Head of Programme

Danish Refugee Council, Yemen is looking for a dynamic and experienced Head of Programme who will provide overall quality and delivery of DRC-DDG’s programs across all established areas of operation in Yemen with a significant contribution expected to the conceptualization, technical support and implementation of development, emergency and “nexus” projects.

The Head of Programme will play a vital role as a member of the SMT and will drive the overall country-level vision, mission and objectives, and guide implementation of area- and technical level strategies along with Head of Operations. S/he will be active in high level and strategic decision-making, collaborating closely with the Head of Support Services , Head of Operations and Country Director, ensuring outputs are in line with the programmes country priorities, DRCs mandate and according to DRC policies and systems.

About the job

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

Programme Strategy & Development

• Participate in country level strategic planning and contribute to the sustainable management of programme growth with an eye towards program growth and development.
• Contribute to the conceptualization and evolution of the country strategy, develop/define the country programming in a collaborative way ensuring programme appropriateness and accountability among the country programme team with active participation in the drafting of the DRC Strategic Programme Document
• Collaborate closely with senior management staff in the development and design of innovative initiatives to drive new program development in DRC Yemen in accordance with DRC’s assistance framework
• Foster synergies between program areas (integrated approach) inclusive of HMA, support the strong integration of protection and gender considerations throughout all humanitarian initiatives and ensure adherence to humanitarian principles and any other international standards when relevant
• Advocate for DRC’s program in DRC Yemen with government, donors and humanitarian stakeholders, in HCT< cluster meetings, workshops, conferences and in other relevant fora.
• Establish strong and efficient partnerships with organisations, donors and authorities, in line with the country programme strategy and DRC partnership management policy

Programme Implementation & Coordination

• Provide oversight, guidance and leadership to all technical coordinators and specialist to ensure quality program implementation and integration in DRC Yemen.
• In a frequent context of remote management, provide oversight on programmatic needs and gaps collaborate closely with the HoOps, as well as the Quality Assurance management team.
• With the Technical teams, continually evaluate current methodologies and policies, determine their effectiveness and provide suggestions on ways to improve compliance, and to ensure program and organizational success.
• Ensure effective and transparent budget follow up, planning and use of financial resources in compliance with DRC and donor policies and priorities.
• Lead Technical Coordinators in compiling and developing work plans for PMs and achieving benchmarks for program activities including spending plans and burn rates.
• Effectively stay abreast of donor policies, procedures, rules and regulations; and train DRC program staff in these policies

Programme Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

• With PDQM, ensure that all projects contribute to measuring impact and are in line with DRC’s country strategic plan.
• Ensure quality programming by coordinating the technical support provided by the Quality Assurance team into progrms with a keen focus on IM, MEAL and other quality improvement initiatives
• Promote learning and knowledge management within the country program
• Document lessons learned and best practices for dissemination within DRC country and Region teams, to donors and to other stakeholders when relevant in order ensure synergetic programming and cross-program collaboration in DRC Yemen and in the whole region
• Develop appropriate monitoring, tracking and reporting systems, tools and templates that enhance monitoring of program outputs and quality, generate quality evidence on program impact and promote and ensure use of data for decision-making processes/ program adjustments.

Fundraising, Grant proposals writing & reporting processes

• Pursue funding opportunities in all DRC-DDG areas of competence and coordinate the capacities of the Technical Coordiators and SMT to identify and materialize opportunities in alignment with country and regional strategies
• Trigger and oversee the drafting of concept notes, proposals and donor reports by program managers (including budgets for cost-related activities) in coordination with grants departments in line with DRC HQ/Region and donor requirements
• Ensure timely and targeted communication and information flow to all relevant internal and external parties in coordination with the Country Director, Regional Office, HQ and other program stakeholders to remain informed about program achievements

Programme staff Management and Capacity Building

• Effectively manage program teams, including where applicable, international and national managers, specialists and technical experts, coordinators, officers, located at sites throughout the country with an emphasis on excellence, promoting a culture of cooperation, learning, creativity and innovation.
• Develop Job descriptions/Terms of Reference, lead and or contribute to recruitment processes and the induction and/or orientation of new staff.
• Development of overall staff competence through leadership, training and coaching of technical and management key program staff
• Conduct annual staff performance reviews
• Collaborate closely with the Head of Support Services and Head of Operations to allocate funding for staff development, performance management and team building processes.

Donor liaison, Partnerships and Representation

• Together with Country Director, ensure adequate bilateral representation of DRC with government authorities, donors, UN agencies, humanitarian agencies and other partners in regard to programme and participation in coordination meetings as relevant.
• Liaise with government counterpats to ensure DRC grant sub agreements are signed in a timely manner.

About you

To be successful in this role we expect the following:

• Relevant University Degree, Masters or post-graduate in international relations, Humanitarian Programs Management, degree, political science, international development and/or similar field
• Min 8 years management experience, of which at least 3 should include management of a large portfolio of programmes across multiple sectors.
• Min 4 years of experience in staff management and development.
• Good understanding of displacement issues and related international standards/frameworks
• Strong experience in programme quality, MEAL, programme development and proven fundraising abilities with key donors
• Proven experience of representing externally to key stakeholders, including donors, embassies and clusters.
• Experience of leading strategic programming and planning processes
• Experience of managing systems and tools to oversee complex project portfolios across different sectors and locations as well as within consortia
• Ability to live and work under pressure in a rapidly changing and sometimes insecure environment
• Team player with excellent communication and strong participatory leadership skills
• Ability to work in harazarous environments with limited social possibilities
• Fluency in written and spoken English required
• Fluency in written and spoken Arabic desired

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:

Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer

Contract length: 2 years
Level: E
Designation of Duty Station: Saana l Non-family Duty Station
Start date: 15 October 2020
Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to drc.ngo under Vacancies. For questions regarding the vacancy please contact

DRC as an employer
By working in DRC, you will be joining a global workforce of around 8000 employees in 40 countries. We pride ourselves on our:

• Professionalism, impact & expertise
• Humanitarian approach & the work we do
• Purpose, meaningfulness & own contribution
• Culture, values & strong leadership
• Fair compensation & continuous development
  Read more here about what our employees say about working in DRC.

DRC’s capacity to ensure the protection of and assistance to refugees, IDP’s and other persons of concern depends on the ability of our staff to uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. DRC conducts thorough and comprehensive background checks as part of the recruitment process. Visit drc.ngo to read more about what we do to secure robust safeguarding mechanisms.