Country Programmes Manager at Malaria Consortium

Malaria Consortium is one of the world’s leading non-profit organisations specialising in the comprehensive prevention, control and treatment of malaria and other communicable diseases among vulnerable and under privileged populations. We increasingly find our work on malaria can be effectively integrated with other similar public health interventions for greater impact and therefore expanded our remit to include child health and neglected tropical disease interventions.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Country Programmes Manager Location: Abuja Department: Programmes Length of contract: Indefinite Role type: Global Grade: 11 Travel involved: Yes Child safeguarding level: 3 Reporting to: West and Central Africa Programmes Director Direct reports: BMGF Project Manager, Office Manager, Security Manager

Country and project background The Nigeria Country Office in Abuja started operations in 2008, through the DFID/UKaid funded Support to National Malaria Programme, SuNMaP (2008 – 2016). The office had presence in 23 states of the country and has managed at various times, about 15 programmes and projects. It follows the mandate of the parent organization in Nigeria and has been working specifically in the following areas:

• Malaria control/elimination;
• Integrated community case management (iCCM) for malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea;
• Nutrition; and
• Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
• Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention

Recently the portfolio of the projects and programmes have increased in number and complexities which will require adaptation and embedding of global best practise and organisational programme management processes and procedures to meet the new requirements. The operations of the organisation are now in the twelve states with possibility of this increasing by another three in the current financial year, some of which areas with security and other operational challenges which needs to be managed while ensuring appropriate duty of care of our staff and other personnel that participates in programmes supported by the organisation. Job Purpose

• The role of the Country Programmes Manager (CPM) is to provide leadership in the roll-out and efficient running of programme / project management systems and processes for all programmes and projects as a coherent portfolio within Malaria Consortium Nigeria office.
• The job holder will also oversee all security and operations activities in all locations and some projects in MC Nigeria as agreed with the West and Central Africa Programmes Director, who also functions as the Country Director.

Scope of Work:

• The position holder will work with all departments (Technical, Finance, Operations, HR and Compliance) to ensure that programme / project planning, implementation, M&E, reporting and finances, are in line with the programme proposals and operational plans whilst ensuring that programme/ project targets are met.
• He/she will be involved in needs assessments, development of programme / project concept notes and proposals as well as representing Malaria Consortium Nigeria in various national forums
• S/he will be responsible for adapting and roll-out of support services to the programme projects e.g. project management, value for money, security and operation services.
• S/he will make contributions to the development and periodic review of relevant MC Nigeria systems and policies.
• The position holder will also oversee the BMGF Project through line management of the Project Manager.

Key Working Relationships:

• The CPM will be a member of the Country Management Team (CMT), the Senior Management Team (SMT) and will report to the West and Central Programmes Director (WCAPD).
• S/he will work very closely with all departments (Technical, Finance, Logistics, HR & Admin) while supervising project managers to ensure that all Malaria Consortium Nigeria projects are implemented in line with donor guidelines and Malaria Consortium policies and procedures.

Key Accountabilities Programme management (50%)

