Director of Programmes at Simavi

Purpose of the job

The Director of Programmes is a critical and leading role in Simavi’s team whereby the postholder will provide overall leadership to Simavi’s programmes ensuring these are impactful, relevant and delivered in an accountable and timely manner and are aligned to Simavi’s Strategic Plan 2022 - 2025. In addition, the Director of Programmes will also help Simavi grow and evolve its programmes ensuring Simavi innovates and is relevant in a fast changing world.

The Programme Director is accountable to and coached by the Managing Director and in turn coaches senior staff including the Circle Lead for Program Quality (MEL), Program Managers, Senior programme officers and the Program Assistant and Financial Support Officer.

Role summary

• Concept developer, thematic and country knowledge expert: Provide quality leadership for the planning, design and quality delivery of national and community-based programs aligned to Simavi’s key focus areas, in countries in Africa and Asia in collaboration with Simavi’s partners.
• Programme Management: Provide oversight and leadership to a programme team of professionals based in the Netherlands and in Africa and Asia and represent Simavi on programme steering committees within consortium partner arrangements.
• Opportunity Scout: Lead in Africa and Asia on Simavi’ s fundraising and partnership development and influencing, campaigns and external engagement work
• Partnership architect: Expand Simavi’s strategic partnership relationships with external actors, including but not limited to institutional donors, national governments, policy makers and peer networks
• Cluster lead and Coach: Identify and recruit “strong talent”, counsel and encourage with daily work, career job challenges, and provide performance assessments
• Strategist: identify strategic opportunities to expand the programme portfolio, increase Simavi’s visibility and credibility and advance our mission and vision in a changing world.

What you bring

• Academic level of education
•  A minimum of 5 years of senior programme management experience in a comparable position in developing countries in Africa and/or Asia, ideally in Simavi’s area of work.
• Strategic programme and organizational thinking, framing and application.
• Strong programme strategy, fundraising and partnership development experience
• Good substantive knowledge of development cooperation in general, and specifically in Water and Sanitation + and Climate Justice.
• Affinity and experience with Simavi’s ‘Shift the Power’ ambition (seeking to be globally balanced in vision and practice).
• Broad network across a variety of stakeholders and actors, especially in Africa and Asia
• Experience in managing hybrid teams (including remote management) and working globally multi-cultural contexts is a pre
• Specific Knowledge and Experience :
  • Excellent verbal, reading and writing skills in English.
  • Forward thinking and innovative
  • Affinity with feminist leadership and agile and networked ways of working

Closing: 20th of November 2022