Womankind is seeking a highly skilled feminist Programme Management Officer to support a 5-year multi-partner, multi-country, policy and advocacy programme that began in January 2021. This circa €10 million programme funded by the Netherlands government under Power of Women funding framework focuses on strengthening women's movements in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda to be more representative of diverse groups of women, including women with disabilities, resulting in a stronger collective voice to challenge social norms and influence policies and key decisions affecting them.
We are looking for a dynamic, detail-oriented and passionate feminist Programme Management Officer to join the team. Specifically, we are looking for someone who has strong project cycle management skills. In addition, the successful candidate will have experience of working on high-value programmes and will demonstrate their creativity, flexibility and down-to-earth approach when it comes to working in a multidisciplinary project team. You will be working with partners and colleagues in different countries so cultural sensitivity and understanding is a must, as is being adaptable, especially considering the context of COVID-19.
This position is located in the UK.
Salary £30,587 per annum plus pension contribution.
Deadline for applications: Monday 22 March 2021 12:00 noon
1st round interviews: w/c 29 March 2021 TBC
2nd round interviews: TBC
Role Purpose
In this role, you will be responsible for supporting the Programme Manager: AWESOME and project team, coordinating this exciting 5-year advocacy focused programme, Advancing Women's Engagement: Strengthening Opportunities to Mobilise for Equality (AWESOME). This innovative programme will be jointly implemented by Womankind partners in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, managed and closely supported by Womankind.
The AWESOME programme focuses on two themes including Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and Women's Participation and Leadership (WPL) including political leadership. It works at three levels: self- to provide safe spaces for Women's Rights Organisations (WROs) including those led by women with disabilities, activists and young women to come together to increase collaboration and solidarity; society - to ensure greater willingness and support to challenge harmful gender norms and attitudes; and formal institutions - to improve the policy and legal framework for the realisation of women's rights.
We are implementing the AWESOME programme as a consortium of seven organisations including Womankind as the lead organisation. The post holder will support the implementation of all the programme activities, working closely with the project team at Womankind, the six programme partners and the Joint Consortium Steering Committee (JCSC). Partners implementing the project in the three focus countries are:
- Ethiopia: Siiqqee Women's Development Association (SWDA)
- Ethiopia: Ethiopian Women with Disabilities National Association (EWDNA)
- Kenya: Federation of Women Lawyers, Kenya (FIDA-Kenya)
- Kenya: Women Challenged to Challenge (WCC)
- Uganda: Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE)
- Uganda: National Union of Women with Disabilities of Uganda (NUWODU)
This role forms part of the AWESOME project team at Womankind which includes Director Policy and Communications, Director Programmes and Learning, Programme Manager, 2 Policy and Advocacy Managers, Impact and Learning Advisor, and the Projects Finance Manager.
The successful applicant will work closely with the Programme Manager: AWESOME to ensure coherence and consistency of approach, ideas and activities. They will make a strong contribution to the work and aims of Womankind with the scope to further develop and gain a wide range of practical experience and skills, in accordance with our feminist principles and approach.
The role reports to the Programme Manager: AWESOME. The role has four key areas of responsibility:
Project and Consortium Management Support:
- Support the Programme Manager by coordinating day to day programme activity as per the programme plan in collaboration with the project team and partners;
- Support and contribute to the effective coordination of consortium partners and Womankind AWESOME project team so that the programme is implemented in an efficient manner and delivers a coherent and useful body of evidence and learning;
- Support project delivery through arranging logistics as per project need whether for partners, colleagues or other stakeholders;
- Support in the recruitment of suitable consultants as required;
- Engage with Womankind AWESOME team members, consortium partners and stakeholders as they deliver activities;
- Support the production of programme research and documentation through quality checking and assurance to ensure they meet required standards;
- Coordinate programme communications including all meetings and the maintenance of effective communication channels;
- Support the Programme Manager and Projects Finance Manager to manage the AWESOME budget, including all associated project activity within budget, and support the programme team to ensure the effective and efficient management of delegated budget in accordance with Womankind’s financial procedures and local governance regulations;
- Adopt and promote best feminist practice in all aspects of the role including in relation to the wider organisation and Womankind’s programmes and partnerships approach and best practices of feminist ways of working.
