Head of Programs
- Post Date:January 12, 2023
- Views 1329
- Career Level ExecutiveQualification Masterâs DegreeExperience 5-10 Years
- Industry Non Governmental
Job Description
Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
About Friendship Bench
Friendship Bench is a non-profit with a mission to take people out of depression. It is dedicated to creating safe spaces and a sense of belonging for millions of individuals who currently lack access to quality mental health care. Guided by values of empathy and connection, and anchored in over a decade of rigorous research, Friendship Bench has re-imagined the delivery of evidence-based mental healthcare in low-resource settings by training community health workers (also known as lay health workers or affectionately, as âgrandmothersâ to provide basic Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, with an emphasis on Problem Solving Therapy, as well as facilitating peer-led support groups. To date, Friendship Bench has reached more than 85,000 clients and achieved a 61% reduction in depression and suicidal ideation. Over the next 5 years, Friendship Bench aims to provide access to mental health for 5 million people.
Friendship Bench has been supported by organizations including Grand Challenges Canada, Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, Comic Relief, Mulago Foundation, Elevate Prize Foundation, Dovetail Foundation, Schooner Foundation and Grand Challenges Africa and has also been recognized by TED, BBC, TIME, World Economic Forum, The Guardian, and others.
The Opportunity
The Head of Programs leads Friendship Bench programming strategically, driving innovation and learning to achieve the ambitious 5-year Strategic Plan. You will lead the creation of the systems, team and culture needed to achieve our impact at scale.
The Head of Programs will play a critical role in helping Friendship Bench achieve its vision to provide high-quality mental health services to millions of individuals. As a rapidly growing organization with a focus on scaling the Friendship Bench intervention across Zimbabwe and beyond, we are seeking an experienced and motivated leader with excellent management skills and extensive experience leading high-level program support and technical assistance to build on our strong momentum to date. The Head of Programs will play a critical leadership role in the Program Department, ensuring consistent and effective internal processes and communications systems are in place in order to strengthen Friendship Benchâs programs and maintain quality of impact.
This is a dynamic and exciting opportunity for someone who is motivated and passionate about mental health, program strategy and implementation and/or working in subâSaharan Africa.
As Head of Programs, you will manage the Implementation Managers and Teams and you may be called to participate in other committees, such as Finance and Fundraising.
Your responsibilities will include the following:
Provide Organization & Department Leadership
- This role is part of the Leadership Team and plays a key role in providing strategic direction to Friendship Bench and ensuring the programming component related to Strategic Plan is implemented.
- Provide technical leadership to the annual reviews of the Strategic Plan. Ensure all Programs and related strategies, frameworks and SOPs align to the Strategic Plan and its revisions.
- Steer progress towards all strategic goals and outcomes relating to our programming through leading initiatives to refine and innovate our programming and models. Bring key insights, proposed changes and decisions to be made to the Leadership Team and Board.
- Contribute to the concept design and development of proposals.
- Represent Friendship Bench and our value through the engagement of various stakeholders such as Ministry of Health and Child Care representatives at a national, provincial and district levels, participate in meetings, conferences and speaking engagements, networking in the industry.
Spearhead Programs Strategy, Design and Goals
- Chair and lead the Programs Committee towards its purpose of ensuring quality and consistent implementation of the Strategic Plan across all programs. Realize an intersectional perspective by promoting multidisciplinary collaborations across the program portfolio and actively supporting and synergizing with the Strategic Information and Evaluation department.
- Provide strategic oversight to program design, ensuring our work is truly community driven and creates transformational outcomes. Spearhead the articulation and implementation of our Friendship Bench in a Box model and our unique peer led support groups.
- Drive Program Learning: Ensure that insights from Monitoring & Evaluation are drawn and applied organization wide for program improvement and made available for external sharing as relevant.
- Ensure we are plugged into relevant networks and big conversations around what works in our areas of work.
- Grow non-funding partnerships in service of Strategic Goals, e.g. replication of our model, advocacy efforts, organizational and technical learning, etc.
- Lead a Friendship Bench-wide Impact and Goals Dashboard, tracking progress on the organizational and programmatic strategic outcomes.
- Identify capacity building needs in the organization relating to programming for our 5-year strategy
- Lead program innovation by shaping internal conversations that are based on experiences and findings from the field.
Oversee Program Implementation and Reporting
- Lead the annual work planning process, supporting Implementation Managers to facilitate creation of realistic work plans, budgets and implementation frameworks with their teams.
