Head of Programmes- Nairobi at Terre des hommes (TDH)

• The role works across programme implementation, programme design, programme quality, monitoring and evaluation, grant management, donor compliance, team management, and external representation. The right candidate will be comfortable working across competing priorities and maintaining a positive working culture during challenging periods. The complexity of the portfolio requires a mature approach to management and leadership that recognizes our success is dependent on our people – our staff and relationships with those we serve.

We’re seeking a character that values collaboration, has a positive and respectful approach to team management and leadership, and values learning from both success and failure.

Travel to field sites in Dadaab, Kakuma, Garissa, and Nairobi will be required on a regular basis and up to 40% of the time.

Specific Responsibilities

More specifically He/She has the following responsibilities:

Management:

• Ensures project implementation and activities are on scope, on time, and on budget.
• Lead proposal development and maintain oversight of quality in the process and results.
• Ensure effective grant management and compliance with donor requirements.
• Ensure active participation and consultation of those we service in our projects.
• Generate new ideas for programmes in line with the Kenya and global strategies.
• Produce analysis and reports on the progress for management decision making as a senior management team (SMT).
• Collaborate with other SMT (HR, Logs, Finance) members to ensure smooth operations, joint problem solving, and effective wider team management.
• Provide leadership to the team and foster a positive working culture with wellbeing and open communication at the center.
• Lead on a programme quality framework built on evidence, data, and information generated by the monitoring and evaluation team under your management.
• Provide leadership and vision for the programmes teams to ensure quality and delivery in all activities.
• In connection with the delegation technical adviser(s), ensures the compliance of technical practices with the Tdh’s remit and the major strategic lines.
• Makes regular visits to programs and activities in the field and informs the Head of Delegation and the other colleagues involved of possible problems, challenges or identified obstacles.

Strategy and analysis:

• Follows the evolution of the humanitarian and political context of the country of operations and shares this information with the Head of Delegation and his/her collaborators; actively contributes to drafting the context analysis.
• Actively participates in identifying the needs and proposes adapted responses as part of the implementation of the country strategy in concert with the program coordination team.
• In concert with program coordinators and experts and the project leaders, in collaboration with the support department and under the supervision of the Head of Delegation, defines the country strategy and interventional plan for the delegation and recommends realistic adjustments if necessary (including in terms of resources where necessary).
• Acts as the interlocutor with regional and HQ technical teams and leads on decision making for quality standards in programming.
• Ensures that the country strategy is in harmony with the Foundation’s values and remit.

Human Resources:

• Supervises and oversees a diversified team, guaranteeing cohesion and good coordination between them for the successful execution of programs.
• Supports the Head of Delegation in the design and implementation of an organizational structure, participates in defining the roles and responsibilities needed for the proper execution of activities.
• May be led to participating in the recruitment of their collaborators.
• Ensures a constant effort of strengthening national and international teams’ capacity according to the needs identified and proposes internal and external training activities.
• Drafts field job descriptions, participates and leads coordination meetings, resolves any conflicts when required, defines activity priorities and scheduling.

Representation

• Ensures good information reporting from the field to the coordination office.
• Supports the Head of Delegation by taking part in coordination meetings and in this regard, represents Tdh locally with donors, the authorities, partners, etc.
• Ensures Tdh sectorial representation in various forums.
• May be led to act as a Tdh spokesperson with the media upon a request by the Head of Delegation.

Reporting

• Oversees the delegation grant reporting tracker to anticipate reporting deadlines.
• Consolidates the monthly drafting of sitreps about monitoring current activities in the delegation and submits them for endorsement to the Head of Delegation.
• Contributes to the drafting of quarterly, intermediary and final reports intended for donors.
• Contributes to the drafting of any other document is necessary and upon request.

Finance

• In adhering to the GAP, participates in fund-raising and negotiations with donors to ensure adequate funding for current and future programs.
• Ensures program budget follow-up together with the heads of the departments involved.
• Ensure compliance with all internal policies and requirements for yourself and the wider programmes teams.

Skills and Competences

You will need to be a creative, visionary, and organized leader with strong inter-personal skills and an eye for detail. You will need to be empathetic, calm, and able to prioritise well during busy periods.

• Strong working knowledge of child rights, child protection, health and nutrition, or migration.
• Ethical and empathetic leadership experience and management of large teams and programmes.
• Experience participating in strategy development and review process, including development of programmatic approaches.
• Ability to develop detailed and concise briefs, policies, guidance, and instructions.
• High level of writing competency, including proposal, log-frame, and budget development.
• Ability to develop programme quality standards and seek input from technical teams.
• Ability to synthesise information and data for management decision making.
• Capacity to plan, organize, and prioritise your own workload and that of your team during periods of high workload.
• Significant experience in designing and managing projects and implementing multi-sectorial operations
• Knowledge of humanitarian, practical and standard principles (Sphere)
• Experience in representation (donors, authorities, partners)
• Experience in supervising multicultural teams
• Experience working on emergency, protracted and development projects.
• Strong organizational skills, the ability to work autonomously and take initiative, and a commitment to meeting deadlines.
• An analytical and creative mind that seeks continuous learning and improvement.
• A results-driven mindset.
• Confident in public speaking and able to clearly articulate key messages in open fora (conferences, workshops) and actively participate in external meetings.

Required conditions

Training/Qualifications : Master’s Degree in relevant social science

Experience

• Minimum of three years in a senior aid programme role.
• Minimum of eight years of progressive professional experience in social impact work.
• Working knowledge of refugee affairs, child rights, protection, and system strengthening.
• Experience and knowledge of effective financial and budgetary control and managing grants from major institutional donors.
• Experience in at least one of Tdh’s thematic sectors: Health and Nutrition, Access to Justice, or Migration / refugee affairs.
• Experience managing teams for resource mobilisation and submitting proposals including large proposals in a wide range of thematic areas
• Experience working with high level government agencies and academics on issues related to children
• Proven experience in new business development, project design, and donor proposal design with corporate, foundations and institutional donors
• Proven experience in developing and managing monitoring, evaluation and learning systems