Note: All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the complete online application form including the employment and educational details, experience-based segment and the behaviours and technical/ professional skills-based questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the application forms only for all the required details. Forms that are incomplete in any respect will not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.

Main purpose of job:

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) pursues UK’s national interests and projects the UK as a force for good in the world. We promote the interests of British citizens, safeguard the UK’s security, defend our values, reduce poverty and tackle global challenges with our international partners.
The British High Commission in Pakistan has an exciting opportunity for a programme management professional to join the Integrated Security Fund  (ISF) Pakistan Regional Stability Programme (PRSP) Team to minimise & mitigate the risks of conflict and instability in Pakistan and its direct/indirect impacts on UK.

The British High Commission (Mission) takes an integrated approach to delivery and the CSSF/ISF programmes are embedded in the Campaign Goals (CG) structure of the Mission. The job-holder will need to engage with multiple quarters of the Mission, work closely with Campaign Goal (CG) leads, the policy leads, and be able to absorb information from multiple sources and track multiple conversations.
The job holder would be based in the British High Commission Islamabad and report to the Programme Responsible Owner of Pakistan Regional Stability Programme. In exceptional circumstances, the Programme Team can consider remote working from a UKG Office in South Asia, whilst taking into consideration the appropriate right-to-work, relevance of work priorities and subject to demonstration of the required competencies/experiences as specified in the advertisement.

The role is situated within the Pakistan Network’s Campaign Goal (CG)–1 Regional Stability Group that focuses on creating and accessing opportunities to achieve stability for Pakistan with its neighbours. The job holder will lead the Regional Portfolio management while also providing oversight, technical advice and programme inputs to the existing Indo-Pak programming. The individual will work alongside a team of dedicated professionals including technical advisors and programme managers in FCDO Islamabad as well as India and London. And will engage regional FCDO departments/stakeholders as well as government departments, multilaterals and implementing partners to advance portfolio objectives.

The individual will be required to demonstrate good programme management skills especially stakeholder management, excellent knowledge of the FCDO PrOF (Programme Operating Framework) CSSF Operating Framework; self-starting with strong ability to work independently to design, mobilise and deliver programmes across the programme cycle. Some of the key responsibilities will include managing programme mobilisation, implementation, evaluation and closure through robust financial, commercial and risk management. For engagement, the job holder should be able to effectively present FCDO’s regionalisation objectives and delivery to others (regional partner governments; donors, NGOs, x- HMG) with ability to identify opportunities to convene different interest groups in support of project outcome/programme objectives. They will also be expected to include oversight of the currently running Indo-Pak portfolio to converge on opportunities for the region.

This is a demanding leadership role which requires agility to design and lead the project portfolio to ensure that it is meeting the Mission’s objectives, delivering the required outcomes and making the expected contribution to the Pakistan (and other) Country Business Plan. In discharging the role, the successful candidate must act in accordance with the FCDO Programme Operating Framework (PROF).

We reserve the right to review, revise or amend the roles and responsibilities from time to time reflecting the changing needs of business.

Roles and Responsibilities of the jobholder:

This role will require strong programme management skills, excellent knowledge of the FCDO PrOF (Programme Operating Framework) CSSF Operating Framework (OF); ability to self-start and work independently to design, mobilise and deliver programmes across the programme cycle as well as advise on technical and portfolio issues. The post-holder will work closely with the CG1 portfolio SRO and programme staff to support delivery of the Regional Stability Programme (RSP). 

Specific responsibilities and accountabilities are set out below. These are not exhaustive and may change depending upon the overall portfolio and Pakistan network business requirements:

• Identify and engage a range of regional stakeholders in the FCDO network to define, design and mobilise the ‘regional’ portfolio and support delivery of business outcomes.
• Able to lead mobilisation of regional programming through mix of modalities without any day-to-day supervision and guidance.
• Be able to establish and maintain project Delivery Plans to inform planning and task execution. Uses(Aid Management Platform (AMP) / Management Information (MI) data to inform Delivery Plans, decisions and lessons.
• Be a source of programme expertise for the assigned programmes and ensure compliance and transparency requirements are applied effectively.
• Support and deliver CG1 annual/programme completion review cycle, ensuring that all reviews are planned, adequately resourced and delivered within deadlines.
• Ensure appropriate monitoring and evaluation practices are in place that will deliver the programme needs and able to report programme outputs, outcomes and impact.
• Manage oversight of the Indo-Pak programming to effectively highlight and organise synergies on a regional level.
• Engage the programme team effectively, partnering with public and private sector stakeholders to deliver FCDO’s regionalisation portfolio.
• Ensure the regional and Indo-Pak portfolios remains aligned with any relevant country/ business plan priorities.
• Ensure high quality risk management and due diligence, with any significant risks that exceed agreed risk-appetites are escalated through the agreed channels.
• Ensure robust financial management and routine forecasting/reporting to support the programme including liaise with the FCDO Finance Team. Ensuring that the programme spend is in compliance with the Official Development Assistance (ODA) and Non-ODA rules and all spend represents good value for money.
• Lead the collaboration with other donors and multilaterals working in the region to ensure that FCDO’s objectives are aligned and contributing towards Pakistan’s overall regional capacity building.
• Support the Programme Manager while actively contributing and leading on the delivery of the regional stability programme.
• Closely work with the FCDO offices in Islamabad and India to collaborate and access opportunities to support programming and potential synergies.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure): 

Management of regional and India/Pakistan projects – circa £800,000 per year

Language requirements: 

Language: English
Level of language required: Fluent

Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):

The FCDO is committed to provide learning and development opportunities to all its employees, including:

• Formal in-house and external training.
• Coaching, mentoring and job shadowing.
• Structured learning on the job, including stretching objectives and work.
• Field visits and attendance to regional or international events

Working patterns:

Full time employment with flexibly of working from home on a case-by-case basis with line manager approval.
Operating hours are Monday – Thursday 08:00 – 16:15 (with half an hour lunch break); Friday 08:00 – 13:00

Any other information (or specific local Post requirements):

As part of the assessment process, should you get shortlisted and invited for interview, you may be asked to submit a 5-minute presentation on a set topic will be required at the interview stage, with topic to be provided in advance. This may be coupled with a written exercise as well, which will be required to be completed on the day of assessment.

Essential on arrival:

• Master’s degree in management / administration.
• At least 5 years of project / programme management experience of delivering complex programmes to high standards of programme assurance and excellence, with emphasis on collaboration and team building.
• Strong interpersonal, communication skills, financial management skills and experience
• Adequate understanding as well as experience of the regional and Indo-Pak dynamics
• Demonstration of ability to engage cross departmental and cross-country stakeholders for effective delivery.
• Strong demonstration of implementation of PrOF including stakeholder, commercial, financial and risk management skills.
• Ability to prioritise workload and respond flexibly as new priorities arise.