Saferworld Head - Horn of Africa Programme

Job Title:
Head - Horn of Africa Programme

Location:
Nairobi, Kenya

Management responsibility:
Somalia Country Manager, Kenya Country Manager, Operations/HR Manager, Finance Manager

Reporting to:
Director of Programmes – Sub-Saharan Africa, UK

Key Relationships: Organisation Management Team; Director of Operations/HR UK; Director of Finance and Procurement; Director of Policy and Communications UK; Regional Funding Manager; Programme partners; Head of S/Sudan and Great Lakes

Contract Duration:
Open contract subject to availability of funding

Salary range:
£40,500 - £50,000 gross per year + benefits

BACKGROUND:
Saferworld is an independent non-governmental organisation that works internationally with governments, international/regional organisations and local civil society - especially in fragile contexts - to prevent violent conflict and contribute to long term recovery and stability. Since our establishment in 1989, we have been active internationally to encourage and support effective policies and practices through advocacy, research and policy development, and through supporting the actions of others. We have made significant progress on a range of conflict prevention issues such as promoting effective and more accountable security and justice sector development and supporting initiatives to tackle the spread and misuse of small arms and light weapons. Saferworld has developed its work both at the international level across these themes and in countries affected by conflict or insecurity. We engage in over 15 countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. In addition to our headquarters in London, we have staff based in Kenya, Uganda, S Sudan and Somalia in Africa and across our other regional programme areas.
Saferworld has worked in Africa since 1997, with a primary focus upon the Horn of Africa region. The regional programme office is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and from where we oversee operations in the Horn of Africa.

Job Purpose:
The Head is responsible for the design, programme development and quality delivery of Saferworld’s portfolio in the region (security & justice, small arms control, aid & conflict and governance & peacebuilding). The current focus is on the Kenya and Somalia/land country programmes; developing interests in Ethiopia and at the sub-region. The post holder will contribute regularly to Saferworld’s organisational strategy development and learning as a member of Sub Saharan Africa Leadership Group and the Organisational Management Team.

Key areas of responsibility:

1: Strategic planning and Growth. 2: Programme design, development and quality delivery of Saferworld’ interventions 3: Organisational leadership and evidence based cross-organisational learning 4: Policy research, advocacy and communications 5: People management 6: Finance and grants management

Duties:

1: Strategic planning

Detailed Actions: • Lead on the strategic development of Saferworld’s work in the Horn of Africa region; • Identify new and emerging issues of relevance to Saferworld’s work in the region and lead & facilitate the development of appropriate strategies to address them; • Contribute to Saferworld’s wider organisational strategy development.

1. Programme design, development & quality delivery of interventions

Detailed Actions: • Lead on the development of a variety of projects aimed at effectively addressing Saferworld’s change objectives. • Lead and facilitate proposal design & development of major opportunities that contribute to the growth of the organisation and hence realisation of the organisational strategy. • Lead & facilitate the institutionalisation and the implementation of monitoring, evaluation and learning systems to ensure evidence based programming that influences policy change and promotes best practices. • Oversee the development of relationships with Saferworld’s partners in the region. Work with the programme team to strengthen existing partnerships, and promote the development of practical approaches for building the capacity of key stakeholders (such as government and non-government actors and evolving civil society networks) concerned with conflict prevention and peacebuilding. • Play a leading role in the development of country, sub-regional and thematic strategies, reflecting Saferworld’s priorities to prevent and reduce violent conflict; strengthen the security and justice sectors; influence the manner in which international assistance contributes to conflict prevention; and promote conflict transformation through governance and state-building processes;

1. Organisational leadership and cross-organisational learning

Detailed Actions: • Actively participate in Sub-Saharan Africa Leadership Group and Organisational Management Team. • Lead and inspire staff to develop and implement the Organisational Strategy and Business plans. • Play a role in developing organisational polices and systems. • Promote internal lesson learning. • Undertake senior representation for the programme. • Work to ensure the effective integration of cross-cutting themes (such as gender and conflict sensitivity) and functions (such as advocacy, communications and capacity building) with members of the Organisational Management Team. • Work with team members to identify innovative and creative approaches and methods of working which enable Saferworld to address violent conflict and insecurity in effective ways.

4: Policy research, advocacy and communications

Detailed Actions: • In co-operation with our partner organisations and the Policy, Advocacy and Communications Division, define and manage Saferworld’s research initiatives in support of our programmes relating to security and justice, aid and conflict, small arms control, and governance and peacebuilding issues in the region. • Support the building of organisational contacts and the participation in networks in support of Saferworld’s strategies for the region. Identify and facilitate opportunities for policy dialogue and problem-solving amongst a range of decision-makers within and between different sub-regions, and with the international community. • Define and manage internal and external communications on the programme in coordination with the Policy & Communications division. • Act as a Saferworld spokesperson on conflict prevention themes in the region, promoting lessons learnt from the region; ensure regular engagement with officials from relevant governments, civil society and international agencies.

5: People management

Detailed Actions: • Lead and facilitate the attraction, development and retention of talents to Saferworld’s programmes in the region. • Ensure that an effective performance management system is being institutionalised and embedded by all staff in the region. • Ensure development and implementation learning and development plans that clearly define capacity building, succession and retention of staff. • Manage the performance of direct line reports and oversee other senior staff and consultants where necessary. • Ensure organisational safety, well-being & security protocols and duty of care standards are maintained by team. • Ensure effective relations are maintained with other parts of Saferworld.

6: Finance and grants management

Detailed Actions: • Develop and implement (with the Country Managers and Regional Funding Manager - Africa) a fundraising strategy for the Horn of Africa. • Oversee the finance and grants management function in the region. • Ensure that Horn of Africa programme staff understand and apply financial management and control policies, and work within their budgets to deliver agreed priorities. • Work in collaboration with Finance and Funding in building the capacity of the Finance team as well as Budget holders. • Ensure compliance with donors’ conditions and that financial risks are minimized and/or eliminated. • Lead the development of the Horn of Africa annual budget and contribute to the development of the organisational budget.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

• A master’s degree (or equivalent) in international relations, development studies, political science or a related field; • An excellent understanding of the discourse on conflict prevention and reduction, security and justice sector development, small arms control, and of the international policy environment in which these issues are addressed; • A good understanding of the Horn of Africa, and experience of working in Africa; • Minimum of five years’ senior management experience, preferably in an international non-government organisation; • Proven ability to manage and motivate staff at all levels. Experience of managing staff based overseas is desirable; • Proven ability to undertake and lead strategic planning, programme development and evaluation; • Experience of budget development and financial management; • Experience of donor liaison and fundraising (including reporting to donors); • Proven experience of working in partnership with NGOs and other civil society organisations and networks; • Experience of relating to government officials at a senior level • Ability to undertake extensive travel (up to 3 months each year); • High level communication skills, including experience of communicating effectively across cultures and with diverse audiences, both verbally and in writing; • Excellent written and spoken English, and preferably of another language spoken in Africa such as Kiswahili.

Terms and Conditions

Salary range: £40,500 - £50,000 gross per year + benefits Holidays: 28 days/year in addition to agreed Kenya public holidays Hours: Standard working week is 37.5 hours Probation: There will be a probationary period of three months

How to apply:

Please send an application comprising a detailed CV and cover letter to Marie Aziz (reference HOH413) atrecruitment@saferworld.org.uk by 21st April 2013.

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted