Job Profile
Senior Head of Programs
Position: Senior Head of Programs
Country: Sudan
Location: Sudan – the location will be based on the evolution of the current, unpredictable context; this includes alternative possible locations in Sudan or in one of the neighboring countries.
Duration: 10 months, renewable – subject to funding availability, starting October 1, 2023 (minimum 2 weeks are necessary to complete the visa procedure)
Conditions: Salaried contract, gross monthly salary from €2,650 to €3,150 according to experience, monthly per diem €600, medical coverage of 100% + repatriation insurance + provident fund, accommodation, international and local transportation as part of the mission, break every 3 months.
TGH has chosen a deliberately simple and transparent remuneration policy, accessible on our website www.trianglegh.org. The salary levels advertised in our job offers are set within the framework of the salary scale and are not open to negotiation.
Presentation of TGH
“Actor in a sustainable and shared solidarity”
Founded in 1994, TGH is a French international solidarity organization based in Lyon. The association designs and implements emergency, rehabilitation and development programs in the following sectors: water, hygiene and sanitation, civil engineering, food security and rural development, socio-educational and psychosocial. TGH is currently operating in 10 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Presentation of the mission
The simmering political tensions in Sudan in the aftermath of the 2021 military coup came to a tragic climax on April 15, 2023, when the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) clashed in Khartoum. The rapidly evolving nature of the conflict renders any assessment of the extent of the damages difficult, between critical infrastructure destruction, loss of human life, health sector collapse, and displacement. The UN nevertheless estimates the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) at 736.000 as of May 15, a twofold increase in two weeks, while 200.000 others sought refuge in neighboring countries including Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the Central African Republic, numbers that compound an already severe IDP crisis (3.7M as of 2023). Despite numerous ceasefire attempts, and internationally mediated negotiation between the warring parties, conflict still rages in Sudan and extends beyond Khartoum to reach the traditionally vulnerable regions of Darfur, among others. While it is difficult to predict the length of the conflict, humanitarian organizations resumed operations despite precarious security conditions. The needs of the Sudanese people are extremely complex, are compounded by an array of pre-existing and newly emerged factors, and can ill afford to suffer any further delays in response.
TGH has been present in Sudan since September 2003, and opened its first project for the victims of the Darfur crisis in one of the IDPs camp in West Darfur (Riyad camp of Geneina) in June 2004. TGH has since then extended its activities in West Darfur and Central Darfur, implementing its projects through 5 offices (Geneina in West Darfur; Bindizi, Um Dukhun Golo and Zalingei in Central Darfur).
On-hold and ongoing activities include:
Emergency assistance to people affected by population displacement and natural disasters (provision of Non Food Items (NFI) and emergency shelter, safe water supply facilities, emergency sanitation and hygiene promotion for vector control).
Construction and rehabilitation of water supply systems and sanitation services, hygiene promotion and capacity building of community based committees and local authorities in WASH services sustainable management
The strengthening of food security and livelihood, through distribution of agricultural inputs, promotion of farming best practices, sustainable natural resources management, development of income generating activities and targeted food distribution.
Child Protection activities including, PSS activities, Child friendly space rehabilitation and case management
Peacebuilding, with a focus on communities and youth.
TGH in Sudan is currently funded by a range of different donors: SHF, ECHO, UNHCR and the French MoFa. Negotiations are on-going with BHA and the CDCS. Potential funding might come from IOM.
Job description
Under the supervision of the Country Director, the Senior Head of Programs leads the overall in-country design and implementation of the WASH, Child Protection, FSL, Education and ES/NFI programming in Sudan including, definition of program requirements, donor relations, contributing to grant applications, planning, defining strategies and reporting to donors.
She/He supervises the overall work of the program team ensuring program development and quality and timely implementation of all the organization projects in Sudan. The Senior Head of Programs is the line manager of the Project Managers, the Grants Manager and the MEAL Manager.
In collaboration with the Country Director and the Field Coordinators, the HoP will develop and maintain effective relationships with donors, Sudanese organisations, other INGOs, UN Agencies and the Sudanese government, at state and national level. For the ECHO grant, the HoP will work closely with the Consortium Coordinator.
In collaboration with the Country Director, the Field Coordinators and the support services departments, the main responsibilities are:
Staff management
- Supervise directly the Project Managers, the Grants Manager and the MEAL Manager.
- Adapt tasks and responsibilities allocation within the Program team to accommodate program requirements or specific situations.
