Program Operations Manager at Together We Learn Ethiopia

Program Operations Manager

The Program Operations Manager of Together We Learn Ethiopia (TWL-E) works in accordance with the mission statement and guidelines of the organization. S/he must follow the rules and regulations of Ethiopian labor law and lead the activities of TWL-E by overseeing program delivery. The scope of this position is very broad and therefore requires in-depth knowledge of various NGO management processes. The position requires robust organizational skills, proactive problem solving, monitoring and evaluation skill and the ability to plan many different types of operational activities. The manager must be an excellent leader who finds the most impactful and efficient ways to carry out program activities. The position will be under the guidance of the Country Director.

Key Details,

• Reports to: Country Director.
• Contract type: Two year contract.
• Employment type: Full time – 39 hours per week.
• Monthly Basic Salary: 61,204ETB including allowances.
• Office Location: CMC, Civil Service, Addis Ababa with occasional travel to regional or other cities and working areas.

About the Organization

Together We Learn Ethiopia is a registered local NGO (number 5384) with a vision to break the cycle of poverty in Ethiopia by enabling disadvantaged children to access quality education.

We have been working for 25 years towards this vision. We are registered to operate in the Oromia and Amhara regions. 3 permanent and 3 contract staff work in our country office in Addis Ababa and 18 staff work in a regional office in Gondar city. We are a team of dedicated staff and we work closely with our sister organization in the UK

Our program approach addresses access to, and quality of, education systems, as well as the well-being of the students who use them. We work alongside state education bodies, aiming to meet a range of needs in a sustainable and impactful way. Our work with schools includes school infrastructure projects – providing safe, local schools – and supporting teachers with training and resources to improve children’s experience in the classroom. We also work closely with students, their families and communities, through sponsorship and income generation projects to address the issues they face at home which impact their ability to attend and succeed in school.

General expectations:

Respectful and courteous interaction with all those involved in the work of TWL-E (children, parents, caregivers, staff, stakeholders, board members, donors, etc.)

• Respects the organization’s mission and shares our values.
• Stands out as a role model for exceptional leadership qualities, work performance and integrity.
• Positive, motivated and committed working attitude.
• Consistent, skillful and reliable execution of all assigned tasks.
• Efficient proactive planning and effective time management for accurate and timely completion of all assigned tasks.
• Increasing professional skills through internal and external training.
• Attention to all possible problems in the work processes and their communication to the immediate superiors.
• Proactively asking questions when expectations are unclear.
• Manages own workload, is adaptable and is responsive to priorities given by the Country Director and UK partner.

Specific Skills:

• Excellent organizational, leadership and time management skills to oversee a range of programs and many priorities effectively.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to manage relationships with stakeholders and staff positively.
• Attention to detail, ability to critically review and solve problems before they arise.
• Numeric skills for budget review and management.
• IT skills in necessary software such as Word, Excel and email management.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Management, Development, or other relevant field.
• Above 8 years’ experience in the development and/or humanitarian fields, working in UN, USAID, FCDO or other international NGOs is a plus.
• At least 5 years’ experience in a management role, preferably in similar positions.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation is a high plus
• Excellent English and working regions language skills.

Specific tasks and responsibilities:

Leadership

• Ensures that all activities carried out are in line with the organization’s values and mission.
• Works with the Country Director to make decisions on operational activities and set strategic goals.
• Participates in strategic developments together with the program managers, Country Director, and board members.
• Maintains detailed program and necessary records and documentation, ensuring all records are accurate, up to date and categorized in the office in organized fashion.
• Works to ensure that the organization’s activities are well coordinated and effective.
• Ensures that all departments generate practical and detailed action plans.
• Works with the Country Director and Program Managers to ensure that project implementation is on track.
• Organizes monthly, quarterly meetings with departments to monitor implementation and address challenges delivering planned activities.
• Works closely with relevant departments to produce timely and high-quality program progress reports and submits to the country director.
• Conducts monthly meetings with the Country Director about the programs and finance progress.
• Participates in designing innovative and high-quality programs.
• Follows the guidance given by the Country Director for management of sensitive and critical organizational or related issues.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• Reviews and improves the existing monitoring and evaluation tools and develops new tools as necessary.
• Works with departments to develop monitoring processes, and to design and deliver evaluations to effectively assess if programs are meeting their objectives.
• Evaluates programs by collecting, analyzing and interpreting data.
• Manages learning at the organization, by reviewing monitoring and evaluation findings, debriefing with staff, developing recommendations and taking corrective action, always prioritizing beneficiaries and impact.
• Reporting the monitoring and evaluation findings, recommendations and actions to be taken to concerned bodies.

Representation

• Represents TWL-E to the government, NGOs, private sector, individuals, donors and other key stakeholders.
• Participates in relevant networks to promote the organization and develop partnerships to benefit our work.
• Represents the Country Director in his/her absence.
• Ensures the organization’s activities are appropriately publicized to donors, beneficiaries and stakeholders using online and print media, direct networking and briefing sessions.

Fundraising

• Supports the Country Director to identify and apply for fundraising opportunities.
• Reviews fundraising and donor opportunities, assessing them against our mission and objectives, to support the organization’s fundraising efforts.
• Works with departments and accountants to develop funding proposals to support our planned programs and presents to the Country director for final review.
• Prepares quality external and donor program updates and close-out reports.
• Recommends new methods, approaches, and strategies for fundraising.

Other

Responsibilities and expectations beyond the scope of this Job Description may apply, these include:

• Working closely and collaboratively with all TWL offices and our partner charities.
• Being responsive, proactive and positive in communicating with your colleagues,
• program managers, Country Director and the UK team.
• Respecting the working hours of the organization and use working hours only for the organization’s activities.
• Additional tasks given by the Country Director.