Job Summary

As an International Christian Humanitarian Development organization, World Vision Ethiopia (WVE) is trusted to deliver integrated programs with target communities through its 55 Area programs (APs) located in seven regional states of the country. WVE envisions a thriving organization where our strong leadership at all levels results in improved delivery of results for children.

WVE is currently looking for a candidate for Cluster Program Manager for EAST Amhara Cluster Program Officer.

Purpose of the position:

To provide the overall leadership and technical support of programs/projects within a designated area/cluster of districts in a manner that meets set standards to meet wellbeing of children, families and communities. Represents World Vision Ethiopia in the Cluster in accordance with relevant strategies (e.g. national, sectoral, disaster preparedness, etc), policies (e.g. ministry policies, advocacy, child sponsorship, DME management policy, etc) and standards (e.g. , sponsorship, finance, grants, human Resource , etc). Ensure accurate and timely responses in the areas of program development and implementation, accounting, human resource management, logistics and communication. Provide management support in integration and implementation of empowerment approach, by ensuring that allocated programs/project resources are used as per WV policies, donor standards and procedures to attain the Child Wellbeing outcomes. Support the Integrated Programs Director in strategic alignment of resources.

In order to successfully to do so, the Cluster Program manager must be able to effectively communicate World Vision’s Christian ethos, mission and core values of World Vision and demonstrate a quality of spiritual life that serves as an example to others.

The successful candidate will have skills and experience that meet the following requirements:

Major Responsibilities:

Leadership and Strategic Management

• Create vision and impart vision to others and manage the change, be passionate for the poor and make measurable impact.
• Conversant with Biblical world view, global world view and understanding of the dual citizenship nature of good community development and translate them into community mind set to change dependency syndrome.
• Facilitate team building, motivate and maintain strong relationships and create strong networking and collaboration with all partners at local and international level.
• Model a high standard of personal Servant leadership, maturity and integrity as an example to staff and others, nurturing staff spirituality, reinforce the Core Values to enable understanding of WV operations and culture as well as facilitating a working environment of mutual trust, respect, and care among all staff.
• Develop human resource development plan and manage staff development/ growth and support professional development of each staff through on the job training and off site training ensuring competent and motivated staff.

Integrated Program Execution with Financial Accountability

• Lead and manage integration of programs and operations from all funding streams and ensure timely and effective implementation of all projects/program interventions of all funding types as per the annual operation plans as well as successful achievement of proposed outcomes and intended impact.
• In close collaboration with Sector Specialists, ensure mainstreaming of crosscutting themes and disaster/ risk management in the Cluster Program planning and implementation.
• Provide guidance on integration and implementation of transition plans, disaster preparedness plans and development of local institutions, linkage with Micro Finance Institutions for sustainable development.
• Enforce stewardship and accountability by ensuring that resources are efficiently and effectively utilized within the program/project for the intended purpose within the set timeframe ensuring that there is value for money for every activity done.
• Adhere with internal control and ensure that all projects/programs achieve acceptable financial and operational audit results.
• A sound understanding of project management cycle and the applied tools with ability to identify indicators that track what is trying to be achieved by putting in place a simple system to monitor and review progress towards the objectives.
• Facilitate Cluster Program team to integrate change management in the program implementation processes and identify and control operational and financial risks.
• Encourage and oversee sub-grants to smaller NGOs or community based organizations through supporting/ building capacity of partners.

Attain Measurable Impact in the life of Children, Families and Community

• See the big picture and chart a course to the desired end state by breakthrough problems, challenges, issues related with compliance and activity focus.
• Influence staffs and partners to attain common goals and encourage when problems are faced and help them focus on creating the desired change.
• Engaging with poor communities to understand their world views and belief systems and unique set of circumstances that make them poor, and play a bridging and advocacy role with those with others to help change the unique set of circumstances by being rooted and able to form a connection to the community with passion for living and working in the area.
• Build capacity of partners in project management, including financial management, performance management with sufficient experience to be able to connect to and gain respect of community leaders, partners and authorities.