• Develop and implement systems and processes for work planning, work plan review, monitoring and reporting ensuring that different donor grants are integrated into an overall consolidated work plan for the country office and demonstrate alignment with MC Country Strategy.
• Support PMs to ensure the development of appropriate work plans for each level in each of the projects, annual / quarterly / monthly / operational / activity plans and ensure these are linked to the forecast both in content and timing
• Support PMs to ensure programmes and projects are implemented as planned and all MC systems to ensure this (BVA, QPA etc) are complied with.
• Work closely with the Country Technical Coordinator to see that work plans are aligned with best technical approaches
• Ensure all relevant authorities and stakeholders are included in the planning and implementation of projects as appropriate
• Ensure regular cross functional project review meetings are held which include all relevant country and state office stakeholders. Such reviews should review output and outcome indicator progress against the project log frames, activity progress against work plans, financial progress against the forecast and compared to activity progress, and operational plans (procurement and HR plans)
• Work with the PMs to develop risk register for their projects and programmes and develop a consolidated risk register for the country office and set systems for the review of these risks including the mitigating actions
• Work with the PMs and other Country Office functional leads to respond to audit / review recommendations within the agreed timeline
• Work with the West and Central Africa Programmes Director to monitor the evolving security and humanitarian situation in all MC implementation sites, especially in the North – East Zone and consider operational and immediate responses to it
• Travel to the field as necessary to provide support and effective oversight to the field teams
• Maintain a good and proactive collaboration with the local authorities and partners
• Work with the Country Technical Coordinator to see that lessons and experiences are documented, and that programme improvement is data-informed
• Work with Compliance manager to ensure all donor and MC requirements for all projects and programmes are met
• Work with other country functional leads to develop and maintain as a management tool, a Value for Money (VFM) framework for the country office and track the key indicators and use these to improve efficient running of all MC office locations in the country
• Collate and develop a schedule for all different types of programme / project reporting including the quality assurance process and support PMs to ensure this is complied with
• Ensure monitoring systems are in place and that project reviews/audits are carried out periodically in conjunction with the team, local stakeholders and project partners

Strategic planning and management (10%):

• Provide strategic planning support to the West and Central Africa Programmes Director with focus on ensuring the relevance of Malaria Consortium’s role in Nigeria and contributes to the development, implementation and M&E of MC country strategy
• Support the West and Central Africa Programmes Director in identifying new business development opportunities which will include identifying areas of interest and identifying potential project partnerships
• Ensure regular communications are maintained between the different departments particularly between field teams, and the Abuja office

Finance (10%):

• Work with the CFM, PMs and Operations team to design roll-out systems that ensure the link of programme / project planning with MC annual budgeting and forecasting cycle.
• Work with WCA Programmes Director to monitor that Programme / Project Managers are efficiently and accurately managing their budgets and resources within allowable line item flexibility and there is full accountability of resources
• Work with the Country Finance Manager to monitor expenditure and budget compliance on a regular basis, report any concerns to the WCAPD and develop plans to mitigate any under or over expenditure at grant level
• Closely monitor programme / projects budget spending and burn rates

Operations and Security (25%):

• Oversee that the Office Manager runs MC office locations efficiently and safely using MC policies and tools, including security, power, internet, fleet, travel, safety and cleanliness and assets.
• Ensure all operational and management indicators are tracked and shared with WCAPD and PM and this is discussed at CMT
• Acts as the secretary to the CMT meeting and supports the Office Manager to ensure other meetings and platforms in all MC locations meet and operate efficiently
• Liaise with MC global operations manager and MC NG security manager to ensure
  • All locations have updated Safety and Security Plans which include risks and standard operating procedures, and which are regularly updated based on security context assessments.
  • That all staff are aware of the risks and SOPs and that heads of office in each location follow the SOPs.
  • That all staff have completed Safety and Security inductions and relevant online Security courses
  • That incidents are reported as per policy, with follow up actions agreed and implement to reduce the risk of similar incidents in the future
• Work with the West and Central Africa Programmes Director to monitor the evolving security and humanitarian situation in all MC implementation sites, especially in the North – East Zone and consider operational and immediate responses to it
• Work with the procurement team and project managers to ensure that procurement plans are in place, regularly referenced and updated to enable on time delivery at value for money.
• Identify and plan for any large programme and project accelerated activities that requires a surge in support services and take oversight in implementing such activities

Human Resource Management (5%):

• Contribute to recruitment and selection of staffing for programme and projects
• Line manages BMGF project manager, Office Manager and Security Manager using performance-based management approaches
• Acts as safeguarding focal point

Person Specification Qualifications and Experience: Essential:

