Local Impact Regional Program Manager At Aga Khan Foundation

Local Impact Regional Program Manager

Location: Dushanbe (Preferred) or Bishkek

Reports to: Global Lead, Local Impact & Strategic Partnerships

ABOUT AGA KHAN FOUNDATION (AKF) USA

Established in 1981, AKF USA is a private, non-denominational, non-profit international development organization committed to breaking the cycle of poverty across Africa and Asia. As a member of the Aga Khan Development Network (www.akdn.org), one of the world’s largest development organizations, AKF works to empower communities and individuals, often in disadvantaged circumstances, to improve their quality of life, especially in Africa and Asia.

Position summary

AKF USA is seeking to hire a Regional Program Manager to manage the implementation of the Leader Award under the Local Impact Leader with Associate (LWA) award, jointly funded by USAID and AKF. With an eye toward conflict prevention and resolution, Local Impact is a global award which targets marginalized and vulnerable communities to achieve four strategic objectives: (1) Catalyze inclusive economic growth and ensure basic livelihoods; (2) Enhance infrastructure and access to basic services with a focus on clean energy; (3) Enhance the capacity of citizens and local institutions; and (4) Promote pluralism and social cohesion.

The Regional Program Manager is responsible for operationally managing the Leader Award activities under all four strategic objectives in Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Afghanistan, and serving as the main point of contact for USAID in the region. S/he will work closely with country-level technical and management staff to provide technical, administrative and programmatic oversight to field programs and field partners. This includes leading the work planning and reporting processes, providing day-to-day oversight of project implementation, providing regular updates on progress and results to USAID, monitoring results, documenting achievements, and identifying opportunities for knowledge sharing and learning.

The Regional Program Manager will be based in Bishkek or Dushanbe. The position will span the Kyrgyz Republic, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan and traveling often will be required when it is safe and permissible.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Management

• Provide day-to-day operational oversight over the implementation of the Leader Award Activities under all four Strategic Objectives in the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, in close collaboration with the Local Impact Country Managers.
• Oversee the delivery of high quality activities, aligned with approved work plans and responsive to contextual realities.
• Manage Regional Partners including the University of Central Asia and Pamir Energy/Badakhshan Energy.
• Manage the overall Gender component of the project, working closely with the local gender leads
• Provide direct line management to a regional team comprising HCD staff and consultants and regional project support staff.

Project Coordination

• Serve as USAID’s main contact point in the region.
• Coordinate and consolidate necessary program planning, including annual work planning.
• Coordinate and consolidate project reporting, including annual and semi-annual reports as well as other reports that may be required from time-to-time.
• Coordinate closely with finance team members on budgeting and financial reporting.
• Support internal and partner compliance audits.
• Engage with key project partners to ensure they are fully contributing to project deliverables and outcomes.
• Coordinate the review process for HCD pilots and support teams in carrying out piloting processes.
• Work closely with country offices to support travel, logistics and procurement, as needed.

Communications

• Contribute to other project documents such as reports, communications materials, and presentations.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Spoken and written fluency in English is essential, and knowledge of Russian, Tajik, Kyrgyz or Dari is an asset.
• Degree in international development, or related field.
• A minimum of ten years of experience managing and implementing international development projects.
• Experience with US Government-funded programs, preferably USAID, or in an organization focused on international development.
• Experience managing compliance on a USAID-funded project.
• Experience working in Central Asia.
• Flexible and able to handle multiple tasks and work collaboratively with others.
• Able to work independently in a fast-paced organization by prioritizing and managing multiple priorities. Strong attention to detail and follow-through required.
• Ability to travel internationally 40-50% of the time.
• Fluency in the human-centered design process, from qualitative research and synthesis to ideation, prototyping, and implementation is ideal, but not required.

Values and Attitudes

• Diversity and Inclusion: Treats all people with dignity and respect; sensitive towards others; open and understanding toward other people’s cultures, values, autonomy, and faiths; demonstrates compassion and empathy; is courteous to others with respect for their background, religion, gender and age.
• Integrity and Commitment: Demonstrates equity, transparency and integrity with high personal and organizational ethical standards; is fair, honest and trustworthy with respect for confidentiality; inspires and builds trust; values and advances community-level agency in decision-making for projects.
• Ethics and Safeguarding: Committed to acting ethically and upholding safeguarding standards towards all staff, volunteers and beneficiaries of the organization.

AKF-USA is committed to advancing gender equality and inclusion through our programming and operations in the USA and overseas. AKF-USA requires all employees to review and abide by the AKF Gender Equality Policy.

AKF-USA recognizes the importance of safeguarding and is committed to ensuring it manages a wide range of risks such that beneficiaries, staff, other associates, and the organization as a whole are kept safe from harm. AKF-USA requires all employees to review and abide by the AKF Safeguarding Policy.