Programme Manager - Early Childhood Development at RCL Foods

Job Description    

• The vision of the DO MORE FOUNDATION is to inspire more people and organisations to #DOMORE for the young children of South Africa (SA) and facilitate meaningful collaborative partnerships by placing young children at the centre of the work it does - currently reaching over 35,000 children through supporting nutrition, early learning, child protection, maternal and child health programs.
• The DO MORE FOUNDATION already has community programmes in Nkomazi, Hammarsdale, Worcester and Pongola – however, it will be expanding into new communities in Mpumulanga, Gauteng, North West and Eastern Cape. Implementation of projects is based on the Foundation’s collaborative, holistic, and integrated approach to early childhood development. The incumbent will be directly responsible for managing the implementation and management of these projects. S/he will be responsible for, amongst other things, overall project planning and implementation, managing programme quality, financial and narrative reporting, liaising with relevant stakeholders, and community mobilisation.
• Using the National Integrated Early Childhood Development [ECD] Policy as its framework, the DO MORE FOUNDATION aims to increase access and improve quality of an essential basket of services for young children through facilitating public/private partnerships to improve young children’s well-being and opportunities to achieve their potential.

Minimum Requirements    

• Have completed a post graduate Tertiary Qualification (Honours, Masters or PhD).
• Majored in Social Sciences / Development Studies / Early Childhood Development or Education with at least 5 - 8 years' working experience in the Development Sector.
• Knowledge of the ECD sector - Government and non-governmental.
• High level of competency in computer literacy in MS Office.
• Excellent command of English (written and spoken), ambition to learn and grow in the ECD sector.
• In order to effectively execute the duties attached to the position, applicants should be mature, adaptable, able to thrive under pressure, self-driven, able to use their own initiative and supplemented with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Good communication, people skills (non-judgmental and positive attitude) with the ability to improvise and find solutions to problems/challenges. 
• Strong planning and organisational skills, including time management and the ability to meet deadlines coupled with the ability to maintain confidentiality ,is a prerequisite.
• Valid driving license and daily driving experience
• Become part of an innovative, passionate, self-driven team, prepared to do what it takes to improve the well-being of young children and families in communities
• To be considered for appointment, the candidate must be a South African citizen.

Duties & Responsibilities    
Job Purpose:

• Currently the DO MORE FOUNDATION is involved in comprehensive, integrated early childhood initiatives in Nkomazi, Mpumalanga; uPhongola, KwaZulu-Natal and Worcester, Western Cape – all targeting communities surrounding anchor businesses. With increasing support, expansion is planned to extend to targeted communities in North West, Mpumulanga, Gauteng and Eastern Cape, but these could increase as more businesses and communities come on board.
• The Programme Manager will be responsible, in targeted communities, for galvanising and mobilising key stakeholders (including communities) to action; planning, coordinating, and managing activities; monitoring quality; data collection and analysis; narrative and financial reporting; communications; and being part of ensuring achievement of the overall goals and strategy of the DO MORE FOUNDATION Young Child team.
• DO MORE FOUNDATION is seeking a dynamic, self-motivated Programme Manager with impressive project management skills who is passionate about improving opportunities for the development of young children, families, and communities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership for a collaborative partnership of stakeholders involved in facilitating young child programs in various communities and provinces to enable the achievement of project goals
• Development of annual integrated work plans
• Overall planning and implementation
• Initiate and maintain strong relationships with government (all levels), business, community, non-government organisations, and  other stakeholders
• Develop and mentor team members to ensure project quality
• Represent DMF in external meetings
• Ensure that narrative progress reports are prepared for submission to partners
• Manage project budgets in line with partner conditions and project plans
• Oversee data collection efforts in collaboration with M&E and research team
• Input into the development and dissemination of up-to-date information and communication
• Identify and document lessons learned, sound practices, and success stories
• Conduct other related responsibilities as the Programme Lead may assign