Programme Manager, Holistic Care At Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation

Title: Programme Manager, Holistic Care

Location: Based in The Netherlands or in one of the countries of the Great Lakes region

(with 40% travel expected)

Period: Starting August 2024, initially for a period of 12 months

Reporting to: Head of Holistic Care

The Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation is an international rights-based, survivor-centred organisation working to change the collective response to conflict-related sexual violence. Founded in 2015, based in The Hague, with offices in Central African Republic and Ukraine, the Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation supports survivors’ demands for a world where sexual violence as a weapon of war is no longer tolerated, and bears consequences for individual perpetrators and states.

We work for a future where survivors receive the holistic care and compensation they need to rebuild their lives. We create opportunities for survivors to speak out and be heard, and where they can organise to create change, influence policies, and demand justice and accountability. We are working towards a future where sexual violence in conflict is no longer seen as inevitable but is recognised for what it is: a crime that should have consequences. We want the international community to draw a line against wartime sexual violence and to hold states and individuals accountable.

Introduction

The Holistic Care programme at Mukwege Foundation works to promote and ensure quality holistic care as a standard and a right for survivors of sexual violence. Our holistic care projects include direct support for survivors’ access to care, technical assistance to States and other actors working on holistic response to conflict-related sexual violence, capacity-building for skilled professionals and other actors including survivors, and advocacy for survivor-centred, compassionate, holistic care.

We are recruiting a Programme Manager who will replace an outgoing member of the current team. This is an excellent opportunity for candidates with a public health or medical background and/or experience developing, accompanying and monitoring health-related programs in conflict-affected contexts. For example, have you accompanied health structures or authorities, have you worked with partners to ensure quality medical referrals or care, have you implemented capacity-building programs for medical and psychosocial care professionals, or have you coordinated mobile clinics, surgical campaigns, or community health outreach programs?

If applying, candidates must be fluent in both English and French, and have a minimum of 7 years of experience working in conflict-affected contexts, including working directly with survivors of sexual and gender-based violence or other vulnerable populations.

Job Overview

The Holistic Care programme includes projects and advocacy efforts in Burundi (2024), Central African Republic, Colombia, Ethiopia and Iraq. The Holistic Care (HC) programme team also supports care-related work within our support to national survivor networks globally, including medical referrals mapping and related to mental health and psychosocial support services (MHPSS). The HC team at MF’s HQ office currently consists of the Head of Holistic Care, a Programme Manager with a background in mental health programmes and an outgoing Programme Manager with a health background. While the HC team at MF HQ in The Hague does not directly provide care to survivors, clinical or technical knowledge is required to provide high-quality support to our programmes. The HQ team closely accompanies MF in-country staff, where applicable, and implementation partners.

The Programme Manager will assume the responsibility as the primary HC desk officer for 1-2 country(ies) of implementation within the current HC portfolio. This will mean that they will be the main point of contact for that specific country programme team, for technical support and advice related to Holistic Care. Furthermore, they will perform different duties on the global level, related to scoping and developing new projects and partnerships, in line with strategic priorities. In contexts where MF does not have an in-country presence, the Programme Manager will remotely manage projects, including sub-grants, and will directly support local partners.

The new Programme Manager will also have a thematic responsibility for ensuring quality of medical care throughout the MF programme. This means that they will support the Head of Holistic Care in implementing health-related components of different projects, including for example conducting structure evaluations, developing or updating different protocols, guidance and procedures for teams and partners, supporting the procurement of medicines and materials, planning for different specific campaigns and interventions and ensuring reporting on specific performance indicators.

Main Responsibilities

Programme management

• Directly manage holistic care projects in countries or regions where MF does not have yet a presence and act as budget-holder for these projects.
• Ensure the application of all relevant programme management tools (PMME toolkit, workplans, partner reporting template, indicator tracking).
• Develop partner contracts and sub-grantee agreements with relevant partners.
• Review proposals, budgets and reports submitted by framework (technical) and implementation partners participating in the programme.
• Manage partner relationships including ensuring follow-up on the implementation of project activities, the respect of contractual obligations, quality of care standards, and safeguarding requirements.
• Develop or ensure the development of relevant documentation for each programme activity or component (Terms of reference, learning tools, reporting).
• Collect data for monitoring, evaluation, research and learning purposes including for preparing internal and external/donor reports.
• Conduct coaching for implementation partners, according to the needs, on programme or financial management.

