Jobs at Flone Initiative

Role Description

• This is a full-time on-site role for an Operations Program Manager. The Operations Program Manager will oversee day-to-day operations, manage programs and projects, and ensure the organization's smooth running. This role is located in Kiambu, Kenya.

Strategic leadership

• As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), contribute to strategic direction, organisational decision-making, and other management related issues
• Encourage and promote empowering and collaborative leadership, effective management, and a culture of openness, innovation and accountability in line Flone’s values
• Regularly update and account to SMT on programs work and provide expert advice.
• Identify the key gaps and opportunities in the external public policy and service delivery environments where Flone programmatic and advocacy interventions can have high impact and bring about progressive change.
• Identify the key gaps and opportunities in the public transport sector where Floans’s programmatic and advocacy interventions can have high impact and bring about progressive change
• Leads the design of quality projects and proposals for implementation of Flone’s strategic plan
• Guide the development of policy and advocacy programs
• Communicate Flone’s impact through strategic media engagements including writing, radio and tv interviews etc
• Deputise for, and represent, the Executive Director as required

Program design and implementation

• Lead the planning and design of high quality programmes around for gender equity, inclusion and movement building ,
• Ensure effective programme design and delivery in line with Flones’s strategic plan,
• Set high standards and protocols for programming quality that reflect adherence to technical standards, best practice and donor guidelines,
• Work collaboratively with Grants and Partnerships Office to mobilise resources, effectively manage relationships, negotiations and communication efforts with donors and partners in all phases of project design and implementation
• Assist in development of funding and partnership proposals
• Develop and ensure timely monthly, quarterly and annual programmatic reporting and information
• Develop operational plans and budgets for the implementation of programmes.
• Manage and monitor expenditure against budgets for strategic and annual plans in adherence to financial guidelines and ensuring value for money
• Lead monitoring and evaluation processes and measure both qualitative and quantitative outcomes and impacts of programs
• Serve as the key liaison with key stakeholders and implementing partners;
• Evaluate and manage program risks
• Manage data collection for the updating of metrics to achieve productivity targets, reduce cost per unit, eliminate errors, and deliver excellent service

Research and Knowledge management

• Keep up to date with the existing body of research and ensure its effective use in our programmes and advocacy;
• Conduct high quality research to generate new evidence to address knowledge gaps and our organisational gaps;
• Build organisational capacity and effective partnerships to generate, understand and use research evidence;
• Ensure effective dissemination of research findings within and outside the organisation;
• Facilitates knowledge management, learning and capacity building .

Policy advocacy and social accountability

• Build strong movements of women and linkages with like-minded organisations to advocate for a gender sensitive, fair, and equitable public transport systems;
• Represent Flone in relationships with senior decision-makers to persuasively advocate for gender sensitive, fair and equitable public transport sector;
• Contribute to regional and global advocacy platforms to advocate for gender sensitive, fair and equitable public transport;
• Raise awareness of gender, equity, and human rights issues in public transport systems;
• Draft policy positions, standards and guidelines for a gender sensitive , fair and just public transport systems and advocate for their adoption,
• Advocate for incorporation of climate change resilience, adaptation , and green energy transition in public transport sector.

Donor Compliance and Reporting

• In collaboration with the Grants and Partnerships and programmme team ensure effective compliance with funding agreements through translated proposal documents, start-of-project workshops and training on donor guidelines.
• Effectively manage and lead the program teams to ensure appropriate compliance including reporting schedules, preparation of quality donor narratives and financial reports.
• Produce Flone’s annual and half-year program reports, consolidating inputs into the country level report.

Human Resources Management

• Provide management support to Executive Director including track staffing requirements, hiring new employees as needed
• Support the recruitment of competent staff and effectively manage the program team to deliver high performance;
• develop team members in order to maximize their contribution to the team and organization;
• Coach, guide, and mentor program staff so that they are effective in quality program delivery;
• Create and maintain a positive environment conducive for high performance of the department;
• Ensure proper staff performance management processes are undertaken and maintained with people management responsibility, ensuring that all processes are properly documented;
• Ensure that work within the programme team(s) is planned and organised in a way which will meet the organisation’s needs in the most cost-effective manner, ensuring that team members are given appropriate workloads and are working efficiently;
• Build clear processes in each programme to ensure organisational learning is prioritised and systematically used in project cycle management, external exchange and advocacy.
• Lead, motivate, and support colleagues within a time-sensitive and demanding environment, including career development plans for direct reports and problem resolution
• Perform any other tasks as may be assigned from time to time.

