The Head of Program for DRC Sudan is charged to lead the development and oversee the implementation of the organization’s country program strategy. Within this responsibility, the Head of Program leads program development and grants management processes and manages the country program’s protection, food security and livelihoods and community-driven recovery and safety technical managers. The Head of Program is furthermore responsible for ensuring high-quality, high-impact programming, donor compliance and accountability to beneficiaries. As member of the Senior Management Team, the Head of Program works closely with the Country Director and Head of Support Services.
About the job
Your main duties and responsibilities will be:
STRATEGIC AND PROGRAMMATIC DEVELOPMENT
- The Head of Program is responsible for the development and implementation of DRC’s overall programmatic strategy across the Sudan country operation. In this capacity, the position ensures strategic coherence and vision, and ensures the organization responds efficiently and effectively to humanitarian needs and early recovery.
- In collaboration with the country program’s grants team and Technical Managers, oversee all new business development and grants management processes and play a lead role in proposal development. This entails ensuring project proposals are well written, professionally presented, have undergone technical review by relevant sector focal points, are reflective of best practices and are in line with DRC’s country strategy as well as broader regional and global strategies of the organization.
- Directly manage the country program’s technical managers (Protection Manager, Food Security and Livelihood Manager and Community-Driven Recovery and Safety Manager) and support technical managers to ensure sector-specific strategies are developed and regularly updated.
- In collaboration with the country program’s technical managers, lead scoping missions and assessments for both new emergency and longer-term programming and areas of operation.
PROJECT CYCLE MANAGEMENT
- In collaboration with the Area Manager, Base Manager, Technical Managers and support team, ensure that country and field-level kick-off meetings are held for all new projects. This entails ensuring responsible staff develop and regularly update work plans, financial forecasts, procurement plans, and monitoring and evaluation plans.
- Support DRC’s Area Manager and implementing teams to uphold rigorous project cycle management principles through the provision of technical advice, including support with the development of project cycle management tools.
- Work closely with DRC Sudan’s MEAL Manager to monitor project achievements. When activities are identified as behind schedule or are facing technical or logistical challenges, work with the Area Manager and implementing teams to identify and implement corrective actions.
- Collaborate with the Area Manager and broader program team to organize and facilitate monthly reviews of achievements and spending for all active projects.
- Ensure that country and field-level closure meetings are held for all ending projects. This entails reviewing achievements and challenges, preparing teams for final reporting and, in collaboration with the MEAL Manager, documenting lessons learned.
- Support the grants team in timely submissions of high-quality donor and internal reports.
PROGRAM QUALITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
- Manage and support the country program’s MEAL Manager and ensure compliance with DRC’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning minimum operation procedures.
- Collaborate with the Technical Managers to develop and implement programmatic policies, processes, and standards to promote program quality and accountability to beneficiaries and donors.
- Collaborate with the MEAL Manager to develop and facilitate a learning system to ensure knowledge management and dissemination of recommendations, best practices, lessons learned and tools are shared across the country program.
- Oversee and support continuous improvement of program quality standards, including application and harmonization across field bases and contribute to the development of a research agenda to generate evidence informing policy, programming and advocacy.
- Ensure DRC’s values and code of conduct are respected and upheld within programming and the program team.
MANAGEMENT
- Manage the country program’s Technical Managers, Grants Management Coordinator and MEAL Manager, and support respectful and positive working relationships. This is to be achieved through leadership, team building, day-to-day support and capacity-building.
- Support and participate in program-related recruitment processes.
- In collaboration with the SMT and Area Manager, ensure relevant program staffing structures are in place across all field locations.
- Promote professional development by identifying training and capacity building opportunities and ensure staff are well versed in core sector concepts, DRC's code of conduct, accountability, respectful dialogue with the refugee population, and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.
REPRESENTATION
- Collaborate closely with the Country Director to represent the country program to donors, partner agencies and other key stakeholders.
About you
To be successful in this role we expect the following:
- Master's degree in political science, international development, economics or other relevant field.
- Minimum of 5 to 7 years of experience at a senior level, preferably with an INGO. Experience working in East or the Horn of Africa is an added advantage.
- Demonstrated programmatic knowledge and field experience in protection, food security and livelihoods and other core humanitarian sectors.
- Demonstrated experience in the development of programmatic strategies as well as the design of complex and multi-sector programming.
- Demonstrated experience in fundraising, networking and coordination, including with donors, governmental representatives and other organizations.
- Experience implementing and supporting accountability policies and mechanisms.
- Political and cultural sensitivity as well as patience, tact, diplomacy and persistence.
- Willingness to travel to remote areas within Sudan.
- Excellent written and spoken English required (Arabic is an advantage).
In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:
Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.
We offer
Contract length: 24 months
Level: E
Designation of Duty Station: Khartoum, Sudan; Family-accompanied
Start date: 1 May 2020
Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to drc.ngo under Vacancies.
For questions regarding the vacancy please contact Patrick Phillips, patrick.phillips@drc.ngo.
DRC as an employer
By working in DRC, you will be joining a global workforce of around 8000 employees in 40 countries. We pride ourselves on our:
- Professionalism, impact & expertise
- Humanitarian approach & the work we do
- Purpose, meaningfulness & own contribution
- Culture, values & strong leadership
- Fair compensation & continuous development
Read more here about what our employees say about working in DRC.
DRC’s capacity to ensure the protection of and assistance to refugees, IDP’s and other persons of concern depends on the ability of our staff to uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. DRC conducts thorough and comprehensive background checks as part of the recruitment process. Visit drc.ngo to read more about what we do to secure robust safeguarding mechanisms.