COOPI is looking for a Head of Programmes in Sudan

COOPI responds to the needs of the most vulnerable populations in Sudan since 2004, including refugees, Internally Displaced People, Returnees and vulnerable communities through an integrated WASH, Food Security and Livelihoods and Shelter approach. Key target groups include women and children, especially female- and child-headed households and unaccompanied minors, as well as the elderly and people living with disabilities. COOPI mainstreams Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Action, Gender and Protection, and focuses both on life-saving interventions as well as building long-term resilience through community-based programming. COOPI works in Khartoum, Gedaref, Kassala and North Darfur States.

Purpose of the role

The position ensures that COOPI’s projects bring a significant contribution to meeting immediate humanitarian needs. In particular, the Head of Program:

• is responsible for the management of COOPI Programme portfolio in Sudan and its coordination including planning, budgeting, project staff management, and compliance to COOPI’ procedures;
• guarantees the correct project implementation and the donors’ procedures respect and cooperates with the Head of Mission in the definition of the Country Strategy, partnerships and programme development processes.

Main responsibilities

Program management

• Contributes to ensures strategic coherence and vision for the entire country programme;
• coordinates and directly supervises the mission program, ensuring timely reporting, compliance and quality in conformity with contractual obligations and donors’ procedures and deadlines, and in line with the COOPI’s procedures and management standards;
• coordinates the elaboration and writing the necessary documents regarding new proposal development
• is responsible for the preparation of projects’ reports and all monitoring documents requested by the coordination;
• will effectively stays abreast of donor policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.

Project Team Management

• contributes to providing leadership in COOPI Sudan Programme Forum Meeting and ensure regular update sessions with all the Area/Project Managers
• fosters synergies between program areas and promotes an integrated approach and ensures adherence to Sphere standards or any other international standards when relevant
• plays as key role in strategy development and ensuring that policies, systems, and people are continuously and accurately working in a coordinated manner in order to ensure that a coherent and comprehensive program is designed and implemented.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEAL)

• contributes to the design and update of MEAL system at country, program and project levels together with MEAL Coordinator, project managers and under overall supervision of HoM;
• supports roll out of MEAL systems and ensure correct use of MEAL tools;
• ensures beneficiaries’ feedback and complaints are promptly and respectfully collected and addressed;
• follows up MEAL coordinator and project managers to ensure project communication and visibility plans are implemented as per the donors’ and COOPI guidelines.

Institutional relations

• contributes to relations management of institutional donors and potential new ones;
• contributes to represents COOPI through relations with institutions, I/NGOs, local and international organizations, and partners;
• ensures COOPI is strongly represented in relevant clusters at national and state levels.

New opportunities identification

• verifies and proposes to the Head of Mission the intervention priorities to consolidate new opportunities of involvement in Sudan;
• cooperates in the identification of new project opportunities;
• participates to the elaboration of strategies (geographical and/or sectorial) as well as in proposal development processes.

Country office management

• contributes to the smooth country office management;
• contribute to the quality assurance of program implementation across the project development and implementation cycle and guarantees Country Regulation and the respect of the organization’s procedures.

Staff management

• ensure the development of overall staff competence through leadership, training and coaching of technical and management key program/MEAL staff;
• is responsible for the staff performance evaluation together with the Head of Mission.

Requirements

Essentials

• University degree relevant subject (International Development and/or Humanitarian Assistance, Project Management);
• A minimum of 7 years progressively responsible experience in program management, leadership, and design in humanitarian and development contexts;
• Demonstrated experience and skill in proposal development, budget development, program implementation, monitoring and evaluation;
• Experience in working with different Donors (ECHO, UNICEF, FAO, OCHA, WFP, AICS, European Union, UNHCR, UNDP, USAID etc.);
• Strong familiarity with the Humanitarian Cluster system;
• Sound knowledge of humanitarian standard and background (ex. Sphere standard);
• Experience in coordinating teams in humanitarian and development contexts;
• Excellent report writing skills;
• Strong knowledge and use of the English Language;
• Advanced IT skills.

Soft skills

• Proactive aptitude in terms of planning and coordination with different bodies, institutions and Reference Points;
• Strong managerial and organizational skills;
• Target oriented and problem solving aptitude;
• Good leadership skills, aimed at managing and motivating multidisciplinary teams;
• Positive ability to bear stressful and complicated situations;
• Diplomatic and confidentiality skills.

Asset

• Previous working experience in Sudan;
• Previous successful experience with COOPI.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the application closing date, once a sufficient number of applications have been received. Please note that only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Interviews will be conducted on rolling basis and the vacancy will be closed when filled, thanks for understanding.

COOPI Cooperazione Internazionale is a humanitarian, non-confessional and independent organization founded in 1965 in Milan, Italy. For more than 50 years we have been dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty and to supporting populations affected by wars, socio-economic crises or natural disasters in their path to recovery and sustainable development, by making use of the professionalism of local and international operators, and through our partnerships with public and private bodies and civil society organizations.