Program Manager – Youth Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Support (YES)

JOB TITLE: Program Manager – Youth Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Support (YES)

DUTY STATION: Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh

REPORT TO: Program Director

Duration: 12 months (renewable)

ABOUT RI:

Relief International is a leading nonprofit organization working in 16 countries to relieve poverty, ensure well-being and advance dignity. We specialize in fragile settings, responding to natural disasters, humanitarian crises and chronic poverty. Relief International combines humanitarian and development approaches to provide immediate services while laying the groundwork for long-term impact. Our signature approach — which we call the RI Way—emphasizes local participation, an integration of services, strategic partnerships, and a focus on civic skills. In this way, we empower communities to find, design and implement the solutions that work best for them.

RI has been working in Bangladesh since 2004. Relief International’s Bangladesh country portfolio which has a large focus on Disaster Risk Reduction, social cohesion, economic opportunity, youth skill development and life saving emergency response including health and protection programs for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Program Manager – Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Support (YES) will have overall responsibility for the management, strategic planning, implementation, financial management, and reporting aspects of RI’s anticipated 3 year-long USAID program in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. The program’s objective is to reduce the risk of conflict by creating sustainable, market oriented resilient livelihood opportunities for host communities and promoting social cohesion in Cox’s Bazar. This program will be implemented as part of USAID’s New Partnership Initiative (NPI): Conflict-Prevention and Recovery Program (CPRP), with the aim of building capacity of local entity sub-awardees and moving them towards directs awards with USAID.

This position will oversee a consortium of local partners tasked with the direct implementation of youth skill development and social cohesion initiatives, and building capacity of local authorities and CSOs. S/he will be expected to establish and maintain systems for oversight and implementation of planned activities, contribute to reporting on technical activities and financial management. In addition, the Program Director will design and execute tailored capacity strengthening interventions for the consortium’s local partners, with the aim of transitioning them to direct award with USAID.

Specific responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

Ensure rapid roll-out and supervision of activities. This includes leadership, direction and guidance to sub grantees, subcontractors and consultants.
Oversee hiring, management and development of staff to ensure a diverse, skilled and productive workforce and promote an organizational culture where RI’s values are practiced.
Effectively work with other consortium members to assure a coordinated and timely execution of work plans and head the Project Steering Committee that will meet regularly to discuss project progress.
Oversee planning, quality assurance and supervision of program monitoring, evaluating, and reporting;
Provide oversight of delivery, management, and monitoring of sub grants.
Provides oversight of financial management and procurement.
Coordinate with appropriate stakeholders in all aspects of project planning, monitoring, and implementation
Ensure compliance with and implementation of all donor-related, RI, and project specific policies.
Negotiate RI’s annual budgets and revisions to the scope of work as required
Liaise and consult with USAID, acting as the main representative and principal interlocutor.
Manage partnerships with international organizations, construction firms, local contractors, local authorities and ministries, and civil society organizations.
Fulfill all USAID and RI reporting requirements.
Supervise and provide support to local and international consultants and staff hired to assist and work on the program.
Establish, improve, and maintain accurate administrative, financial, and sub grantee monitoring systems in collaboration with the Finance Manager;
Supervise the implementation of project technical activities by consortium members, ensuring that all activities are adequately implemented in a timely fashion and that they adequately address youth skill development and social cohesion needs;
Provide technical leadership across capacity building work of partners and technical leads for livelihoods and social cohesion aspects of the project.
Monitor project training and on-site capacity building activities, ensuring the development of local institutional and personal capacities fostering country ownership and sustainability of interventions;
Serve as a liaison with RI’s Cox’s Bazar and Country office to ensure that logistics, contracts, letters of agreement, and any approvals are adequately in place in support of program activities. Also, ensure adherence to RI office management and accounting procedures.
Conduct budget monitoring and cost control based on sound financial and accounting principles, RI Standard Operating Procedures, and project requirements.
Develop systems, system and procedures for capacity building of local partners to understand USAID’s rules and regulations to prepare them to apply for and manage direct awards.
Ensure technical, financial, contractual and political integrity are maintained to safeguard RI reputation in Bangladesh
Ensure effective collaboration, coordination and internal partnerships with other RI projects, and departments to build synergies across programs for maximum impact.
Serve as liaison to external agencies, donor organizations, stakeholders, private sector actors, etc. as requested by Country Management Team;
Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Successful candidates will have strong management skills, significant project management experience and leadership experience. Experience managing and building the capacity of local implementing partners is highly desired.

Education: Bachelor’s and Master’s level degree required in international development, political science, conflict studies, development studies, or a relevant social science and humanities discipline.

Relevant Experience and Skills:

10 years of professional experience in a skill development, local partner capacity building preferably under USAID programs or UN programs. Experience working on similarly complex programs which seek to build the capacity of local actors in multiple technical areas and management capacity required.
Work on programs involving social cohesion, youth skill development, TVET in Bangladesh or other developing countries highly desirable;
At least 3 years of experience in a senior-management position for a USAID-funded project.
Demonstrated experience with similarly complex projects in South Asian countries, Bangladesh experience highly prioritized, involving coordination with multiple programs, and partner institutions.
Demonstrated experience with the current up-to-date ideas about effective social cohesion and Do No Harm practices and applications in programs managed or influenced.
Experience supervising and mentoring direct-reports.
Commitment to local capacity building and the ability to engage local stakeholders in project design and implementation.
Strong coordination, project planning, and communication skills.
Demonstrated experience and knowledge in establishing systems and overseeing program start-up under limited time constraints as well as program close-out.
Demonstrated problem-solving and consensus-building skills and ability to promote coordination among diverse interests and institutions.
Good understanding of procurement processes, procedures and grants management.
Demonstrated effective interpersonal skills, problem solving, conflict and ethical management skills;
Fluency in English is required;
Excellent written and oral communication skills;