Duty Station: Bassikounou, Mauritania
Contract duration: 11 months (renewable)
Hierarchical line
The Programme Manager (PM) plays a key role in ensuring overall programme delivery, quality and impact. The PM also ensures that programmes are evidence-based and needs-based, closely monitored and adequately funded. He/she reports to the Country/Regional Director. The PM is a member of the Mauritania management team and supervises a team of technical, programme and monitoring and evaluation coordinators.
Workplace:
He/she is based in the Bassikounou office, MAURITANIA.
Under the supervision of the Country Director, the Program Manager is responsible for:
General Responsibilities
- Supervise and guide the implementation, management, coordination and achievement of expected results of RET projects in the country.
- Implement the RET strategy effectively and efficiently, within deadlines.
- Participate in the production of quality narrative reports, in coordination with management staff and in accordance with RET and donor expectations.
Specific responsibilities
Implementation of projects
- In coordination with the Country Director and Project Coordinators, the PM develops effective and efficient work plans, detailing each step necessary to achieve RET objectives, in accordance with contracts signed with donors.
- Closely monitor the implementation of the work plan and, if necessary, take any corrective action to ensure timely execution of activities and/or revision of the work plan.
- Guide project staff in their daily work, ensuring that activities are planned effectively and implemented in accordance with contracts signed with donors.
- Conduct frequent field visits, ensuring that project activities are implemented in accordance with work plan requirements and progress reports, in compliance with contracts signed with donors.
- Manage subordinates, ensuring that a good team spirit prevails.
- Report to the Country Director, in a timely manner, any discrepancies, difficulties or challenges encountered during the planning and implementation of activities, particularly when this could affect the achievement of RET objectives.
Finance, Administration and Logistics
- Coordinate closely with various support departments, namely Finance, Administration, Human Resources (HR) and Logistics, to ensure adequate allocation of resources required for effective and efficient implementation of projects.
- In coordination with the Project Coordinators, supervise and validate budget plans and financial/logistical/administrative documents necessary for the allocation of resources for the execution of planned activities.
- Ensure that subordinates comply with RET administrative processes and procedures.
- Participate in human resources management procedures (recruitment, performance management, staff development, etc.) when required, ensuring that subordinates have performance objectives and are managed fairly according to their performance.
- Participate in the preparation of accurate financial reports, as requested by the Country Director, in collaboration with the Head of the Finance Department.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting
- At the beginning of each project, participate in the development of the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan, tools and templates, under the supervision of the Regional M&E Manager (TARM).
- In collaboration with the Reporting Officer and the Project Coordinator(s), ensure that data on beneficiaries, processes, progress and program performance are collected, entered and analyzed in a timely manner, and documented in accordance with Data Quality Assurance (DQA) requirements, using appropriate project monitoring tools designed under the supervision of the Regional TARM.
- Monitor the implementation of programmatic activities with the Project Coordinator(s), in accordance with project work plans and M&E plans (timelines, milestones and objectives).
- Review completed M&E forms in the field (ensuring accuracy, completeness and timeliness) before uploading to Dropbox in collaboration with the Regional TARM. Simultaneously, ensure that an adequate M&E archiving system (traceability of M&E documents) is in place and maintained at the project and country level, in line with donor requirements.
- Participate in the timely development, review and correction of periodic consolidated project reports (e.g. monthly SitReps, quarterly or final reports), submitted by the Project Coordinator(s), comparing the reports to archived M&E forms, in accordance with RET HQ and regional requirements, as well as donor contractual obligations.
- Send final reports to Country Director for approval and submission to Regional TARM.
- Follow up on inconsistencies with the project team, resolving data discrepancies highlighted by the Reporting Officer, after reviewing and comparing monthly reports with M&E forms.
- Carry out periodic data quality checks, in coordination with the Regional TARM and the Country Director.
- Arrange frequent coordination calls (as needed) with the Regional TARM.
Leadership and Representation
- Provide leadership and supervised management of programs in Mauritania, including resource mobilization and management, program quality and accountability, and performance management.
