Announcements

Position: WGPE Senior Program Manager

Reports to: WGPE Coordinator
Location: Kenema
Duration: Two Months Initially (Renewable Annually)
Deadline for applications: 10th October 2018. (Only the applicants shortlisted for interview will be contacted).
BACKGROUND Present in Sierra Leone since 1999, IRC supports the Sierra Leonean institutions – government, civil society, community-based organizations and private sector – to provide improved social services, decrease youth unemployment and mitigate gender based violence. IRC do this through programs and partnerships designed to improve the life of women, youth and children by implementing Health, Education, Youth and Gender Based Violence programming. IRC has a Country Program office in Freetown, a Regional Field Office in Kenema, Field Offices in Kono and Bo, and a satellite office in Kailahun.
The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, and Anti-Retaliation.”
PURPOSE OF THE JOB: The Women and Girls Empowerment and Protection program seeks to implement the Protection of Women through Empowerment and Response (POWER) project which will be implemented in Kono, an Eastern district of Sierra Leone. The overall goal of the project is to empower women and girls to pursue their potential, free from violence and inequality. This two year-project will seek to address interrelated barriers to women’s safety and empowerment, by ensuring women use and control resources and assets in their homes; male partners and other males do not use violence against women; and women and girls seek GBV services.
This position of Senior Program Manager will be based in Kenema with roving throughout the district. This position will work closely with the WGPE Coordinator, the Senior Officers and EMAP/EA$E Specialist. The IRC seeks a dynamic individual who will provide overall operational and project management expertise to the WGPE team and partners on the implementation of the POWER project
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
Program oversight, management and quality
- Lead in providing technical support and oversight on key areas of WGPE programming including Gender, GBV Prevention and Response, Economic Empowerment.
- Oversee the start-up, development, management, and implementation of the POWER project.
- Conduct regular supportive field visits to communities where programming is implemented to provide technical support, guidance and mentoring to the teams and partners (including government actors/facilities, community-based women’s groups).
- Lead on designing, developing and facilitating capacity development workshops, training and mentoring initiatives for the WGPE team and partners on the above-mentioned areas of WGPE programming, drawing input other program staff (i.e. WGPE site manager, EMAP/EA$E Specialist, WGPE Coordinator).
- Establish, build and strengthen connections and partnerships with national and local women’s groups, organizations, networks and forum to address VAWG collectively.
- Ensure programming is in line with best practices, utilizing key guidance, learning materials and resources, and actively research and learn about these, with support from the WGPE Coordinator, and EMAP/EA$E Specialist.
- Participate in the development of proposals, budgets and concept notes in collaboration with the WGPE Coordinator, DDP, Grants team, and HQ Technical Units.
- Proactively communicate and collaborate on a regular basis with the WGPE Coordinator.
Grants Management
- Manage program grants, including: reviewing all budget expenditures (program and support) and ensure they are allowable and allocable according to IRC and donor regulations; review monthly Budget vs. Actual (BVA) and expenditure sheets and collaborate with the WGPE Coordinator and the Finance department to ensure accurate expenditures and reporting.
- Create overall or quarterly activity and spending plans, and support the manager to create monthly activity and spending plans and cash projections.
- Liaise with WGPE site manager and WGPE Coordinator to ensure coordination of spending and planning across programming.
- Participate in Grants Opening, Monthly Review, and Grant Closing meetings.
- Review and raise appropriate Purchase Requests (PRs) with correct budget codes and in-line with the allocated budget for those activities.
Monitoring and Evaluation, Reporting
- Support the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) officer to ensure the effective implementation of the POWER project, supporting the site manager to implement in their program areas.
- Work closely with the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) officer to ensure all M&E approaches are in-line with the program framework, model and guiding principles, ensure that women and girls are at the centre of all programming learning, and that these are fully integrated across all the M&E systems and tools.
- Ensure the collection of data and information across the programming areas oversee is ethical, participatory and honest through regular monitoring, review and analysis of data and information and check-in sessions with the POWER Project team.
- Review and feedback on reports from site manager; and prepare accurate internal and external reports within agreed deadlines and against relevant indicators, using IRC and donor formats, as required.
Staff development, supervision and support
- Ensure Performance Management documentation for all your supervisees is in place; and provide leadership, guidance, and support to your supervisees through regular supervision, constructive feedback on performance, coaching and mentoring.
- Actively pursue professional and capacity development opportunities, for yourself and your supervisees based on the performance and development objectives, and liaise with your supervisor for support on identifying and realizing these where possible.