Programme Governance Support:
- Provide support for Joint Consortium Steering Committee (JCSC) meetings, and attend and document programme meetings;
- Contribute to reporting processes at Womankind to ensure high quality narrative and financial work plans and reports, grant management, monitoring and evaluation, linking and learning, and financial management - in collaboration with other Womankind colleagues;
- Contribute to all necessary or ongoing partner due diligence in collaboration with other Womankind colleagues;
- Contribute to regular progress reports for key stakeholders including donor reporting;
- Contribute to project and funder administration and record keeping to ensure that it is delivered with excellence;
Contribution to knowledge and evidence base:
- Contribute to effective and appropriate technical monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes for the AWESOME programme in collaboration with the Impact and Learning Advisor
- Contribute to the work of the communications team through drafting content on the AWESOME programme for the website and social media channels.
Representation:
- Serve as a programme representative and be an active participant in cross-departmental initiatives and information sharing activities as determined by the Programme Manager.
The role may also undertake other responsibilities not outlined above which are commensurate with a role of this nature and which will be discussed and agreed with the line manager.
The role must be committed to the mission, vision, values and aims of Womankind Worldwide as it seeks to support and speak out about women’s human rights and development internationally.
All posts are expected to contribute towards developing a supportive working environment at Womankind and to demonstrate commitment to Womankind’s values and ways of working.
Ability and willingness to travel:
This post may travel between 2-4 weeks per year.
Skills and Experience
Essential:
- Demonstrable experience of supporting the implementation of international programmes to a high standard, preferably for the promotion of women’s human rights and gender equality that are multinational and/or multi-stakeholder in scope;
- Demonstrable experience of working with civil society actors, including women’s movements, and/or membership movements, networks or coalitions.
- Demonstrable experience of working within a multi-disciplinary programme team including on programmes funded by statutory donors, with a strong familiarity with government mechanisms, policies, guidelines and restrictions;
- Demonstrable ability in administration, financial management, grant compliance and management, and tracking activity performance and costs;
- Demonstrated facilitation and collaboration skills;
- Ability to assimilate and analyse information quickly and accurately;
- Experience of contributing to reports (narrative and financial) to donors;
- Experience of working with partner organisations located outside the UK with the ability to work with people from different cultural backgrounds and in different cultural settings;
- Demonstrable skills and track record as a strong, collegial team player who contributes to a creative and supportive work environment;
- Very strong interpersonal, communication and writing skills (in English);
- Ability to work autonomously and manage own portfolio of work;
- Comfortable planning and delivering multiple activities under pressure to strict deadlines and high levels of precision.
- Advanced ICT skills and experience of developing and using the systems required within a dynamic, multinational and inclusive environment.
Desirable:
- Experience of working on women's human rights, and/or the rights of persons with disabilities including work with Women's Rights Organisations and those led by women with disabilities
- Experience of living and working in the global South.
Terms and conditions:
Hours
35 hours
Salary
£30,587 per annum
Contract
Permanent
Probationary period
6 months
Holidays
28 days per annum plus statutory holidays (3 of these days are to be taken over the Christmas and new year period when the office is closed).
Pension
Womankind has a contributory pension scheme in place
Other benefits
We offer a wide range of flexible working options, enhanced maternity leave, group pension scheme and free eye tests
This position is located in the UK.
How to apply
Womankind Worldwide welcomes all applicants and values diversity. We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer.
Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we regret we will not be able to respond personally to applicants who are not shortlisted. If you have not heard from us within three weeks from the closing date, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Deadline for applications: Monday 22 March 2021 12:00 noon
1st round interviews: w/c 29 March 2021 TBC
2nd round interviews: TBC
