Head of Programmes At Danish Refugee Council

Overall purpose of the role

DRC South Sudan is looking for a dynamic and experienced Head of Programmes (HoP) who will provide leadership over the quality and delivery of DRC’s programs across all established areas of operation in South Sudan with a significant contribution expected to the conceptualization, technical support and implementation of development, emergency and resilience-oriented projects. As a member of the Senior Management Team, the HoP will support the Country Office strategy with leadership in driving achievements in grant development, technical quality and MEAL. The HoP will also provide leadership to the South Sudan’s Mobile Response Team that provides emergency services in hard-to-reach areas and the Humanitarian Disarmament & Peacebuilding Team, which helps make communities safer through mine action and peacebuilding activities. The HoP will work closely with the Head of Support Services and Head of Safety ensuring outputs are in line DRC policies and systems and support a country operation that balances a) programmatic excellence, b) cost efficiency and c) safety.

Key responsibilities

Program Strategy & Development

• Participate in country level strategic planning and contribute to the sustainable management of program growth with an eye towards program growth and development.
• Foster synergies between program areas (integrated approach), support the strong integration of protection considerations throughout all humanitarian initiatives and ensure adherence to humanitarian principles and any other international standards when relevant.
• Contribute to the evolution of the country strategy, develop/define the country programming in a collaborative way ensuring program appropriateness and accountability among the country program team.
• Collaborate closely with CD and senior management staff in the development and design of innovative initiatives to drive new program development in DRC South Sudan in accordance with DRC’s assistance framework.
• Advocate for DRC’s program in South Sudan with government, donors and humanitarian stakeholders, in HCT, consortia, cluster meetings, workshops, conferences and in other relevant fora.
• Establish strong and efficient partnerships with organisations, donors and authorities, in line with the country programme strategy and DRC partnership management policy.

Program Implementation & Coordination

• Provide oversight, guidance and leadership to all technical coordinators and specialists to ensure quality program implementation and integration in DRC South Sudan
• In collaboration with Area Managers, provide oversight on programmatic needs, gaps and opportunities.
• With the technical teams, continually evaluate current methodologies and policies, determine their effectiveness and provide suggestions on ways to improve compliance, and to ensure program and organizational success.
• Ensure effective and transparent planning and use of financial resources in compliance with DRC and donor policies and priorities.
• Lead Technical Coordinators in compiling and developing work plans for PMs and achieving benchmarks for program activities.
• Effectively stay abreast of donor policies, procedures, rules and regulations; and train DRC program staff in these policies

Program Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

• Promote learning and knowledge management within the country program by documenting lessons learned and best practices for dissemination within DRC country and regional teams, to donors and to other stakeholders when relevant in order to ensure synergetic programming and cross-program and cross-border collaboration in DRC South Sudan and in the whole region.
• Ensure that all projects contribute to measuring impact and are in line with DRC’s country strategic plan. Implement appropriate monitoring, tracking and reporting systems, tools and templates that enhance monitoring of program outputs and quality, generate quality evidence on program impact and promote and ensure use of data for decision-making processes/ program adjustments.
• Ensure quality programming by coordinating the technical support provided by the Quality Assurance team into programs with a keen focus on IM, MEAL and other quality improvement initiatives.

Fundraising, Proposal Development and Reporting

• Pursue funding opportunities in all DRC areas of competence and coordinate the capacities of the Technical Coordinators and SMT to identify and materialize opportunities in alignment with country and regional strategies.
• Trigger and oversee the drafting of concept notes, proposals and donor reports by program managers (including budgets for cost-related activities) in coordination with grants departments in line with DRC HQ/Region and donor requirements.
• Ensure timely and targeted communication and information flow to all relevant internal and external parties in coordination with the Country Director, Regional Office, HQ and other program stakeholders to remain informed about program achievements.

Staff Management and Capacity Building

• Effectively manage program teams, including, international and national managers, specialists and technical experts, coordinators, officers, located at sites throughout the country with an emphasis on excellence, promoting a culture of cooperation, learning and innovation.
• Develop job descriptions and Terms of Reference and conduct annual staff performance review. Develop overall staff competence through leadership, training and coaching of technical and management key program staff.
• Lead or contribute to recruitment processes and the orientation of new staff.
• Collaborate with the Head of Support Services to allocate funding for staff development and team building processes.

Donor liaison, Partnerships and Representation

• Together with Country Director, ensure adequate bilateral representation of DRC with government authorities, donors, UN agencies, humanitarian agencies and other partners in regard to programme and participation in coordination meetings as relevant.
• Liaise with government counterparts to ensure DRC grant sub agreements are signed in a timely manner.

Advocacy and Communication:

• Work in collaboration with CD on developing advocacy and policy key messages across programmatic platforms.
• Support the CD in the development and review of communication materials, including brochures, case studies as well as press releases.

About you

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’s 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: You act in line with our vision and values.

Qualifications and Experience

• Post-graduate degree in International Relations, Humanitarian Programs Management, Social Science, International Development or a similar field
• Min 8 years management experience, of which at least 3 should include management of a large portfolio of programmes across multiple sectors.
• Min 4 years of experience in staff management and development in complex environments
• Good understanding of displacement issues and related international standards/frameworks
• Strong experience in programme quality, MEAL, programme development and proven fundraising abilities with key donors
• Proven experience of representing externally to key stakeholders, including government authorities, donors, embassies and clusters.
• Experience of leading strategic programming and planning processes
• Experience of managing systems and tools to oversee complex project portfolios across different sectors and locations as well as within consortia.
• Ability to live and work under pressure in a rapidly changing and sometimes insecure environment.
• Team player with excellent communication and strong participatory leadership skills
• Ability to work in hazardous environments with limited social possibilities.

Conditions

Contract: One year contract. Salary and other conditions are offered in accordance with DRC’s Terms of Employment for Staff; Employment band Management E1 Band, Non-accompanied.

Duty station: Juba with frequent travel to the field locations

Availability: 1st October 2023

Reporting Line: Country Director

Providing equal opportunities: We are committed to creating an inclusive and positive work environment based on mutual respect for all employees. All applicants are considered for employment without attention to race, age, ability, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, or any other factor. At DRC we celebrate diversity and appreciate our employees for the people they are and their unique skills, backgrounds, and perspectives. We encourage all interested candidates to apply.

Promoting high standards: 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.