Director of Programmes

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That means we tackle the inequality that keeps people poor. Together we save, protect and rebuild lives. When disaster strikes, we help people build better lives for themselves, and for others. We take on issues like saving lives, governance and peace building, education, land rights and discrimination against women. And we won’t stop until every person on the planet can enjoy life free from poverty.

We are an international confederation of 19 organizations (affiliates) working together with partners and local communities in the areas of humanitarian, development and campaigning, in more than 90 countries. All our work is led by three core values: Empowerment, Accountability, Inclusiveness. To read more about our values please click here

Position: Director of Programmes

Location: Juba

Grade & Level: B Zone 2 Global

Contract Type: Fixed Term

Number of post reporting: 8

Job Purpose

Oxfam in South Sudan is looking for a dynamic Deputy Country Director – Programs (DCD -P). As a most senior post below the Country Director (CD), the Deputy Country Director – Programs is a member of the Senior Management Team in-country. TheDeputy Country Director – Programs shares the overall responsibility of leading programs and coordination of the Country Office. The Deputy Country Director – Programs in his/her capacity is responsible for implementation of all programming in the country, that involve development & resilience, emergency preparedness and response (including DRR). The Deputy Country Director – Programs guarantees business continuity in periods of absence of the Country Director. During the absence of the CD, the Deputy Country Director – Programs will be tasked with chairing SMT with authority to decide on urgent issues requiring decisions on which the SMT members would have failed to reach a conclusion by consensus or vote.

Key Areas of Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• As a part of the leadership and senior management team in the country, develop strong matrix links with other country programme teams, relevant Oxfam in Africa staff in West, East and Southern Africa, Global Humanitarian Team (GHT), P. Affiliates and relevant International Department staff in order to develop and deliver the Oxfam country program strategy.
• Leads the overall program implementation and delegated responsibility for field delivery of high-quality programming in line with Oxfam standards and the objectives of the country strategy.
• Oversee the program proposal process and participate on the strategic level with the Funding Coordinator to ensure that all programs progress in accordance with grant agreements, are completed within time and on budget.
• Leads on conceptualizing and designing cost effective, innovative and high-quality programs to serve difficult to reach beneficiaries with the Deputy Country Director – Business Support and Programme Quality Coordinator.
• Oversight of geographical humanitarian and development programmes. Ensures overall leadership of disaster preparedness, mitigation and management including humanitarian response activities for Category 1 / 2 / 3 emergencies.
• Overall budget holder for all programming; ensure project expenditure is in line with work plans and commitments to donors and affiliates; and conduct monthly budget vs expenditure review for each project.
• Overall leadership of program strategy plans and implementation to ensure responsiveness to communities in line with Oxfam’s principles, values and strategic plan and following Oxfam compliance procedures. This includes working with the government and national NGO-partners to strengthen national capacity.
• Ensuring effective advisory support from the country, OiA, Partner Affiliates (PA) and Executing Affiliate (EA) technical teams to the field teams.
• Ensure synergies between and harmonisation of humanitarian, development and advocacy programme strategies according to the “one programme approach” and enabling a smooth transition from emergency humanitarian interventions towards resilience and longer-term development programming where possible.
• One of the most crucial roles of the Deputy Country Director – Programmes is ensuring a strong link and mainstreaming of activities between the assigned departments, maximising their performances and effective use of resources through coordination and strategic guidance.
• Ensure that programme operations are of high quality, comply with established policies and procedures and contribute directly to Oxfam strategies and operational plans. This includes, but is not limited to gender mainstreaming, protection mainstreaming, programme accountability frameworks and humanitarian preparedness and response.
• Work with the Country Director and programme teams to secure internal and external funding to deliver programme activities through support to development of appropriate strategies and funding proposals.
• In close collaboration with HR Team, Programme Managers and Technical Coordinators, identify staffing needs, support recruitment of staff and manage the performance and development of all direct reports, ensuring performance objectives are produced and worked to, including identification and effective delivery of training and development needs.
• Representing Oxfam to government officials, donors, UN agencies, and NGO community as appropriate.
• Deputise for the Country Director in his/her absence or whenever necessary.
• Produce regular programme and context updates that can be shared with other Oxfam stakeholders.
• To ensure all Oxfam staff and programmes are familiar with and abide by the Oxfam’s Code of Conduct, Oxfam International standards and procedures and other regulatory codes (e.g. Sphere Minimum Standards).
• Frequent national travel to work with the field teams and liaise with Government, UN agencies and other NGO’s as appropriate.

Required Technical Skills, Experience & Knowledge

Essential

• Masters / Post-graduate from a recognized university/ college in International Development, Sustainable Livelihoods, Humanitarian, Programme Management or any other area that can bring an added value to the job.
• Relevant experience in a similar position, minimum of 5 years of Masters or Post-graduate holders or 10 + years for Bachelor holders, in an international NGO.
• Good understanding of development issues in general with significant knowledge and experience in project and programme management in one of the fields of: (a) humanitarian programming (b) sustainable livelihoods and resilience, b) gender and development;
• Excellent personal management and communication skills, in written and verbal English, with high impact influencing and persuasive skills and able to use different approaches to achieve followership.
• Proven track record of leading and motivating multi-disciplinary, geographically remote teams and operations across several locations, often in fragile and complex contexts.
• Evidence of high level financial and asset management skills to steer the operational budget across a number of locations.
• Strong analytical and conceptual thinking skills; able to understand complex issues and translate them into simple, workable actions and plans
• Commitment to Oxfam’s overall aims and policies and experience of promoting women’s rights and those of marginalised people in all aspects of Oxfam’s work in South Sudan
• Comprehensive evidence in knowledge and experience of development programmes, humanitarian response and advocacy and campaigning
• Knowledge of capacity building, learning and development activities and how to create learning and sharing environment with a strong knowledge management basis
• Commitment to and knowledge of creating a partner-led operational environment, with an ability to create an internal Oxfam approach that is focussed on developing and supporting partner organisations to achieve direct impact and results relating to Oxfam’s objectives
• Politically astute, with high impact influencing and persuasive skills and personal gravitas to gain respect and build and maintain strong, credible relationships, with internal and external stakeholders at all levels
• Committed to a right based approach including an active commitment to putting women’s rights at the heart of all we do as well as the rights of other marginalized people in all aspects of an organization’s work.
• Driving licence and use of it in insecure contexts.

Ability to travel away from home, often to remote programmatic sites within the country prolonged periods, and periodic travel aboard for global meetings.

Desirable

• Working experience in South Sudan
• Working experience with Oxfam