Population, Environment, and Development (PED) Director – BUILD

AFIDEP, together with other partners, is implementing a five-year global project called Building Capacity for Integrated Family Planning and Reproductive Health (FP/RH) and Population, Environment and Development (PED) Action (BUILD) funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Office of Population and Reproductive Health (PRH) in Washington D.C. The other consortium partners are Leadership for Environment and Development Southern and Eastern Africa (LEAD SEA); PATH Foundation Philippines Inc. (PFPI); FHI 360; and Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA).

BUILD is designed to leverage the interconnectedness of Population, Environment, and Development (PED), to spur strong political commitment, sustained financial resources, and accountability for voluntary family planning (FP) and reproductive health (RH) in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). BUILD seeks to amplify the PED approach for transformative action across disciplinary, geographical, sociocultural, and sectoral divides encompassing population dynamics, health, environment, climate change, resilience, livelihoods, food security, education, and governance.

The project is being implemented from 4 regional hubs in Eastern Africa (Kenya), Southern Africa (Malawi), Western Africa (Cote d’Ivoire) and Asia Pacific (Philippines).

ABOUT THE POSITION

BUILD is seeking to recruit a Population, Environment, and Development (PED) Director with experience in cross-sectoral development policy, research, MEL, and programming to join our team. The role will be the technical PED lead of the project, providing technical support to our cross-sectoral PED policy, research, and advocacy efforts towards achieving the BUILD project objectives.

The position could be at either AFIDEP’s Nairobi or Lilongwe offices.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• The PED Director shall provide support to the Project Director with strategic leadership and oversight of the BUILD project.
• Serve as a member of the senior leadership team of the project and support the Project Director in oversight of project staff.
• Provide technical leadership and management on Population, Health, Environment, and Development.
• Provide technical support to policy, advocacy, and MERL efforts related to cross-sectoral population, health, environment, and development approaches.
• Provide PED technical assistance and training to the project staff, consortium partners, and other key stakeholders.
• Co-lead and oversee programmatic functions, i.e., development of work plans, budgets, quarterly/annual reports, and ensure effective implementation of program strategy.
• Maintain effective and open communication throughout the project with the Project Director, the Program Manager, the Hub Leads, project implementation teams, consortium partner staff, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Work with the Project Director, the Program Manager, and other project staff to continuously refine implementation processes by integrating lessons learned and best practices.
• Serve in an acting capacity in the absence of the Project Director.
• Oversee the design and strategy of new activities, ensuring that agreed activities and targets are fully accomplished, meet expected technical and management quality standards, and are delivered on schedule and on budget.
• Lead the writing and dissemination of analytical program reports and related publications.
• Identify opportunities and negotiate partnership programs to leverage synergistic donor, governmental, and organizational resources.
• Manage and mentor a team of senior technical and program management staff and facilitate strong communication and coordination with and between all team members.
• Cultivate and provide oversight to a network of diverse local and international project consultants, sub-contractors, and grantees to ensure quality and timeliness of deliverables and facilitate regular communication among consortium partners to encourage maximum participation in the project.
• Communicate with USAID regular technical updates and support other technical leadership tasks, as assigned by the Project Director.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

• PhD or Masters’ degree in social sciences i.e. international development, demography, public health, environment, climate change or related field.
• At least 5 years post-graduation experience in cross-sectoral development policy, research, and programming.
• Strong research and analytical skills, including experience with quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex issues to a range of audiences.
• Critical thinking.
• Experience in project management and/or monitoring and evaluation.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team environment in a fast-paced environment, as well as independently with minimal supervision.
• Fluent in English, with proficiency in French desirable.