Program Manager at Search for Common Ground (SFCG)

The Program Implementation team oversees the implementation of Search’s programs and projects in its country offices per Search and donor policies and procedures. The Program Implementation team works on the full life-cycle of the project, from the start-up phase to the full close-out. This involves designing work plans, implementing activities, reporting, financial management, and staffing management. The Program Implementation team collaborates with other departments, including Finance, Institutional Learning, Programs, Global Affairs and Partnerships, Human Resources, and Information Technology.

Contributions:

External engagement:

Responsibilities:

• Provide oversight for project implementation
• Manages processes associated with project implementation
• Manages relationships related to the project implementation such as vendors, donors, local authorities and cross team collaborators, and employees
• Remain alert and responsive to any safeguarding risks, acquire relevant knowledge and skills which will enable you to promote strong safeguarding practices, understand the safeguarding policy and procedures, and conduct yourself in a manner consistent with the Safeguarding Policy
• Workplan: improve, finalize and monitor costed-workplans and spend-out plans; support in finalizing and monitoring the logic frame and Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) plan
• Project activities: design project activities (e.g., objectives and structure of activities); lead and/or deliver project activities; coordinate with trainers in the design and delivery of project activities
• Reporting: review and finalize project documents (e.g., presentations, and agenda); finalize donor reports; review and finalize monthly and activity reports before sharing; review General Ledger (GL) and support country finance team (CFT) in producing financial report
• Compliance: coordinates with the appropriate country management team member in ensuring project, finance, and logistics staff follow donor rules/regulations; ensure donor compliance; lead capacity-building sessions to streamline rules and regulations
• Finalize the procurement plan and coordinate with project vendors (e.g., hotel, catering, transportation, etc.)
• Financial management: ensure project financial health; lead regular Budget versus Actual (BvA) meetings; ensure the BvA is right; ensure budget revisions are done as needed.
• Subaward management: Provide technical review of partner documents; lead communication with partner management; provide oversight to partner work plan and key deliverables; lead in partner capacity assessment/plan and partner selection.
• Performance management: Interface with staff across all departments on regular basis
• Lead in staff capacity-building and identifying learning/growth opportunities;
• Coordinate with the Country Manager (CM) or Country Director (CD) in the development of project staffing plan;
• Provide guidance for compilation of interview materials, and assessments for recruitment of open positions;
• Long-list and short-list candidates;
• Manage staff members accordingly
• Maintain regular and timely communication with a variety of stakeholders including consortium members
• Present ongoing project work and findings at a variety of international fora. Ability to clearly and concisely speak about project outcomes, including various tech-related topics
• Program management, quality and project design: Coordinate with Design, Monitoring & Evaluation (DM&E), Grants Management System (GMS), and Country Manager (CM) in the organization of reflection sessions
• Note and record lessons learned via donor reports
• Ensure reviews and reflection sessions lead to adaptive work plan
• Make sure that approved Search methodologies are utilized
• Coordinate with Global Affairs & Partnerships Program Development team, as needed
• Support in attending fundraising and networking meetings
• Support in the identification and decision of opportunities (go/no-go)
• Provide inputs to strategy development and planning related to technical area of work
• Technical review of strategy and Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)
• Infuses organizational Values into all work
• Other duties that are broadly in line with the above key contributions as assigned.

Education and Experience

• Typically BS/BA with minimum 9 years’ experience.
• Demonstrated high-level interpersonal and cross-cultural skills including the ability to build collaborative relationships internally and externally with sensitivity to cultural, ethnic, social and political issues.
• Experience working in large international consortia to deliver on joint activities
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills in English