- Identify capacity building needs for staff and partners involved in the response. Take the lead on coordinating any formal or informal knowledge and skill-building for the Program Team and partners.
- Provide direct support to the Program team through learning sessions and appraisals.
- In collaboration with HR, ensure adherence to and enforcement of HR policies including punctuality, productivity and principles of a professional work environment within the program team with high consistency.
- Lead and provide supportive supervision to a multi-disciplinary team of program managers and coordinators in charge of specific projects, providing guidance and direction on work planning, priority setting, task management, performance, growth and learning, etc.
- Provide capacity building and day-to-day coaching on program management to program staff.
Program Leadership
- Support the Country Director to provide strategic vision and leadership for TGH’s programming in Sudan
- Lead and coordinate development and review of sector strategies and annual plans in line with Sudan Country Strategy and in liaison with the Consortium Coordinator
- Lead programming for the TGH mission in Sudan, ensuring program quality through strategy development and participatory program design in close collaboration with the Country Director, the Program team and the national partners.
- Develop and adjust strategies for emergency, recovery and rehabilitation programming based on thorough humanitarian context analysis, TGH and partner capacities, resource availability and coordination with the sector and government line ministries.
- Pro-actively seek and identify new funding opportunities, initiate and lead donor negotiations, and act as country representative during discussions both internally and externally on strategic opportunities.
- Oversee Grants management, reporting and communications, providing final review and quality assurance before submission of external reports, updates, and other publications for external audiences in coordination with HQ desk and technical referent.
- Lead and coordinate TGH’s participation in program-related coordination bodies at the national and field level, delegating when appropriate to relevant program staff. Serve as a primary organizational focal point for program-related issues both internally and externally whenever delegated by the CD
Representation
- Support the Country Director in the representation of the TGH Sudan. When necessary, acts as acting Country Director in their absence.
- Represent TGH in UN cluster meetings, government coordination meetings and other programming forums in Sudan, along with the sector program managers when relevant and/or the Country Director.
- With the Country Director and the Consortium Coordinator, maintain effective relationships with the donor agencies and supports the follow-up of funding opportunities for TGH Sudan programs.
- With the Country Director, contributes to programs complementarity and synergies by maintaining effective relationships with international and local organizations, specifically those working in same geographical areas and sectors.
Program Design and Development
- Lead the program development process in Sudan, reviewing concept notes, proposals, and providing direct inputs when necessary to ensure quality before submission
- Meet with donors and potential new partners at field and national level, identifying potential funding opportunities in collaboration with Senior management
- Strengthen current donor relations and build partnerships with new donors to support continued donor/portfolio diversification
- Facilitate for capacity building of project managers and technical team of TGH Program management framework
- Ensure that proposals are evidence-based and supported by needs assessments. Lead and/or support design workshops for all proposals.
- Ensure compliance with proposal requirements, TGH and Sector Technical Design Standards, and donor policies and regulations.
Program management
- Design, review and conduct field assessments, based on population needs, TGH priorities and funding opportunities in order to propose new interventions.
- Work with the Country Director and the Program team and the national partners to prepare concept papers and grant proposals as well as mobilizing funds.
- Support the Program Team in the implementation of operations and monitoring of progress on project indicators and outcomes, ensuring compliance with donor’s requirements and sector standards.
- Contribute to the follow up of program budgets and to the consistency of spending with resources available, donor commitments and co-funding requirements in coordination with the Administration/Finance Coordinator
- Contribute to the improvement of comprehensive MEAL processes, systems and procedures, ensuring that data is fed into management decisions and used in program improvement, management and learning.
- Conduct field visits for program monitoring.
- Oversee and guide senior program staff in preparing regular program reports for donors and partners as required. Oversee and promote timely information exchange of emergency operations. Respond to internal and external requests for reports and information about programs.
- Exchange information and technical support with headquarters WASH, Child Protection, FSL, ES/NFI and Education Technical Department Referents and the sector partners (clusters) in Sudan ensuring compliance with sector standards and best practices.
- Ensure regular program coordination with donors, including provision of regular project updates, preparation of modification requests and preparation of donors monitoring visits.
- Ensure program coordination and complementarity with Donors, government line ministries, INGOs and NNGOs.
- Contribute to the identification and development of partnerships providing an added value for Sudan programs and support program team in effective partnership management.
