IPPF Africa Regional Office seeks to recruit a Programme Manager: Feminist Opportunities Now (FON)

1. JOB PURPOSE

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a global sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service provider and one of the leading advocates for universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all. IPPF is a worldwide movement of national organizations, referred to as Member Associations, working with and for communities and individuals. The IPPF Secretariat comprises of a London Office and six Regional Offices. The IPPF Africa Regional Office (IPPFARO) is one of the leading providers of quality SRH services in Sub-Saharan Africa and a leading SRHR advocacy voice across the continent.

Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the overarching goal of IPPFARO is to increase access to SRHR services to the most vulnerable youth, men, and women in sub-Saharan Africa. To reach this goal, IPPFAR works with local civil-society organizations, governments, the African Union (AU), regional economic commissions (RECs), the Pan-African Parliament, the United Nations, among others, to expand political and financial commitments to SRHR in Africa. IPPF ARO tackles the continent’s growing SRH challenges through a network of Member Associations (MAs), strategic partners and volunteers in 40 countries. For more information, please read our 2021 profile (in English and French) here.

IPPFARO, in consortium with Médecins du Monde (headquartered in Paris, France), CREA (headquartered in New Delhi, India), the International Federation on Human Rights (headquartered in Paris, France), and Empow’Her (headquartered in Paris, France) will be leading the delivery of a new project entitled Feminist Opportunities Now (FON), to build the capacity of women’s movements, via sub-grants to feminist organizations, with a particular effort to reaching small, often non-registered, feminist organizations to address and respond to gender-based violence. The project is developed based on an ecological model, using a multi-disciplinary gender-transformative approaches and in addition to direct sub-granting, will also provide longer-term mentorship and support to support feminist organizations in their overall development, with trainings specifically tailored to their needs. FON will also uniquely support these organizations to identify other sources of funding; the project also includes a research-action component that will help understand how these approaches can be scaled-up and made sustainable as well as knowledge sharing and communication components.

To implement this project, IPPFAR wants to put in place a talented, dynamic and diverse team with broad experience in implementing gender-transformative / SRHR programmes, strong financial management skills, proven contract management experience and the ability to deliver on donor requirements. To this effect, the IPPFAR is looking for a Programme Manager who will be responsible for leading and delivering this project.

This role is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate excellent programme management and coordination skills and experience, particularly with regards to ensuring programme quality, financial management, risk management, and donor compliance. The appropriate candidate will also bring excellent interpersonal and communication skills and be willing to travel internationally – up to 45 days per year. Fluent English and French (verbal and written) are a requirement for this post.

2. KEY TASKS

The Programme Manager will be responsible for the following key tasks:
1. Programme management, budget management, partnership management, and in summary, the overall implementation of the programme to ensure the achievement of the programme goals, objectives and to ensure the overall impact/outcomes are achieved, in line with the project objectives, and are perfectly aligned and in absolute compliance with the donor requirements.
2. To ensure effective and efficient management of the overall programme, in line with global best practice and standards, which includes developing appropriate technical, operational, and financial guides/policies, documents and workplans and budget formats which will allow for efficient tracking of project progress through monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
3. To establish and maintain systems for managing project operations:
• Develop a detailed implementation plan (DIP), annual and monthly project action plans and ensure the project is delivered according to the plan, donor requirements and P&IQP project cycle and annual cycle;
• Prepare detailed project budget and continuous monitoring of expenditures throughout the project period;
• Strategically identify risks and risk mitigation actions to ensure successful project implementation;
• Monitor the progress of the project, actual vs. planned (objectives, activities and expenditures), through analyzing relevant data systematically collected over the lifetime of the project.
4. To provide oversight, coaching, technical support and leadership to regional project management staff, ensuring they are guided, supported and apply appropriate project implementation strategies and approaches to achieve project outcomes as indicated in the project documents.
5. To set-up a strong and efficient grants management structure in line with donor contract and responsible for implementation of the funding cycles including adequate oversight of implementing organizations taking a risk management and compliance approach to grant management implementation.
6. To coordinate with Programmes team, technical lead, advocacy, and resource mobilization team to ensure effective collaboration in project operations and reporting.
7. To maintain effective and constructive relationships with consortium partners, key stakeholders, and the donors both in country and at the headquarters in Paris. This will include timely response to donor queries, maintaining impactful relations with the donor headquartered/Paris and in-country with the French Embassies/AFD and coordinate their field visits.
8. To align the project implementation with IPPFAR’s principles of safeguarding of children and young people and gender trans-formative approach.

3. COMPETENCIES

• LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and
commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.

• TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

• PLANNING & ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

• JUDGEMENT/DECISION-MAKING: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

• COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

4. REQUIREMENTS

• EDUCATION: A master’s degree in public health, financial management, social sciences, public policy, communications and/or other related fields.

• WORK EXPERIENCE: At least 10 years of relevant professional experience, with at least 5 years of solid experience in multi-country/regional programme management. A strong track-record in SRHR programming is an advantage.

• LANGUAGES: English and French are the working languages of the IPPFARO. For this post fluency in English and French (both oral and written) is required.

• SKILLS: Excellent interpersonal skills – articulate and diplomatic. Ability to interact with diverse groups; Excellent written communication skills; Strong analytical skills and the ability to summarize and simplify complex information; Strong influencing skills; Sound research skills; Good understanding of development issues and fundraising; Excellent project management, time management and organizational skills to meet multiple deadlines; Good IT skills – Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint; Flexible – team player.

• OTHER REQUIREMENTS: Awareness of and sensitivity to the multi-cultural environment in which IPPFAR operates; Sensitivity to and understanding of SRHR issues; Willing to work outside standard office hours as required; Willing to travel internationally – about 45 days a year.

5. ASSESSMENT

Evaluation of qualified candidates will include a competency-based interview which may be followed by a desk
review and/or a written assessment exercise.

6. SUBMISSION

Interested individuals should submit an application form in the IPPFARO CV form (attached) and a 1-page cover letter to: hroffice@ippf.org with the job position you are applying for as the subject of the email. Please note that we will not consider applications that are not done in the requested format.

Deadline for application: 31 May 2022.

IPPF is an equal opportunity employer.

“Applications are particularly encouraged from women, persons living with disability, and candidates openly living with HIV.”

All details at; https://africa.ippf.org/about-us/jobs-and-opportunities/job/programme-manager-feminist-opportunities-now-0