Programme Director, Horn of Africa Programme at Conciliation Resources

Job Purpose

The Programme Director leads Conciliation Resources’ peacebuilding and conflict resolution work in the Horn of Africa. They are responsible for managing the Horn of Africa programme team, providing strategic leadership and operational management to the whole team, with direct line management of three staff. The postholder is responsible for the successful implementation of a programme of diverse projects, including facilitation of dialogue processes; dealing with the past; promoting community inclusion and engagement in peace processes, contributing to research and analysis on peace and conflict drivers and dynamics. This includes oversight of the full project cycle, including design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, narrative and financial reporting. The Programme Director is responsible for setting and overseeing the management of the programme’s budget, and for ensuring the integrity and credibility of Conciliation Resources’ reputation in the Horn of Africa. She or he leads the team’s efforts to secure new funding for our work in the [context], developing new project concepts as well as relationships with existing and new donors. The Programme Director is a member of the Africa department leadership team and the organisational-wide Teams Leadership Forum (TLF). The post is based in Addis/Nairobi/Jigjiga and will involve frequent travel in the region.

Person specification

Essential knowledge, skills and experience

• Significant project management experience, designing and implementing conflict resolution and peacebuilding interventions, including programme design, budget development, programme implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
• Practical and conceptual knowledge of peacebuilding and conflict transformation processes, of processes of social and political change and of supporting the development of local capacities for peacebuilding.
• Extensive knowledge of the social and political landscape in the Horn of Africa context and wider region, and its conflicts.
• Experience of working with local and national partners in an accompaniment and mentoring role, including capacity building and due diligence.
• Significant financial management, including experience preparing and managing annual budgets of at least £1m, monitoring and forecasting spend, and overseeing internal and external financial reporting.
• Experience of leading government or other donor-funded programmes, including donor relationship management, programme development and narrative and budget reporting.
• Experience of line managing staff, including task management, performance management and professional development.
• Significant experience of securing funding for new work, including concept development, building donor relationships and writing proposals and budgets.
• Experience of and sensitivity to communicating with multicultural and diverse audiences.
• Excellent communication skills, to communicate complex issues effectively and adjust communication style to varying circumstances, including ability to listen actively to people from varying backgrounds and with a range of political, cultural, gender and sexual identities and value orientations, combined with an ability to engage with them clearly and sensitively.
• Excellent written and spoken English
• Experience living and working in the Horn of Africa region.
• Experience implementing projects in difficult social and political situations or conflict contexts, and experience of hostile environment training or willingness to undertake hostile environment training.
• Excellent organisational and coordination skills, including the ability to think and plan strategically while also retaining close attention to detail, to manage and prioritise a diverse and demanding workload, to convene and run efficient meetings and meet deadlines.
• Ability to navigate political sensitivities and awareness of the complexity of working in conflict-affected situations, including appreciation of confidentiality and handling sensitive information with due care.
• Willingness and ability to work irregular hours on occasions and to undertake frequent international travel in sometimes uncomfortable or insecure conditions.
• Excellent word processing, spreadsheet, database and email software skills.

Desirable knowledge, skills and experience

• Experience facilitating dialogue processes.
• Experience undertaking advocacy with policymakers.
• Knowledge of Somali, Afaan Oromo and Amharic languages is desirable