Job Summary

Reporting to the Programme Coordinator and based in Kasiya, the Programme Manager will oversee all projects in Lilongwe Rural and Mchinji districts ensuring high-quality and timely programme implementation as well as operational and financial efficiency and effectiveness. Responsibilities include developing and executing detailed implementation plans and ensuring alignment with grant objectives. The incumbent will also manage the logistics, procurement, security, HR, administrative and finance functions in Lilongwe Rural. S/he will also implement performance management processes, coach and mentor staff, identify learning opportunities, conduct regular check-ins and site visits. A key aspect of the role will be establishing positive and productive relationships with key stakeholders, communicating programme milestones, supporting implementing partners and attending coordination meetings and activities.

Duties and Responsibilities
Programme Management for Programme Quality (40%)

• Liaise closely with the Programme Director and Programme Coordinator on programme development and implementation issues. Lead the creation and execution of detailed implementation plans for all Lilongwe Rural projects, ensuring all activities align with grant objectives.
• Conduct monthly meetings with all implementing teams (Concern and partners) to review achievements, ensure proper accounting for previously implemented activities and make necessary adjustments to detailed implementation plans for future tasks.
• Ensure all staff fully understand their roles and responsibilities, and coordinate work plans and field activities to monitor progress towards project objectives within agreed timeframes
• Ensure that geographical and participant targets meet grant agreements and lead the implementation of geographical scoping and participant recruitment processes.
• Facilitate the smooth implementation of studies, assessments, and surveys by researchers, consultants, and the Concern and partner MEAL teams; oversee routine monitoring and evaluation activities to ensure they align with the Detailed Implementation Plans; and ensure that learning from these activities is applied and shared with the team and implement recommendations to improve program quality.
• Continuously evaluate the project’s context, assumptions and changes in the working environment to ensure the programme remains relevant and propose adjustments as necessary.
• Lead the team in ensuring transparent communication of project information to relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain robust complaints and response mechanisms to effectively address and resolve concerns, ensuring accountability and trust in the project’s processes and outcomes.
• In coordination with Concern and partner staff, lead the development of data-driven internal monthly reports and contribute significantly to the creation of timely and comprehensive donor reports as per the grant agreement reporting schedule.

Operations Management (25%)

• Ensure the timely and efficient delivery of project staff, materials and supplies. Oversee transportation and distribution logistics for field activities and manage logistics related to staff movement, including storage and transportation arrangements and accommodations.
• Develop and implement procurement plans in alignment with programme needs and timelines while ensuring compliance with Concern’s procurement policies and donor regulations and lead the team in submitting timely and well-specified supply requests.
• Oversee administrative tasks, including documentation, filing and maintenance of project records; monitor office supplies and equipment and ensure proper management, maintenance and security of project assets.
• Assess and report security incidents in line with Concern’s Security Management Plan. Ensure the safety and security of staff, project sites, and assets. Implement and enforce security protocols for all staff.
• Implement and oversee Concern’s performance management processes, ensuring performance objective setting & periodic performance reviews are in place: Supervise, lead, and support direct reports for both projects: Identify staff and partner capacity needs, provide technical support, mentoring and coaching: Ensure timely dissemination of learnings to the wider team: Conduct regular check-ins with direct reports and lead monthly meetings with the wider programme teams, including partners, to ensure cohesive & inclusive team dynamics: Ensure project staff are aware of and effectively implement Concern’s Policies & Procedures; Ensure compliance with Concern’s staff health, safety and security protocols
• Ensuring all records including files, documents, distribution lists etc. are properly and adequately maintained and periodically lodged with Concern’s Head Office in Lilongwe as per Concern’s policies and procedures

Financial Management (20%)

• Take overall responsibility for managing the programme budget. Work with the Programmes Coordinator and Finance Manager to align budgets with authority levels and ensure staff under your supervision understand their budgets and budget codes.
• With support from senior programme and finance management, effectively monitor project expenditure to ensure it stays within budget and is delivered cost-effectively. Ensure all expenditures are reasonable, allocatable, allowable, and correctly coded to the appropriate budget lines by reviewing transaction listings.
• Coordinate with programming and partner staff to effectively forecast monthly, quarterly and annually, using the detailed implementation plan and procurement plans. Conduct spends versus actual analysis to support forecasting. Develop tools and templates to enable accurate forecasting and support teams in using the tools.
• Convene and coordinate with other budget holders to ensure a collaborative approach in providing detailed justifications for expenditures and forecasting during monthly donor management account meetings.

Implementing Partner Coordination and Support (10%)

• For projects within Lilongwe Rural/Mchinji, lead the coordination and strategic management of partnerships with implementing NGOs, government counterparts and other stakeholders, ensuring alignment with programme objectives, donor requirements and organisational partnership principles.
• Provide ongoing technical, managerial and compliance support to partner organisations.
• Act as the primary focal point for partner engagement, facilitating regular coordination meetings, joint planning, issue resolution and transparent communication across all levels.
• Oversee partnership performance through monitoring, partner reviews and risk management, proactively addressing challenges and supporting partners to deliver timely high-quality, accountable programme results.

