JOB TITLE: Program Manager

JOB TITLE: Program Manager

ORGANISATION: Peacebuilding UK

START DATE: 1st June 2017

Applications deadline: 8th May 2017

Peacebuilding UK, a UK-based charity running children- and youth-focused programming in Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union, seeks to hire a proactive and experienced Program Manager to oversee the implementation of adolescent girls’ programming in Russia’s North Caucasus region. This program was launched in 2012 and in 2016/17 is in its fifth year. It was designed by a coalition of local women’s NGOs (Partners) and is jointly led by them, and reaches around 1800 girls per year. Locally-based Program Coordinators are responsible for daily logistics and staff support. Peacebuilding UK provides fundraising support, financial management and technical expertise to the program, through its Technical Team of three.

Salary: PBUK offers a competitive salary, based on candidate’s experience and typical compensation for senior management roles in large NGOs in the Russian Federation, as well as annual raises.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Program management, implementation and technical quality

  • Ensure the program implemented is in-line with best standards of practice and the guiding principles and methodology of the program;
  • Receiving support from the Technical Team in this area, work with the Coordinators and program teams to ensure programming is responsive to the needs, priorities, interests, feedback of adolescent girls;
  • Regularly visit, observe and interact with the program’s groups and activities;
  • Regularly meet and communicate with the Coordinators and program staff, and provide technical (pedagogical, gender-based etc.) support in line with best standards of practice and the guiding principles and approaches of the program;
  • Identify and document any staffing capacity development and program strengthening needs and priorities, communicating these to the Partners and Technical Team;
  • Working together with Coordinators, ensure program coordination meetings take place each month with optimum program staff attendance; and that the meetings are effective, useful and participatory;
  • Work with the Technical Team, Coordinators and program staff to arrange required training for all staff, both in the North Caucasus and at least once annually outside of Russia;
  • Support the Coordinators to ensure that staff are sharing their learning, experience and expertise with each other through a variety of methods in an impactful way;
  • Support and supervise the Program Coordinators to ensure that any program developments, new protocols and rules or changes to strengthen programming are being implemented by program staff

M&E

  • Support program staff to set up, maintain and update a simple and accurate database of program beneficiaries; regularly share this with Program Coordinators and the Technical Team;
  • Ensure each Partner team is submitting quality, detailed monthly reports to the Coordinators and Technical Team;
  • Provide editorial and content support to the Coordinators who are submitting collated monthly reports to the Technical Team;
  • Follow up on the recent creation of an evaluation tool for the program to be used by staff on the ground; provide support and guidance to ensure its full implementation.

HR

  • In coordination with the Technical Team, Coordinators and Partners, ensure that program staff have regular supervision sessions and support;
  • Ensure program staff are in compliance with their obligations under their employment contracts and are supported to adhere to those obligations
  • In coordination with the Technical Team and Coordinators, implement measures to enforce contractual obligations (including through contractually agreed sanctions and termination) if other human resources interventions have proven ineffective.

Fundraising and donor reporting

  • Draft narrative reports and grant proposals to the program’s donors, with the support of the Technical Team

General

  • Take part in monthly, and as requested, meetings (telephone, skype, etc.) with the Technical Team;
  • Take on other duties as assigned by the Technical Team to support and develop the program;
  • Ensure all issues arising from any of the above points, or any other aspect related to the program or context, are communicated to the Technical Team in a swift and timely manner and work with them to identify and implement practical solutions.
  • Other administrative tasks, as required.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Essential:

  • Russian citizenship
  • At least 10 years of professional experience (post-university or similar studies), with progressively responsible professional experience, of which no less than 6 years must be in the non-profit sector with experience addressing gender inequality and violence against women and girls
  • Extensive/long-term and full-time experience as an activist/in a grass-roots NGO(s)
  • Demonstrable track record of principled, feminist, rights-based activism
  • Demonstrable track record of working with major international donors (governments and private foundations), preferably with major grant-makers for women’s and girls’ human rights
  • Experience with managing large, complex projects (no less than 10 staff, no less than $200,000/year)
  • Experience working in a patriarchal, traditional context
  • Ability to understand and respect socio-cultural particularities
  • Strong, hands-on understanding of civil society development, women’s rights movements and the needs of women human rights defenders
  • Familiarity with global trends, discourses, practices and theories on gender equality, empowering women and girls, movement-building and civil society development, human rights and international development funding
  • Strong, hands-on understanding of Russian legislation and politics concerning NGOs
  • Strong, expressive written and spoken communication skills
  • Strong interpersonal and intercultural communication skills
  • Demonstrable Interpersonal conflict resolution skills and/or experience
  • Professionally fluent in English and Russian
  • Personal qualities: patience, diplomacy, generosity, welcoming and supportive, courage, strong ethical principles, honesty, excellent time management, responsible and responsive, reliable, ready to go the extra mile

Desirable:

  • Advanced, post-tertiary education (in a range of related subject areas)/international educational experience
  • Experience with extra-curricular education and programming, youth and/or girls’ empowerment

Travel: Candidate must be willing and able to travel for a significant part of the year and spend up to several weeks at a time in the North Caucasus/alternatively: willingness to move to the North Caucasus for the duration of the position. Candidate must be able to occasionally travel internationally.

There will be a probationary period in accordance with the Russian Federation’s labour code.

Position Reports to: Technical Team at PBUK, comprised of three people

Application instructions:

Please send your resume (in English) and a detailed cover letter (also in English) to ywdg.project@gmail.com, with “Program Manager” in the subject line.

The cover letter should contain information in response to the criteria outlined in the Job Description above, and ensure you include answers to the following questions:

  • Why are you interested in managing a program that supports and empowers adolescent girls in the North Caucasus?
  • Up to how many staff members did you directly supervise in previous positions?
  • Please indicate the size of annual budgets for programming/projects you were responsible for.
  • Please provide a list of international and Russian grant-makers from whom you have won grants. Indicate the year the grant was received and the amount.
  • How many years have your worked on addressing gender inequality and/or gender-based violence, and in which capacity/ies did you work in this area?

Applications without full cover letters will not be considered.

Top-ranked candidates will be invited to a first round of telephone/skype interviews after the deadline. Subsequently, additional selection procedures (in-person interviews, writing samples etc.) may be scheduled.