Programme Manager at Options Consultancy Services Limited

Options Consultancy Services Limited was established in 1992 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marie Stopes International. We are a consultancy organisation providing technical and management expertise in the health and social sectors to governments and international development partners to transform the health of women and children.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title Programme Manager

Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Reporting to: Depending on the location and the programme - Country Representative / Team Leader / Project Director/ Deputy Team Leader
Responsible for: Assistant Programme Manager
Liaison with: Finance, New Business and Partnerships, Technical Department, Programmes Department Resource Centre, Department for Design and Innovation, Project Teams, clients, consortium partners
Hours: Flexible, full, or part-time hours
Type of contract: Flexible, short/long term or permanent contract. Also open to consultancy.

Main Purpose of Job

• As Programme Manager you are responsible for the effective and efficient project management of long and short term projects for a variety of clients.
• Under the guidance of the Team Leader or Project Lead you will work closely with other Options’ Departments and project teams to enable projects to be carried out on time and to budget and within Options’ quality standards of delivery Depending on the programme and location you will report to either the Country Representatives in Nigeria or Kenya, Team Leader, Project Director, Deputy Team Leader, and will be based in Options’ offices in the UK, Nigeria or Kenya, with some overseas and national travel.
• Note: All levels of position in the organisation assume some degree of responsibility for safeguarding. Your accountabilities will align with the level and scope of the position and appropriate training will be provided.

Main Duties
Programme Specific Responsibilities (approximately 80% time)

Project Management:

• Manage specific long-term and/or short-term projects within the Options portfolio ensuring all donor guidelines are adhered to. This includes:
• Under the leadership of the Team Leader / Project Lead contributing to the strategic planning and monitoring of the designated projects, resolving issues and initiating corrective action as appropriate.
• Tracking project deliverables and work with other Options departments to ensure they meet appropriate levels of quality, are on time and within budget, in accordance with the project plan.
• Maintaining and managing an assessment of risks to the programme’s successful outcome.
• Appropriately escalating risks, including, but not limited to quality delivery, financial, security and safeguarding risks, to senior members of the programmes department.
• Liaising with clients, implementing agencies and other relevant individuals and organisations as required and ensure excellent relations are maintained.
• Supporting the Team Leader / Project lead in organisational reporting including support to producing monthly programme delivery reports for Programme Delivery Group meetings
• Supporting the Team Leader / Project Lead in the preparation and presentation of other reporting requirements.
• Supporting the Team Leader / Project Lead to define project tasks and resource requirements,
• including developing project work plans and supporting the design and implementation of effective technical assistance strategies.
• Keep the senior management team informed about the progress of the programmes and potential risks on a regular basis
• Ensuring programme administration, travel and logistics management are in place and operating effectively, engaging with other teams (management services and the Kenya pooled team) as needed.
• Managing and support effective communication and cooperation among partners, subcontractors and colleagues
• Line management of Assistant Programme Managers or Programme Assistants as required.
• Support the operational aspects of delivery on the project as required.

Financial Management:

• Development and management of project budgets (internal and client facing), Lead on programme specific re-budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Internal and external financial reporting, including invoicing and expenditure tracking and variance analysis, monitoring the expenditures and costs against delivered and realised milestones as the projects progress.
• Work with the UK Finance Team on all aspects of financial management related to long and short term projects and programmes, and contribute to the monthly management accounts, annual audit and budgeting process, and regular budgeting and re-forecasting.
• Actively engage with the Kenya Finance team to ensure project financial processes dovetail with organisational and Kenya financial processes.
• Responsible (under the accountability of the Team Leader / Project Lead and Country Representative) for ensuring commercial targets are met on the project.

