JOB OPPORTUNITY
Program Director
Number of Vacancies: 1
Position Reports to: Country Director, ChildFund Japan
Major Responsibilities:
Purpose of Position:
The Program Director will have overall responsibilities for leadership and management of all program activities. Provide leadership to ChildFund Japan, Nepal Office to ensure the quality of program design, inclusive of performance and oversight of all aspects of project implementation. Provide technical guidance to project teams to ensure the highest quality, transparency, and accountability of delivery. Develop and maintain an efficient, cohesive team while ensuring effective coordination and relationship with external agencies and partners.
Description
Leadership and Representation
- Provide overall leadership to the Program Department consisted of multiple projects.
- Contribute to the strategy development and implementation, ensuring it is fit for purpose to pursue diversified funding opportunities, responding to Nepal context reflecting the needs of the most vulnerable.
- Lead the program planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation process.
- Represent the organization and liaise with national government, UN agencies, and other local and international NGOs.
Program Development, Implementation and Quality Assurance
- Lead proposal development activities to design the highest quality, competitive and complex projects that reach out the most vulnerable children and families.
- Design innovative development approaches and interventions and guarantee that the program is informed by technical standards and operational viability.
- Review existing program design and interventions to align with ChildFund Japan’s long term strategic plan.
- Oversee the implementation and monitoring of projects to ensure the achievement of goals and objectives and inform operational improvement.
- Oversee management of program budgets to ensure effective and compliant use of grants.
- Ensures that program meet minimum quality standards and improvement, reflection, learning and innovation sectors.
Monitoring, Evaluation / Program Reporting/ Donor Requirement Compliance
- Take lead in developing monitoring and evaluation processes, accountability, ensuring that learning is incorporated into program design, system and procedure.
- Plan and manage the conduct of an effective and reliable monitoring of program by the team through field visit, liaison with PNGOs, and other stakeholders following the M&E plan.
- Facilitate the conduct mid-term reviews and evaluations and apply lessons learnt to program redesign as required.
- Ensure the program department produce high quality and timely reports to ChildFund Japan and its donors within agreed schedule.
- Oversee review, development and implementation of reporting systems to support timely and accurate reporting. Establish and implement internal reporting system to gather input for grant/donor and program milestone reporting.
- Manage critical donors to present evidence of impact in programming.
- Write report on quality risks and their resolution and submit to CD on regular basis.
Staff Management, Learning and Development
- Supervise and mentor direct report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, provide regular and timely performance feedback and performance review.
- Provide a measurable development plan including on the job learning with the aim of strengthening technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing guidance on career paths.
- Encourage and reward proactive thinking and creativity by promoting and cultivating a positive environment.
- Promotes child safeguarding by strengthening the key areas of the organization’s Child Protection Policy- awareness, prevention, reporting and responding and Code of Conduct in respect to the fundamental rights of all persons
Job Requirements:
Education
- Master’s degree in Development Studies or in a similar related field
Work Experience
- At least 8 years of development work experience (preferably some years in education and child protection sector) in international development programing in a multi-cultural environment, four years of which in leadership capacity.
- Strong background in working with the Nepalese government institutions, which should include leading and participating in CPAC, DPAC, and RMPAC meetings in management capacity.
- Hands-on experience in coordinating and developing Project Agreement in coordination with SWC.
- Good interpersonal skills to establish rapport with partner NGOs, schools, and local government officials.
- Proven ability to design, manage, and implement multifaceted projects in the Nepalese context. Excellent proposal development skills.
- Experience in designing and implementing projects funded by institutional donors. Work experience with Japanese corporate and/or institutional donors will be an advantage. Knowledge of and familiarity with strategic focuses and direction of donors will be a great asset.
- Demonstrated understanding of key humanitarian principles, standards, and best practices in Nepal. Knowledge of good development approaches including rights-based approach and empowerment approach to development will be a plus.
- Strong people management skills, with excellent interpersonal skills with professional and positive attitude. Sound understanding of cross cultural working environment. Able to lead, manage, and mentor a team of national and expatriate staff.
- Strong communication skills (verbal and written) with ability to express ideas and concepts clearly and persuasively with various stakeholders.
Language Required:
- Native speaker of Nepalese
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
Computer and Other Technical Requirements
- Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
- Working knowledge of file sharing protocols such as Dropbox, SharePoint, etc., an advantage
Ability To Travel
The position requires ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 25% of the time.
Source: Kantipur Dainik, 13 September, 2021
