Head of Program Development and Quality At Action Against Hunger USA

Action Against Hunger-USA is part of the Action Against Hunger International network, which provides humanitarian relief in over 40 countries worldwide in the sectors of nutrition, health, water/sanitation, and food security. Action Against Hunger-USA, an independent NGO, currently manages operations in Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Haiti and Somalia. Action Against Hunger-USA has over $75 million in programs, and approximately 2000 staff based in in the various country offices, New York headquarters and Nairobi regional office. Additional growth is anticipated.

Action Against Hunger has been facilitating emergency relief and development programs in Uganda for the past 40 years. Currently, the country office manages multi-sectoral programs that assist refugees and host communities districts to rebuild their livelihoods and achieve resilience.

I. Summary of Position

This position supports the Country Director to grow Action Against Hunger Uganda’s programs and funding portfolio in a manner that assures ongoing quality, influence and impact. To achieve this goal, the Head of Program Development and Quality (PDQ) will champion strategic planning processes and collaborate with all other Action Against Hunger Uganda, Regional Office and HQ teams to: (a) grow revenue; (b) achieve excellence in execution of projects and; (c) enhance the brand and influence of Action Against Hunger in Uganda.

II. Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy and Management

Monitor the operating context and adapt program strategies to enhance ongoing relevance and impact.
Provide input and updates to the direction and operations of the country office as a member of the Senior Management Team.
Ensure the PDQ Team evolves and grows in line with organizational priorities and program needs.
Support the development of an organizational culture that reflects Action Against Hunger Uganda’s position at the humanitarian-development nexus and encourages quality, learning, creativity and innovation.
Collate and share all program and project information needed for Regional Office and HQ to report on program impact and progress.
Ensure all donor reporting requirements are met and all reports are subjected to rigorous quality assurance processes.
Lead donor relationship management, including being a responsive point of contact and maintaining positive and trusted two-way communications.
Develop and action resource mobilization plans, including identifying fundraising leads and concepts, and nurturing opportunities to ensure adequate resources are secured.
Maintain awareness of institutional and corporate donor environments to inform potential future donor engagement approaches and fundraising activities.
Position and represent Action Against Hunger Uganda within the Action Against Hunger network to build its reputation for high-quality work and donor friendliness.
Position and represent Action Against Hunger Uganda with national and international development and humanitarian agencies, including the Government of Uganda, to build its reputation as a nexus technical specialist, and as a collaborative and accountable partner.
Lead proposal development ensuring on time and high-quality submissions, including through project and consortium planning, setting clear expectations and deadlines, collation and editing of document contributions and coordination with finance, HR and logistics staff.
Assess, monitor, track and report on all funding opportunities and proposals in collaboration Regional and HQ Business Development Teams.
Develop standardized technical approaches and project models
Ensure the provision of internal technical assistance and capacity building to all projects and staff.
Provide direct technical assistance to operations or activities without a sectoral lead.
Monitor humanitarian landscape and emerging crises in country; represent Action Against Hunger in national coordination forums.
Ensure active engagement in national dialogues and technical working groups either through direct participation or by assigning relevant technical staff.
Drive the integration and actioning of cross-cutting themes, including gender, protection and disability inclusion, into all program areas.
Foster and champion a culture of accuracy, evidence building and learning within the country office technical team, and where possible, within the country office as a whole.
Provide technical support to the development and implementation of an advocacy strategy for the Uganda Country Office and ensure that thematic sectors articulate their priority advocacy objectives in line with the Country Strategic Plan.
Provide technical support to the development and implementation of an Communications strategy, ensuring that branding and visibility provisions are included in project designs and proposals; and that information is provided to feed into internal communications mechanisms at regional and global level.
Lead Action Against Hunger Uganda Public Relations initiatives.
Manage the Country Office technical team, including providing supportive supervision, informal mentorship and decision-making support.
Coordinate the performance management of the country office technical team by ensuring that all staff set performance objectives/KPIs, receive regular feedback on their performance and appropriate ongoing coaching in accordance with HR policies and procedures.
Ensure the technical team is working collaboratively and synergistically to maximize opportunities and reduce redundancies.
Champion staff capacity building across the country office to enhance project management and other competencies.
Foster an environment that supports the values of women and men, and equal access to information.
Ensure program staff and others have access to the knowledge and skills needed to promote and protect equality and inclusion.
Provide a work environment where women and men are evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
Respect women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of their gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.
Value and respect all cultures.