Qualifications

• Five or more years of proven success in a program management role
• Strong skills in budget development and oversight
• Competence in application of common approaches to work including partnerships, inclusion, systems strengthening, creating behavioral change, and mainstreaming gender and inclusion of women and PLWD.
• Experience of leading the design and implementation of projects; facilitating capacity building or institutional support activities targeting partners/ actors
• Proven ability to innovate and develop a successful change agenda.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative partnerships and alliances for influencing government policy and program delivery.
• Familiarity with the rights-based approach, social justice, adult empowerment and gender sensitive approaches.
• Ability to take outputs from critical thoughts/analysis to inform programme plans, ‘hands on’ and problem solving.
• Excellent relationship management skills with a variety of stakeholders.
• Excellent ability to delegate responsibilities while maintaining organizational control of operations and beneficiary service
• Understanding of monitoring and evaluation tools and methodologies
• Demonstrated leadership skills and experience in leading, managing, and motivating others, and building high performing teams.
• Strong people management skills
• Proficiency in conflict management and negotiation processes
• Ability to quickly and effectively problem solve and troubleshoot independently
• Knowledge of productivity software, program management techniques and methods
• An aptitude for learning new applications
• Good communication skills and fluent command of written and spoken English, Kiswahili and Sheng

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Job Purpose:

• The Grants and Partnerships Officer primary responsibilities is of overseeing the implementation of Flone’s partnerships strategy, identification of new funding opportunities, developing concept notes and proposals to raise funds from potential donors and maintaining good relationships with donors. In addition, she/he will administer grant and subgrant contracts, ensuring compliance with donor policies, requirements, and agreements.

Responsibilities

Opportunity Generation and bidding

• Grow a pipeline of funding opportunities for the country programme.
• Conducting research on fundraising opportunities and donor mapping
• Provide country staff/programmes with up-to-date intelligence on, funding opportunities and donor terms and conditions.
• Write funding proposals & concept note and submitting these to potential donors.
• Coordination of proposal development and bid preparations, using staff and consultants as necessary to deliver bids
• Ensure effective contract negotiation for strategic, high value opportunities as well as maintain standard negotiating positions for donor contract terms and conditions.
• Develop and maintain proactive fundraising tools for presentation/information to donors
• Gather and analyse strategic donor intelligence; building effective liaisons/consortia with profit and non-profit entities, multilateral/bilateral funding institutions that will translate into project development and funding of projects.
• Develop and execute Business development strategy aligned with the Flone Strategy .
• Work closely with all departments to ensure that fundraising efforts are coordinated and aligned with the organisation's overall goals and priorities to ensure that the programmes are funded sustainably.

Grants Management

• Develop and implement grant-making and grants management policies, procedures, and practices, in coordination with the Executive Director and Program Operations Manager
• Evaluate subcontracts and grant concepts, proposals, and grant agreement/award documents to ensure adherence to established grants management policies and donor requirements,
• Ensure proper negotiation of the terms and conditions for subcontracts and grants (both cash and in-kind) and review and analyze budget estimates (for cash or in-kind grants) for allocability, reasonableness, and consistency.
• Provide guidance to potential grantees through formal training, coaching, and other support in line with our ethnical practices.
• Review draft budgets before they are approved and further flesh out budget notes to ensure clarity and auditable records.
• Manage and regularly update Grants Tracking Sheet to inform ED’s support.
• Ensure full compliance with all applicable donor policies and contract agreements, for all subcontracts and grant agreements including grant solicitation and selection procedures, grant awards, grant implementation, grant monitoring and evaluation and grant close-outs.
• Ensure the proper preparation and execution of subcontracts and grant documents and grant disbursements consistent and compliant with donor policies and requirements - define any special conditions for grantee compliance throughout each grant.
• Support risk management by developing and maintaining risk management plans for donor-contract funded programmes.
• Effectively support and challenge programmes, finance teams and partners to flag project risks and ensure plans for mitigation of the risks are communicated to the Senior Management Team.
• Administer the grants portfolio including setting appropriate work priorities, applying knowledge of organizational needs and deadlines, and consistent follow-up to assure receipt of required documentation.
• Responsible for activities related to monitoring grants, including receiving and reviewing progress reports
• Capacity Building: Work with programme and finance staff to develop and provide additional training for grantees if and as needed, such as in budget development, program coordination and reporting.

Partnerships

• Assists in maintaining existing partnerships and developing new relationships with sub national and national governments, non-governmental, non-profit, tribal government, media, academic, and other organizations to support Partnerships.
• Manage partnerships database and relationships
• Establishing good relationships with staff, members of the public, donors, partners and the media.
• Implementing a variety of marketing strategies and promotional campaigns to show case Flones program and influencing work
• Organizes and facilitates monthly partnering sessions between staffs, teams, and current or prospective partners; in partner amendments, realignments and general challenges in project implementation, as necessary.
• Organizing and attending non-profit events and networking with relevant stakeholders.
• Develop ingenious ways to raise awareness.
• Perform any other tasks as may be required and assigned from time to time.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience in grant management, partnerships and fundraising
• Relevant education at undergraduate level in a relevant field.
• Non-profit experience and familiarity with organizational growth plans.
• High level of capability in the areas of analytical, research and problem solving skills.
• Experience with project work and competence in computer applications including word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations.
• Must be results orientated, with ability to manage and satisfy multiple organisational, donors and other stakeholder demands.
• Excellent relationship building skills, particularly the ability to learn fast and build trust.
• Work well in a team and have outstanding social and intercultural skills and proven ability to be flexible and sensitive in demanding situations.
• Attention to detail and ability to perform multiple tasks and balance competing priorities effectively and efficiently.
• Ability to communicate effectively with managers, colleagues, service providers, donors, grantees, and other stakeholders.
• Good communication skills and fluent command of written and spoken English, Kiswahili and Sheng;
• Familiarity with the rights-based approach, social justice, adult empowerment and gender sensitive approaches.