HEAD OF PROGRAMMES DCA MALI/SAHEL

DanChurchAid (DCA) is looking for an experienced Head of Programme (HoP) to join its Mali/Sahel Country Office with immediate start date. This position is based in DCA’s Bamako office; some travel to Burkina Faso, where DCA Mali/Sahel is operational, may be required.

The HoP reports directly to the Country Director and is an integral part of the in-country Senior Management Team. The HoP liaises with Fundraising and Technical departments in HQ as well as Programme and Support staff in country.

About DCA in Mali/Sahel

DCA has been implementing humanitarian response activities in Mali since 2013, operating in the Northern and Central parts of the country. In 2022, DCA started cross-border humanitarian interventions reaching the Western part of Burkina Faso as well.

DCA works within the triple-nexus framework through Humanitarian Mine Action (risk education and victims assistance), Food Security, Livelihoods and Climate Change adaptation, Conflict prevention, social cohesion and peacebuilding, with a holistic approach aiming to improve people’s ability to cope with the effects of armed violence and to enhance socio-economic resilience in a challenging context.

DCA is committed to the Grand Bargain and Localization agenda, and all DCA projects in Mali are partially or fully implemented through local partnerships.

Overall Description of the role

Your main responsibilities will be to contribute to and oversee the implementation of DCA’s long-term strategy in the Sahel, taking a proactive and hands-on approach to ensure the highest programmatic standards, with an emphasis on quality assurance, lessons learning and capitalization; work with the programme teams to identify synergies and relevance and developing concept notes and proposals; coordinate project activities, ensuring that they are implemented in accordance with DCA’s quality standards and donor requirements and to support on the associated financial, administrative and reporting duties both externally and internally. This role also includes Cluster representation and technical quality assurance across various sectors.

In coordination with the Country Director, you will play a key role to represent DCA in relevant humanitarian fora, including thematic clusters, and contribute to promoting DCA’s visibility and presence vis-à-vis key donors and external stakeholders.

You will advise on humanitarian principles and ensure that the programme mainstreams protection and gender and fully understands and applies SPHERE Standards wherever relevant/required, and you will assist the programme with working towards Core Humanitarian Standards and all relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and doing so by also contributing to strengthen programme staff capacities on cross-cutting themes and core programmatic standards and best practice

Key Specific Responsibilities:

Management and coordination

• Represent the programme/operations within the Senior Management Team (SMT).
• Line management, performance driver and staff development of JPO/Grants Office, Project Coordinators, MEAL Manager, in country Technical Advisor(s).
• Promote and facilitate the effective coordination between the programme and other CO departments.
• Provide oversight and/or support Field and Project Managers in the overall implementation of programme- and project- level activities, ensuring these are planned strategically and to meet high standards of delivery. Follow up and support as needed.

Fundraising and strategy

• Provide contextual programme analysis inputs to DCA’s country and fundraising strategy, ensuring programme relevance and expansion, in line with DCA’s Strategy and donors priorities.
• Participate in consolidating DCA’s operations in Mali/Sahel and advise on partnerships and programmatic opportunities- (thematic complementarity, geographic presence, consortia with local, national and international partners).
• In close collaboration with the CD and Head of Finance, ensure effective planning, management and mobilization of programme resources, including financial and human resources; in coordination with the Area Manager Sahel, provide guidance and orientation to programme/project staff.
• In consultation with the programme team, ensure effective implementation of the fundraising strategy, and participate in consolidating DCA’s operations in Mali/Sahel.

External representation

• Ensure coordination and representation of DCA in relevant humanitarian fora/clusters/working-groups, in support of the Country Director.
• In coordination with the CD, support the facilitation of the Humanitarian Mine Action Working Group (GTLAMH), participate and ensure timely reporting to the RRM, Protection and Food Security Clusters at Bamako level and ensure regular participation in the regional subclusters with support from the programme team.
• Support the CD in building and strengthening donor relations and making DCA more known in the donor and NGO environment in country.
• Oversee the development of communication tools (project presentations, leaflets) increasing DCA’s visibility among humanitarian stakeholders and the general public.

