Sector: Program Administration

Employment Category: Fixed Term

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: Yes

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Job Description

Call for project staff: leadership and expert roles – Adolescent Girls’ Education and Empowerment (AGEE) Programme in Sub-Saharan Africa

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is looking for strategic leaders, technical specialists and project managers to work on the FCDO funded Adolescent Girls’ Education & Empowerment (AGEE) Programme in Sub-Saharan Africa.

AGEE will be a strategic, multi-country, 5 year, £300 million programme, with a start date in mid-2021. These dates are tentative and could be delayed due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. The overall aim of the programme is to empower marginalised adolescent girls in fragile contexts with quality education and relevant skills for productive livelihoods which would enable them to make choices over the decisions that affect their lives.

This is a multi-country programme that is expected to operate in the following countries in Sub-Saharan Africa: Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda. It will consist of both a global leadership structure and country-specific programme teams. This call is for roles in the global leadership structure.

The IRC is seeking candidates to fill the following roles in the global programme leadership:

• Programme Director and Deputy Programme Director

• Finance and Operations Director

• Grants and Compliance Manager

• Partnerships Manager

• Technical Director

• Education, Girls’ Protection and Empowerment, Systems and policy change, Livelihoods and Safeguarding Lead/s

• Research, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Lead/s

These are senior positions which require outstanding leadership, strategic thinking, and organisational, team-building and representational skills. They will be responsible for the management and oversight of the program across all focus countries. They are envisaged to be full-time and will be based in London, UK or in the programme’s regional hub, possibly in Nairobi, Kenya. Travel to the target countries may be required subject to COVID-19 situation.

We encourage open applications for roles on the programme from qualified candidates.

Background and objective of the AGEE programme:

The programme will cover 3 broad components through both service delivery and technical assistance, determined by each country situation:

1) Addressing barriers to girls’ education, including social norms; the programme will break down barriers that affect access, retention and completion. This includes tackling the direct and indirect costs of education.

2) Quality education; the programme will enable girls to learn effectively, with a strong focus on numeracy and literacy, including reform of the education system. We will focus on getting the basics right by improving learning outcomes, particularly in numeracy and literacy, through a focus on education system reform.

3) Support girls to build the relevant skills for productive and fulfilling work to ensure they are well-equipped when they are of age. This means early interventions to build strong foundations they will be able to translate into success in the workplace.

Responsibilities for programme leadership and project management roles (Project Director, and Deputy, Finance and Operations Director, Grants and Compliance Manager, Partnerships Manager) include:

• Overseeing, supporting and mentoring country teams working in fragile settings

• Driving the achievement of the project’s stated goals in country level programming

• Oversight or day-to-day management of project activities, project finances, operations, staffing, grants management and compliance, work planning, reporting and overall technical and operational delivery

• Facilitating global, regional and country-level partnerships, and driving programme strategies to place local partners at the centre of project design and delivery, promoting capacity strengthening and knowledge sharing.

• Representation of the project with host country counterparts and other actors in the project-supported countries.

Responsibilities for technical leadership and expert roles (Technical Director and Thematic Leads) include:

• Overseeing, supporting and mentoring Technical Leads for Education, Girls’ Protection and Empowerment, Livelihoods, etc., across the programme to achieve stated goals at country level programming.

• Lead the development and implementation of the programme’s overall approach and each of its components and thematic areas in coordination with partners and advisors to drive towards the programme’s objectives.

• Drive the delivery of programme strategy for the thematic areas of responsibility across countries, providing direct advisory support to programme countries, and coordinating global and local technical experts’ inputs.

• Lead or support the development of research, monitoring, evaluation, and learning plans, and ensure linkages between evidence generation at all levels, local and global dialogue, and country actions while supporting global improvements.

• The Technical Director will bring exceptional experience, expertise and commitment to girls’ education and empowerment in sub-Saharan Africa.

Qualifications

• A strong track record of leading the management or technical delivery of large and/or complex donor funded programmes and managing a diverse team of professionals and consortium partners.

• Extensive experience working in Sub-Sahara Africa and/or the Sahel is essential.

• Exceptional experience, expertise and commitment to girls’ education and empowerment in sub-Saharan Africa.

• Strong skills in programme design and development, advocacy and networking with international and national institutions and development agencies which promote girls’ education and empowerment.

• Broad and specific technical knowledge (according to role) of gender programming including women and girls’ economic empowerment, gender and poverty-related barriers, gender-based violence, education and livelihoods will be essential.

• Ability to perform at a senior management level including managing staff in a matrixed system with a focus on adaptive management.

• Experience with multi-country programmes and delivery at scale will be an advantage.

• Experience and ability to provide leadership and direction in harnessing the multi-disciplinary skills of the technical personnel and consortium partners.

• Familiarity with current global and regional debates about girls’ education and empowerment including FCDO’s thinking and emerging priorities.

• Prior experience in managing or delivering large FCDO programmes (preferably commercial contracts) will be a strong asset.

• Fluency in English required.

• Qualified candidates from the focus countries listed for this opportunity are preferred

Application requirements

• To apply please submit your CV and a cover letter specifying the position you are applying for and how your skills and experience make you a suitable candidate for the role.

Please note that the scope of work is high level and indicative only at this stage and may be subject to change once the Terms of Reference for the programme is released and as the opportunity develops. This position will be contingent on the programme being awarded to IRC.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

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