- Provide general orientation to all program staff, including those working remotely and/or based in locations other than Bassikounou.
- Actively participate in country program management, coordination and strategy meetings with other members of the management team.
- Actively engage with donors, partner agencies and the humanitarian community in Bassikounou to ensure strong RET representation in coordination and advocacy efforts.
- Stay abreast of ongoing humanitarian responses and funding trends in the region and provide regular updates on these trends, as well as analyses of their potential impact on RET programming.
Strategic Direction, Program Quality and Growth
- Provide coherent leadership to the RET programme teams in Mauritania, ensuring that the priorities and opportunities identified are aligned with and contribute to the achievement of RET objectives in the region and the development and implementation of the Strategic Action Plan for Mauritania.
- Provide guidance to the program team on tools and strategies to ensure programming is based on community input, a deep understanding of context, and technical best practices.
- Work with project staff to ensure that in strategic and programmatic planning, the role of RET is defined in terms of how we can best complement the roles, capacities and strategies of Mauritanian actors.
- Manage project coordinators to ensure that partnership plans, maximizing opportunities for collaborative and principled partnerships in Mauritania, are maintained and strengthened, in line with the RET Strategic Action Plan.
Secondary Responsibilities
- Participate in the development of project proposals (narrative, operational and financial).
- If requested by the Country Director, participate in coordination meetings with authorities and/or partners.
- Perform any additional tasks requested by the Country Director.
In addition, like all RET staff:
- Comply with internal policies, ensuring that activities and their performance comply with the provisions of the Code of Conduct and other RET manuals.
- Working as a team to achieve RET goals.
- Transparently manage RET resources, completing assigned tasks effectively and efficiently.
- To propose, in a constructive manner, alternative solutions to problems that arise in the work area.
Basic Skills Required
- Management and Human Relations Skills : Ability to work independently and in a team, demonstrate management and leadership skills.
- Communication Skills : Developed written and oral communication skills, in English and the local official language. Ability to communicate clearly and sensitively with relevant institutions and organizations, as well as internal and external stakeholders as a representative of RET International. These skills include effective negotiation and representation.
- Integrity : Working with trust and integrity, with a clear commitment to RET International’s core values and humanitarian principles.
- Resilience/Adaptability and Flexibility : Working and living in a flexible, adaptable and resilient manner, in line with the humanitarian nature of RET International’s core activities.
- Awareness and Sensitivity to Self and Others : Demonstrate sensitivity to gender and diversity. Have experience and the ability to live and work in diverse cultural contexts in a culturally acceptable manner.
- Knowledge and Skills : Knowledge of Sphere standards and the NGO/Red Cross Code of Conduct. Requires general skills in finance, administration, reporting, monitoring and evaluation, project management, and information and telecommunications management.
- Confidentiality : Value and understand confidentiality and exercise discretion in handling employment or personnel matters.
Technical Skills
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, proficient level in local official language and English, both written and oral.
- Excellent word processing and computer skills, including knowledge of various software and full capabilities in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- People management, administration, project management, reporting, monitoring and evaluation, general knowledge of finance, experience working and interpreting data (preferably with presentation of documentary evidence).
- Flexibility to handle different tasks effectively and willingness to work extra hours when necessary.
Education / Experience
- University degree, preferably in social work, social sciences, project management or a related field (Master’s degree is preferred).
- Have at least two (2) years of verifiable experience in similar functions, with coordination of multidisciplinary teams in similar contexts or in areas of intervention.
- Experience working with communities in fragile and vulnerable contexts.
- Field work experience and positive response under pressure.
- Training and/or verifiable experience in humanitarian project management (formulation, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation), related to humanitarian assistance, shelter, migration, vulnerable or at-risk populations, youth and host communities.
- Experience in preparing reports, statistics and managing computer hardware and systems.
- Excellent level of French. English is considered an asset.
How to apply
Please send your complete application (CV, cover letter, references and salary expectations) to maur.courrier@theret.org before October 4, 2024. Only applications that comply with the terms of reference will be considered. Indicate in the subject of the email: “Program Manager (PM) – Bassikounou – Mauritania”.
