Programmes Manager Love Alliance

Job Description

Established in 2003, the AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA) is a regional partnership of over 100 non-governmental organisations working together to promote a human rights-based response to HIV and TB in 18 countries in Southern and East Africa through capacity strengthening and advocacy. The Regional Office of ARASA is in Windhoek, Namibia.

Starting in 2023, ARASA will be responsible for the Love Alliance participatory grant-making in Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe and at the sub-regional level. The Love Alliance is a strategic partnership between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Aidsfonds, UHAI EASHRI, ISDAO, GALZ, Sisonke, SANPUD and GNP+ with ARASA as a grant-making partner for Southern Africa from 2023/2024. The Love Alliance runs from 2021-2025 with a focus on advocacy for HIV and sexual and reproductive health and rights for sex workers, people who use drugs (PWUD), and LGBTIQ+ people, including people living with HIV.

Reporting to the Head of Programme Quality and Funding and matrix reporting to the Director, the Programmes Manager role will be based either in Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, or Zimbabwe with frequent travel to programme countries and regional offices. Managing the Love Alliance Grant in ARASA with a team of 3, the Programmes Manager will be responsible, on behalf of the Love Alliance, for delivering change. The role requires effective coordination of the programme’s projects and management of their inter-dependencies including oversight of any risks and issues arising.

The role is crucial for creating and maintaining focus, enthusiasm, and momentum. The programme manager is responsible for the overall integrity and coherence of the programme. S/he/they will develop and maintain the programme environment to support each project within it – through an effective programme management office.

Responsibilities of the Programme Manager

The programme manager is responsible for:

• Planning and designing the programme and proactively monitoring its progress, resolving issues, and initiating appropriate corrective action.
• Defining and ensuring effective quality assurance and the overall integrity of the programme – focusing inwardly on the internal consistency of the programme, and outwardly on its coherence, interfaces with other programmes and governance, technical and specialist standards.
• Ensure linkages with the global advocacy working group, regional advocacy efforts of ARASA and national advocacy coordinators (NAC) to strengthen the advocacy loop
• Coordinate ARASA’s cooperation with other working groups (Advocacy, PMEL, Gender, youth & Inclusion, Finance, Communication, and Learning)
• Connect, invite, and liaise with country Embassies of the Netherlands in three countries.
• Support the development of the participatory grant-making guideline for ARASA
• Support the development of a capacity-strengthening approach/strategy for partners of ARASA for 2023-2025
• Overseeing the programme’s budget on behalf of the LA and in line with ARASA standards, monitoring expenditure and costs against delivered and realised benefits as the programme progresses.
• Ensuring there is allocation of common resources and skills within the programme’s individual projects.
• Managing communications with all stakeholders.
• Managing risks to the programme’s successful outcome.
• Initiating extra activities and other management interventions wherever gaps in the programme are identified or issues arise.
• Reporting the progress of the programme at regular intervals to the HoPQF

Skills and attributes needed to be a Programme Manager

• The Programme Manager must be fluent/with working knowledge of Portuguese and fluent in English.
• Five or more years of experience in an upper-management role, preferably in programme management.
• Exceptional skills in leadership, time management, facilitation, and organization
• Experience in managing stakeholders.
• Outstanding knowledge of change management principles and performance evaluation processes.
• Effective leadership, interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to command respect and create a sense of community among the members of the project teams.
• Good knowledge of techniques for planning, monitoring, and controlling programmes sound business case development and approvals skills.
• Good knowledge of budgeting and resource allocation procedures.
• Sufficient seniority and credibility to advise project teams on their projects in relation to the programme.
• Ability to find ways of solving or pre-empting problems
• Developing work plans, M&E frameworks, and budgets
• Providing ongoing technical assistance to grantees, including in respect of programme management, monitoring and evaluation and reporting.

Required skills and qualifications

• The ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree in social science, law, or public health or any other appropriate or equivalent degree.
• A masters in a relevant field will be an added advantage.
• Appropriate experience may be considered in place of a Masters.
• A broad-based understanding of international and regional health and human rights is required.

The candidate must have

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to facilitate consultative processes.
• Computer literacy is essential.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, training and capacity strengthening, research and analytical skills are required.

The individual must have the right to live and work in either Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa, or Zimbabwe.

ARASA offers an attractive remuneration package, commensurate with experience. Interested and qualified candidates who match the profile are invited to submit their CV and letter of interest, to [email protected] with the title “Programme Manager” in the subject line.

Closing date for applications is midnight (SAST) on the 15th of January 2023.

Incomplete applications or those submitted after the closing date will not be considered. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.