Programme Manager (South)

Job Title: Programme Manager (PM – South)

Department: Programming

Division: Programme implementation

Duty Station: Mykolaiv, Ukraine (with frequent travel to Odesa and Kherson)

Line Manager: Head of Programme (HoP)

Line Management Responsibility: Team Leaders (South – Odesa & Mykolaiv & Kherson)

Position Type: Full-Time

ABOUT US

Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) reimagines security and civilian protection in areas most impacted by conflict by working alongside co mmunities to interrupt and prevent violence. NP is a global civil society organization that works with people affected by violent conflicts to enhance their security and dignity through Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) and by helping to transform the world’s response to conflict situations.

Programming is founded on unarmed civilian protection and is thematically focused on protection in displacement, child protection, gender-based violence protection and inter-communal violence reduction, social cohesion, and civic engagement.

NP first established a presence in Ukraine in 2014/2015 working on peacebuilding and conflict mediation. NP has had a sustained presence in Ukraine since April 2022. NP occupies a unique space in the protection response in Ukraine; simultaneously providing direct protection to at-risk civilians and providing hands-on support to front-line volunteer collectives to directly contribute to the sustainability and safety of their actions.

JOB SUMMARY

To manage the implementation of NP’s Programme, overseeing violence prevention programming in the South of Ukraine - covering Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson Oblasts - ensuring the project is implemented in accordance with NP’s mission and vision, compliances, and allocated budgets. The PM advances the collective effort of ensuring that programmes are evidence and needs driven, monitored closely, and are risk appropriate. The PM promotes and actively encourages coherency, quality assurance and crosspollination across field teams.

The PM will provide leadership for Team Leaders in close liaison with the HoP and will work directly with the Protection Advisor and Programme Development Team.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Programme Management

Responsible for the overall planning and effective delivery of the project(s) in areas of implementation through the application of Unarmed Civilian Protection approach.

Provide technical advice and oversight for the field teams implementing violence reduction projects, either directly or through team leaders in field sites.

Together with the SPM, guide teams in strategic planning, development of work plans and adapting implementation to address emerging protection needs and contextual or operational challenges.

Provide oversight, monitoring and review of Salesforce reporting and contribute to internal reporting upon request (including context, programming, staffing and welfare). Highlight to SMT key points from Salesforce Activity Reporting.

The PM will support field teams and serve as interlocutor with Management and the Programme Development team if programming has to be adapted to address dynamic contextual realities and/or if changing circumstances renders the project objectives irrelevant or impossible.

Work very closely with MEL team to ensure the effective implementation of the monitoring, evaluation, and learning strategy of program in each of the program locations.

Engage in direct programme implementation as needed, participate in integrated capacities and needs assessments and emergency response if needed. This may include direct support with in-house and partner technical trainings. Stand in as Acting Team Leader when necessary.

Contribute to broader country programme strategy development together with the rest of the Programme and Management team.

Participate in grant inception process with programme development, finance and operations and then lead grant inception process with field teams in partnership with Programme Development department.

When requested, contribute to donor reporting for area of operations.

When requested, support assessments and start-up in new areas of implementation.

Representation and Advocacy

Represent NP in coordination and advocacy fora where appropriate and needed, including on issue-based advocacy in the South of Ukraine.

Represent NP at the sub-national level (with local authorities in field locations) when Team Leaders request senior support.

Provide guidance and direct support on access related negotiations in areas of operation as needed in close coordination with the SSA and HoM.

In collaboration with the Programme Development team, represent NP in the South of Ukraine to donors, engaging in proactive communication to keep donors updated on the progress of the project and the evolving conflict and protection context.

Represent NP in the South of Ukraine during donor visits to areas of operation and planning donor visits together with the Programme Development team and will whenever possible, accompany the donor on field visits.

Financial & Operational Management

Supervise and ensure that teams comply with their internal and external reporting requirements.

Support FPO and TL with field level budget management including coding of field level expenses in accordance with approved project budgets.

Work directly with TLs to prepare monthly site forecasting and monthly reporting of actuals against forecasts and flag under/overspends and offer corrective measures.

In coordination with SPM, establish site spending strategies to ensure best use of available funds as well as allocating team attention towards necessary budget line spending.

Serve as interlocutor between field teams and programme support departments (HR, Finance and Operations), ensuring that the needs of field teams are met and that field teams are fully aware of what is happening operationally in the Country Office as it relates to their sites.

Personnel Management

Serve as Line Manager for Team Leaders.

Facilitate strong staff morale and positive working environment using and practicing the NP values as central guidance.

Coach and guide team leaders on field-based personnel management, with the support of Human Resources colleagues, ensuring that labour law is adhered to, and NP Human Resources policies are known and implemented.

Ensure sufficient level of staffing, identifying the need for new recruitment in a timely fashion.

Participate in recruitment panels for South-based recruiting.

Support Team Leaders to ensure that all field team staff (programme and programme support) receive timely performance reviews in close coordination with HR department.

QUALIFICATIONS

Master’s degree in project management, conflict resolution, conflict transformation, peace studies, international relations, political science, negotiation, mediation, human security or related area of study.

4-6 years work experience in civilian protection, violence prevention, social cohesion, peacebuilding.

Minimum 1 year experience as a Team Leader or similar position with Nonviolent Peaceforce

Demonstrated management experience in working in complex security environment.

Demonstrated experience working with state authorities and negotiation

Demonstrated ability to live, work and solve problems independently and effectively in remote, highly challenging locations

Demonstrated ability to analyse conflict, security and political contexts

Identify with NP values and UCP principles

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES:

Independent Judgment/Analytical:

Ability to set priorities, solve problems and analyse data

Ability to manage information with discretion

Demonstrable conflict analysis skills, identify entry points and design prevention and protection strategies

Interpersonal :

Ability to communicate effectively with individuals and motivate and provide leadership to team and to work in a multi-cultural environment