Senior Program Manager - Bilingual at African Management Institute (AMI)

Job Description

• AMI is seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Programme Manager (with strong French & English skills) to oversee the end-to-end quality delivery of pan-African programmes. This is a chance for an outstanding entrepreneurial leader to be part of Africa’s transformation, and to help shape, build, and scale one of its most innovative social businesses.
• The Senior Programme Manager will be part of the team implementing partner-based programmes under the AMI Impact unit. You will be a key player in a dynamic, global team focused obsessively on results. The role will report to one of our Lead Programmes, depending on the nature of the assigned programmes.
• The Senior Programme Manager must be a driven, organized, tech-savvy professional with great people and project-management skills, the ability to lead complex programmes with very senior management participants, and to interface with experienced and influential client partners and stakeholders. Given the pan-African scope, strong proficiency in French (written and spoken) is essential, as many of the programmes will engage partners, clients, and participants across Francophone Africa.
• In addition, the Senior Programme Manager must collaborate with and influence internal teams to ensure exceptional delivery.
• The Senior Programme Manager will play a key role in joining the dots between our world-class content and their client on the ground. 

Programme Management

• Lead project implementation end to end, from planning, budget monitoring, monitoring programme outcomes, and reporting.
• Manage stakeholders and participants in complex programmes and ensure that programme deliverables are met within stringent timelines while identifying stakeholders' and participants' pain points and proactively communicating resolutions.
• Lead the project team, co-ordinating team member activities to ensure a world class client and delegate experience
• Ensure on time delivery of all project milestones
• Problem solve challenges and proactively identify resolutions
• In collaboration with the M&E team, capture project outcomes/impact and lessons learned and share with internal and external programme stakeholders
• Maintain accurate programme data and analyse programme data and feedback to ensure core programme metrics and targets are being met (adapt as necessary)
• Identify programme risks at the start of the programme, and ensure programme risks are effectively managed.
• Liaise with clients throughout learning programs to ensure programs run smoothly and issues are dealt with in a timely manner
• Hold the responsibility of managing programme budget and reporting on the programme's financials- with support of the finance team, prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual project budgets and align project budget with stakeholders.

Stakeholder management

• Build, maintain and own robust relationships with external stakeholders, including financial institutions, government agencies, NGOs, and other partners
• Lead in project activity delivery and ensure relevant stakeholders are updated and notified of all project activities - keeping them informed of requirements, key context, and changes, and problem solving collaborative
• Manage external consultants who provide specific expertise or logistical support on various programme components to support programme delivery

Strategic oversight and business development

• Make connections between programmatic activities and outcomes and the strategic objectives of this initiative - for the client  and AMI

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Ensure programmes have impact and are valued by clients: Evaluate core learning outcomes and metrics within learning programmes and work with internal teams to advise on the adaptation of design and delivery to resolve issues in real-time.
• Co-write, edit and sign off on client reporting, ensuring alignment to developed M&E framework
• Contribute to M&E framework iterations
• Hold responsibility for ongoing client satisfaction and programme renewal

Innovation and Product Development:

•  Collaborate very closely with the Innovation and Product development teams to develop project plans to continuously improve our solutions, products and programmes
• Lead and manage complex development projects that involve substantial innovation and product development aspects

Requirements

• Minimum of 8 years’ relevant work experience
• Undergraduate degree in a related field; Master’s degree preferred
• Bilingual proficiency (English and French) strongly preferred
• Education and/or experience in the African agriculture sector highly valuable
• Experience in leadership development or skills programmes preferred
• Project management training an advantage, with strong project planning skills and familiarity with relevant tools/systems
• Strong gravitas and relationship management skills; highly relational.
• Exceptional attention to detail with the ability to identify risks and challenges in advance, problem-solve, and plan accordingly