lead, Partnerships and Youth Engagement), a MEAL Coordinator and a Communication Advisor.
• Act as a spokesperson for the programme and present its work nationally and globally.

Project set-up and design 

• Recruit, lead, manage, and supervise delivery teams comprising SNV programme team positions, and supervise the overall set up of the consortium partners teams.
• Establish a positive collaborative culture amongst the programme team members – including technical, financial and operational – enabling joint planning and strategising and setting a base for optimum performance across departments
• Provide strategic direction to design the inception phase programme activities, including needs assessment, GESI assessments, and definition of detail implementation plans together with consortium partners, and the donor focal points.
• Initiates implementation of the project plan upon approval of donor and Country Director, in accordance with the SNV project execution procedures, relevant SNV structures and procedures, accounting principles, donor requirements and contracted commitments.

Project management 

• Develop an effective integrated approach of programme components, participants, government actors, private sector partners, and other stakeholders
• Ensure quality control and timeliness of all deliverables
• Set up/plan regular meetings with consortium and strategic partners and review project updates.
• Spearhead strategy development and utilize managerial tools and frameworks to improve the ability of the team to achieve project goals successfully and sustainably.
• Facilitate the development of the programme’s evolving theory of change, overseeing the implementation of the work plan and tracking progress towards core indicators and learning objectives.
• Work hand in hand across technical, financial and operational teams within SNV to ensure optimum performance and smooth delivery of targets
• Give due attention to finances/budgeting/expenditures in the project, ensuring budget depletion is in line with planned expenditure.
• Ensure key mobilization deliverables are met, including the development and submission of a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Plan and Annual Work Plan.
• Accountable for full compliance of administrative, finance, operational and HR components of the project in line with SNV internal procedures and requirements specified in the donor and partner/LSPs contracts.
• Responsible for generating timely, accurate, consistent and high-quality reports to the donor and SNV

Qualifications

Educational Qualifications and Work Experience

• Master’s degree related to social development work, gender, law, management, economics, business, rural development and other related fields and at least 15 years of work experience in these fields in development
• At least 10 years of experience leading and managing multi-disciplinary, international teams with a high level of leadership, interpersonal, technical and analytical experience, as team leader, chief of party or other programme director level role.
• Experience in leading transformative programming using a systems change lens and positive impact on youth employment, agri-food sector and/or gender equality and social inclusion.
• Proven leadership in the design, management, implementation, and M&E of programmes with more than US$ 75 Million budget, with skills in strategic planning and thinking, consortium management, supervision and budgeting.
• Experience managing complex activities involving coordination with multiple programme partner institutions

Additional Skills:

• Experience in women economic empowerment and/or youth employment programmes in agriculture and/or MSME business development.
• Deep knowledge of evidence-based practices related to gender and social inclusion, market systems development and inclusive value chains.
• Familiar with both national and regional agricultural sector policies as well as national-level strategies related to agriculture, youth employment, and market development.
• Understanding of public-private partnerships, private sector development, and working with farmer organizations.
• Knowledge of and experience with institutional donors (e.g. USAID, Sida, EU, DANIDA etc.) rules and regulations is required.
• Ability to generate timely, accurate, consistent and high-quality reports
• Proven ability to collaborate successfully with host-country government officials, international donors, and private-sector stakeholders
• Experience in Ethiopia is required, with additional experience in East and Southern Africa a plus
• Female candidates are encouraged to apply
• Flexible and able to adapt to a multicultural environment and complex situations.
• Fluency in English is required.

Additional Information

Contract Type: National – Full time

This position will be based on Donor Funding and approval confirmation.

Expected start date: February 2025

Duty Station: Addis Ababa – Ethiopia

Contract Duration: Two years with the possibility of extension based on performance. 

How to Apply? 

If you believe that your credentials meet the outlined profile, we invite you to apply by uploading your CV and a letter of motivation before/on November 21st , 2024. Please submit your application only via Smart Recruiters. All information will be kept in the strictest confidentiality. 

If your experience and skills match the position’s requirements, we will contact you to advise on the next steps in the recruitment process.

Working at SNV 

SNV offers a challenging work environment, opportunities to lead and innovate, and a commitment to growing your skills in a fulfilling and diverse working environment. Our staff benefit form and contribute to, an internal and global network of experts.

At SNV, inclusivity is at the heart of our ethos. We celebrate the diversity of our workforce and uphold a policy of non-discrimination based on factors such as disability status, religion, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, and more.

Vetting

SNV carries out rigorous background and reference checks concerning possible safeguarding incidents for all candidates applying for both national and internationally determined positions. As SNV participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, all reference checks include a request to past employers to fill in a questionnaire regarding Misconduct (sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment), the “Statement of Conduct”. This Statement of Conduct adopts the definitions used in the Scheme. 

SNV is an equal opportunities employer and female candidates are encouraged to apply.

We do not appreciate third-party mediation based on this advertisement.

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