- Coordinate the quarterly program review process, including the creation of quarterly Strategic Plan Implementation, analyzing the progress and highlighting changes, trends and opportunities.
- Shape internal tracking and reporting procedures to ensure issues around implementation, outcomes, and compliance are effectively identified and handled as early as possible.
- Ensure effective use of funds by supporting the link between the Finance and Program teams as necessary towards thoughtful budget creation, monthly tracking and timely reallocations.
- Ensure program compliance with donor requirements with regards to work plans and performance monitoring plans, and respect of procedures to ensure the integrity of all financial transactions.
- Develop evaluation strategies to monitor program implementation performance and determine the need for improvements.
- Evolve workflows and processes in line with org chart changes and our learning and strategy review processes.
- Ensure implementation of the Program SOP and updates as needed.
- Ensure close monitoring of the program with site visits to implementation sites and provide reports to the Senior Leadership team.
- Oversee the writing and timely submission of program activity reports, quarterly reports, monitoring and evaluation data, periodic updates on political/security developments, and other program related materials.
Team Management
- Lead, manage and support the Implementation Managers in charge of the implementation to meet their and their teamsâ goals. Provide mentorship and advice so staff carry out their responsibilities effectively.
- Partner with HR in the development of the program team structure over the next years to ensure adequate staffing for our big ambitious goals.
- Spearhead Performance Management for the Program department (goal setting, training needs and development opportunities, appraisals), working closely with HR and the Senior Implementation Managers.
Desired Qualifications
We are looking for a strategic and visionary community leader with the following:
- Program management experience, with a strong track record leading the program management cycle from concept/design, fundraising, planning to implementation, evaluation and reporting
- Masterâs degree preferred in public health, social sciences, international development or related fields
- At least 5 years experience in leadership, managerial positions and staff mentorship
- Substantial knowledge, experience and understanding of developmental and public health issues in Zimbabwe
- Good knowledge of Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) policies, programs, and health information systems with the ability to work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders
- High level of knowledge and understanding, especially as it relates to program scaling and replication
- Good strong strategic thinking skills with a track record of creating successful strategies in various contexts
- Substantial experience in leading program and project design, implementation and management experience and the ability to work effectively at both strategic and operational levels
- Good proposal writing and financial management experience, including experience in managing and overseeing USAID funded projects
- Highly organized and able to work effectively under pressure to meet tight deadlines and goals
- Strong experience in motivating and inspiring a diverse group of professionals in a challenging environment, instilling a strong sense of mission and team work to program implementation
- A consummate team player with a flexible and creative approach
- Self-motivated, ability to work independently without direct supervision and able to work effectively under pressure to meet tight deadlines and goals.
- Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
- Ability and willingness to travel to in-country locations which may be remote and difficult to reach
- Excellent communication (written and oral) and coalition building skills with an ability to work with a variety of stakeholders and effectively present information, respond to questions and negotiate outcomes
- Knowledge of mental health and community/public health a plus.
- Experience working at an international non-profit organization in a senior leadership position
Why Work at Friendship Bench?
- Make the world a better place: Every member of our team contributes to ensuring there is a Friendship Bench within walking distance for all who need it.
- Be at the forefront of reimagining the delivery of mental health care: Friendship Bench has been selected by Ministries of Health and other partners to redesign the way that millions access evidence-based mental health care, and we are scaling rapidly.
- Join a diverse, energetic team of individuals: Our team brings deep passion and often a personal connection to the work we do, and we take a highly collaborative approach to building a model that can achieve our vision for impact at scale.
Additional information
- The role is ideally based in Harare, Zimbabwe
- In-country travel will be required
- The typical work hours are 8.30/9 am to 4.30 pm Southern African Time
- Ideal start date in February 2023
- Our contracts are 12 months long and renewable annually
- There will be a three-month probationary period and we will agree on performance and learning objectives.
Want to Apply?
- Step 1: Click Here and Complete the Application Form.
- Step 2: Submit your CV and application letter via email to: [email protected] clearly indicating the position you are applying for on the subject of the email.
Friendship Bench values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, LGBT individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, and foreign-born residents to apply.
Friendship Bench does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, technical test, oral interviews, processing, training, or any other fees).
While Friendship Bench may from time to time engage external consultants for the facilitation of the recruitment process, only Friendship Bench has the right to offer employment to candidates. No third parties have been authorized to offer employment on behalf of Friendship Bench.
Only shortlisted candidates will be responded to. If you do not receive any communication within a month from the date of closing, consider your application as unsuccessful.
Deadline for submission of applications is 1600 hours on 20 January 2023