- Contribute to relevant Protection, Gender and Environmental issues mainstreaming in Sudan programming.
- Support implementation and monitoring of PSEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) across all programming.
- Ensure program teams facilitate awareness campaigns on PSEA to affected populations and local communities, the standards of conduct expected of TGH staff and partners, and the various mechanisms for reporting abuses or concerns related to PSEA, including contact information.
- Evaluate program quality, including documenting best practices and lessons learned from Sudan programs and ensuring these are considered in program design.
- In collaboration with technical referents, provide overall leadership in ensuring appropriate start-up/mobilization process with field and technical teams upon receiving a new award, and spending projections and forecasts, procurement and recruitment plans, and work plans, are all developed at the offset.
- Maintain, update, and regularly review TGH’s master country operational analysis, consolidating inputs from programs and finance
- Organize periodic project review meetings (mid and final) following initial mobilization meeting to ensure progress is on-track.
- Serve as the focal point throughout the program modification/budget realignment process, liaising with the donor, country office staff and TGH HQ support office
- Responsible for ensuring all costs charged to the project are allowable, reasonable and correctly allocated, providing oversight and quality assurance on technical aspects
- Ensure effective and coordinated budget monitoring/spending reviews occur on a regular basis, coordinating with finance and program teams
- Assist programs and operations teams in monitoring and tracking burn rate to ensure proper management
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
- Ensure Sudan country program has a functional MEAL system that will improve the quality of implementation of projects and provide support and oversight of the country M&E Manager.
- Lead the country program in ensuring consistent reflection of assessment and programmatic data for decision-making, using TGH-required tools.
- Ensure the country program is complying with TGH-required accountability standards.
- Guide and support field staff in effective on-going monitoring on project outcomes/impacts, and render technical advice for fine-tuning plans/modalities where required.
- Guide the team in planning and analysis in the baseline, mid-term review and final evaluations.
- Ensure project learning is captured, consolidated and disseminated.
General support to the mission
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- Safeguard that conduct and work of the Program Team respects core humanitarian values of humanity, independence, neutrality and impartiality. – Contributes to the respect of security measures applied by the Country Director. – Supports the implementation of internal procedures in coordination with the Administration, Finance and the Logistics Coordinators – Supports internal improvement processes. Contributes to knowledge and information sharing within the INGO team. – Support and monitor that the conduct of TGH staff respect PSEA guidelines.
This list of responsibilities could be modified according to the needs.
Security, working and living conditions
Based in the Sudan Country Office, the Senior Head of Programs will undertake perform regular short-term missions to field locations Field-visits are authorized when security conditions allow it. The movements to the field-bases are ensured by United Nations Humanitarian Air Services- UNHAS.
Current context in Sudan can lead to temporary tightened security procedures (movement restrictions, etc.).
The Country Office has a guesthouse
There are regular flights to and from Sudan to regional destinations and expatriates go out of the country every 3 months for an R&R breaks.
Profile
Educational background and experiences
- University level degree or equivalent in the field
- At least 3 years of humanitarian experience in the field, with at least two (2) year in coordination position preferably in the following sectors: WASH, Child Protection, Food Security and Livelihoods
- Experience in managing emergency and early-recovery operations in challenging security environments and understanding of the humanitarian environment (standards, stakeholders and mechanisms).
- Experience in fundraising, proposal writing, grant management and knowledge of procedures of main donor agencies: ECHO, European Union, USAID/BHA, CDCs, CIAA, FCDO, AFD, UN Agencies or others
Skills
- People Management
- Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work effectively on a team and to lead a team of specialists from a range of fields.
- Program and project planning and management
- Capacity to represent TGH at high level coordination meetings with different stakeholders
- Practice in designing and maintaining M&E systems, tools, quality data collection, analysis and use of M&E data for program decision making
- Developed skills for work organization and tasks prioritization
- Excellent communication and writing skills in English. Preferably competent user of French spoken and written
- Experience of Arabic or Muslim countries and knowledge or Arabic language a distinct advantage
- Proficient user of MS Office pack
- Ability in successful team motivation, management and capacity building
- Ability to work and support teams remotely, without diminishing oversight of projects
Personal Qualities
- Strong commitment to humanitarian principles
- Organized, diplomatic and pro-active approach
- Autonomy and rigor
- Integrity
- Good leadership
Application
Please send your resume and cover letter directly on the HR page of our website: www.trianglegh.org, section “join us-rejoignez-nous”