Ensure Compliance of Policies, Standards, Guidelines and Procedures including Child Sponsorship and Child Protection

• Dissemination and support implementation of Partnership and NO strategies, guidelines, initiatives and policies in the district/zone.
• Facilitate the development of strategic directions for the program in line with World Vision ministry focus and ensure all planning and budgeting processes are aligned with the standards.
• Lead the implementation of management decisions/recommendations in order to meet quality standards and promote alignment with strategies and standards.
• Build capacity of community and frontline staffs on child protection strategic objective, standards and policy and help them integrate child protection in the project/program planning, and ensure that all child protection compliance standards and guidelines are fully met during implementation of strategic objectives using the WVI approved models, methodologies and standards.
• Work with children actors and other key stakeholders to ensure that there is effective reporting, referral and follow up of child protection incidents according to the WVI approved CP standards.
• Innovatively and creatively initiate multiple child protection projects geared at promoting enhanced protection of girls and boys.
• Effectively roll out the integration of Child Sponsorship in Cluster Program, roll out sponsorship initiatives and systems, streamline and ensure quality and timely Child Sponsorship report related communications from the Cluster to NO, district stakeholders and SOs, and ensure timely and quality monthly, quarterly and bi-annual Child Sponsorship report.

Ensure Innovation in Programs, Approaches and Processes including Information Management

• Contextualize development models in an innovative way and thinking out of box with a ‘can do’ mindset and ability to work with a team to figure out the ‘how?’
• Facilitate innovation and initiate multiple economic projects at household level that relate to household livelihood to provide sustainable economic development platform for achieving child wellbeing.
• Work with community to identify economic potentials available within the community and translate the available economic potentials to improve household income and address the challenges which can turn into great opportunities.
• Promote and come up with new innovation and simple technologies that will address some of the challenges.
• Ensure necessary tracking, compilation, analysis and innovative use of programmatic data.
• In collaboration with WVE Communications, work and identify marketing and informational material for WV and external use.

Ensure Community Empowerment through Partnership, Networking and Advocacy and Resource Mobilization

• Lead and support ADP team and partners to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate project/program and build their capacity in project management including financial and program management.
• Facilitate networking, relationships and participation with wide stakeholders such as government, church, faith based organization and community based organizations at local and district/zone level, and MFI for sustainable improvement of community livelihood.
• Build strategic partnerships, networks, coalitions and alliances at the district/zone level that can be linked with the national level strategic engagements to promote advocacy, lobbying and influencing initiatives.
• Document lessons and learning from advocacy engagements and link with national level advocacy initiatives.
• Develop a mapping of resources needed within the Cluster and work with Resource Mobilization team at the NO to develop concepts/proposals for funding to execute WVE strategy.
• Provide support to the donors visiting the county for effective and efficient coordination of information sharing and messaging.
• Empower the community to see the bigger picture of their lives, change the mind set towards development so that they can avoid dependency syndrome, own their development without depending on donor support or handouts and to realize that they have potential, capacity and resources that can be used to change their lives.

Quality programming through quality Program Design, Monitoring and Evaluation (DME) processes

• In close collaboration with sector specialists, ensure that quality projects are implemented at the program area while following partnership standards, policies and protocols, including all relevant sections of the Field Financial Manual.
• In close collaboration with P&C, ensure the right program staffs are recruited, retained, and provided with intentional opportunities, mentoring and coaching for development and ensure that the program staffs receive care and support.
• Ensure adequate quality assurance processes like assessments, design/ redesign, Transformation Development Indicators (TDI) measurements, and evaluation exercises.
• Monitor performance of the Cluster in relation to execution, changes, innovations, or new model that is introduced.
• Provide regular reporting to the line management as per the national office guideline, consolidate semi-annual and annual program reports for submission to support office and donor according to LEAP, and prepare quality and timely quarterly, bi-annual, annual, and terminal reports to partners.
• Ensure that both Evaluation and Audit (Finance and Operations) recommendations are timely responded to, fully implemented and progress is reported quarterly.

