Programs Director At Adventist Development and Relief Agency International

Adventist Development and Relief Agency Myanmar Vacancy Announcement

Position: Programs Director

Reports to: Country Director

Location: Yangon, Myanmar

Supervises: Programs Unit (Program Coordinators, Managers and technical staff)

About ADRA:

ADRA is the global humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church – part of the 20 million-strong Adventist community, with hundreds of thousands of churches globally and the world’s largest integrated healthcare and education network. ADRA delivers relief and development assistance to individuals in more than 118 countries – regardless of their ethnicity, political affiliation, gender, or religious association. By partnering with local communities, organizations, and governments, ADRA is able to deliver culturally relevant programs and build local capacity for sustainable change.

ADRA Myanmar is an ‘implementing office’ within the ADRA network and a registered and recognized NGO in Myanmar. Established in 1984, ADRA Myanmar is one of the oldest offices in ADRA providing development and relief assistance opportunities throughout the country. ADRA Myanmar operates under multi sectors that cater to Education, Food Security & Livelihoods, Health, Nutrition, WASH and Humanitarian.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Myanmar is seeking applications for the position of Program Director. This influential position is responsible for the coordination of all programmatic activities of ADRA in Myanmar, including oversight of program quality and implementation, development of new programs, coordination with development partners and key stakeholders and formulation of program strategy that is consistent with organizational strategy in Myanmar and sensitive to the contextual changes and trends in Myanmar, rapidly changing political and economic conditions and the peace process in Myanmar. The program director should demonstrate:

• Strong professional leadership experience in the humanitarian and development sectors
• Ability to work strategically, developing innovative ways to meet the needs of the vulnerableand marginalized communities
• Experience in engaging with development partners in the formation of new strategies andprograms
• Good networking skills and experience in working with organizational partnerships andconsortiums
• The ability to build capacity of the program team

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. General duties

• Uphold the mission, vision and values of ADRA Myanmar.
• To adhere the rules and regulations, procedures, and policies of ADRA Myanmar.

1. Program Management: Ensuring program relevance, quality and values.
   • Ensure compliance of project implementation with international/national standards, donor policies, standards and contractual requirements and relevant government policies.
   • Coordinate systematic project reporting with project managers / program coordinators and finance department
   • Maintain programmatic communication with all donors, including the negotiations for the approval by donors of any recommended changes to project plans, if required and any amendments needed in terms of project scope, targets, budget, and possible extensions.
   • Mentor and assist program team members and project managers throughout the project cycle to use effective systems in selection and validation of beneficiaries, development of detailed implementation plans, fulfilling M&E requirements, logistics management, coordination and problem solving.
   • Organize best practice and lessons learned results to be published to the ADRA network, donors, and local government.
   • Ensure that all major program decisions and commitments are approved by the organization’s Administration Committee (ADCOM), and in the case of new projects, that they are presented for approval by the Board of Directors.
   • Ensure the relevance, quality, and effectiveness of ADRA’s programs in alignment with donor requirements and organizational strategies.
   • Oversee the full program cycle, from design to implementation and evaluation.
   • Coordinate systematic reporting with Program Managers, Program Coordinators, and the Finance Department.
   • Maintain strong communication with donors and ensure timely submission of program reports and amendments
   • Lead the development of high-quality program proposals, identifying funding opportunities and coordinating with internal teams.
   • Ensure all proposals align with donor requirements and ADRA’s strategic goals.
   • Develop training and development plans to strengthen the skills of national staff, enabling them to manage and lead program activities independently.
   • Design and implement programs that are sensitive to the complexities of conflict environments, prioritizing staff safety and program adaptability.
   • Drive the creation and execution of long-term program strategies aligned with ADRA’s mission and responsive to Myanmar’s evolving political and economic landscape.
   • Mentor and support program teams, fostering a high-performance work environment.
   • Conduct periodic staff performance assessments and ensure opportunities for professional development.
   • Ensure efficient financial management, planning, and reporting for all programs.
   • Work closely with the Finance Department to maintain compliance with donor guidelines and internal financial policies.
   • Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including donors, government agencies, and consortium partners.
   • Represent ADRA Myanmar at national and international forums, influencing policy and programmatic discussions.
   • Identify and mitigate risks associated with program implementation, ensuring safety and security protocols are in place for staff and programs.
   • Contribute to fundraising efforts through proposal writing and cultivating relationships with donors and potential funding sources.
   • Ensure that all programs meet internal standards, donor requirements, and international best practices for development and humanitarian work.
   • Advocate for key issues in national and international forums, promoting ADRA’s programs and influencing policy change when necessary.
2. Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEAL): Assessing and communicating program progress, challenges and constraints with relevant internal and external stakeholders for improvement and learning.

• Ensure the establishment of appropriate Monitoring and Evaluation systems and tools to track progress of projects, capture lessons learned and ensure that appropriate information is disseminated to relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure donor progress and financial reports are submitted according to submission schedule.
• Ensure that project baseline, mid-term and final evaluations, as well as lessons learned workshops are conducted and results disseminated. Support the development of evaluation terms of references and the recruitment and management of any external evaluation consultants.
• Monitor projects on a regular basis and share monitoring reports with project managers and the country director, including areas for improvement to be considered and followed-up.
• Supervision of the MEAL Coordinator

1. Human Resources: Program team members are qualified, have the opportunity to develop experience, access to adequate resources, and deliver expected individual and program results.

