Senior Programme Manager

Career with BRAC International

BRAC is an award-winning international non-governmental development organisation, with the vision of a world free from all forms of exploitation and discrimination, where everyone has the opportunity to realise their potential. BRAC is a leader in developing and implementing cost-effective, evidence-based programmes to assist poor and disadvantaged communities in low-income countries, including in conflict-prone and post-disaster settings. It is an organisation of and for the people of the Global South, pioneering new development and social enterprise approaches to equip communities to achieve prosperity. As well as being the world's biggest NGO by number of staff and people directly reached, BRAC has regularly been ranked the number one NGO in the world by the Geneva-based NGO Advisor, an independent organisation committed to highlighting innovation, impact and governance in the non-profit sector. BRAC retained the top spot in 2020 among the top 500 NGOs for the fifth consecutive year.

BRAC was founded in Bangladesh in 1972 by Sir Fazle Hasan Abed. It started its first programme outside of Bangladesh in Afghanistan in 2002, and has since reached millions of people in 11 countries in Asia and Africa. BRAC has a holistic approach to development that uses a wide array of programmes and social enterprises, including in microfinance, education, health, agriculture, gender and human rights. BRAC believes that every person has inherent potential, and when an enabling environment is created and that potential is unleashed, even the poorest can become agents of positive change in their own lives, for their families and their communities. 

About the programme

The Mastercard Foundation Accelerating Impact for Young Women in partnership with BRAC initiative will create positive and measurable impact for 1.2 million adolescent girls and young women and 9.5 million people across seven countries in East and West Africa, including Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Uganda in the next 5 years. 

There is mounting urgency to support adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) living in poverty, which has been further amplified by the global pandemic. Through this partnership, scalable economic development approaches will be delivered in communities to foster the agency and voice of AGYW. They will have the opportunity to fulfill their aspirations, achieve sustainable livelihoods, and engage in advocacy issues.

BRAC International will implement an integrated and holistic model to address the various life cycles of a young woman living in poverty, ensuring she is able to transition safely from adolescence to adulthood. She will be equipped with the appropriate skills, tools, and access to finance to effectively exercise her agency and build a fulfilling and productive livelihood.

In preparation for the launch, BRAC International is seeking application from competent, dynamic and self-motivated individuals to fill the following position:

Senior Programme Manager

Reporting to the Head of Programme, Mastercard Foundation Accelerating Impact for Young Women in partnership with BRAC (AIM), this will be a full-time position based in BRAC’s Africa Regional Hub in Nairobi, Kenya. The Senior Programme Manager, AIM will oversee the overall management, coordination and timely rollout of the AIM program in the region. S/he will provide technical and advisory support to BI countries to build capacity of country teams to design quality programs. An ideal candidate should be able to forge productive working relationships with key counterparts in the BRAC family, with affiliates and institutional partners.

Key Responsibilities:

Management and Coordination Support

• Ensure effective coordination between AIM regional team, the 7 implementing countries, affiliates and other stakeholders, as required, in providing technical support to ongoing projects as well as designing new projects for the AIM countries
• Set/review objectives and ensure progress against those objectives for various project management functions of AIM, such as HR, Finance, Grants, Knowledge Management, M&E etc.
• Manage relationship with key stakeholders such as Mastercard Foundation, governments, multilaterals, technical and implementing partners and other strategic networks to ensure the program receives maximum visibility
• Support the Head of Program-AIM in leading internal and external engagement, as required.
• Schedule and manage regular internal communications with key stakeholders such as the AIM Steering Committee; Country Directors/Country teams; GRP; the Working Groups; Program Managers; and Affiliates.
• Represent BRAC and AIM program in global platforms

Technical Support

• Provide technical leadership to steer strategic program development and effective implementation of programs in BRAC International countries
• Provide overarching project management leadership to the several sectoral teams and AIM working groups, and maintain strong relationships with the group leads
• Develop quality standards, systems and processes, strategic work plans to ensure that the hallmarks of the AIM program are established in all 7 implementing countries
• Provide hands on support to BRAC International country teams in the adaptation and contextualization of programs in line with local contexts as well as ensuring timely coordination support with relevant technical anchors.
• Oversee and contribute to the production and operationalization of project management tools, such as dashboards, budget review, work plans, resource allocation tools, reporting formats, risk assessments and mitigation plans for the country teams
• Work closely with AIM MEAL and KM colleagues to provide technical oversight to experimental and operational research design in alignment with the program’s broader learning agenda
• Ensure program integration and cross-team collaboration by developing strategies, operational procedures and clear Terms of Reference
• Lead staff onboarding and orientation; train and develop a core regional technical team for AIM

Others (Safeguarding):

• Ensure the safety of team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation to achieve the programme’s goals on safeguarding implementation. Act as a key source of support, guidance and expertise on safeguarding for establishing a safe working environment.
• Practice, promote and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action.
• Follow the safeguarding reporting procedure in case any reportable incident takes place, encourage others to do so.

Educational Requirements:

Post-graduate/Master’s any of the following- Social Studies, Business Administration, Communications, International Development, or any relevant subject

Required Competencies:

• Demonstrated ability to network and forge productive working relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds
• Fieldwork experience in the global South, preferably East and West Africa is strongly preferred
• Familiarity with BRAC programs is a plus
• Strong interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to be a team player and to work independently and with initiative
• Proven ability to perform under pressure and prioritize with multiple competing demands.
• Highly organized, analytical, strategic thinker with a strong attention to detail
• Ability to travel frequently to BRAC countries as needed
• Fluency in written and spoken English is a must; proficiency in Swahili or French is a plus
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication and networking skills

Experience Requirements:

A minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in strategic program design, project management, and grants management and/or donor liaison

Employment Type:  Full time (Contractual)

Salary: Negotiable

Job Location: Nairobi, Kenya

If you feel you are the right match for the above mentioned position, please follow the application instructions accordingly:

Candidates need to email their CV with a letter of interest mentioning educational grades, years of experience, current and expected salary at bimcf.dhaka@brac.net

Please mention the name of the position and AD# 44/22 in the subject bar.

Only complete applications will be accepted and short listed candidates will be contacted.

Application deadline: 12 May 2022

BRAC is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share the same commitment. We believe every stakeholder and every member of the communities we work with has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect, harassment, and exploitation - regardless of age, race, religion, and gender, status as an individual with a disability or ethnic origin. Therefore, our recruitment policy and procedure include extensive background checks and disclosure of criminal records in order to ensure safeguarding to the fullest extent.   

BRAC is an equal opportunities employer

Women and African nationals are strongly encouraged to apply