Website dZi Foundation
JOB OPPORTUNITY
Senior Program Manager (SrPM)
Reports to: Nepal Country Director (NCD)
Supervises: Component Leads, and District and Municipal Program Coordinators.
Coordinates: Administration & Finance Unit, HR Unit, and MERL Unit.
Location: Nepal Country Office, Lalitpur-based with at least 25% field visits.
Background:
dZi Foundation is a US-based non-profit organization working with rural communities in Nepal to achieve prosperity by eliminating barriers to basic needs, fostering opportunities for sustainable livelihoods, and building their capacity to catalyze transformational change. dZi partners with local governments, NGOs, and communities for a multi-year stage to support complementary health, education, and livelihood programs that unlock local opportunities, build more unified communities, and create lasting solutions to complex local challenges. For more information, please visit www.dzi.org.
Job Purpose:
As a member of the Program Management Team (PMT), the Senior Program Manager (SrPM) is accountable for providing strategic, compliance, coordination, and quality leadership in designing, rolling out, adapting, and reporting the program and project operations in Nepal Country Office. Furthermore, capacity assessment, building, and linking the increased skills to the performance of staff and partner NGOs will fall under the core responsibilities of the SrPM. S/he will also coordinate with other departments in NCO to establish and maintain functional inter-unit coordination and collaboration. In addition, the SrPM, under the direct supervision and guidance of the Nepal Country Director, will also play a leadership role in rolling out a new seven-year strategic plan in Nepal.
The SrPM will report directly to the Nepal Country Director.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Strategy and work plan development: support the NCD in formulating, adapting, and rolling out overall, sectoral, and cross-cutting strategies and work plans, on an annual and periodic basis. Also, work with other departments in preparing and implementing grants/contracts/awards as required. Under the guidance of the NCD, lead the drafting of concept papers and proposals in line with organizational strategic goals and plans.
2. Program and project management: coordinate the formulation, adaptation, and rollout of annual, quarterly, and monthly work planning, and ensure that different units, staff, and partners as well as key stakeholders are engaged in the entire process. Together with MERL and the admin & finance unit, formulate, apply, track, and report the progress against a set timeline and deliveries by setting up, and/or customizing, a joint-program management framework, participatory yet efficient monitoring mechanism, determining a minimum standard of the deliverables, and staff and partners readiness to deliver per the contractual obligations.
3. Staff and partners’ capacity improvement: assess, customize, and deliver capacity-building plans to improve the individual and collective performance of the program staff and partners in line with defined objectives. Coordinate with HR Unit to ensure such capacity improvement plans and progress align with NCO performance assessment goals.
dZi Foundation/ Nepal
Job Description of Senior Program Manager (SrPM)
4. Quality assurance: work with MERL and other units to adapt a robust performance management system that ensures proper, timely, and qualitative progress updates, performance tracking, and reporting in addition to knowledge management and dissemination. Besides, identify the gaps in donor and government reporting, improve internal systems and practices, and steer the quality improvement process.
5. Coordination and networking: under the guidance of the NCD, establish, maintain, and sustain institutional relations with civil society, media, professional associations, donors, and government agencies at local, provincial, and federal levels. Moreover, map evolving patterns in policymaking, politics, and funding horizons to help the NCD prepare and adapt to the fluid operational environment. Where applicable, represent the organization to government, donor, and civil society platforms.
6. Other responsibilities: assist the NCD in managing the programmatic goals, technical delivery management, fund-raising efforts, client and external relations management, compliance and quality management, as well as work planning, policy and progress planning, and reporting.
Required Qualifications:
Education:
- At least a master’s degree in development studies, public policy, economics, sociology, or a relevant field from a reputed university.
Prior Work Experience:
- Progressive professional experience of more than 5 years in a relevant role within national and international development organizations, and or development consulting firm/s.
- Preferences will be given to the candidates demonstrating progressive professional experience, including work experience at and with local organizations in Nepal, with proven experience as a support or a lead role in designing, rolling out, and adapting multi-year programs, capacity building of staff and implementing partners, and negotiation and coordination with senior government officials and civil society leaders in addition to donor compliance and reporting.
- Priority will be given to a candidate with proven experience in holistic community development, poverty reduction, inclusive governance, and gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) integration in local governance and community development
Demonstrable Skill and Qualities:
- Ability to create and support organizational work plans based on mission, vision, and goals.
- Ability to lead and coordinate multiple projects, staff, and partners with or without a direct supervisor.
- Strong organizational skills to balance competing priorities, and proven ability to work independently to meet deadlines efficiently.
- Strong and empathetic interpersonal skills to work in harmony with diverse team members- both social and professional.
- Proven ability to prepare project budgets, manage contract/sub-contracts/grants/awards, and reports for donor and government agencies. dZi Foundation/ Nepal Job Description of Senior Program Manager (SrPM)
- Demonstrate the highest level of integrity, accountability, transparency, and collaboration while setting and achieving the ambitions and performance goals.
- Excellent English and Nepali oral and written communication skills to deal effectively with a range of stakeholders.
- Excellent computer skills, well-versed with Microsoft Office packages, and other project management-related applications.
Physical Requirement:
- Extensive hours sitting in front of a computer.
- Willingness to travel to the field (at least 25%) with limited supervision, guidance, and conditions.
Application Process:
- Interested candidates are requested to submit their applications through this Google form https://forms.gle/J1gzYQmwRiGumUsX7
- Please email vacancy.np@dzi.org (with a cover letter with expected salary, and updated CV) if you have issues with the form with the title “Application for Sr. Program Manager,’ before/by May 21st , 2023.
- Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for further process.
- Telephone inquiries will not be entertained.
- Salary and benefits commensurate with experience and as per policy.
- dZi Foundation Nepal reserves all the rights to reject any or all applications without assigning any reasons.
Equal Employment Opportunity:
dZi Foundation Nepal is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage and seek applications from women, people from marginalized groups, and bilingual and bicultural individuals. Applications from women and other minority groups are preferred. Applicants shall not be discriminated against because of caste, religion, sex, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or medical condition.