External Relations & Collaboration (5%)

• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with government offices, donors and other stakeholders at the district level and maintain a directory of key stakeholders in government offices, donor organizations and structures in Lilongwe Rural and Mchinji District.
• Ensure timely communication of key milestones to relevant stakeholders; provide regular briefings on programme implementation status to ensure accountability.
• Identify and attend relevant technical coordination meetings as necessary.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in social science, agriculture, community development,  project management, disaster risk reduction or relevant field
• At least 5 years’ experience in a similar role in agriculture, food systems, livelihoods, resilience, social protection or relevant field
• Proven track record in effective project management, including project planning and budget management.
• Experience collaborating with local government institutions and structures.
• Experience integrating gender and equality issues within programme design and management.
• Strong skills in partnership building, influencing, and negotiating with a diverse range of actors, including governments, UN agencies, academic institutions, networks, donors, implementing partners and communities.
• Proven skills in monitoring and evaluation, including the collection and use of routine data to systematically assess and re-plan program activities
• Proven experience in managing multi-agency, multi-stakeholder collaborative projects.
• Strong understanding of humanitarian codes and standards, including the Core Humanitarian Standards and the SPHERE Standards along with their practical application.
• Experience in effectively disseminating research findings and in designing, organizing and managing large-scale learning events.
• Strong skills in designing and managing effective trainings, workshops, and meetings with diverse participants.
• Strong skills in written communication, including effective report writing and ability to work effectively with multiple stakeholders in a complex, multi-actor environment.

• Liaise closely with the Programme Director and Programme Coordinator on programme development and implementation issues. Lead the creation and execution of detailed implementation plans for all Lilongwe Rural projects, ensuring all activities align with grant objectives.
• Conduct monthly meetings with all implementing teams (Concern and partners) to review achievements, ensure proper accounting for previously implemented activities and make necessary adjustments to detailed implementation plans for future tasks.
• Ensure all staff fully understand their roles and responsibilities, and coordinate work plans and field activities to monitor progress towards project objectives within agreed timeframes
• Ensure that geographical and participant targets meet grant agreements and lead the implementation of geographical scoping and participant recruitment processes.
• Facilitate the smooth implementation of studies, assessments, and surveys by researchers, consultants, and the Concern and partner MEAL teams; oversee routine monitoring and evaluation activities to ensure they align with the Detailed Implementation Plans; and ensure that learning from these activities is applied and shared with the team and implement recommendations to improve program quality.
• Continuously evaluate the project’s context, assumptions and changes in the working environment to ensure the programme remains relevant and propose adjustments as necessary.
• Lead the team in ensuring transparent communication of project information to relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain robust complaints and response mechanisms to effectively address and resolve concerns, ensuring accountability and trust in the project’s processes and outcomes.
• In coordination with Concern and partner staff, lead the development of data-driven internal monthly reports and contribute significantly to the creation of timely and comprehensive donor reports as per the grant agreement reporting schedule.
• Ensure the timely and efficient delivery of project staff, materials and supplies. Oversee transportation and distribution logistics for field activities and manage logistics related to staff movement, including storage and transportation arrangements and accommodations.
• Develop and implement procurement plans in alignment with programme needs and timelines while ensuring compliance with Concern’s procurement policies and donor regulations and lead the team in submitting timely and well-specified supply requests.
• Oversee administrative tasks, including documentation, filing and maintenance of project records; monitor office supplies and equipment and ensure proper management, maintenance and security of project assets.
• Assess and report security incidents in line with Concern’s Security Management Plan. Ensure the safety and security of staff, project sites, and assets. Implement and enforce security protocols for all staff.
• Implement and oversee Concern’s performance management processes, ensuring performance objective setting & periodic performance reviews are in place: Supervise, lead, and support direct reports for both projects: Identify staff and partner capacity needs, provide technical support, mentoring and coaching: Ensure timely dissemination of learnings to the wider team: Conduct regular check-ins with direct reports and lead monthly meetings with the wider programme teams, including partners, to ensure cohesive & inclusive team dynamics: Ensure project staff are aware of and effectively implement Concern’s Policies & Procedures; Ensure compliance with Concern’s staff health, safety and security protocols
• Ensuring all records including files, documents, distribution lists etc. are properly and adequately maintained and periodically lodged with Concern’s Head Office in Lilongwe as per Concern’s policies and procedures
• Take overall responsibility for managing the programme budget. Work with the Programmes Coordinator and Finance Manager to align budgets with authority levels and ensure staff under your supervision understand their budgets and budget codes.
• With support from senior programme and finance management, effectively monitor project expenditure to ensure it stays within budget and is delivered cost-effectively. Ensure all expenditures are reasonable, allocatable, allowable, and correctly coded to the appropriate budget lines by reviewing transaction listings.
• Coordinate with programming and partner staff to effectively forecast monthly, quarterly and annually, using the detailed implementation plan and procurement plans. Conduct spends versus actual analysis to support forecasting. Develop tools and templates to enable accurate forecasting and support teams in using the tools.
• Convene and coordinate with other budget holders to ensure a collaborative approach in providing detailed justifications for expenditures and forecasting during monthly donor management account meetings.
• For projects within Lilongwe Rural/Mchinji, lead the coordination and strategic management of partnerships with implementing NGOs, government counterparts and other stakeholders, ensuring alignment with programme objectives, donor requirements and organisational partnership principles.
• Provide ongoing technical, managerial and compliance support to partner organisations.
• Act as the primary focal point for partner engagement, facilitating regular coordination meetings, joint planning, issue resolution and transparent communication across all levels.
• Oversee partnership performance through monitoring, partner reviews and risk management, proactively addressing challenges and supporting partners to deliver timely high-quality, accountable programme results.
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