Ipas is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending preventable deaths and disabilities from unsafe abortions. Through local, national and global partnerships, Ipas works to ensure women can obtain safe, respectful and comprehensive abortion care; including counseling and contraception to prevent unintended pregnancies.
We are currently seeking qualified candidates for the position of: Regional Program Manager, Francophone Africa (RPM), to be located in francophone West Africa. The RPM will function as a primary organizational representative in the region. In synergy with Ipas’s Africa Alliance program based in Kenya, the RPM will build partnerships and ensure strong collaboration with local governments, international donors and sponsors, and partners, both at national and regional levels. The RPM will manage for results, valuing and rewarding high performance, accountability, speed and efficiency and innovation, while keeping the beneficiaries at the heart of everything we do.
Business planning
- Position Ipas as a sector leader across the region by contributing to establishing and strengthening national and regional strategies and goals.
- Design, deliver and lead Ipas’s regional strategic plans and annual operational plans, and lead country roll-out of nested plans as needed, in line with Ipas’s global Vision, Mission and Strategic Objectives.
- Work closely with the HQ to ensure growth plans for the region are integrated and supported throughout the organization.
- Develop and deliver a robust and cost effective business model ensuring the ongoing growth of healthy and sustainable income streams.
External relations and resource mobilization
- Build and nurture strong partnerships with governments, health professionals and institutions, businesses, media, policymakers, peer agencies, and communities.
- Oversee the development and successful implementation of new program development and resource mobilization strategy, leveraging the support of the Development unit.
- Foster relationships with traditional and non-traditional donor representatives.
- Represent Ipas with donors at the regional and/or country level, and act as a spoke-person of the organization in these settings, advocating for women’s reproductive health and rights.
- Ensure a strong partnership and effective working relations with HQ to leverage support.
Program execution
- Ensure robust systems and processes are in place to support operations, drive productivity and deliver results, including the effective use of state-of-the-art program management processes and systems.
- Ensure full donor contractual compliance at every stage of the project cycle.
- Promote evidence based decision making and support research to better understand women and barriers to access.
- Lead in the adoption of innovative solutions to improve effectiveness and efficiency of intervention models.
- Ensure clinical quality of care is maintained at all times; support quality assurance and monitoring process for continuous quality assurance.
- Promote the partnership, encouraging cooperation and supporting learning across countries.
Finance and governance
- Improve the bottom line though revenue growth and increased efficiency.
- Base strategic and annual operational plans on sound financial and statistical performance data.
- Ensure strong financial management in line with Ipas’s financial compliance requirements.
- Regularly monitor financial performance and share results through regular reviews with HQ for follow on action.
- Ensure robust internal controls are in place.
- Meet governance requirements of the country program entity.
- Ensure program adheres to local statutory obligations.
- Ensure program adheres to donor contractual obligations.
Lead the team
- Build, lead and support the development of the program’s team.
- Foster and embed a positive management culture and learning organization approach across the team.
- Contribute to building a culture of South-to-South collaboration with other country and regional programs across Africa and the broader partnership, encouraging cooperation and supporting learning across countries.
- Embed Ipas’s culture across the organization’s regional representation.
- Ensure accountability is built within HR management processes and systems.
- Develop and build the local organization by strengthening capacity.
- Ensure human resource systems and procedures are in line with best practice and local legislation.
Applied Knowledge & Skills
- Excellent and demonstrated public relations, fund-raising, policy, representation, and diplomacy skills required. Strong consultative and negotiation skills.
- Ability to motivate, influence and collaborate with others.
- Ability to build positive local working relationships with local communities, district/state/national government officials, UN and other multilateral bodies and donor representatives.
- Comprehensive knowledge of theories, concepts, and practices in project management, process development and program execution.
- Strong critical thinking and problem solving skills to strategize, plan, and manage resources for successful completion of projects.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to work independently.
Minimum Requirements:
- Typically requires a minimum of 10 years with project/portfolio/country management experience and previous experience as a country or regional manager for an international NGO. Experience in setting up or growing new country programs valued.
- Advanced Degree - Master’s Degree or higher (or its International Equivalent) in Knowledge/Information Services, Communications, Education, Environment, Health, Behavioral, Life/Social Sciences International Development, Human Development or Related Field
- Must be familiar with women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, ideally in francophone West or Central Africa.
- Demonstrated experience in fundraising and maintain relationships with donors.
- Demonstrated experience in successfully overseeing sector specific or multi-sector project management and implementation, ideally in francophone West or Central Africa.
- Demonstrated strategic planning, staff development and capacity building experience.
- Demonstrated experience in leading and managing complex projects that are strategic in nature and national/international in scope.
- Must be able to read, write, and speak fluent French and English, including extensive experience in using French in a professional context.
- Experience operating in challenging environments.
- Travel up to 40%.
Preferred Requirements:
- Certification in project management. Qualification in Humanitarian action and/or Project Cycle Management and/or Monitoring & Evaluation.
Physical Requirements:
- Typical office environment. Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time. Ability to lift 5-50 lbs.
HOW TO APPLY:
To be considered for this position, click on the link below and apply on the Ipas.org website.
