Head of Programmes

Job Description

About CST

CST Ethiopia represents the overseas development and humanitarian agencies of the Catholic Church from England and Wales (CAFOD), Scotland (SCIAF), and Ireland (Trócaire) in Ethiopia. The three agencies have over 40 years’ of experience in international development and humanitarian response and are each members of worldwide networks, including Caritas Internationalis. Currently, the three agencies jointly operate a single, integrated country programme in Ethiopia through the legal entity CST Ethiopia. CST Ethiopia works in partnership with local church and non-church organisations, supporting communities in Addis Ababa, Afar, Oromia, SNNPR and Tigray regions.

The CST Ethiopia country office Addis Ababa assumes overall responsibility for implementing the CST Ethiopia country programme, which currently focuses on resilient communities (sustainable livelihoods, humanitarian preparedness & response, and women empowerment). CST Ethiopia works with a portfolio of approximately 20 local partner organisations. The Head of Programmes ((Addis Ababa, Afar, Oromia, SNNPR) position offers an opportunity for an experienced, dynamic, and innovative individual to lead CST Ethiopia’s exciting and well-established programmes throughout these four regions.

Reporting to the Country Director (CD), this is a fixed term two-year contract and is based in Addis Ababa but with frequent travel to the programme locations. The candidate will manage a programme team of at least seven staff, providing direct line management to three staff (2 Programme Coordinators and 1 Programme Support Officer), and will work in close collaboration with the Country Director, Deputy Country Director (DCD)/Head of Programs Tigray, Head of Finance & Compliance, and Head of Operations. The Head of Programs (Addis Ababa, Afar, Oromia, SNNPR) is also part of the Country Management Team, together with the CD, DCD, Head of Finance & Compliance, and Head of Operations.

Leadership and Management of Programmes

• Assume strategic leadership and overall management oversight of CST Ethiopia’s programmes in Addis Ababa, Afar, Oromia, and SNNPR, including planning, design, delivery, compliance, monitoring, evaluation, reporting, financial management, strategy development, institutional funding, internal head office coordination and communication, and external representation.
• Support the Country Director in defining a theory of change and future strategic direction for the CST Ethiopia country programme in key sectors (resilience programming, women empowerment, peacebuilding and social cohesion, food security, livelihoods, WASH, protection, SGBV), partnerships and approaches (e.g., Market Systems Development, capacity building, MEAL, resilience, women’s empowerment, integration and humanitarian and emergency preparedness).
• Ensure that CST Ethiopia has clearly identified niches, which our added value contributes to our partners’ work, and that decisions are informed by sound analysis.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant policies and procedures of CST Ethiopia, CAFOD, SCIAF, Trócaire, donors and the government of Ethiopia.

Programme Development and Management

• Manage and deepen the current portfolio of thematic programmes under the resilient communities and women’s empowerment programmes, ensuring that the work responds to the local context, and contributes the theory of change in line with the CST Ethiopia Country Strategic Plan.
• Ensure that different thematic areas of work are mutually reinforcing and contribute collectively to achieving country-level outcomes in line with an integrated programming approach.
• Maintain oversight and balance between long-term development programming, humanitarian preparedness, and humanitarian response programming, guaranteeing each aspect of programming receives adequate and timely attention given current and projected circumstances.
• Lead the resilient communities (including humanitarian) and women’s empowerment staff in a process that clearly defines and delivers a resilience approach that promotes gender equality.
• Ensure that all programmes effectively promote a women’s empowerment approach throughout the programme cycle.
• Identify learning priorities within each programme and facilitate the sharing of this learning with partners, across programmes, and externally as appropriate.
• Work with the CD, Business Development and Compliance Advisor in Ethiopia and the funding units in HQs to secure Institutional Income and guarantee all programmes meet the donor's requirements. Ensure that relevant support is given to Programme staff and partners as needed to meet these requirements.
• Conduct regular Programme Management Meetings with all relevant CST Staff; coordinate with the Head of Finance & Compliance to ensure regular Programme Financial Management Meetings; ensure regular Technical Working Group meetings are conducted with CST Ethiopia staff and the three HQs; direct CST Ethiopia staff participation in HQ/organisational working groups across the three agencies; oversee and coordinate CST Ethiopia staff participation in external networks, e.g., clusters.