- Participate in the recruitment of national staff in conjunction with the Human Resources Department, with input from the WGPE Coordinator; maintain updated job descriptions; identifying candidates, conduct interviews, orient new staff to the IRC and the WGPE Program.
- Participate in monthly WGPE management meetings.
Coordination, Advocacy and Representation
- Ensure professional ongoing and regular coordination, collaboration and partnership with the MSWGCA, other relevant/key stakeholders, district and/or national coordination mechanisms and pillars, and other relevant forums, networks, meetings.
- Advocate at the national (and district) level on behalf of, and with, women and girls, on their rights, their protection and empowerment.
- Participate in donor meetings, where required/requested.
Other
- Undertake all other tasks as requested by the supervisor.
SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES
This position will take shared responsibility with the whole WGPE team:
- For ensuring strong integration, cohesion and quality across all WGPE Programming. This means ensuring regular and clear communication and collaboration between sites and across the team on: program coordination, activity planning, budget and project management, sharing technical expertise and learning.
- To monitor the quality of our programming and impact (positive or negative) in the community, and report back regularly.
KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
External: WGPE Site Manager, M&E Officer, WGPE Senior Program Manager, WGPE Site Manager, Deputy Director of Programs, WGPE Coordinator
Internal: Government, INGOs, NGO and other key partners, donors and stakeholders
QUALIFICATIONS:
Education:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science or Community Development or a related discipline
Experience:
- Essential: At least 3 years proven practical work experience on GBV/VAWG, gender and working directly with women and girls on WGPE issues.
- Desirable: experience in women and girls formal or informal education, economic empowerment, community mobilization, skills building, leadership and advocacy - hugely desirable.
- Strong interest in working on women’s economic wellbeing, GBV prevention and response including the engagement men and boys in accountable practices.
- Ability to lead and manage a team
- Demonstrated strong team building, management and leadership skills, with a fair and highly motivational, supportive and inclusive approach to every team member.
- Strong program management skills.
- Experience in managing at least 1 full program cycle and grant creating and reviewing budgets and using program funds appropriately, transparently and effectively.
- Strong and proven independent worker, able to take initiative, be a proactive problem solver, but also able to ask for help as needed.
- Strong advocacy, coordination, networking skills and ability to constructively engage with a variety of stakeholders (donors, INGOs, government officials, community leaders, women’s groups).
- Strong understanding of how patriarchy, gender inequality and crisis impact upon the lives of women and girls and their experiences of violence, and how GBV intersects with traditional socio-cultural beliefs, traditions, and practices in Sierra Leone.
- Experience working with communities using highly participatory, inclusive and sustainable approaches.
- Excellent practical individual and group facilitation skills that respect professional boundaries, with diverse individuals and groups.
- Excellent empathy, listening and effective communication skills.
- Ability to read and write in English; ability to speak at least one key local language in the target communities.
- Willing and ready to travel frequently to communities, and work in very basic conditions.
Skills and Abilities:
Mandatory (General) Abilities:
- Committed to the mission and principles of the International Rescue Committee.
- A good, motivated team player with a positive attitude who can motivate and encourage others.
- Results driven – ensures goals, objectives and deadlines are met.
- Applies effective utilization of resources.
- Self-Management – Knows own strengths and weaknesses and acts accordingly, copes well with pressure and adapts and learns; willingness and ability to work in a frequently changing and demanding context.
- Interpersonal skills – Listens willingly and respectfully to the concerns of all groups and individuals and provides feedback, gaining commitment by persuasiveness not demands.
- Ability to handle multiple tasks; proven self-initiative and problem solving abilities.
- Effective negotiator in conflict situations.
- Lives up to commitments and works towards the aims and principles of the IRC, showing consistency between words and actions and always acting with integrity.
WOMEN ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY
Mode of Application:
Applications should include a cover letter, updated CV, names of three referees and their active telephone and/or email contacts, copies of professional certificates and testimonials. All applications should be sent to the Admin/HR Coordinator, IRC, 35 Frazer Street, Off Wilkinson Road, Freetown or to one of our Field Offices in Kono, Kenema, Kailahun or Bo.
You can also send your application by email to this address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,
Please ensure that all attached files are less than 2 megabytes (2MB) for any one message that is sent.
A copy of your application letter, updated CV, labour card and all other supporting documents should be sent to the NGO Desk Officer, Ministry of Labour - New England or to the nearest Ministry of Labour office nationwide.
Please contact any of our above offices for further information and/or detailed requirements and job description or call on 076-471-796 or 076-475-284.