Senior Programme Officer – Networks At Graça Machel Trust

Graça Machel Trust – Overview

Founded in 2010 the Graça Machel Trust is a nonprofit that serves the women and children of Africa. We aim to amplify women’s movements, influence governance, and promote women’s contributions and leadership in the economic, social, and political development of Africa, and advocate for the protection of children’s rights. Building on the legacy and passion of our Founder, Graça Machel, the Trust tackles structural barriers to change how public and private institutions address women’s and children’s rights.

Drawing from our founding principles and overarching mandate, we aim to harness the power of collective action through networks to drive inclusive social and economic transformation. We have supported the growth of a critical mass of women leaders with a voice and agency, who drive transformation in the social, political, and economic spheres in sectors critical for Africa’s growth. To date we have supported the establishment of 4 women’s networks across 17 African countries and sectors. Namely, Women in Media; African Women in Agri-Business; Network of African Businesswomen; Women in Finance Network- New Faces New Voices.

These networks work closely with the Expert Leaders Group (ELG), a group of African women leaders convened in 2021 by Mrs. Machel who hold or have held leadership positions within Central/Reserve Banks in Africa. Together, the networks and ELG are influencing the agenda for women, including around financial inclusion

Purpose Of Role

The Senior Programme Officer – Networks is an integral member of the organization. They drive programme management and provide stakeholder management support across the complete program cycle with an emphasis on activities relating to the Trust’s women’s networks and Expert Leaders Group (ELG). They are also a focal coordination point for these important stakeholders.

Duties and responsibilities

Program Management, Development, Start Up and Close

• Under the leadership of the Advocacy Manager, drive the following:
• Programme start up activities, including inter-departmental inception planning; co creation with network members; sensitization, process, and systems capacity building of network members to enable ease of programming.
• Monitoring and program close out activities, including coordinating learning and reflection sessions with MERL.
• Act as lead Programme Officer in the establishment of new networks, including on processes of conceptualization, anchor member outreach, effective institutional positioning etc.
• Provide technical, budgetary, and other inputs into program development and proposal development processes related to network strengthening and building and facilitate inputs from network members.
• Lead the development and monitoring of annual plans and budgeting for network impact programs/initiatives.

Program Implementation and Compliance

• Lead on work plan implementation to coordinate the implementation of activities on time, and on budget.
• Support the Advocacy Manager with expenditure monitoring on a real time basis to ensure effective reconciliation with finance team members.
• Support the Advocacy Manager in delivering capacity strengthening initiatives for network members.
• Effectively lead on program/activity trouble shooting on a day-to-day basis.
• Ensure 100% donor compliance by: sensitizing departments on the donors’ compliance requirements and monitoring this; drafting timely, quality, and analytical narrative reports in advance of donor report deadlines.
• Draft complex documents, including training materials, success stories, periodic program reports and evaluations and compile information for quarterly narrative reports on project activities.
• Act as a critical day-to-day linkage between relevant programs and the MERL Department to ensure effective project monitoring and evaluation is achieved and analyze results to inform project implementation.
• Maintain up-to-date project monitoring and evaluation records and databases and ensure information is accessible and shared with MERL and Communications colleagues on a regular basis.
• Participate in stakeholder meetings, deputizing the Advocacy Manager as needed.
• Conduct desk-based research on a variety of issues to add to the technical robustness of program approaches and strategies.

Partnership Management

• Actively engage network partners in helping them meet deadlines, produce high quality deliverables, and identify resources in accordance with an approved work plan.
• Review network grantee reports and documentation for compliance with programmatic requirements of all grant agreements.
• With the support of the departmental Program Officer/s and Coordinator:
• Provide oversight for planning convenings and meetings that relate to the work of the Trust’s women’s networks and ELG.
• Develop and maintain an up-to-date contacts database for networks and establish and manage an effective filing system.
• Frequently engage with network members, remaining up to date on their activities, to amplify their successes through the Trust’s platforms, and escalate matters for trouble shooting.
• Support the Advocacy Manager by providing day-to-day management support for external experts and consultants.
• Manage interns, and volunteers.

Stretch/Growth Responsibilities

• Represent the organization at important fora and platforms.
• Harness opportunities for networking to deepen the impact of the Trust’s work across networks and programs.
• Identify opportunities for synergies across programs and streams and propose recommendations to senior management.
• Contribute to the organizations thought leadership agenda by authoring/co-authoring thought pieces that elevate the organization’s work and impact.

The Graça Machel Trust is a dynamic and rapidly growing entity. The Senior Programme Officer will be expected to adapt quickly to the needs of the organization and could have a range of other duties as assigned.

Qualifications – Education

• A minimum of a bachelor’s degree.
• An advanced degree would be desirable
• Project management qualification desirable, but not required.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience gained in complex program management and/stakeholder management.
• Exposure to the women’s economic development/gender sector.
• Strong understanding of network impact.
• Extensive experience across the complete program management cycle – program development, start up, implementation, course correction, reporting, budget monitoring, closeout.
• Proven organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail, including the ability to prioritize.
• Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office software applications, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and PowerPoint