Programme Design

• Provide technical support to the CST Ethiopia team to ensure that programmes and projects are designed, implemented, monitored, and evaluated within the Trócaire Programme Management and Accountability Framework (PMAG).
• Support the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Advisor to have a systematic approach to targeting and reporting programme participant numbers that is specific and explicit.
• Provide the necessary support to the country team to undertake analysis (contextual/poverty/power/etc.) that informs appropriate programme and project strategies, location, and target population.
• Ensure that HQ-based Teams are aware of and engaged in the programme design process to create synergies across organisations and country programmes and that advice from the Programme Teams is considered and applied where appropriate by CST Ethiopia programmes and projects.

Programme Implementation and Monitoring

• Ensure that all programmes are implemented within a clear M&E framework that includes regular (field) monitoring by the Programme Advisors and -Officers, supported by technical advice from the MEAL Officer.
• Monitor the standardised reporting system for all programme partners in Malawi, in line with organisational policy and any institutional funding requirements inclusive of grants and contracts.
• Support the CD in the Development of the annual Country Report.
• Work with the relevant Programme Accountants and Advisors/Officers to proactively manage the programme budget.
• Lead and support the Resilient Communities Programme Coordinator and Humanitarian Advisor in the implementation of CST Ethiopia’s humanitarian response strategy and emergency preparedness plan (EPP), humanitarian programming, and continually monitor the humanitarian and projected situation of affected communities in Ethiopia.
• Ensure the outlining of a strategy and mobilising of response to sudden-onset emergencies, as required.
• Ensure that the Country Management Team and Head Office are well informed on issues related to humanitarian response and long-term development programming.

Programme Evaluation

• Ensure that all programmes are evaluated according to CST Ethiopia / Trócaire’s evaluation policy and that learning from evaluations is disseminated to relevant stakeholders and incorporated into new programme design.
• Promote evaluation methodologies that foster internalisation of learning, and where possible, promote elements of peer review and evaluation, including with Partners.

Human Resource Management

• Line manages team members in line with organisational performance management frameworks, ensuring that all are clear on the change to which they are contributing and, on their roles, and responsibilities.
• Implement an effective performance management system in line with organisational policy; ensure performance management reviews occur formally twice a year, informally on a regular and ongoing basis.
• Support, mentor, and coach the team members as part of their professional development and to help them to be highly effective in their work.
• Establish a team approach to programming, ensuring that programme staff work together to share learning and exchange skills.
• Ensure regular team meetings for information exchange and strategic discussions and facilitate the rolling out of organisational programme processes and policies within the country team.
• Ensure that all programme staff complete an induction process that equips them to deliver on their roles confidently and effectively.

Finance, Administrative and Systems Management

• As a member of the country management team, support the CD and Head of Finance and Compliance to develop annual country budgets and participate in regular budget reviews and revisions.
• Organise and maintain regular team meetings together with the finance and programme teams to ensure oversight of programme budgets and review and monitor expenditure of all programme partners in close coordination with the Head of Finance & Compliance, relevant Programme Accountants, Programme staff, and the Business Development Manager.
• Provide the necessary support to the finance team/programme advisors to take appropriate actions if problems with financial management or organisational governance are identified.
• Maintain responsibility for organisational systems adoption, utilisation, and compliance; ensure all programme, project, partners and all other relevant and/or necessary information is recorded and stored in Salesforce and Box.
• Responsible for and ensure financial management of projects, programmes, and ancillary funds/costs on Agresso, ensuring all information is managed correctly on Agresso, Salesforce and Box.
• Support necessary information management on CAFOD and SCIAF systems.

Partner Relationships and Support

• Ensure a proactive and strategic approach to the management of the Ethiopia Partner Portfolio.
• Ensure that the partnership policy guides CST Ethiopia’s engagement with partners in Ethiopia and that all programme staff are familiar with and implement the policy.
• Support programme staff to develop partner capacity building/support plans for Partners, created using the Trócaire Partner Capacity Building Framework and having corresponding monitoring and review elements for each partner.
• Together with the Head of Finance & Compliance, ensure that programme and finance staff adopt a joint approach to partner support.
• In close coordination with the CD, liaise with other Caritas/CIDSE/other like-minded agencies to avoid duplication, reduce transaction costs for partners and collaborate on capacity building, programming, or advocacy initiatives.
• Maintain oversight of the CST Ethiopia Partner portfolio; report to and make recommendations to the CMT about partner performance, potential, challenges, issues, etc.; lead where and when appropriate on the phase-out of partners in line with partnership policies and the identification, selection, onboarding, induction, and support of new partners.