External Relations, Business Development and Proposal Development

Collate and share all program and project information needed for Regional Office and HQ to report on program impact and progress.
Ensure all donor reporting requirements are met and all reports are subjected to rigorous quality assurance processes.
Lead donor relationship management, including being a responsive point of contact and maintaining positive and trusted two-way communications.
Develop and action resource mobilization plans, including identifying fundraising leads and concepts, and nurturing opportunities to ensure adequate resources are secured.
Maintain awareness of institutional and corporate donor environments to inform potential future donor engagement approaches and fundraising activities.
Position and represent Action Against Hunger Uganda within the Action Against Hunger network to build its reputation for high-quality work and donor friendliness.
Position and represent Action Against Hunger Uganda with national and international development and humanitarian agencies, including the Government of Uganda, to build its reputation as a nexus technical specialist, and as a collaborative and accountable partner.
Lead proposal development ensuring on time and high-quality submissions, including through project and consortium planning, setting clear expectations and deadlines, collation and editing of document contributions and coordination with finance, HR and logistics staff.
Assess, monitor, track and report on all funding opportunities and proposals in collaboration Regional and HQ Business Development Teams.

Technical Assistance and Knowledge Management

Develop standardized technical approaches and project models
Ensure the provision of internal technical assistance and capacity building to all projects and staff.
Provide direct technical assistance to operations or activities without a sectoral lead.
Monitor humanitarian landscape and emerging crises in country; represent Action Against Hunger in national coordination forums.
Ensure active engagement in national dialogues and technical working groups either through direct participation or by assigning relevant technical staff.
Drive the integration and actioning of cross-cutting themes, including gender, protection and disability inclusion, into all program areas.
Foster and champion a culture of accuracy, evidence building and learning within the country office technical team, and where possible, within the country office as a whole.

Advocacy and Communications

Provide technical support to the development and implementation of an advocacy strategy for the Uganda Country Office and ensure that thematic sectors articulate their priority advocacy objectives in line with the Country Strategic Plan.
Provide technical support to the development and implementation of an Communications strategy, ensuring that branding and visibility provisions are included in project designs and proposals; and that information is provided to feed into internal communications mechanisms at regional and global level.
Lead Action Against Hunger Uganda Public Relations initiatives.

Staff Management, Mentorship, and Development

Manage the Country Office technical team, including providing supportive supervision, informal mentorship and decision-making support.
Coordinate the performance management of the country office technical team by ensuring that all staff set performance objectives/KPIs, receive regular feedback on their performance and appropriate ongoing coaching in accordance with HR policies and procedures.
Ensure the technical team is working collaboratively and synergistically to maximize opportunities and reduce redundancies.
Champion staff capacity building across the country office to enhance project management and other competencies.

IV. Gender Equality and Inclusion Commitments

Foster an environment that supports the values of women and men, and equal access to information.
Ensure program staff and others have access to the knowledge and skills needed to promote and protect equality and inclusion.
Provide a work environment where women and men are evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
Respect women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of their gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.
Value and respect all cultures.

V. Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with many interruptions.

While performing the duties of this job in the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as to infectious diseases.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

VI. Working Conditions

This is an accompanied position which is based at the Action Against Hunger Uganda country office in Kampala. The jobholder must be available to work outside normal office hours and on the weekends as required. He/she must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business purposes.

Requirements

VII. Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

A bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences or Public Health and a master’s degree in international development or another relevant field.
15 years of senior leadership experience involving strategic planning, operations management, fundraising, and external engagement and networking.
Experience working with a diverse range of donors.
Solid track record in fundraising and meeting revenue targets
Solid experience in strategic planning, program development, project management, and monitoring and evaluation
Extensive experience in facilitating emergency responses and integrated rural community development programming and processes.
Strong cross-cultural experience, including leading programs in fragile and stable contexts
Advanced English proficiency
Ability to design and manage complex programs, large budgets and diverse teams.
Ability to maintain performance expectations and healthy social interactions in psychologically stressful environments with physical hardships and limited resources.
Ability to build partnerships with donors, government agencies and other stakeholders, including representing the country office in UN and donor coordination mechanisms.
Ability to collaborate with key internal business partners, i.e., finance, HR and supply chain management, and to ensure that programs receive timely project support and inputs.
A self-starter who can work independently under pressure and who has ability to management competing priorities without direct supervision.

VIII. Required Skills & Competencies

Ability to design and manage complex programs, large budgets and diverse teams.
Ability to maintain performance expectations and healthy social interactions in psychologically stressful environments with physical hardships and limited resources.
Ability to build partnerships with donors, government agencies and other stakeholders, including representing the country office in UN and donor coordination mechanisms.
Ability to collaborate with key internal business partners, i.e., finance, HR and supply chain management, and to ensure that programs receive timely project support and inputs.
A self-starter who can work independently under pressure and who has ability to management competing priorities without direct supervision.