Associate Director (Africa Program Operations) at Center For Reproductive Rights

SCOPE: The job holder will support the Snr Regional Director in overseeing the Center’s engagement and programming in Africa and will engage with regional NGOs, donor representatives and relevant stakeholders, to position the Center on regional initiatives and to further the Center’s strategic goals.

The Associate Director will be an ambassador for organizational priorities and goals in the Africa program and support the program to implement the Center’s FY22-26 Strategic Plan. Exercising the delegated authority of the Snr Regional Director, the Associate Director will navigate the organization on behalf of the Africa program. A significant portion of the Associate Director’s time will be spent on business development activities, regional representational activities, Strategic Plan monitoring, and staff mentoring. The Associate Director will also be actively engaged in business development opportunities, especially around multi-year, high value projects.

The Associate Director will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Primary Responsibilities: 

Strategy:

• Work closely with the Snr Regional Director to ensure that the Center’s global strategy is understood and guides decision-making throughout the region.
• Work closely with the Snr Regional Director to capitalize on regional opportunities and experiences to further strengthen and develop the Center’s programming in the region.
• Integrate and link program management components with ongoing implementation, including strategy and planning, budgets, grants and contracts, and development.
• Coordinate Africa region contributions to strategic and planning processes and supporting Snr Regional Director to monitor the uptake and implementation of the strategic plan including workforce planning and strengthening Africa’s operating model.
• Oversee annual planning and periodic reporting and budget projections (internal and grants-based).
• Work with SEAL team to support development and implementation of new organizational systems for evaluation and learning with and for the Africa region.
• Contribute to increase the profile of the Center as a leading reproductive rights organization in the region.

Leadership & Coordination:

• Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely performance feedback, and leading documented semi-annual performance reviews.
• Provide leadership to increase program coordination, collaboration, communication and harmonization of programming with the broader Global Legal Program.
•  Drive seamless coordination between programming and operations and outcomes, with the objective of improving the quality of Center’s programs and impact on the beneficiaries.
• Oversee tracking of program implementation and facilitate coordination within the program and across other regions and departments.
•  Facilitate close and efficient coordination of Africa program support to the partners in the focal countries and with headquarters’ departments on common programming, operational and funding issues.
• Participate in key cross-departmental and cross-functional teams as representative of the Africa region, as needed.
• In close collaboration with the Senior Regional Director and technical leads, maintain oversight of the Africa region’s portfolio, managing the administrative and operational budgets and working closely with key staff on their program budgets.
• Support development of increased and strengthened internal channels of communication from and through departments and regional offices.
• Role modelling and supporting the development of an organizational culture that reflects the Center’s values, dual mandate and promotes accountability and high performance.
• Oversee operations for Africa program, including all aspects of internal processes and systems and ensuring smooth operations for Center’s Nairobi office.

Portfolio Management & Program Quality:

• Work closely with the GLP Operations to strengthen program management across the unit, including building program and project management capacities in the Africa region and disseminating learning and best practices.
• Oversee the grant portfolio, ensuring all programs are delivered in line with donor standards and aligned to the Center’s principles, values and strategy.
• Manage the region’s relationships with the Technical Units and support collaboration to optimize impact on program quality within and across the Africa program.
• Facilitate sharing and learning across the program and support thematic leads to incorporate learning into project design and operations management.  
• Ensure that programs are designed and implemented in support of Center’s vision of cost-effective, outcomes-driven and evidence-based interventions that are responsive to the local context and the priorities of our beneficiaries.
• Ensure implementation of, and adherence to the Center’s and donor policies relevant to the Africa program in coordination with the Compliance Unit and Office of the General Counsel.
• Drive/Establish/strengthen processes, develop structures and provide technical guidance on project cycle / grant management for Africa including sub-grant management and partnership.

Business Development & Partnerships:

• Play key role in new efforts to secure especially government funding for the Africa program and to integrate related systems and processes into the region’s operations.
• Oversee and support proposal development and writing processes and ensure timely submission of competitive, responsive and high-quality proposals that align with Center priorities.
• With Snr Regional Director oversee a rolling program of process and systems changes as required to support the Center’s ability to secure, manage, and sustain funding (WOW1)

Any other relevant function related work that may be determined for own area from time to time.

Qualifications:

• 15+ years of professional experience with several of these being in an international NGO senior program management.
• Master’s degree in relevant field preferred. 
• Experience in managing staff required.
• Significant program and project management experience with ability to work proactively and independently while facilitating teams to develop collaborative processes.
• Experience in dealing with large, restricted grants required especially specialized budgeting and attendant office administrative requirements.
• Ability to draft and effectively copy edit written communication such as memos, talking points, presentations, and emails and have an ability to translate technical information for lay audiences.
• Excellent computer skills and comfort working with database programs, CRMs, using Microsoft packages.
• A diverse background in programs, with strong understanding of Design, Monitoring & Evaluation, strong analytical skills, and experience leading strategic planning processes.
• Demonstrated expertise in representation and negotiations, resulting in securing significant new opportunities for the organization.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation, and coaching. Must be able to give direction from a variety of management styles and roles.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with limited supervision.
• Strong commitment to the Center’s mission, purpose, and values.
• Individual and team leadership with demonstrable dependability and diplomacy skills.
• Strategic global perspective with ability to see and understand the big picture and translate it into strategic processes.
• Demonstrated excellent writing and verbal communications skills.
• Planning, organizing and work management skills.
• Creativity and innovation to meet learning outcome in project.
• Work structuring skills with ability to manage multifaceted programs.
• Analytical/reasoning skills with solutions-oriented approach to work.
• Time perspective and ability to work under tight deadlines

Critical Competencies:

• Strategic thinking: Applies big-picture thinking while also focusing on the details of implementation.
• Decisiveness: Consistently makes sound decisions in a timely manner supportive of the Center’s mission, core values, and strategic objectives. Blends vision and judgment.
• Collaboration: Brings a track record of working effectively with various and diverse individuals and groups, and a willingness to actively listen and invite different views and opinions across all levels of the institution to build alignment in support of a common goal.
• Receives and Provides Direct Feedback: Actively gives and requests feedback to and from peers, supervisors and direct reports (if applicable) about work products, behaviors, values, style and approaches with a view on how this impacts self, other individuals and teams.
• Transparency: Consistently applies openness and honesty in communicating decisions and plans to team members.
• Commitment to learn: Applies a growth mentality to their own and their team’s (if applicable) development. Promotes a culture of learning by modeling inquisitiveness and an openness to viewing mistakes as an opportunity to learn and improve.
• Passion for Coaching, and Mentoring Staff: Empowers and motivates employees and creates opportunities for learning, development, and leadership, with a focus on harnessing skills for the future development of team members. (if applicable)
• Accountability: Follows through on each commitment made to individual contributors, teams and partners and proactively informs others of any delays that occur along the way. Holds team members accountable.
• Integrity: Possesses impeccable integrity and personal and professional values that are consistent with the Center’s high standards and mission.
• Empathy: Serves as an empathetic, approachable leader who engenders trust and confidence. (if applicable)
• Adaptability/Flexibility: Demonstrates comfort with ambiguity and calculated risk.