Regional Projects Manager – Africa & Colombia

War Child International

War Child Alliance

War Child Alliance (WCA) is an independent and impartial international non-governmental organization investing in a peaceful future for children and young people affected by armed conflict. WCA has a presence in 10 countries to improve the resilience and wellbeing of children, delivering vital child protection, education and psychosocial support.

Your challenge

The purpose of the position is in spearheading WCH’s implementation of Regional Projects spanning multiple countries within the War Child Alliance Africa and Columbia Region. This position entails steering the strategic direction of these projects, ensuring adherence to project scope, budgetary constraints, and schedule. He/she will support country implementing and projects teams to put in place a strong project management office that will provide them with tools, resources and where need be training to ensure that quality programming, delivery of results is aligned to project objectives across countries, financial management, compliance, and team leadership is achieved through the life of all regional projects. She/he will lead the oversight on advancing coordination and collaboration with Africa and Columbia regional project management teams (where appropriate), country offices, consortium members, internal and external stakeholder and ensure that WC has good partner and donor relations, in furthering to ensure that all donor deliverables are achieved. The Regional Projects manager is also charged with the responsibility of growing the portfolio of projects of this nature.

Responsibilities

The Regional Projects Manager (RPM) shall:

  1. Develop and ensure effective implementation and delivery of Regional Projects
  • In collaboration with the Africa and Columbia Regional management team and in collaboration with WC Alliance country offices, other consortium partner counterparts, and relevant external stakeholders, develop and support the implementation of regional (multicounty) projects.
  • Oversee project direction and project delivery to ensure activities are in line with the project wide performance framework and work plan and meet all standard operational policies and procedures harmonising implementation process and timing across participating countries.
  • Jointly work with the Africa and Columbia Regional Programme Management team, WC Alliance country offices, other consortium partner counterparts, and relevant external stakeholders to provide strategic and technical leadership in defining country level activities across all regional/multi country projects.
  • Promotes full integration of the regional projects with other initiatives implemented in the same location in close coordination with WC Alliance country offices and teams.

Result: Technical Leadership and implementation to ensure that all Regional projects have the Care system and fidelity standards, articulated, and integrated into the project interventions.

  1. Ensure effective budget management vs plans
  • Provide oversight and support to country and regional project implementation teams with financial management, reporting, and accountability responsibilities for Regional Projects.
  • Provide oversight and support for work-planning for all WCH deliverables and workstreams for Regional Projects.
  • Undertake travel to field locations where required to consult with colleagues and stakeholders, provide training and technical support, and oversee quality assurance
  • Develop, review, and monitor, in coordination with key regional project staff and partners, annual work and performance plans to ensure long-term and short-term priorities are on track
  • In collaboration with various team members support the development of clear budget and implementation forecasts for implementation.
  • Promotes full integration of regional project with other initiatives implemented in the same location in close coordination with WC Alliance country offices and teams.

Result: support Accurate (realistic) budgeting and forecast management with regular reviews

  1. Contribute to program quality and design
  • Systematically reviews risks and challenges to quality implementation and compliance and develop clear and timely mitigation strategies including resources required.
  • Develops and implements a clear plan to strengthen programme quality and compliance in the project delivery.
  • Work with the WC Alliance team to develop and produce well-documented, accurate, and quality narrative/financial reports in line with donor reporting requirements.
  • Creates an efficient knowledge management system/approach that helps learning, sharing, scaling up, and innovation.
  • Support project managers and country project office teams to ensure senior management staff within War Child Alliance Africa and Columbia Regional office, Country and Global Level receive accurate information when needed to facilitate decision making processes and scaling strategy
  • Participate in where need be in other Regional Projects technical Working Groups and fora where relevant
  • Support the Regional Technical and Quality Advisor and Country office Project Development Advisors in the design and development of evidence-based interventions

Result: War Child can implement and continuously improve quality regional programme interventions, including within research trials

  1. Fundraising and representation
  • Leveraging on existing Regional/Multicounty grants provide leadership in expanding the regional project portfolio in collaboration with the Global and Regional Technical Colleagues.
  • Support fundraising with current and new donors and sources that build on the initial achievements of the regional projects or address additional constraints in community systems for refugee hosting populations.
  • Represent War Child at relevant learning, advocacy, and networking fora as requested by the organisation.

Result: Fundraising for Regional/Multicounty work and the R&D agenda is successful and regular and necessary funding is realised.

  1. People management
  • Manage, train, and/or supervise relevant staff (e.g. Regional project teams, technical advisors, research assistants, research coordinators) and consortium partner staff where appropriate
  • Ensure recruitment of staff with and or volunteers with appropriate qualifications and skills within the Regional Projects to achieve the determined objectives.
  • Ensures roles, responsibilities and expectations are clearly communicated and understood by the full regional project team and consortium partners and tasks are appropriately delegated.
  • Ensures internal team, cross country coordination planning meetings are organized regularly to provide direction and guidance.
  • Staff performance reviews are conducted, staff mentored/coached in line with WC Alliance Performance Management System.
  • Act as point of contact for employees with questions and problems in regard to regional projects

Result: Employees are managed in a manner that they are motivated and achieve work deliverables efficiently and effectively

Relations

The Position also relates to WCA Country Director when Countries of presence are participating in such regional projects. The Regional Projects Manager Directly Reports to the Regional Director of Africa and Columbia with dotted lines to the Director R&D (and other HO level positions as might be necessary depending on the project portfolio)

The Regional Projects Manager is part of the Africa and Columbia Regional Management team and collaborates closely with Global, Regional and Country Technical Teams.