Job Requirements

Qualifications: Education/Knowledge/Technical Skills and Experience:

The following may be acquired through a combination of formal or self-education, prior experience or on-the-job training:

Minimum Qualification required:

• BA/Bsc Degree in Economics, Agriculture, Business Administration, Development Studies/Planning, Social Science, Management, Education, Public Health or related field. An advanced degree in Social Sciences related to development work is preferred. Masters degree is an advantage.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years experience with regards to the designing, planning, implementation, supervising and reporting on integrated development, relief and/or advocacy projects and at least 2 years experience in managing complex grants and programs/projects with significant experience in overseeing large multi-year program.

Preferred:

• Working experience in community development.

Technical Skills & Abilities:

• Foundational values and knowledge: Conceptual understanding of and commitment to development work among the poor. Knowledge of and commitment to fundamentals and understanding of Christian, child-focused and community-based development concepts & ministry approaches and processes. Able to contextualize development models in an innovative way. 
• Personal adaptive skills: Ability to think critically and reflect. Willingness to take calculated risks to enable learning. Commitment to continuous learning for self-development. Ability to pragmatically solve problems and plan a course of action using analytical, conceptual, strategic and forward thinking abilities to achieve effective resolutions. Be a results orientated leader with the ability to handle a heavy work load, manage and satisfy multiple conflicting organizational, donor and other stakeholder demands.
• Communication skills: Strong interpersonal skills, Ability to communicate effectively. Solid computer skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, and email. Ability to maintain effective working relationships with all levels of staff and other stakeholders.
• Development facilitation: Skills in facilitation of development processes, including organization and mobilization of communities and networking among different development partners such as community-based organizations (CBOs), governments, churches, and World Vision staff and their respective roles and responsibilities. Able to engage religious leaders of all faiths by mobilizing them to promote holistic development.
• Key aspects of development: Basic knowledge and understanding of key aspects of advocacy, development work; and integration of disaster mitigation, preparedness and response in development programming. Knowledge in working with donor funds, sponsorship operations and grants funding. Working knowledge of disaster management, emergency preparedness, monitoring and evaluation, sphere standards are added advantage. Good planning and organizational skills.
• Design, monitoring and evaluation: Conceptual understanding and required competency in basic DME functions (LEAP). Applying community-based development DME technical skills and competencies. Measurement and reporting on child well-being outcomes. Working knowledge of proposal writing and negotiation skills.
• Project management: Knowledge of and experience with staff care and supervision, staff capacity building, cost effective utilization of resources, customer relations service. General principles of program and financial management. Resource acquisition and development. Grants management. Deeper understanding of project cycle management. Ability to lead, guide, coordinate, and facilitate strategic planning processes and establish short and long-term goals within program areas.
• Leadership skills: Skills in leading, building, and supporting a team with diverse roles and capacities. Spiritual growth and development of staff. Ability to provide spiritual leadership to the team and able to engage across denominational boundaries. An excellent people manager with good team-building skills, as well as strong interpersonal and networking skills. Demonstrate a clear understanding of the organization’s culture.

Working Environment:

·      Full time field-based position.

Other Attributes and responsibilities

• Have a ‘can do’ mindset and ability to work with a team to figure out the ‘why, how, who, what & when’.
• Be rooted and able to form a connection to the community – and must demonstrate a passion for living and working in the AP area.
• Be empowerment-focused as opposed to service delivery.
• Must have outstanding oral and written communications and relationship skills and.
• Must be willing to perform other duties as required.

How to Apply

Interested applicants must require to attach Current CV & fill employment application form WVE’s official Application form which can be found http://docs.ethiojobs.net/wve-jaf.pdf ) and send prior to the application deadline of this vacancy announcement to Recruitment_ethiopia@wvi.org               

Note: Write the job title-specific location on the subject line when you send the application.

World Vision Ethiopia is a child-focused Organization and is striving to keep children safe and is committed to ensuring that only those who are suitable to work with children are considered for this position.

Note: we don’t receive hard copies