Program Operation Manager

Women Empowerment Action (WE-Action) is a feminist women’s rights organization that has been operating across various regions in Ethiopia, including Amhara, Oromia, Southern Ethiopia, Central Ethiopia, and Tigray, for the past 30 years. WE-Action has four strategic goals: combating gender inequality, promoting gender-equitable and sustainable livelihoods, ensuring protection and lifesaving support, and achieving organizational excellence. WE-Action is currently seeking a competent Program Operations Manager, responsible for providing strategic leadership across more than 35 projects implemented in 10 field offices.

Job Summary

The primary role of the Program Operation Manager (POM) is to strategically align WE-Action with its mission and vision in relation to program objectives. The POM is responsible for strategic management of over 35 projects implemented under 10 field offices. The POM is responsible for the comprehensive planning of projects and programs, ensuring their successful execution in accordance with established quality standards and timelines, while collaborating with both internal staff and external partners. This position involves overseeing program teams and providing overall leadership for the operational components of WE-Action’s initiatives across specified regions.

Key duties include Program Planning, Implementation, Supportive Supervision, Capacity Building, the formulation of program strategies, and Grant management, among other responsibilities. The Program Operation Manager occupies an Executive Management role, reporting directly to the Executive Directress/Director, and is a member of the Executive Management Team (EMT). All field offices and program coordinators at the head office report directly to the Program Operation Manager

Competency Area

Managerial Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Board and management to develop, refine, implement and monitor WE-Actions’ strategic plan while ensuring that the budget, staff, and priorities are aligned with WE-Actions’ core mission
• In Collaboration with the Executive Management Team drive organizational structuring as required to follow new priorities, imperatives and strategic direction of WE Action.
• Participate in Executive Management Team meeting and contribute to collective decision-making process on strategic issues.
• Participate in Board Meeting and present program planning and performance on quarter bases.
• Effectively lead the field offices and enhance their capacity for effective partnership, human resources management, financial management and quality delivery of programs.
• Lead the implementation of Organization risk management policy and strategies
• Level of Effort (LOE) in % age 20%

Program Operation Leadership

• Ensure that the flow of funds permits WE-Action to make continuous progress towards the achievement of its mission and that those funds are allocated properly to reflect present needs and future potentials.
• Oversee the program financial status including developing long and short – range program financial plans, monitoring the program budget and ensuring sound program financial controls are in place, set program financial priorities accurately to ensure the organization is operating in a manner that support the needs of the program targets.
• In collaboration with business development section design and develop new program components based on the problems that the program intended to address.
• Lead the development of quarter and annual project plan including budget revisions and reallocations with quality and submit for respective funding partners and other stakeholders.
• Develop/ revise program and projects Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and build the team’s capacity to properly use the SOPs
• Lead the program operation team for timely and quality project implementation as per the SOPs, guideline and strategies set.
• Build program operation team capacity for timely and quality project implementations. Design a mechanisms and strategies that enable regularly communicate the operation team for program quality and timely delivery of planned activities.
• Level of Effort (LOE) in % age 40%
• In collaboration with business development section timely organize staff and stakeholder’s appraisal workshop before implementation of project and programs.
• Make sure that project implementation is as per the sustainability plan and exist strategy manual of the organization particularly for early independency of group establishment and graduation.
• Effectively integrate and implement the Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) in across WE-Action program

Monitoring and Reporting

• Conduct ongoing program monitoring of the status of program and complete regular check –ins on grant requirements and project strategies
• In Coordination with PQM facilitate learning across departments and programs including codifying lessons learned and knowledge of resources/tools/best practices, etc
• Ensure the operation team developed quality quarter and annual project reports of respective area, reconcile with financial report and timely submit for funding partners and other stockholders as appropriate.
• Level of Effort (LOE) in % age 20%

Cross Cutting Competency

Compliance, Performance and Capacity building

• Strictly follow and assist others to respect grant, donor and government compliances.
• Strictly follow and adhere to organizational policy and standardization manuals.
• Regularly plan, implement and evaluate personal, subordinates and section development plan.
• Implement and promote WE-Action performance-based remuneration
• Level of Effort (LOE) in % age 10%

Gender, Social Inclusion, Safeguarding and Accountability

• Participate and contribute for organization gender and accountability work.
• Plan, implement and report gender equality, social inclusions and accountability activities in respective programs.
• In collaboration with the GESI manager design and implement gender capacity building for respective program staffs.
• Understands local safeguarding structures and arrangements. ▪ Practices in a manner that seeks to reduce the risk of abuse, harm or neglect.
• Participate in organizational conversations to discuss on cross cutting issues such as gender, HIV, safeguarding, social inclusion etc…
• Identifies and refers to appropriate services any other associated persons including careers, family members and children at risk.
• Able to document safeguarding concerns, and maintain appropriate record-keeping, recording the wishes and views of the adult or child at risk, differentiating between fact and opinion.
• Gather feedback and complaints on any concerns of the project implementation and organization and formally document and report back to field offices with a confidential and secure manner.
• Level of Effort (LOE) in % age 10%

Note: – WE-Action has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and any forms of Gender-Based Violence.

I. Description of the position

Location: Addis Ababa Reports to: Executive Directress

Salary: As per the organization salary scale

Number of positions: 1 (One), Sex: Preferably Female

Employment Type: Full time

Employment Duration: one year with the possibility of extension based on the performance and budget source

Job Requirement

• BA/BSc in Project Management and other social Science related Field (management, sociology, Development Studies, Rural & Local development, Health Gender Studies).
• MA/MSC in social Science related Field (Management, Sociology, Development Studies Regional & Local Development, Health, Gender studies etc.).
• 4-5 years’ work experience for MA/MSc and 8-10 years work experience for BA/BSc holders
• At least 5-years experiences in a management position, a strategy-based and program related position in NGOs