Administration

• Accountable for the application of all financial management tools by partners, programme staff or consultants including funds disbursement requests, bank and cash books, expense claim forms, financial reports, for projects directly managed by the Programme Manager.
• Accountable for ensuring the respect of high standards in terms of programme management and stewardship of funds, for projects directly managed by the Programme Manager.

Country desk support

• Act as Holistic Care HQ desk officer for 1 – 2 countries of implementation.
• Respond to requests for technical assistance from MF country teams, in alignment with the Head of Holistic Care.
• Assist country-teams with planning and executing specific medical functions of holistic care programming: procurement & management of medicines and materials and different campaigns and interventions.
• Participate in scoping & assessment missions.

Quality of medical care

• Contribute to the development and application of relevant policies and procedures in support of medical care as part of holistic care projects.
• Provide technical advice to country teams, HQ colleagues and partners who are developing or implementing medical responses to CRSV.
• Conduct regular monitoring and support missions to implementation countries to specifically monitor medical care quality, capacity-building needs or other project-related benchmarks.
• Support country teams with developing and implementing tools for ensuring high quality medical care programming.
• Provide support to MF programme team in mapping of medical actors in implementation countries and supporting medical referrals where needed.
• Conduct regular training/capacity-building opportunities for MF team-members and partners on ensuring quality medical care.

Representation and advocacy

• Prepare advocacy briefs and other tools for international awareness-raising and advocacy work together with MF Communication Specialist.
• Support the Head of Holistic Care with developing and ensuring strategic partnerships with medical/health partners.

Profile and qualifications

• Fluency in both English and French are mandatory.
• Arabic, Sango, Spanish, Swahili, or Ukrainian language skills are considered assets.
• Bachelor level qualification required; Master level qualification recommended or equivalency in the medical, nursing, public health or other related fields.
• Progressive international career with a minimum of 7 years in conflict-affected contexts, coordinating or supporting health-related projects/interventions.
• Experience in any of MF’s Holistic Care implementation countries, and in particular in the Great Lakes region, is an asset.
• If EU-based must already have authorisation to reside and work in the EU.
• Proven experience working directly with victims or survivors of SGBV and/or CRSV.
• Passion for person-centred and survivor-centred holistic care approaches.
• Demonstrated project management and coordination experience, preferably gained in different organisations.
• Leadership by example and proven skills in building and maintaining a culture of trust and fairness.
• Experience with donor and partner relations.
• Ability to represent and present programmes, internally and externally
• Experience in negotiating with governments, multi-lateral, and non-government agencies.
• Well-developed diplomatic skills (empathy, representation, negotiation)
• Flexible and proven ability to adapt and respond to the changing environment and to constructively create opportunities for change through active participation
• Strong communication and writing skills
• Readiness to travel to the Mukwege Foundation’s programme countries (up to 40% traveling time)

Diversity

The Mukwege Foundation is an international organisation with a diverse, international team and its HQ office in The Netherlands.

We believe in the value of a diverse (leadership) team. We believe that a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace is essential to our work. We welcome people from all backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and experiences. It will be considered a plus if the candidate can contribute to the diversity in our team.

This role is based in The Hague, and candidates should already have authorisation to reside and work in the European Union. MF will not sponsor any candidates for this position.

Excellent candidates based in the Great Lakes region of Africa, due to the proximity with our main country programmes, will also be seriously considered if the candidate is willing to commit to extensive travel and regular presence in The Hague, based on MF’s remote-work policies.

What we offer

• 1-year contract based on 40 hours per week with possibility to extend
• Full-time gross salary between €4050 and €5225, depending on experience
• 8% holiday allowance and 25 paid holiday days

Full package details will be shared with shortlisted candidates depending on their profile and location.