Job Title: Programme Director, Amref

BACKGROUND

Y-ACT, Youth in Action is a multi-country youth-led initiative established in 2017 at Amref Health Africa. With current presence in over 21 countries in Africa, Y-ACT mentors, supports, and increases the capacity of youth advocates and youth-led organizations to influence youth health policy and resource priorities. Y-ACT believes that Africa’s youth have a huge opportunity to shift policy landscapes to address challenges that the youth face and subsequently achieve their full potential. Y-ACT’s network comprises youth-led organizations in 21 countries. Since inception Y-ACT has been funded at a total of US $11.5M from various partners, contributing to movement building, youth advocacy and capacity strengthening of youth-led organizations in the region.

JOB PURPOSE

The Programme Director will provide overall strategic leadership and coordination of Y-ACT’s advocacy and capacity strengthening programmes in Africa, manage relations with partners and donors, manage an average annual budget of US $2M, and an average team of 15 staff, and 2 senior staff. The Programme Director will work with a Regional Youth Steering Committee and will oversee and ensure the management and accountability of technical staff and consultants as needed.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Overall Programme Leadership

  • Provide leadership and oversight for Y-ACT’s initiatives, while upholding its values of a youth-led, youth-driven approach to its operations.
  • Represent Y-ACT as needed by participating in technical advisory groups, steering committees, conferences, and other forums.
  • Lead and oversee the role of a Youth Steering Committee (external young experts in youth advocacy) actively engaging and consulting the members and other youth in project-related planning, priorities, and activities.
  • Provide strategic guidance and strong leadership and ensure technically sound decision-making processes in coordination with the regional programme leads and technical leads

Youth Advocacy Leadership

  • Provide leadership and expertise on youth policy advocacy, social accountability and empowerment in Africa.
  • Drive the identification and pursuit of opportunities to apply existing and high-impact approaches to enhance the region’s youth advocacy and policy influence.
  • Provide leadership to the implementation of meaningful youth engagement in Y-ACT’s work, while ensuring that youth across Y-ACT’s network are meaningfully engaged in the design, implementation and monitoring of Y-ACT’s products and initiatives.

Financial Management

  • Monitor and review the annual budget and operational plans to support the program.
  • Take full responsibility for the delegated budget and financial decision-making, ensuring integrity, and efficiency, and effective utilization of Y-ACT’s resources.
  • Ensure compliance with donor and institutional reporting, tracking, monitoring and documentation.
  • Liaise with the Director of Finance – Amref USA and the Senior Programme Accountant – ICD, to ensure adherence to the budget and financial commitments for efficient and effective implementation

Team Leadership

  • Lead a team of 20 staff and consultants, and motivate the team for high-performance.
  • Provide overall technical assistance, mentorship and support to team members in all aspects of the programme.
  • Overall accountability of Y-ACT staff and consultants in implementation of Y-ACT’s initiatives

Networking, Partnerships and Relationship Building

  • Establish, maintain, and strengthen partnerships with stakeholders in Africa and across the globe on empowerment of the youth, and to effectively grow Y-ACT’s portfolio.
  • Represent Y-ACT’s interests at national, regional and global convening and stakeholder engagement forums
  • Serve as the main point of contact with all partners and donors and maintain regular communication.

Coordination of Periodic Planning and Reporting Processes to the Donor

  • Lead the coordination, input, review and submission of donor reports.
  • Provide leadership to the implementation of tracking systems for programme and institutional management and oversight

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Professional Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, International Development, Social Studies, Public Policy or another relevant field. Master’s degree is an added advantage.
  • Strong and passionate commitment to and knowledge of youth and adolescents’ policy and programmatic priorities in Africa.
  • Results-based programme management for (I)NGOs and donor-funded initiatives of similar scope.
  • Team leadership and management of teams for high-performance.

Experience

  • At least six (6) years’ experience, including three (3) years of leadership experience in results-based a programming for donor-funded programmes of similar scope.
  • Experience implementing/leading successful youth and adolescents’ advocacy initiatives in the region (Africa).
  • Experience in senior management/leadership roles will be an added advantage.

Competences and Skills

  • Passionate about youth in all their diversity.
  • Ability to exercise high integrity, tact and discretion when dealing with diverse processes and partners.
  • Proven experience effectively leading and mentoring teams for high performance.
  • Demonstrated experience fostering and strengthening relationships and partnerships with targeted stakeholders.
  • Practical decision-making skills in relation to systems and/or processes, particularly within a changing environment.
  • Strong analytical, planning, organizational and problem-solving capability.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication, negotiation and networking skills.
  • Ability to prioritize and multi-task.
  • Ability to work and report to multiple partners
  • Ability to work under minimal supervision

How to Apply

Interested? Please visit our website https://amref.org/job/programme-director/ to make your application. You will be directed to our online portal where you will need to create an account in order for you to be able to submit your application. Your application should include a cover letter detailing why you are the best fit for this position and your CV with relevant skills and experience. Closing date will be November 18, 2022. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Duly note that Amref Health Africa does not require applicants to pay any money at whatever stage of the recruitment and selection process and have not retained any agent in connection with recruitment. Although Amref may use different job boards from time to time to further spread its reach for applicants, all open vacancies are published on our website under the Vacancies page and on our official social media pages. Kindly also note that official emails from Amref Health Africa will arrive from an @amref.org address.

Amref Health Africa is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. Amref Health Africa is an equal opportunity employer and has a non-smoking environment policy.

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