Your experience

  • Min. 10 years progressive experience, including management experience in international development, with experience working in East Africa (with an Educational or MHPSS background as a plus)
  • A Min. 5 years in a program management position, designing and implementing programs with a focus on improving learning outcomes for children
  • Post-graduate degree in International Development, Conflict or Social Studies or other relevant discipline
  • Familiarity with developing and implementing education and MHPSS programs for school going age children in the development and emergency contexts.
  • Demonstrated understanding of East African education policy and practice
  • Demonstrated understanding of factors affecting children in conflict affected contexts (ideally East Africa) and implications for education programming
  • Cultural sensitivity and competency
  • Flexibility, and ability to adapt processes to varying contexts
  • Team worker who can work together with various internal and external program teams and research colleagues
  • Experience of working in a (post) conflict setting
  • Able to work and influence across organisations, geographies, and cultures
  • Able to conceptualise and ensure functional relations between research activities and program design/implementation for rapid translation into improved program implementation
  • Enjoys capacity building of colleagues including internationally
  • Knowledge and experience in Monitoring & Evaluation
  • Good knowledge and understanding of children’s rights
  • Fluency in English, written and verbal
  • Strong advisory skills, understanding of (learning/capacity strengthening) needs
  • Good facilitation skills & intercultural sensitivity
  • Good communicator, willing to share knowledge and experience

Our Terms & Conditions

A challenging job, within an inspiring and motivated team of people and the support of a strong and professional organisation in the Netherlands.

A fair salary and comprehensive secondary benefits and opportunities to develop and learn professionally.

  • Contract type: Local contract, salary grid and Terms & Conditions will apply. Expats will be offered an expat package.
  • Contract duration: War Child Alliance will offer a 1 year contract with the intention to prolong into an open ended contract depending on mutual agreement and performance.
  • Working hours: Full time, 40 hours per week.

Note: The position is based in any country where War Child has a presence in the Africa and Colombia region and the successful candidate must be eligible to work in that country and is expected to travel in the region (and beyond) as needed.

OurOrganisation
War Child is a dynamic organization. We try to keep an informal ambiance within our offices, with a lot of room for creativity, inspiration and self-initiative from employees. We practice what we preach: dynamic, innovative, integrity focused, and a drive to reach the highest possible results against the lowest possible costs. War Child Alliance offers a challenging job in an inspiring workplace. Please visit our website https://www.warchild.net for more information on the organisation and the programmes.

Child safeguarding

Our work with children to keep them safe is the most important thing we do. We are committed to the safeguarding of children in all areas of our work. Successful applicants will be expected to be compliant and sign up to our Child Safeguarding policy, which you can read here: How War Child upholds Integrity War Child

How to apply

Interested and qualified candidates are invited to apply by Close of Business August 6th, 2024. Make sure to upload your English CV (maximum of two pages) and cover letter using this link:

https://www.warchild.net/jobs/Regional-Projects-Manager-Africa-and-Colombia/

Note: Interviews will be on a rolling basis and profiles look at as and when they are submitted. Based on this War Child reserves a right to fill the position even before the closing date.

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By submitting your application you certify that all of the statements made in your application are true, complete, and correct and are made in good faith. You understand that falsifying, misrepresenting or intentionally withholding information will be grounds for rejection of your application or withdrawal of any offer of appointment or, if an appointment offer has been accepted, this will be ground for employment sanctions, such as, but not limited to, instant dismissal. In addition, you understand that you need to submit a Criminal Record Certificate and that, if you fail to submit it, no employment relationship can be established.

War Child is an international organisation, and we are committed to be a diverse and inclusive employer, placing human and child rights at the centre of our existence and work. We hire our new colleagues based on their talents, competences and shared values; we do not distinguish them based on their age, gender and gender identity, race, color, ethnicity, religion, culture, sexual orientation, disability etc.

The safety of children and youth is a paramount and essential to War Child’s work. War Child has a zero tolerance policy towards any form of abuse. To prevent placing children and youth at any risk this subject is addressed in our recruitment and selection procedures. Moreover, the accepted candidates will be required to state their commitment/ intent to be aware, consider and adhere to the minimum standards applicable in development and humanitarian settings, such as humanitarian values and principles, Sphere Humanitarian Charter, Standards in the Humanitarian Standards Partnership, Core Humanitarian Standard, International Humanitarian Law, Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Disaster Relief and IASC Six Core Principles Relating to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

Disclaimer
• Only applications received via our website are processed.
• If we appoint a suitable candidate before the given closing date, we reserve the right to remove the vacancy from our website before that date. In such a case, any responses received after that time are not processed.
• It could be that during our selection process the closing date for the vacancy is extended. If so, and you have not yet heard from us, your application will remain active.

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