Team Leader - Mandera at Pact World

Job Description

The Team Leader will be responsible for the overall management and operations of the proposed European Union Trust Fund a three-year Collaboration in Cross-Border Areas of the Horn of Africa Region: The Southwest Ethiopia – Northeast Kenya border to prevent local conflict and mitigate its impact. She/he will supervise project implementation and ensure the project meets stated goals and reporting requirements. The Team Leader will take a leadership role in coordination among the European Commission and key stakeholders and other implementing partners. The position requires a political savvy and diplomatic staff who will interact at a high level with numerous Government institutions and senior government officials as well as European Union agents. Reporting to the Country Director, the position is based in Lodwar.

Roles and responsibilities:

• The Team Leader will oversee program start-up and ongoing program management and administration of teams across various field locations.
• Ensure appropriate systems and support mechanisms are in place to track, analyze and report on results as well as engagement with senior management on the strategic direction of the overall program.
• Engage with various partners and stakeholders at different levels, to establish and maintain contacts with senior-level officials of the host government in the three represented countries and represent Pact in national and regional meetings.
• Implement the strategic vision and programmatic goals as laid down in the Project Document.
• Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and beneficiaries are effectively targeted.
• Support and guide program managers to develop partners’ memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and contracts & oversee a training program for program partners.
• Develop, oversee and ensure joint work planning and program implementation strategies, including frameworks, beneficiary targeting, distribution process as well as capacity building of partners as needed. Evaluate, interpret and analyze information and data to prepare accurate reports and to realign if necessary.
• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate. Ensure coordinated efforts with other Pact conflict and peace building programs.
• Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts.
• Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor policies and procedures.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
• Provide training and mentoring to partners to strengthen capacity for technical service delivery and compliance with donor rules and regulations.
• Oversee the management and development of project office human resources to ensure a diverse, skilled and productive workforce, an effective leadership team, and an organizational culture where Pact’s values are practiced.
• Ensure high-quality strategic oversight, direction and technical programming through hands-on guidance and support grounded in the program’s strategic objectives and adhering to expected technical quality and reporting requirements
• Participate in the technical and programmatic design of award and partner programs; represent Pact in negotiating with donors and partners
• Manage all project planning responsibilities, including the production of annual work-plans; guide and oversee the alignment of the budget to expected results, and review and approve annual budgets and quarterly reports.
• As relevant, manage all local grant making mechanisms, ensuring compliance with donor regulations and Pact policy; coordinate and/or conduct monitoring visits to grantee programs.
• Ensure compliance with Pact and EU and government of Kenya requirements, policies and regulations.

Qualifications and Experiences:

• Master’s Degree with 8 years’ experience or Bachelor’s Degree with 10 years of experience in Conflict, CVE, Peace Building, Migration or a related field
• Eight years’ experience in managing complex peace building programs, cross border programs, CVE and/or migration programs of similar scope and size is desired;
• Eight years of experience in program management and administration, financial management, award cooperative agreement compliance, sub award management, and tracking project performance and costs;
• At least five years’ international experience in development, managing, overseeing, or evaluating comprehensive CVE, conflict and/or peace building programs of similar size and complexity, with European Commission experience preferred.
• Five years demonstrated skills and experience in building and strengthening partnerships donors, private sector, NGO and local community organizations relations; and engagement with the Government of Kenya and Ethiopia.
• Strong strategic and creative thinker. Flexibly to changing situations, overcomes obstacles and recovers quickly from set-backs.
• Proven performance in organizing and coordinating major initiatives, events or challenging inter-organizational activities.
• Ability to work in partnership with team members, partner agencies and community members of both the international and national communities.
• Excellent written and oral communication abilities.
• Strong computer (word processing) literacy, skills in graphic/web design a plus.