Programme quality, reporting and compliance

• Ensure quality of overall project and programme activities, with increased synergy and complementarity across projects, and provide regular updates and advise CD on programme improvements.
• Contribute to drive and continuously improve programme performance, by ensuring alignment and streamlining of programme and financial management tools and processes, grant management and reporting.
• Work closely with DCA’s national partners, assess their capacity and implement organisational and technical capacity-building plans accordingly.
• Supervise the development of timely and quality project reports matching DCA and donor requirements.
• Promote, streamline and strengthen cross-project capitalisation and learning opportunities, in close coordination with the MEAL Manager and Project Managers.
• Support and oversee the development and implementation of strong Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning systems and feedback mechanisms.
• Ensure monthly qualitative and quantitative reporting and data collection, in line with DCA Mali Results Framework.
• Actively mainstream protection and gender in all projects, and advise on climate mainstreaming; ensure the inclusion of marginalized and vulnerable groups, and assist the programme with working towards Core Humanitarian Standards and relevant SDGs as well as adherence to SPHERE standards.
• Ensure project compliance to DCA and donor policies and requirements.

Cross-cutting duties

• Maintain effective working relationships with other members of the programme as well as with DCA HQ.
• Contribute to a culture of excellence, continuous improvement and performance optimization across all projects.
• Be a role model for diversity, inclusion and belonging and a positive contributor for team spirit.
• Work in accordance with DCA values and humanitarian principles.
• Any other reasonable duties, including interim representation of the mission, as requested by CD.

Qualifications, experience and skills:

• A relevant academic qualification at Master’s level in development studies, project management or any other relevant topics or the equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum 4 years’ experience at a senior level, preferably in complex humanitarian environments.
• Proven experience in resource mobilization, donor liaison and coordination and in particular working with institutional donors such as Danida, UN, ECHO, BHA and EU.
• Clear understanding of the cluster system and humanitarian coordination.
• Thematic experience in key sectors such as food security and livelihoods, cash-based programming, protection, climate change adaptation an asset.
• Experience in a volatile and insecure context and the ability to keep a cool head under pressure.
• Strong leadership, team building and communication skills.
• Full professional fluency in written and spoken French and English.
• Strong analytical skills, organized and structured approach and ability to plan, coordinate and lead processes that include multiple stakeholders and interests.
• Being committed, flexible, result-oriented and possessing strong interpersonal skills including the ability to manage a busy workday with conflicting deadlines in a multicultural setting.
• Knowledge of the Sahel context and experience working in French-speaking regions of Africa an advantage.
• Able to start as soon as possible

Work related travels are expected in this position.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, abilities or ethnic affiliation are encouraged to apply for the vacancy. DCA conducts an anti-terror check as part of the recruitment process. It is a prerequisite that you can pass this check and maintain this status throughout your employment with us. Everyone applying for a job with DCA must be ready to comply with our Code of Conduct, Staff Policy on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment and our Child Safeguarding Policy.

Closing date of application is 18th of May 2024.

Please note that only applications submitted through our recruitment system will be considered: HEAD OF PROGRAMMES DCA MALI/SAHEL I DanchurchAid (emply.com).

Only applications in English and consisting as a minimum of a CV and a cover letter will be considered.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and DCA reserves the right to select a candidate prior to the closing date. 

For further information please contact Elisa Benevelli, Country Director at [email protected].

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, abilities or ethnic affiliation are encouraged to apply for the vacancy. DCA conducts an anti-terror check as part of the recruitment process. It is a prerequisite that you can pass this check and maintain this status throughout your employment with us. Everyone applying for a job with DCA must be ready to comply with our Code of Conduct, Staff Policy on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment and our Child Safeguarding Policy.

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