Programme Manager - Great Lakes Programme

Programme Manager - Great Lakes Programme (based in Nairobi, Kenya)

We are looking for a highly qualified French and English speaking Programme Manager with a solid background in programme management, research, policy analysis, advocacy and civil society development to manage our programme in the Great Lakes region of Africa.

About the programme

Danish Refugee Council’s Great Lakes Programme currently covers five countries of the Great Lakes region: Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Uganda. Based on an approach combining qualitative research, evidence-based advocacy, bottom-up policy development and civil society capacity-building, the programme seeks to prevent local conflict resulting from and contributing to displacement through participatory processes defined and implemented by local actors at the local level. It also aims to develop or improve national and regional policies on displacement by making them more relevant to locally-identified needs. Finally, it seeks to reinforce and consolidate the capacities of civil society actors in reaching meaningful and sustainable policy change.

In the current second phase of the programme, DRC provides strategic and methodological support to partner civil society organisations (CSOs) in carrying out professional and participatory analyses into specific displacement dynamics and translating these into effective advocacy strategies targeting stakeholders from the local to the regional level. DRC also provides technical and financial support to activities such as dialogue, negotiation, protection monitoring, legal aid and capacity-building.

You can read more about the Great Lakes Programme at http://drc.dk/relief-work/the-great-lakes-civil-society-project/

The job

The Great Lakes Programme Manager is responsible for leading the strategic development and implementation of DRC’s Great Lakes Programme in its 5 countries of operation. The Programme Manager is expected to:

• Manage large-scale participatory research projects on conflict and displacement, providing strategic, methodological and technical support to various research teams on the ground.

• Direct the research and publication of high-impact reports to be used for advocacy and policy purposes.

• Provide strategic guidance and technical support to CSO partners in translating research findings into coherent advocacy strategies implemented in conjunction with a broad range of actors and stakeholders at the local, national and international levels.

• Deliver technical support to CSO partners on long-term capacity-building plans on research, advocacy, programme management etc.

• Develop a network of CSO partners working on forced migration issues in the region base don information-sharing and cross-border initiatives

• Establish relationship with relevant stakeholders

• Maintain close relationships with DRC programmes on the ground and identify new opportunities for DRC-wide

• Line-manage a team of 3 persons based in Nairobi, Kenya.

• Oversee all reporting to DRC HQ and donors and engage in additional fundraising activities throughout the programme period.

• Ensure compliance and alignment with DRC standards, strategies and mandate.

• Develop a strategy and fundraise for the continuation of the Great Lakes Programme

• Contribute to ensuring the visibility of DRC’s protection work.

You will report to the Deputy Regional Director for DRC Horn of Arica and Yemen based in Nairobi), while a technical reference to the protection advisor in HQ might be introduced at a later stage,

Qualifications

You have a research (Masters or PhD level) degree in International Law, International Politics, Conflict Studies, Forced Migration, Social Anthropology or related field. We also expect you to have at least 8 years’ professional experience with an international NGO working on conflict and displacement, preferably from a civil society/capacity-building perspective. Additionally you have:

• Solid programme management experience, including strategic planning, programme design, implementation and evaluation, human resource management, financial management and donor relations

• Proven track record working in Africa on research, policy development and advocacy

• Practical experience in accompanying local CSOs in research and policy formulation

• Outstanding communication skills (both written and spoken) in English and French

• Experience in at least one country of the Great Lakes region and willingness to travel regularly to countries within the region.

Conditions

Start date: 1 December 2013 – or as soon as possible thereafter.

Duty station: Nairobi, KENYA

Contract: Until 30 April 2016 with the possibility of an extension

Salary and conditions are in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; this position is offered at salary level A9. For more information on this, click on this following link;http://drc.dk/fileadmin/uploads/pdf/Om_dfh_PDF/jobs_PDF/Terms_of_Employm... please refer towww.drc.dk under Vacancies.

Further information

If you have any questions for the position please contact Claus Larsen claus.larsen@drc.dk. For general information about the Danish Refugee Council, please visit our website www.drc.dk

How to apply:

Application and CV

Only motivated applications that address the stipulated duties and meet the required qualifications sent together with a CV will be considered. Please provide references, but do not attach any written recommendations until requested to do so.

Please submit your application and CV in English and marked “Programme Manager – Great Lakes Programme” no later 17th of November 2013. CV-only applications will not be considered. Please note that applications are not to be sent to Mr. Larsen. We only accept applications sent via our online recruitment system - via our website.

Problems with online application?

Please inform us via job@drc.dk, if you have questions to the application process or experience problems with your on-line application.