Senior Program Manager

Post Title: Senior Programme Manager (Senior PM)

Responsible to: CEO

Location: UK preferred, remote in Europe will be considered

Deadline to apply: 6 January 2025

Job Summary

The Senior Programme Manager (Senior PM) is responsible for supervising and supporting the successful implementation of The MENTOR Initiative’s (MENTOR) programmes. This includes oversight of Programme Managers (PMs), ensuring that activities align with MENTOR’s strategic objectives, are implemented effectively on the ground and comply with donor requirements. The Senior PM plays a critical role in establishing and refining MEAL processes and providing technical guidance to ensure high-quality programmatic outcomes across various countries and projects.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

1. Leadership, team building, and administration

• Lead the team of Programme Managers (PMs) and Officers(POs):
• Manage PMs, ensuring alignment with MENTOR’s goals and promoting effective field-based implementation of activities.
• Provide guidance to PMs on establishing operational structures that support successful implementation in challenging environments.

• Coach and mentor PMs:
• Conduct regular one-on-one coaching sessions with PMs to address challenges in implementation and build technical skills.
• Support the professional development of PMs and field staff through performance feedback, customised training and skills-building initiatives.

• Strengthen field teams:
• Organise regular team meetings and capacity-building workshops to foster collaboration, discuss lessons learned and address operational or technical issues.
• Foster a positive and inclusive work environment, encouraging a results-focused, collaborative team culture.
• Promote MENTOR Technical Working Group discussions stimulating technical discussions rooted in available evidence on the matters where MENTOR works.

• Performance management and build cohesion:
• Oversee performance evaluations for all PMs.
• Identify high-performing PMs and field teams promoting knowledge sharing and championing possibilities for career development.
• Address underperformance through constructive feedback and corrective actions, ensuring team cohesiveness and efficiency.
• Manage administrative tasks related to the overall PM Management

2. Operational responsibilities

• Translate strategic objectives into action:
• Review with PMs the detailed, actionable plans for field-based activities, defining timelines, resources and performance targets.
• Ensure each project has an implementation plan that reflects organisational priorities and donor requirements.

• Oversee activity implementation:
• Conduct joint routine reviews of programmes with PM/GM and to monitor programme activities, ensure quality standards are met and support PMs with hands-on guidance.
• Review and adjust project schedules and methodologies with PMs to ensure alignment with strategic goals and field realities, working with the Senior GM, and wider GM team, where needed to review budgets.

• Monitor and evaluate programme progress:
• Establish a M&E framework for ongoing monitoring of programme activities, setting measurable indicators.
• Work with PMs to conduct regular reviews of activity outcomes, discussing challenges and identifying adjustments to improve effectiveness.
• Identify and address implementation challenges
• Analyse operational challenges with country teams coordinating to develop solutions.
• Maintain a log of common implementation challenges across countries, using these insights as an internal learning tool to be shared with wider MENTOR teams.

3. Technical oversight and MEAL development

• Establish and strengthen MEAL processes:
• Develop standardised MEAL protocols and tools, in coordination with PMs, to monitor the quality and impact of field activities.
• Support incremental improvements in MEAL processes, ensuring accurate data collection, analysis and reporting.

• Provide technical support to country teams:
• Offer guidance to PMs on technical aspects of programme implementation reviewing tools, workplans, technical guidance and SOPs.
• Harmonise approaches within country programmes in line with international best practice and guidelines but also stimulating the use of successful technical tools and approaches across countries.

• Establish data collection standards:
• Develop and oversee standardised data collection processes to ensure reliable monitoring of programme outcomes.
• Work closely with PMs to ensure data collection tools are accurate, user-friendly and field-adaptable.

• Analyse and apply data to improve implementation:
• Regularly analyse field data to track performance and identify trends, using findings to help PMs guide programme adjustments.
• Share data insights with PMs and field teams, encouraging the integration of data-driven insights into daily operations.

