Job Summary

As programme manager of Regreening Africa, this role will coordinate and manage a large, ambitious, results-oriented, multi-institutional programme, that is in its second phase, across seven countries in the Sahel and Horn of Africa. This is a programme that achieved significant successes in its first phase, including being recognised as a UN Decade Flagship for Ecosystem Restoration and building strong partnership across research and development. The programme has been designed to learn quickly and effectively, to have impact and to create a space for constant learning and reflection across partners and stakeholders. The Programme Manager will be collaborative, innovative, intelligent, energetic, ambitious and comfortable managing and facilitating complex and adaptive projects.

Duties and responsibilities

1.       Oversee the overall management and operations of the Regreening Africa Programme:

• Providing technical input to the programme in alignment with their area of expertise and contribute or lead scientific publications
• Ensuring synergy and effective operational coordination and collaboration among all implementing entities in the seven participating countries (currently: Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Mali, Niger).
• Overseeing the management of the programme’s budget (in close collaboration with CIFOR-ICRAF finance staff)
• Coordinating and planning for the effective involvement of relevant CIFOR-ICRAF scientific and technical staff to ensure meaningful contributions are made to enhance programme effectiveness
• Leading the preparation of programmatic reports and annual plans and budgets for the donor and providing regular briefs and updates on programme progress to the Programme’s steering committee, CIFOR-ICRAF’s Senior Leadership Team, and other relevant bodies
• Facilitating semiannual planning and budgeting processes for the overall programme
• Preparing for engagement of audit reviews and quality assurance procedures
• Timely delivery of all project outputs and activities, maintaining and ensuring high standards of quality
• Selection, mentoring and supervision of programme team members required for the effective delivery of the programme and acting as line manager for some staff or consultants in the Programme Management Unit or assigned to the project (communications, admin and others).

2.    Coordination functions can include the following:

• Liaising, negotiating, and developing the capacity of country level partners in the selected countries and their relevant regional leadership functions
• Coordinating and facilitating effective regional and intra-country team functioning, including ensuring that the strengths of all the participating partners are fully exploited
• Monitoring programme progress and quality and providing support to country teams to devise and undertake relevant corrective measures as needed
• Supporting country teams to prepare annual detailed implementation plans and budgets
• Ensuring partners are fully briefed on their responsibilities, deliverables, work plans, budgets, partnerships and programme status
• Coordinating the execution of work plans and assist in the translation of the philosophy and objectives of the programme into appropriate methods and approaches, in order to ensure quality and effective programme delivery
• Coordinating the work of CIFOR-ICRAF technical and administrative staff under the programme, including ensuring they are fully briefed on their responsibilities, deliverables, and work plans, as well as available budgetary resources
• Facilitating Programme Steering Committee meetings
• Supporting partners to strengthen or build institutions and relationships to better target interventions and to enhance policy influence
• Supporting the development of appropriate documentation (policy briefs, position papers, communication messages, position statement) to engage in policy processes; and
• Engage in persistent, goal-oriented advocacy and policy processes.
• Manage relations with the donor organisation through their dedicated programme manager.

Requirements

• Minimum of Master’s Degree in project management, environmental science, restoration, agroforestry, development or agriculture or a similar field.
• A good and demonstrable understanding of the technical sides to the programme with strong technical expertise in a relevant field desired.
• At least 10 years of progressive experience engaging in or managing international development projects.
• At least 5 years’ experience managing multi-country development projects/programmes.
• At least 5 years’ experience in people management, strategic planning, risk management, and project management techniques and tools.
• A good track record of exemplary management of complex, multi-stakeholder projects and programmes including capacity to negotiate and facilitate activities across multiple organizations.
• Experience with participatory approaches, especially related to farmer innovation would be an advantage.

Education, knowledge and experience

•Minimum of Master’s Degree in project management, environmental science, restoration, agroforestry, development or agriculture or a similar field.
•A good and demonstrable understanding of the technical sides to the programme with strong technical expertise in a relevant field desired.
•At least 10 years of progressive experience engaging in or managing international development projects.
•At least 5 years’ experience managing multi-country development projects/programmes.
•At least 5 years’ experience in people management, strategic planning, risk management, and project management techniques and tools.
•A good track record of exemplary management of complex, multi-stakeholder projects and programmes including capacity to negotiate and facilitate activities across multiple organizations.
•Experience with participatory approaches, especially related to farmer innovation would be an advantage.