Senior Programme Officer at mothers2mothers

Job description

The Senior Programme Officer (SPO) is a member of the Department of International Operations, with primary responsibility for supporting the management of country programmes and projects, working closely with all functional units of the organisation, including Finance, HR, Grants & Compliance, Programmes and Technical Support, and Business Development. The position reports to the Senior Programme Manager and is based at m2m Head Office, with occasional travel.

Key Performance Areas:

• Programme Support
• Provide programme management support to country programmes, under the direction of the Senior Programme Manager.
• Support development of project and country workplans and budgets.
• Assist in managing project and/or country start-up and close-out.
• Contribute to the development of operational systems, processes, and procedures to support country programmes, including project start-up and close-out. Provide training and support to countries on implementation.
• Assist in monitoring award compliance in coordination with relevant head office departments.
• Liaise with head office departments to facilitate successful implementation of country programmes.
• Manage external consultants.
• Design, implement, and coordinate programme activities as assigned.
• Foster communication and coordination among head office departments supporting country programmes, and facilitate shared learning.
• Backstop country programs and communicate with donors, in the absence of the Senior Programme Manager.
• Reporting and Communications
• Coordinate country inputs, write donor reports for cross-cutting projects. Support the development of other project reports.
• Develop reports, presentations, and other communication materials for projects, country programmes, and International Operations.
• Facilitate communication and respond to information requests from internal and external stakeholders.
• Write and/or contribute to the development of concept notes and proposals.
• Document project successes, challenges, and lessons learned.
• With the Senior Programme Manager, develop spaces/platforms to facilitate information sharing among countries.
• Administrative Support and Coordination
• Track and coordinate head office travel to countries. Track project-specific travel, ensuring alignment with project workplan and budget and compliance with donor requirements.
• Manage and respond to head office requests of countries, as needed.
• Lead the coordination and management of site visits for donors, funders and other stakeholders.
• Support Operations Department-led initiatives, including the annual meeting, country director meetings, operational planning, etc.
• Represent m2m with external stakeholders, where necessary.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Senior Programme Manager or COO.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in public health, social sciences, or related field
• 3-5 years of experience working on international development projects and with non-governmental organisations
• Demonstrated experience developing donor/project reports, workplans, and proposals
• Experience coordinating cross-organisational processes
• Familiarity with USAID, CDC, DFID, UNICEF, foundation, and other government and private donor funding instruments and regulations
• Familiarity with financial and human resources management
• Experience working in sub-Saharan Africa and with multi-cultural teams

Competencies required

• Understanding of project cycle development and implementation
• Ability to work independently, think analytically, and to solve problems
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple responsibilities under pressure
• Ability to manage cross-cutting projects with diverse project teams
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Experience with new project start-up at country level
• Experience of working on, and understanding of HIV/AIDS and community settings
• Excellent writing skills including analytical reports and proposals;
• Computer literacy (including MS Office Suite)
• Fluent Portuguese spoken and written would be highly advantageous