• Postgraduate qualification in International Development, Public Health, Business Administration, Project Management or similar.
• Extensive experience in a similar role;
• Significant hands-on experience in project management at a senior level or management of large or multi-country programmes ideally in low or middle income countries
• Experience of managing projects with a budget size of over 5 million GBP
• Experience working in security challenged environments and/or humanitarian context
• Experience in proposal development and reporting
• Significant experience in budget holding duties
• Experience working in a multi-cultural team
• Strong experience with managing operational units in large international organisations
• Experience working in the management of public health programmes
• Strong team management skills with experience of working in disparate teams

Desirable:

• Experience working in Nigeria
• Programme management qualification e.g. PRINCE2
• Experience managing donor grants such as GFATM, DFID, BMGF, USAID or UNITAID
• Experience working on maternal and child health programmes, including community health delivery

Work-based skills Essential:

• Solid understanding of project management practices
• Ability to manage and prioritize high workload and multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines
• Ability to work under stressful conditions and to remain flexible and calm under pressure
• Excellent problem-solving skills
• Excellent English language skills, both spoken and written
• Excellent presentation skills
• Excellent negotiation skills
• A team player, with a friendly attitude
• Proactive and takes initiative as required
• Results-oriented work ethics
• Proven ability to deliver high quality projects on time and within budget
• Capable of establishing strong working relationships with colleagues from different functions and cultures
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel

Desirable:

• Project Monitoring and Evaluation skills
• Good capacity building skills especially mentoring and coaching
• Conversant with public health principles

Core competencies Delivering results: LEVEL C:

• Supports others to achieve results:
• Displays a positive and enthusiastic approach and is not deterred by setbacks, finding alternative ways to reach goals or targets.
• Supports others to plan and deliver results
• Supports others to manage and cope with setbacks

Analysis and use of information: LEVEL D:

• Analyses the external environment confidently:
• Generates a range of policy options and appraises them based on the internal and external evidence
• Develops ways of applying new knowledge and ensures lesson-learning with self and wider team
• Analyses the significance of external events and situations for Malaria Consortium

Interpersonal and communications: LEVEL D:

• Communicates complex technical and/or sensitive/high risk information effectively
• Influences internal and external audiences on specific issues
• Scans the internal and external environment for key information and messages to support communications strategies
• Communicates complex operational, technical and strategic issues clearly and credibly with widely varied audiences
• Uses varied communication to promote dialogue and shared understanding and consensus across a variety of audiences

Collaboration and partnering: LEVEL C:

• Builds strong networks internally and participates actively in external networks and think tanks
• Builds strong networks internally
• Participates actively in external networks and/or think tanks
• Engages with relevant experts to gather and evaluate evidence
• Shares and implements good practice with internal and external peers

Leading and motivating people: LEVEL C:

• Effectively leads and motivates others or direct reports.
• Gives regular, timely and appropriate feedback,
• Develops the skills and competences of others through the development and application of skills
• Coaches and supports team members when they have difficulties
• Acknowledges good performance and deals with issues concerning poor performance
• Carries out staff assessment and development activities conscientiously and effectively

Flexibility/adaptability: LEVEL D:

• Clarifies priorities and ensures learning from experience
• Clarifies priorities when leading change
• Sees and shows others the benefits of strategic change
• Helps colleague’s/ team members to practise stress management through prioritisation of workloads and modelling of appropriate self-management and care
• Makes time to learn from experience and feedback, and apply the lessons to new situations

Living the values: LEVEL D:

• Acts as a role model in promoting Malaria Consortium’s values
• Champions and takes ownership of corporate decisions, values and standards and ensures team members implement them in a positive manner

Core competencies:

• Acts as role model internally and externally in promoting Malaria Consortium's values
• Is accountable for ensuring that cultural awareness is demonstrated across the area(s) they manage
• Strategic planning and thinking and sector awareness

LEVEL C:

• Keeps up to date with the internal and external environment
• Takes into account economic, political and other business factors when drawing up medium and long-term plans, covering both public and private sectors
• Looks beyond the immediate operations to prospects for new business
• Engages with appropriate internal and external sources to establish major influences on future plans

How to Apply Interested and qualified candidates should: Click here to apply