The Program Director, Africa provides overall portfolio leadership for the Alive & Thrive country and regional programs in the Africa including Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the management, technical oversight and implementation of the programs to ensure these programs are effectively and efficiently implemented as well as other Africa based programs as they come on board. He/she fosters innovation and drives adoption of leading practices; shares new knowledge, learning, evidence and best practices across country programs through collaboration and cross-country fertilization. The Program Director provides direct supervision and oversight to field-based Africa Program Directors and HQ-based Africa focused positions.
- Provide strategic leadership and program management oversight across Africa programs to ensure strategic priorities are thoroughly defined, pursued and completed
- Collaborate with the field-based Country Program Directors to develop and maintain a comprehensive program implementation strategy. Act as a sponsor and partner with the Program Directors.
- Provide strategic leadership during interactions with Program teams, in particular to ensure a wide understanding and buy-in of Alive & Thrive’s global strategic positioning and value-addition model
- Provide strategic guidance for activity planning and budgeting, and validate the final annual workplans and budgets (as well as major updates)
- Ensure programs are designed according to organization and industry best practices, program framework and donor requirements.
- Identify strategic opportunities for partnerships at regional and international levels and engage in partnership-building activities
- Collaborate with technical and program staff to ensure that program implementation is managed closely through the development of structured work plans, progress reports and approved monitoring plans.
- Provide support for partnership management at national level as needed
- Ensure rigorous program and financial monitoring systems are in place and senior field-based staff are capable of enforcement of compliance with these systems and are held accountable for this.
- Provide high level technical guidance as required, based upon expertise and knowledge of evidence-based methods and strategies, current practice, and established operational and research standards to ensure high quality and rigorous program design.
- Lead cross learning efforts between country programs and ensure best practices and lessons learned are shared.
- Ensure timely and quality donor reporting and communication.
- Work closely with project management to ensure compliance issues are addressed properly and internal controls are in place and followed.
- Communicate to A&T leadership about the status of the programs, provide reporting and governance of the portfolio’s status and financial health.
- Participate in the A&T Senior Leadership Team
- Represent A&T as international and national meetings and workshops
- Minimum 20 years of relevant experience required, with at least 5 years of field-based experience in nutrition programming. Additional program management experience will also be valued.
- Ability to oversee a large set of programs with different strategic priorities and operating models
- Demonstrated experience in leading and managing complex projects that are strategic in nature and international in scope
- Ability to adapt his/her manage style to different profiles of Direct Reports
- Experience in provision of technical support to nutrition programming
- Experience with social and behavior change for nutrition
- Demonstrated strategic planning, staff development and capacity building experience
- Comprehensive knowledge of design, implementation, and management of international public health programs
- Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Knowledge and experience in working with donor reporting and requirements
- Ability to influence, motivate, negotiate, and work well with others
- Proficiency in English required; knowledge of French preferred.
- Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written skills
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