Jordan: Head of Programmes

HEAD OF PROGRAMMES – WCUK (Jordan)

Summary

Job title:

Head of Programmes - Jordan

Contract Type:

12 month Fixed Term contract, with possible extension based on performance and funding. Both expat and national applicants will be considered for this role.

Reports to:

Country Director – Jordan

Working with

• Project Managers and project teams in Jordan

• Various functions at Amman level; Finance, HR, Logs + Security plus technical team including Education Advisor and Research Advisor

• Different functions from London HQ

• War Child Holland

Location

Amman, Jordan

Deadline

4^th March 2017

Background

War Child works with children who, as a result of conflict, live with a combination of poverty, exclusion and insecurity. These children might include street children, child headed households, children conscripted into armed groups, and children who have been put in prison. Our mission is to support and improve the care and protection of children and young people who live with a combination of insecurity, poverty and exclusion in some of the worse conflict-affected places. We look forward to a world in which the lives of children are no longer torn apart by war. This is a vision that can only be realised through the collective actions of children themselves, communities and their leaders, organisations like War Child, governments and key decision makers.

In Jordan, War Child has been working to provide child protection, education and psychosocial support programmes for Syrian and Jordanian children and families since early 2013. We are present in Za’atari Camp, Mafraq, Zarqa and Amman, with a view to further expansion into other geographical areas, as well as thematic areas such as livelihoods.

The Role

War Child UK is now going through a period of exciting organisational change, with a scale up in its portfolio of programmes in Jordan. Accordingly, WCUK is hiring a Head of Programmes in order to drive forward this scale up phase and ensure the effective implementation of new and existing programmes, and to lead the development of additional programmes. The Head of Programmes will be responsible for ensuring good strategic leadership of programmes in Jordan, ensuring programme quality, managing key risks and supporting the programmes team to deliver their goals. It is a critical role requiring a seasoned, motivated and experienced individual with a desire for a new and exciting challenge in a small but rapidly growing organisation.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Strategic Programme Leadership

• Provide leadership in program strategy development in collaboration with Programme Funding Coordinator in the themes of Child protection, education and livelihoods, ensuring cross cutting themes (gender, disability and accountability) are integrated in programme engagements

• Ensure fundraising efforts at the country level are coordinated and strategic

• Ensure strategic presence of WCUK staff in key humanitarian and development forums and clusters. Represent the organisation in strategic forums.

• Develop and foster partnerships with donors, UN agencies, INGOs and other key actors in Jordan and regionally if required

• Work closely with Head of Finance and Operations in ensuring relevant, effective and efficient operations support systems to programmes are in place

• Facilitate high level donor/ambassador visits to Jordan, ensuring they are planned in a way which maximises benefits and impact.

  Risk management

• Work closely with the Finance team to ensure timely implementation of grants and monitor expenditure closely to reduce the risk of disallowable costs. Ensure sufficient cost recovery from donor grants

• Maintain overview of internal and external programmatic audits and ensure any findings/ recommendations are acted upon

• Act as the focal point for any issues and challenges with Ministries with Jordanian Ministries (MOSD, MOPIC, MOE) and when required to ensure timely approvals of new projects

• Actively monitor, manage and respond to security risks and incidents as required, in collaboration with the Logistics and Security Manager.

Programme Quality and Standards

• Ensure the programme team benefits from tools, training, minimum standards and wider best practices in child protection, education and livelihoods, in collaboration with technical advisors at HQ level.

• Develop a clear approach towards programme quality and ensure a full spectrum of technical support is available for programme implementation

• Lead the development of a greater focus on evidence based programming in Jordan, and work closely with the Research Advisor to support them in leading on research initiatives such as the evaluation of WCUK’s psychosocial support methodology.

• Provide strategic leadership around any future investments needed in systems related to programme monitoring and learning

Team management and capacity building

• Provide line management leadership to all Project Managers, ensuring they are well supported and guided to supervise the projects.

• Performance-manage staff in line with organisational processes

• Oversee work of a multi-location and multi-skilled team, ensuring quality outcomes and collaboration within the team to achieve programme strategy

• Identify capacity gaps within the Programme team and work to support skills development amongst staff.

• Manage HR/staffing issues and grievances amongst programme staff in collaboration with the HR Manager

• Request and facilitate additional surge support capacity to Jordan from UK, in particular technical capacities as and when required

Policy and advocacy work

• Working closely with team members in London to further develop WCUK’s focus on advocacy in Jordan, and to develop clear evidence based positions on key policy and advocacy issues related to the Syria crisis.

• Represent and articulate key War Child UK programme and policy positions at key national, regional and global fora.

Person Specification – Essential Criteria

War Child’s office is a lively and fast-paced environment made up of a team of extremely dedicated staff & volunteers. We’re looking for someone who can fit in well and bring their personality, creativity and professionalism to our communications and the wider charity.

Required skills and experience:

• At least 10 years of experience in successfully designing and delivering strategies for programmes, country or regional offices at scale

• Knowledge and experience of project management in complex multi-stakeholder programmes

• Substantial experience of international development and/or humanitarian work

• Technical competencies in child protection, education and livelihoods

• Understanding and experience of humanitarian and development issues in the Middle East region

• Skills and proven background in monitoring and evaluation and the ability to provide organisational leadership in this area

• Strong numeracy and information analysis skills

Soft skills:

• Proven leadership skills and the ability to manage, motivate and inspire a diverse regional team

• Proven ability to influence others to achieve successful outcomes, including government, UN agencies and donors through successful advocacy

• Extremely strong communication, negotiation and representational skills and ability to work at a regional level

Key Competencies:

• Understanding of the vision and mission of War Child
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong financial and narrative reporting skills.
• Ability to collaborate and form effective partnerships with internal and external stakeholders. Capacity to juggle multiple stakeholders and keep them engaged.
• Problem solving and can-do approach to work with a key focus on achieving successful results.
• Flexibility to change and create for continuous improvement and to contribute towards a culture of innovation along with knowledge impact.
• Strong planning and organisational skills with the ability to make effective decisions.

Education:

• Masters level degree or/ and any equivalent academic certificates in any of the following fields (international development, education management, social studies, etc).

Language:

• Fluency in English

• Fluency in Arabic desirable but not essential

Contractual Terms

Working Hours: Full Time

Probation: 3 months

Start date: ASAP

Travel: Within Jordan as required, occasional visits to region and UK

Leave: 20 days pro-rata

Benefits: Individual health insurance and social security

• Interested and qualified candidates are invited to apply either through Akhtaboot or/ and via email: Recruitment.JOR@warchild.org.uk quoting the title “HoP/13” before 4^th March 2017. Make sure to upload your English CV along with a covering letter.

• Due to limited resources War Child HR, will contact only the shortlisted candidates.

• First round interviews will be held on week commencing 5^th March 2017.

• Second round interviews and/ or technical exam for selected candidates will be held on week commencing 12^th March 2017.

• Any offer made post the second interview will be conditional on receipt of 3 favourable written references, (from your most recent employer, any other previous employer and a character reference). War Child reserves the right to call the referees, in case clarification is required post the receipt of complete reference forms.

• The successful applicant will be expected to undergo a Police check from a country of permanent residence, a medical check, be compliant and sign up to War Child’s Child Protection Policy prior to a final offer being made.