• Support the Country Office in the recruitment of key program personnel (managers, specialists etc.)
• Providing managerial and technical support to project teams in translating operational plans into activities, defining work priorities and required performance through mentoring and project field visits and the assessment of progress towards achieving objectives.
• Ensure the provision of logistics, procurement, and financial training to appropriate project team members in collaboration with the Finance Unit.
• Ensure all program and project related staff have relevant and up-to-date job descriptions with key competencies and clear responsibilities.
• Periodically assess the performance of Country Office program team members and project managers against agreed outcomes and responsibilities as required in cooperation with HR.
• Provide opportunity for all program staff to develop and maintain professional capacity and currency within their assigned fields of responsibilities and expertise.
• Affirm and support program staff through personal and professional growth.
• Support the organizational assessment process for ADRA partner organizations

1. Business Development: Development of new programs.

• Drive the development of program strategies.
• Take primary responsibility for the development and quality control of proposals.
• Lead the overall planning for field assessments and ensure that processes are adequate and produce necessary information for proposal development.
• Ensure the implementation and updating of policies, procedures and guidelines on program issues

1. External Relations: Building relationships with key stakeholders.

• Become an active member in INGO meetings such as EiE Sector, Cash WorkingGroup, Shelter/CCCM cluster, EDPCG, EESR, INGO TVET group, EU-DTVET coordination, Food Security Working Group etc. as appropriate or designate other responsible persons to represent ADRA in technical coordination.
  • Liaise with Union/ State/ Township government representatives, cluster groups, SDA institutions and churches, NGOs, and local communities in meetings and events.
  • Develop relationships with potential donors in the region with the objective of identifying opportunities for cooperation and harmonization, and in particular for coordination on national advocacy initiatives.
  • Draw on ADRA’s experience and partnerships to influence strategies and policies of development partners and the government.
  • Coordinate with ADRA Network offices, and in particular the DONEX group of ADRA Offices who have a particular interest in program development and coordination on strategy.
  • Explore options for in-country partnerships with Corporate Social Responsibility funding mechanisms

Key Competencies:

• Decisiveness: Makes clear decisions even in complex situations; takes responsibility for projects and people.
• Leadership: Provides direction, sets standards, and motivates the team.
• Analysis: Integrates diverse data to generate solutions and make well-reasoned decisions.
• Persuasion: Creates a credible and positive impression when engaging with stakeholders.

Job Requirements:

The successful candidate will need previous experience in the humanitarian/development sector, and have a proven track record in management, and the ability to lead a successful team. Also, the ability to manage a culturally diverse and dynamic environment is essential.

1. The Program Director will be accomplished in:
   • Deciding and initiating action – Makes prompt, clear decisions which may involve tough choices or considered risks; takes responsibility for actions, projects and people
   • Leading and supervising – Provides others with a clear direction; sets appropriate standards of behavior
   • Persuading and influencing – Creates a positive and credible impression on others; negotiates well with others and explores a range of possibilities
   • Analysis – Analyses and integrates verbal, numerical and other data; produces a range of solutions to problems and considers the practical issues related to implementing them
   • Makes logical, rational and well-reasoned judgments; demonstrates an understanding of how one issue may be part of a larger system or process
2. Education and Experience
   • The successful candidate will ideally possess either graduate (Masters level) qualification in international development linked to another related technical field.
   • Qualifications and working experience in Education, Health, Rural Development, Agriculture, Agricultural Value Chains and Natural Resource Management technical sectors are an asset.
   • 5+ years of demonstrated senior/ leadership experience in significant emergency response and development management roles
   • Strong skills in networking with international actors with international experience
   • Experience in conflict settings and ability to work in a conflict sensitive manner.
   • Proven experience of using MS office application (Word, Excel, Access)
3. Key Skills/Abilities:
   • Strong written and verbal English communication skills; ability to write clear, structured, articulate, and persuasive proposals and reports, strong editing skills
   • A personal commitment to ADRA’s mission, vision, values and beliefs
   • A passion for social justice and community service delivery
   • Ability to handle multiple assignments in deadline-driven environments
   • Strong contributor and leader in team environments
   • Demonstrated mentoring, coaching, and team leadership skills
   • Ability to travel extensively in rural project sites Attention to details

How to apply

This position is a contract position (renewable based on funding and performance). Remuneration is as per ADRA Myanmar’s approved wage scale. Interested candidates are invited to send an email to PD@adramyanmar.org to request an application form and obtain guidelines for the application submission process.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and ADRA reserves the right to stop the application process once a suitable candidate has been identified. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

At ADRA, we are committed to the safeguarding and protection of the communities, staff and other people we work with. We will do everything possible to ensure that only those who can promote a working environment free from abuse or harm to anyone that works with or comes into contact with ADRA are recruited. This post is subject to a range of vetting checks.