THE ORGANIZATION

Yamba Malawi transforms children’s lives by empowering communities to break the cycle of poverty. We acknowledge that strained resources, poor safety nets, and limited caregiver capacity lead to poor childhood development outcomes, particularly during children’s first five years, and have lifelong effects. Limited financial literacy and insufficient access to formal financial services hinder community and caregivers’ efforts to invest in their children’s futures. And lack of economic opportunity creates a cycle of extreme poverty that increases childhood vulnerability and has lifelong effects on children’s growth, development, and happiness.

Yamba Malawi’s signature Childhoods and Livelihoods program uses a holistic 3-pronged approach to addressing these complex and interrelated set of challenges: 1 improving nurturing care and support for children through the strengthening of community safety nets and services, and increasing caregiver knowledge and skills in best practices for childhood wellbeing and early childhood development (ECD), 2. increasing access to financial knowledge and services, including training, savings anc credit, and budgeting to improve the use of income on children’s existing and future need, and 3. improving economic resilience through diverse income generating activities that provide increased income to meet children’s basic needs.

Working at the household and community level, the Program includes a planned, time-bound sequence of activities that pairs the transfer of business assets with training, savings promotion, short-term income stabilization, and critical ECD and childhood wellbeing coaching that enables caregivers to plan beyond immediate needs and build foundations to improve their children’s future.

Yamba Malawi is a 501(c)(3) organization with offices in Brooklyn, NY and Lilongwe, Malawi. We offer competitive benefits including comprehensive health insurance.

The organization is seeking experienced professional to contribute their high level of expertise to the organization and the program through the following post:

Post: Director of Programs
Location: Lilongwe, Malawi
Job Category: Full-time
Period : Full-time Period: 1 year Contract (Renewable)
Reports to : English, Chichewa

THE POST DESCRIPTION
Reporting to the Executive Director (ED), the Director of Programs will be responsible for the operational success of Yamba Malawi ensuring effective and efficient team management and development, program delivery, and quality control and evaluation. As a member of the senior management team, the Director of Programs will be involved in strategy development, budgeting, resource mobilization (proposal development), policy development and implementation. He/She will oversee organizational learning and program growth.
The Director of Programs will play a key role in YM’s results-based approach. He/She will be responsible for developing solid impact measurement mechanisms, strengthening accountability at all program levels and ensure prudent financial management. The Director of Program will set the direction, lead, maintain team morale, safety and welfare, while managing resources, delegating specific duties as necessary, and maintaining oversight.

Specific duties include.

Program Planning, Management, and Implementation

• Responsible for the overall, implementation, management, and supervision of all program activities.
• Responsible for establishing robust program management systems.
• Responsible for managing, hiring and training program staff and consultants.
• Responsible for organizational learning and documentation
• In close coordination with relevant departments, participate in the program proposal process and participate in designing, innovative and high-quality programs.
• Responsible for timely and high-quality progress reports, program reports, and donor reports.
• Provide leadership in the development of strategic plans and budgets for all Yamba Malawi programs.
• Provide leadership to the program team ensuring achievement of strategic and other set objectives.
• Review and ensure alignment of program priorities, strategies and plans to the strategic plan.
• Ensure that Yamba Malawi Childhood and Livelihoods Program activities are grounded, strongly inter linked, and consolidated.

Talent Management

• Responsible for the development and implementation of a system to evaluate the skill, experience, and professional development needs of all program staff.
• Work with program staff to develop objective performance measurements across all Yamba Malawi programming sites, to ensure consistent, high-quality evaluation and goal setting.
• Instill a sense of accountability among team members by modelling tight oversight of individual and organization performance standards.

Grants Management

• Manage grant life cycle, from request to close, working on applications, producing relevant reports and monitoring impact.
• Ensure adherence and appropriate responsibility for grants, ensuring effective budget management.
• Manage the programs, including developing and monitoring the program budget to meet fiscal objectives
• Analyze systems for tracking grant data, make recommendations to improve grant-making systems that contribute to the team’s learning and evaluation efforts.
• Provide grants management support to ED regarding grants administration process, compliance, and data analysis.
• Work with ED and other key staff to report on the impact of grants – both internally (primarily with the Board) and externally.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

• Provide strategic leadership and guidance including:-
  • Oversee the development and implementation of MEAL plans
  • Ensure close monitoring of the program works in the field to ensure alignment and contribution to Yamba Malawi strategic plan
  • Monitor flow of information and systemic documentation of quantitative and qualitative achievements in the field and lessons learned thereof
  • Ensure quality and timely submission of quarterly and annual or required program and project performance reports as per desired standards and guidelines.
  • Ensure compliance of approved annual plans.
  • Promote evidence-based learning.
  • Oversee the development key knowledge management products and disseminate program participant experiences for donor and government audiences.
  • Track trends in development programming and program management practices, document and provide advice/ recommendations on key developments to Management.
  • Assist the team and stakeholders in documenting, sharing lessons learned and best practices, including inputs for reports and technical publications.

Networking and Alliance Building

• Support Program Managers to strengthen networks at all levels of Yamba Malawi program
• Provide support to the networks for building capacity of the member organizations.
• Support the Program Managers in strengthening relationship with the strategic networks and alliances i.e. TWG, DECs etc
• Represent Yamba Malawi and participate in network and alliance meetings, events and forums at national and international levels
• Ensure effective information flow and communication with other stakeholders including partners at community level
• Initiate and nurture networks and alliances with academia and other institutions which align with Yamba Malawi’s mission
• Promote engagement with the private sector
• Coordinate and support review of Yamba Malawi partnerships.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s Degree in relevant field
• A minimum of Five years of experience working in development programs in a reputable NGO at a senior/ management level.
• Skilled at creating, analyzing, and managing budgets.
• Proficient at using technology in project management processes.
• A firm understanding of the sector in which Yamba Malawi operates.
• Thorough understanding of project/program management techniques and methods
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Forward-thinking mindset, strategic experience, and planning skills.
• Leadership potential and excellent relationship-building abilities

• Strong presentation and public speaking skills.
• Goal-driven, organized, and efficient in their work.
• Excellent Knowledge of performance evaluation techniques and key metrics
• Excellent organizational and leadership skills
• An analytical mindset with great problem-solving abilities
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to coordinate with partners, program participants, policy makers, and field staff
• Ability to motivate team

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Applications from qualified candidates, including a CV and a cover letter that justifies the relevance of the candidate’s’ background and experience to the post should be sent to jobs@yambamalawi.org, no later than Friday, April 19th, 2024. Please specify in the email subject line the position being applied for. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. No phone calls or Linkedin requests please.