Representation, Communication & Relationship-building

• Ensure effective representation of Trócaire’s programmes with local authorities, donors, working groups, clusters, task forces, and other members of the development, humanitarian, and Catholic communities, in close coordination with the Country Director.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with key national and local partners, and coordinate with other development, humanitarian, and peace actors, including INGOs, UN colleagues and government.
• Ensure the establishment and maintenance of strong working relationships with local communities, community-based organisations, and local authorities, as appropriate.

Policy, Advocacy and Programme Communications

• Gauge and monitor external (e.g., Government of Ethiopia) influences on policy and advocacy in Ethiopia; recommend courses of action to the CMT safeguarding CST Ethiopia, the three agencies, partners, staff, and local communities maintaining a fiduciary responsibility to the organisation.
• Support the CD and the programme teams to drive an evidence-based agenda around advocacy at the country level, when and where appropriate, pro-actively (and internationally where appropriate), informed by a contextually relevant political and power analysis, as well as a thorough risk analysis regarding sensitive messaging.
• Support programme staff to embed advocacy within programme strategies and oversee country level advocacy initiatives, which complements desired outcomes of programme strategies, where and when possible and appropriate.
• Support the CST Ethiopia team to ensure organisational communications channels (online, offline) are being used to promote/highlight CST Ethiopia’s work, as well as to support HQ and organisational initiatives.
• Support the CD and staff to respond to organisational needs for materials or to host visits related to organisational level policy, advocacy, campaigns, development education, fundraising and communications.

Risk management

• Take responsibility for Risk Management at a programme level, ensuring that programme staff can analyse and respond to risk at project and programme levels and that programme level risks are captured and managed as part of a country risk management strategy.

Job Requirement

Essential Requirements

Qualifications

• Third level qualification in Development, Humanitarian, or related field of study.
• Post-graduate qualification in a relevant area, or significant experience beyond that outlined below.

Experience

• At least four years of demonstrable experience in the management of development programmes of substantial scale, including in international settings.
• At least three years’ experience of leading, managing or supporting teams in a multi-cultural environment.
• Strong team-working skills and experience and playing a leadership role in ensuring cohesiveness, inclusion, and development of staff at all levels.
• Thorough understanding of safeguarding and accountability considerations in development work.
• In-depth understanding of programming in a partnership model, working in a partnership-based NGO.
• Sound and up to date knowledge of development concepts, methodologies, and techniques, including results-based management, rights-based approach, resilience, and participatory methodologies.
• Demonstrable experience of promoting gender equity through programming and within an international organisation.
• Demonstrable experience of working to attract institutional donor funding and of managing large and complex donor grants and contracts.
• Experience of working with management information systems.

Skills

• Excellent leadership skills.
• Ability to motivate staff to align behind a shared vision and objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and to develop and implement a clear country level strategy in the context of organisational strategy.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multi-cultural teams of national and international staff well, and to implement performance management effectively.
• Ability to coach and help others develop in their professional lives.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills and demonstrated ability in using these with internal stakeholders (CST Ethiopia and HQ staff in different locations) and external stakeholders (partners, Church, donors, host government etc.).
• Demonstrated ability to manage budgets and financial systems on a significant scale, in development and humanitarian contexts.
• Highly organised, with excellent planning, prioritisation, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Competent in Microsoft packages (Word, Excel).
• Fluency (written and spoken) in English.

Qualities

• Understanding of an empathy with, the role of the Catholic Church in development.
• A strong commitment to the work of justice and an empathy with the ethos and work of CST Ethiopia.
• A strong commitment and demonstrated ability to maintain adherence to humanitarian principles, including principles of impartiality and neutrality, especially related to the development, implementation, reporting and resourcing of programmes in diverse geographic, cultural, ethnic, and socio-economic regions and communities.

Other

• Willingness to travel within country and internationally including travel to HQ in Ireland, UK, and Scotland.