About

Terre des Hommes Italia (TDH-It) is seeking the services of a Programmes Manager (PM) to provide strategic leadership, business development and drive quality innovative programming across country projects. TDH-It is a child centered organization delivering integrated programming that bridges humanitarian and development interventions. The Zimbabwe country office is implementing projects focusing on Education, Resilience Building, Health, Food Security, Protection and Disaster Preparedness. Working with support from the European Union, Italian International Development Cooperation, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP), Terre des Hommes Italia empowers vulnerable populations, including refugees, to recover from crisis.

Position summary

The Programmes Manager is an innovative and visionary leader responsible for resourcefully developing and managing all programming and operations in Zimbabwe to deliver impact, harness innovative solutions and influence lasting and systemic change. The PM will oversee the delivery of high-impact, multi-sector programming that is accountable to both program participants and donors, while prioritizing strategies for thoughtful growth, external influence and partnership building. Placing a high value on innovative solutions to development issues and creative partnerships, the PM will position Terre des Hommes Italia to drive forward strategic programming connecting programs into a cohesive country portfolio. The Programmes Manager has full supervisory responsibility for the country delegation and is responsible for building a cohesive team that works together to deliver high-impact programming across the country.

Responsibilities

Strategy, vision and business development

Refine and articulate a clear and compelling vision of Terre des Hommes Italias’ strategy in Zimbabwe that inspires team members, donors, government stakeholders and partners to support the country’s initiatives and develop impactful and relevant programming within our partner communities; Develop grant winning proposals and secure resources for high-impact programs that are aligned to community priorities; Remain current with development thinking, including resilience approaches, systems thinking, nexus approaches, social impact, value for money, etc; Set direction for the country team by prioritizing and organizing integrated multi sectoral actions and resources to achieve set objectives; Build strategic partnerships and relationships, recognize opportunities for innovative action resulting in unique intervention models.

Leadership

Commit to preserving an organizational culture of trust, transparency, diversity, equity, and inclusion across the team; Uphold a culture of integrity through ethical decision-making, safeguarding and compliance with the Code of Conduct; Lead by role modelling self-awareness to foster an environment of mutual respect, diversity and inclusion so that all team members are included, supported and can thrive; Create a culture of accountability for highly effective communication systems and relationships to ensure every voice matters.

Human resources

Recruit, manage, motivate, and onboard an informed, skilled and efficient team with an emphasis on high quality impact, creativity & innovation, inclusion incorporating a culture of continuous feedback, development and performance management; Establish credibility within the team by demonstrating personal accountability, flexibility, resilience and dedication to quality programming by creating positive relationships and having composure in complex situations; Ensure people-focused human resource systems are in place and consistent with TDH-It policies, position descriptions, team member onboarding, performance management, professional development plans and reporting mechanisms; Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem-solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

Program impact, monitoring, evaluation and learning

Oversee program quality and impact by ensuring programs are based on sound design principles and utilize donor required M&E systems; Facilitate and coordinate implementation of multi-sectoral thematic areas covering health, education, protection, food security, disaster preparedness etc; Review periodic donor & partner reports and continuously mentor staff to produce high quality results-oriented reports; Ensure that implementation of cross cutting thematic areas is measurable and clearly articulated in the project’s logic of intervention; Ensure all interventions adhere to TDH-It Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and program participant accountability standards, including an effective Community Accountability Reporting Mechanism and safeguarding mechanisms across all programs.

Influence and representation

Lead TDH-It’s outreach and engagement with key donors, partners, think tanks, government, UN bodies and private sector in order to pre-position the organisation for funding; Build partnerships with leading organizations, private sector, government, foundations, community representatives, and other critical partners to enhance collective impact, voice, and opportunities for securing funding; Set up systems to stay abreast of contextual changes, anticipate needs, and contribute to shaping donors’ views on humanitarian and development priorities in ways that are responsive to changes in the context.

Program operations and compliance

Coordinate overall country budget; Manage budget within approved spending levels and establish an annual cash flow plan to ensure a steady and adequate supply of funds for program activities; Build and maintain operational structures that ensure proper segregation of duties between finance, administration and logistics and enable the timely, compliant and effective delivery of field programs; Build and maintain an environment of collaboration among program, finance & administration team members resulting in optimal support for program activities; Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts; Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and TDH-It policies and procedures; Ensure compliance with donor and TDH-It regulations, policies and procedures, and the implementation of appropriate risk mitigation measures to reduce TDH-It’s exposure to potential risk.

Qualifications and experience

Training: Master’s degree in a field related to Project Management, International Development / Development Economics and / or social sciences; Training in Public Health / Protection / Livelihoods / Law / Disaster Preparedness / Education / will be valued.

Experience: At least 10 years of field experience in international relief and development programs, including demonstrable success in managing large and complex programs multi-sectoral projects; Have at least 5 years of senior-level leadership, capacity building and field management experience; Must have previously developed and managed an EU, ECHO, BHA, UNHCR and AICS funded project.

Skills: Proficient in project management and team management, demonstrate strong knowledge in donor requirements and expectations, particularly ECHO, BHA, EU, WFP, UNHCR, AICS, UNICEF and have excellent writing skills (especially for proposals and reporting).

Qualities: Strong leadership skills and ability to make decisions, a sense of analysis (discernment, pragmatism) and synthesis. A good negotiator and communicator, both in writing and orally. Able to demonstrate organizational skills, rigor, flexibility, capacity to remain calm and level-headed.