Program Manager (Zvishavane)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

World Vision is a global Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. We are a community of close to 40,000 staff working across the world to help change the lives of vulnerable children. Our supporters, partners and staff join forces with communities on the ground to help children enjoy good health, be educated for life, experience the love of God and their neighbours and be cared for, protected and participating in addressing issues that affect their lives. World Vision has been active in Zimbabwe since 1973. Our operations are spread across 9 out of 10 provinces, with a majority of over 1.75 million beneficiaries in rural areas. Our current programs focus on improving the well-being of boys and girls in three priority sectors: health and nutrition, livelihoods and education. We also focus on child protection, gender and disabilities, emergency assistance and resilience building as cross cutting priorities across our programs.

World Vision Zimbabwe is committed to the safeguarding of staff, children and communities that we work with, preventing any type of unwanted behavior at work, including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct. We are committed to promote the welfare of children, youth, adults and individuals with whom World Vision engages with. World Vision expects all staff to share this commitment through our conduct and behavior. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work with us. If you share the same vision and values, JOIN US and contribute to life in all its fullness for the children and communities we serve.

Please be advised that the position is contingent upon contract award and client approval.

Job Title: Program Manager

Work Location: Zvishavane

Contract duration: 3 years

About the Project

World Vision seeks qualified Project Manager Candidates for an anticipated Education project in Zimbabwe, to be funded by Anglo American. World Vision and its partners will support equitable student learning outcomes through Quality Teaching, Learning and Delivery of Educational Services”.in Shurugwi district of Zimbabwe. The Project Manager will be responsible for ensuring that the action is implemented in accordance with the Anglo American and World Vision standards towards achieving the World Vision Zimbabwe National Office education objectives. The Manager will represent the action to all key stakeholders, government officials, and donors at coordination fora, meetings and other related external engagements and nurture relationships to ensure the success of the action. S/he will have overall responsibility of coordinating partners and stakeholders, and ensuring the action is implemented within scope, budget and time.

Purpose of the position

The Project Manager will work closely with key external and internal stakeholders to provide action updates, discuss and agree on programming strategies, solutions to identified challenges, performance plans, and progress indicators.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and Program Deliverables

• Provide overall leadership, management, and general technical direction for the project, ensuring an integrated vision among diverse project components and actors with a focus on achieving the desired outcomes.
• Ensure that the program is implemented according to its design, quality standards, and schedule.
• Provide leadership in mitigating, monitoring and escalating issues to assure resolution of all operational, context/exogenous and performance risks.
• Supervise program monitoring, evaluation, and reporting and ensure quality control.
• Ensure effective program implementation through ongoing donor engagement.
• Cultivate a culture of collaboration and innovation to assure program delivery strategies achieve agreed program outputs and outcome level results.
• Oversee the preparation and timely submission of quality program reports, annual program budgets and quarterly financial forecasts with close monitoring and tracking of all program expenditures.
• Ensure strict donor compliance, implementation and management of the program.
• Ensure that all arising program issues are addressed appropriately and timely.

Staff Management

• Manage program staff to ensure their performance meets or exceeds contractual requirements.
• Ensure regular meetings among program staff and partners as needed.
• Ensure that program staff are familiar with donor policies, procedures, guidelines, and program reporting formats.
• Provide strategic leadership and supervision of the program.

Financial Management

• Ensure the efficient management of program financial resources, including the review and approval of program budgets and monitoring/tracking of all expenditures.
• Manage the program budget within approved spending levels and ensure accurate and timely financial reports to the donor.
• Develop and apply risk mitigation strategies to monitor and adapt to contextual and other operational, financial and technical risks.
• Ensure the timely and appropriate negotiation of programmatic and financial revisions and adaptations, involving key program stakeholders.

External Engagement and Relationship management

• Nurture and maintain active relationships with key stakeholders including government officials (especially from Ministry of Primary and Secondary and related institutions).
• Represent the project and the organisation in key fora and ensure the sharing of information related to the action achievements, lessons learnt and other related matters of interest to relevant internal and external stakeholders.
• Develop and build linkages with other organizations and other WVI offices that contribute towards the effective delivery of program outcomes.
• Build the recognition and reputation of the program among stakeholders including government, peer organizations, and donors and develop the capacity to effectively communicate World Vision Zimbabwe’s value proposition as a partner of choice.
• In liaison with the Resource Development and Donor Engagement (RDDE) unit and other stakeholders, generate, review and share action updates, quarterly and annual reports.

Human Resources Management and Capacity Building

• Develop and maintain an adequate human resource plan for the program as guided by WV policies, donor requirements and local laws.
• Supervision of field operations, administration, logistics and procurement processes.
• Ensure and invest in appropriate technical capacity building of program staff to effectively deliver program results.
• Motivate staff to work as teams and focus on strategic priorities in delivering program results.
• Build the capacity of staff on safeguarding issues, PSEA, INEE and Sphere standards.

Learning and Innovation

• Ensure key learnings, successes and best practices from the program are documented and shared internally and externally as relevant.
• Facilitate research and adoption of innovative programming strategies towards achieving program outcomes.
• Coordinate regular program review and reflection sessions to facilitate dialogue and learning on project/program Implementation.
• Promote the scale up and replication of documented best practices in the program.

Other

• Support resource mobilisation to strengthen the impact of the action.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• A degree in Social Sciences/Development, Education or related field.
• Technical expertise, particularly in the design and implementation of projects with experience in relief or development programming, project management and implementation.
• In-depth understanding of the education sector and in Zimbabwe.
• At least 3 years’ experience managing a medium to large-scale Education project.
• Effective written and oral communication skills and experience working in an office environment. The ability to use a computer (word for windows excel software) and email is essential.
• Demonstrated experience of managing a project with international and local partners.
• Experience in liaising and coordinating with government, multilateral and bilateral donors in the design and implementation of projects.
• Demonstrated experience in managing complex programs with a budget of more than $USD 1 million
• Training and team management skills.
• Community mobilization skills and the ability to manage and coordinate meetings with local community leaders, government officials, NGOs and other stakeholders (ensuring GESI).
• Interpersonal skills and cross-cultural sensitivity.

Work Environment/Travel:

• Typical 40 % in office and 60% in the field.

NB: Shortlisting will be done as applications are received. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Female candidates are encouraged to apply.