• Prepare and present field impact reports in collaboration with PM/PO:
• Compile high quality reports, rooted in programmatic data, summarising the impact of field activities, using data to highlight successes and areas for improvement.
• Use visual aids (graphs, charts, maps) to improve the clarity of field reports and engage stakeholders with compelling evidence of impact.

4. Governance, risk management and compliance

• Identify field-based risks:
• Work in close cooperation with the Compliance and Governance Manager to:

Conduct routine risk assessments for programme sites in collaboration with the Senior GM and country teams, identifying operational, safety and compliance risks.

• Update risk profiles regularly to account for emerging risks or changes in project dynamics.

• Implement mitigation strategies:
• Work in close cooperation with the Compliance and Governance Manager to:

Ensure the Development and implementation of risk mitigation plans by PMs, including contingency planning, and compliance checks, identifying operational and technical risks arising from programme implementation.

• Coordinate with the Senior GM to escalate high-risk issues, ensuring rapid response and mitigation.

• Ensure compliance and best practice:
• Work in close cooperation with the Compliance and Governance Manager to:

Train country teams on donor and organisational compliance standards, emphasising the importance of adherence to MENTOR and donor policies.

• Develop SOPs and checklists to support PMs in maintaining compliance and integrating best practice in programme implementation.

Security management

• Work in close cooperation with the Head of Security to ensure that:
• Programme designs and implementation requirements take full account of security considerations and requirements as are known at the time.
• In the event of a security incident, travel, liaise or make other arrangements that may be required by the Head of Security or programme managers to respond effectively to the incident.
• Serve on the Crisis Management Team in the event of a security crisis.

5. Stakeholder Engagement

• Represent the organisation in the field:
• Represent MENTOR at meetings, forums and coordination events, advocating for programme needs and sharing results.
• Ensure field activities are visible to relevant stakeholders, fostering transparency and support for ongoing initiatives.

• Support donor reporting and compliance:
• Oversee the preparation and submission of donor reports, ensuring submission is done on time, that reports meet high quality standards and donor requirements and highlight field achievements, challenges and lessons learned.

• Communications engagement:
• Work in close collaboration with the Communications Coordinator to identify key communications pieces that are in line with MENTOR’s communication strategy.

• New Business Development:
• Identify, with PMs and GMs, new opportunities identifying programmatic gaps, innovative approaches and new geographies for MENTOR implementation.
• Support PMs in the development of new Concept Notes or project proposals providing critical review prior submission.

Job requirements

Qualifications and Skills

Education: Bachelor’s or master’s degree in public health, International Development, or a related field.

Experience: Minimum of five to seven years in a programme management role, with experience overseeing field-based programmatic implementation and strong MEAL background/experience.

Skills:

• Strong leadership and team-building abilities with a background in managing field-based teams.
• Expertise in M&E development, data-driven decision-making and using data to refine field activities.
• Risk management experience, with the ability to conduct field-based assessments and develop mitigation strategies.
• Proven stakeholder engagement skills, particularly with donors and international partners.
• Proficiency in analysing data, preparing reports and making data-driven adjustments to strategies.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to provide technical guidance and represent MENTOR in external forums.

Fluent or proficient written and verbal communication skills in English. Proficiency in a second language (French, Portuguese or Spanish) is an added advantage.

The MENTOR Initiative is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at its company. We ensure the constant non-discrimination throughout our recruitment process.

The MENTOR Initiative is committed to promoting diversity and gender equality within the organisation, so we strongly encourage candidates from under-represented group to apply.

The MENTOR Initiative applies a zero-tolerance approach to sexual exploitation, abuse, mistreatment or harassment, and other types of unethical behaviour including fraud.

The MENTOR Initiative will contact previous employers of applicants to determine if they have any history of violating international standards and codes of conduct relating to such matters.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. The MENTOR Initiative will not sponsor any visa requests for this role.