The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an international non-governmental organization (NGO), has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. DRC promotes and supports solutions to the problems faced by refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and migrants. The organization has offices across the region and has been operational in Ethiopia since 2009. With funding from bilateral and multilateral donors, DRC is currently implementing a range of activities across Ethiopia and Djibouti, including WASH and shelter provision, child and youth protection, gender-based violence response, awareness-raising of migration risks, protection monitoring of migration routes, and livelihoods support for returning migrants or those at-risk of migration.

Overall purpose of the role:

Provide strategic leadership and management oversight of the Grants department, with a portfolio including grants management, program development and quality, reporting, and information management. The Program Development and Quality Manager is responsible for supporting the Head of Program for Ethiopia and the Senior Management Team in the coordination and design of inputs for concept notes, project proposals, and strategic documents, as well as for overseeing the timely and quality implementation of all current and future projects.

The Program Development and Quality Manager will ensure implementation teams adhere to best practices in project cycle management as well as to compliance with donor rules and regulations. The postholder will directly support DRC Ethiopia’s Head of Program in forging and maintaining relationships with key governmental authorities including Refugee and Returnee Services (RRS), and regional authorities and bureaus. The Program Development and Quality Manager will play a vital role as a member of the Program Team supporting the Head of Program on overall grants management, quality of implementation, and ultimately fulfillment of DRC’s responsibilities to community members and donors.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Representation:

• Support the Senior Management Team (SMT) in the establishment and maintenance of relationships with key governmental authorities including the Refugee and Returnee Services (RRS), and regional authorities and bureaus with regards to signing of regional and federal-level project agreements.
• Represent DRC in coordination meetings with project consortia of which DRC is a member, with relevant inter agency humanitarian networks, and in the absence of the Country Director or Head of Program, with donors.

Program design and development.

• Lead in coordinating the development of new concept notes and proposals – in line with DRC country strategy and donor requirements and in close collaboration with programs/field staff, support services, DRC Regional Office (RO) and HQ Grant Management Unit (GMU) and finance.
• Coordinate addressing feedback/ comments received from donors on proposals in consultation with relevant staff in country and DRC RO and HQ GMU and finance.
• Maintain active and regular communication with donors, ensuring timely response to communications and requests for information.
• Maintain up to date insight into donor requirements and priorities.

Contracts and amendments:

• Maintain thorough knowledge of DRC grant contracts to ensure understanding of contractual obligations and regulations at both the Addis and field levels, and function as donor-compliance focal point for the assigned funding portfolio;
• Quality control on all contracts before signature, seeking DRC RO and HQ GMU and finance advice when required and facilitating signing of grant agreements;
• Troubleshoot identified gaps for meeting deliverables in projects’ implementation periods and budgets, in close consultation with relevant staff in country and HQ Program Department to propose potential solutions that meet donor regulations.
• Lead on coordinating and submission of contract amendments including cost extensions/no-cost extensions, budget realignments and project revisions in coordination with relevant internal stakeholders.

Programming and Technical Support:

• Ensure that country and field-level kick-off meetings are held for 100% of all new projects. This entails making clear presentations of all project components, including activities, budgets, monitoring and evaluation plans, beneficiary accountability, and visibility. The Program Development and
• Quality Manager is responsible for collecting, consolidating, and updating detailed activity and spending plans, including the Detailed Implementation Plan (DIP) and Project Management Tools Plus (PMT Plus) developed and updated by the responsible Area Managers (budget holders).
• Support DRC’s Area Managers in upholding rigorous project cycle management principles through the provision of technical advice, including support with the development and monitoring of project cycle management tools.
• Work closely with MEAL colleagues to ensure that monitoring of project achievements with appropriate tools is in line with donor requirements. When activities are identified as behind schedule or are facing technical or logistical challenges, the Program Development and Quality Manager will work with Area Managers to identify and implement corrective actions and raise issues to the SMT.
• Provide guidance and oversight to the budget holders in all aspects of project implementation, scale up, and scale-down, in accordance with the donor-approved grant agreements.
• Organize and facilitate monthly reviews of achievements and spending for all active projects by leading monthly Budget Follow-up Reviews and providing support to the Head of Program on bi-weekly PMT Plus reviews.
• Ensure that country and field-level project closure meetings are held for 100% of all ending projects. This entails reviewing significant achievements and challenges, preparing teams for final reporting, and, in collaboration with the MEAL Coordinator, documenting lessons learned.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of DRC Ethiopia’s programming through active and ongoing participation in and contribution to strategic planning meetings and development of strategic documents.
• In collaboration with the Head of Program, contribute to the sustainable management of program growth and development, ensuring that existing capacities are considered for future strategic growth.
• Liaise with relevant Regional Office and HQ counterparts responsible for program design, reporting, and monitoring and evaluation.

Reporting:

• Oversee development of all project reports to ensure accuracy in narrative and financial aspects, and a high standard of professionalism, and in compliance with DRC and donor standards and timelines.
• Lead a weekly grants & budgeting meeting, collaborating closely with the Finance Coordinator – Reporting, to ensure that reports are submitted on time and to a high quality.
• Collaborate with the Addis Ababa-based finance and grants teams to monitor spending and ensure the timely utilization of all grants.
• Ensure that a consolidated reporting package (templates, deadlines, and focal points) is shared with all concerned parties in a timely manner to ensure a quality product submission to donors on time.

Human Resources:

• Provide strategic leadership and management oversight of the Grants Management team.
• Promote respectful and positive working relationships within and between other departments through leadership, team building, day-to-day support, objective setting, performance review, and capacity-building.
• Support and participate in recruitment processes as requested by the Head of Program.
• In collaboration with the Head of Program and Area Managers, ensure relevant program staffing structures are in place across all field locations.
• Promote professional development by identifying training and capacity building opportunities and ensure staff are well versed in core sector concepts, DRC’s code of conduct, accountability, respectful dialogue with the refugee population, and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.

As Manager the post-holder is responsible for the following:

• Accountable for achieving DRC’s strategic goals and objectives within the area of responsibility
• Accountable for making significant decisions on what the unit does: its purpose, functions and role, and for making commitments and decisions that require the expenditure of significant unit resources.
• Accountable for people management of direct reports. This includes hiring & firing, objective setting, probation, performance appraisal, development of staff, managing performance, including poor performance, etc.
• Accountable for making sound decisions based on DRC policies, standards, and the advice of technical experts

Job Requirements

Experience and Technical Competencies:

• At least five years of professional experience in humanitarian emergency contexts with PDQA responsibilities, preferable to have at least two years of experience at senior management level.
• At least 3 years’ experience with people management
• Knowledge and experience working on protection, WASH, emergency, cash, and livelihoods programming.
• Proven ability to lead a high performing and diverse team, manage performance, foster a positive working environment, and manage issues sensitively and diplomatically.
• Extensive knowledge of US, UN, and European institutional donors and their compliance requirements with proven experience of developing successful funding proposals and overseeing large complex grants.
• Excellent understanding of the principles of budgeting, financial, and contract management.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills.
• Knowledge of Office software packages and experience using data analysis tools.

Education: Master’s degree in law, social sciences, international development, or another relevant field

Languages: Excellent verbal and written English and Amharic language skills required. Other Ethiopian languages are an asset.