Contracting and contract management:

• Organising short term consultant inputs in line with organisational procurement policies and procedures including preparation of TORs, sourcing, negotiating, drafting contracts briefing and managing consultants liaising with and including HR and Legal and Compliance teams as required
• Under the oversight of senior members of the Programmes Department and Team Leader / Project Lead and in liaison with Legal and Compliance Team manage relationships with subcontractors in line with organisational procurement policies and procedures, including preparation of TORs, contracts and budgets and ongoing management of their inputs and deliverables.
• Work with HR and Legal and Compliance teams to ensure that the correct contractual arrangements are in place with long-term project staff,
• Managing the commercial aspects of contracts.
• Ensuring compliance with the terms of the head contract
• In liaison with the Legal and Compliance team, support due diligence of consultants and subcontracts

Cross organisational responsibilities (approximately 20% time)
Support business development and design and innovation:

• Work with the Country Representative and New Business and Partnerships to support the development of specific proposals, including technical and financial inputs. This includes but is not limited to:
  • Supporting pre-positioning on opportunities as required including, but not limited to, engaging with potential partners; developing early budgets; inputting to design of operational set up and early technical design, and
  • Supporting the development of specific proposals whether we are a sub or a prime which may include operational, technical and financial aspects of programme design and bid development and writing and/or reviewing technical and commercial proposals.
• Work with the Department of Design and Innovation to support the identification of innovations both from within our programmes and in global health. Contribute, where needed into the development of these into new initiatives from an operational, financial and technical perspective.

Other Responsibilities:

• Contribute to knowledge management within Options including in relation to the Programmes Department Resource Centre, highlighting key developments within programmes that can be communicated and shared.
• In the spirit of teamwork, provide flexible support to colleagues across all Options Departments as required.
• Contribute to the development of team tools/sharing best practice within the team/organisation and with communities of practice as established by the Resource Centre.
• Assist in building and maintaining Options’ portfolio of consultants.
• Cover for colleagues in their absence.
• Take on line management responsibility as required.
• Represent Options and the programmes in various fora.

Person Specification

Qualifications:

• Master's in relevant subject area or equivalent professional experience

Experience:

• Significant experience of working in international development at
• Programme Management level
• Extensive experience of the development and implementation of programmes
• Experience in people management and management of teams
• Experience in distance management of relations between a head office  and an internationally based team
• Experience of managing large, complex donor-funded budgets
• Experience in strategic planning
• Experience working in resource constrained settings and low and middle  income countries
• Experience of close working relationships with partners and consortia
• Experience of contracts and contracting
• Experience in delivering and managing commercial contracts
• Experience of networking to build successful relationships with potential  clients, collaborators and consultants
• Experience in fundraising/business development

Skills and attributes:

• Excellent financial management skills
• Ability to work on a wide range of projects and other issues  simultaneously
• Self-starter, can work independently or as part of a team
• Critical thinking and problem solving skills
• Ability to plan and manage work in a highly organised way
• Excellent communicator both in writing and verbally
• Good negotiation skills
• Flexible attitude to work and ability to work in challenging working environments
• Sensitive to other cultures
• Knowledge of a spread of international donors, including FCDO, USAID, CIFF, BMGF etc.
• Knowledge of the Health sector and international development issues,  with particular knowledge in one of the following areas: health systems strengthening, health financing, advocacy and accountability, gender,  prevention of violence against women and girls, maternal, newborn child and adolescent health, sexual and reproductive health and rights, or social norms change.

Other requirements:

• Commitment to equal opportunities
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• A commitment to the programme’s and Options’ principles of Safeguarding, Do No Harm, and to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights
• Pro-choice
• Applicants must have the right to live and to work in UK, Kenya or
• Nigeria
• Ability to travel internationally for up to three weeks at a time.

Application Closing Date
16th January 2022.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Click here for more information (PDF)

Application Process

• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interview. Interviews will be held week commencing 27 January 2022
• Please note that this role will be subject to full pre-employment background checks including criminal record check, identification check, employment references and right to work verification (where appropriate).

Other information:

• As an equal opportunity employer, Options Consultancy Services is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage or civil partnership. We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified candidates from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join Options Consultancy Services.
• Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and post holders to share this commitment.
• We seek people who are pro-choice, promote diversity and inclusion, are energetic and enthusiastic about Options’ vision.
• Applicants must have the right to work in the UK, Kenya or Nigeria