NATURE AND SCOPE OF THE POSITION
The Director of Programs is responsible to provide strategic direction and overall supervision of programs in the Mercy-USA East Africa Office. The Director of Programs serves as the lead in providing leadership and guidance for the quality implementation, management, supervision and evaluation of all of the organization’s program portfolio. Mercy-USA’s programs in East Africa cover a wide variety of sectors from Health, Nutrition, WASH, Food Security to Education.
As a member of the senior management team, the Director of Programs participates in strategic planning and budgeting initiatives, and leads the East Africa office in promoting and enabling strong program-based responses that exemplify Mercy-USA’s work. The Director of Programs also takes a lead in problem solving, and initiating changes or adjustments in programs to better meet contextual needs.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Program Management and Operations
• Contribute to the overall management and strategic development of the regional program portfolio
• Develop and implement long-term overall goals and objectives for programs, and ensure that benchmarks, accountability and internal control standards are established and exercised.
• Provide day-to-day management and leadership for donor-based teams to achieve individual program goals. Teams span multiple donors including USAID, UNICEF, WFP, and Global Fund, and sectors of work include health, nutrition, WASH, food security, and education.
o Empower teams to ensure individual project elements are conceptualized and project tasks achieved in compliance with all internal, project and donor requirements.
o Support program teams to develop and implement programmatic and financial work plans, and enable effective and efficient program delivery.
o Work with program teams to address programmatic challenges or opportunities, and support appropriate responses.
o Ensure that the programs operate within the approved budget and monitor and approve all budgeted program expenditures.
• Organize and attend weekly departmental meetings with each program to maintain effective communication.
• Support the effective planning and delivery of program communications in conjunction with the Communication Officer and with individual teams
• In consultation with the Regional Director and the HR Team, responsible for the selection, hiring, and coaching of program employees.
• Direct, plan and coordinate training needs and evaluations for program staff.
• Communicate and engage with donors as necessary to address programs operations.
• With the Program Manager – Grants and Donor Compliance, Regional Director and other staff, work to develop a regional-level funding strategy and support the delivery of high quality proposals.
• Monitor the humanitarian situation in Somalia, supporting field assessments and advising the Regional Director and partners of response options.
• Promote appropriate innovation in program development.
Monitoring and Evaluation
• Ensure information regarding program activities and beneficiaries is regularly captured, stored and analyzed, and communicated where possible.
• Ensure technical deliverables and monitoring and evaluation plans are designed, agreed and match individual project requirements and ensure all project information and benchmarks are achieved.
• With program teams, ensure that monthly, quarterly and annual program statistics are compiled, analyzed, and used for both documentation and also program learning.
Coordination and Representation
• Work with the Regional Director, and support departments including Finance and Logistics to ensure both the coordination of the timely delivery of program supplies and that all operating expenses are within budgeted limits.
• Attend and represent the organization at coordination meetings, including cluster meetings, donor meetings, UN meetings etc as appropriate.
• Support the maximum visibility of the agency within the NGO community.
• Ensure full coordination and collaboration is established with donors, governments officials, ministries, UN agencies, and any other stakeholders as appropriate.

JOB SPECIFICATION
QUALIFICATIONS
ESSENTIAL
DESIRED
Academic
• Degree in International Relations, Health/Protection or other Social Service/Science related field
• Project Management or another technical relevant technical discipline a plus
• Professional qualification will be an added advantage
Master’s Degree in the specified field will be an added advantage
Experience
• 3-5 years in similar position
• Experience working in international contexts and cultures, preferably in complex contexts
• 1-2 years’ experience in a role requiring strategic planning
• Experience working in Health and/or Nutrition
• Experience of implementing donor funded projects. Priority donors include UNICEF, WFP, USAID/OFDA, and GLOBAL FUND and EAC projects
• Experience working with budgets, including managing financial outlays and expenditures

Previous work experience managing remote field teams
Experience working in East Africa
Experience working in Education, Food Security, or WASH programs

Work related skills
• Knowledge of donor guidelines
• Strong knowledge of the programme management cycle, and related process and structures for quality programme management
• Good organizational skills
• Good time management skills
• Strong communication skills, including ability to lead and manage remote teams
• Ability to work in harsh conditions
• Systems-building skills
• Strategic thinking
• Aggressive and result oriented
• Able to meet set own targets and meet own targets on a monthly basis and follow up targets of reporting colleagues
• Able to meet deadlines
• Able to identify programme challenges and plan and communicate alternatives for smooth programme implementation

Courses or skills related to program management (such as PMP)
Personal attributes
• Ability to work under pressure
• Trustworthy
• Team player
• Responsiveness
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Strong customer relation skills
• Integrity

HOW TO APPLY:
The position will close 12th December 2016 , the incumbents should send their CV’s and cover letters or motivational letters to hr.eaprogram@mercyusa.org. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted