Program Quality and Development Specialist

Country Programme: Ethiopia

Contract Length: 1 year with possible extension

Base: Hawassa, Sidama, Ethiopia

Line Manager: Programs Director

About People in Need:

People in Need (PIN) is an international, non-governmental and non-profit organization with headquarters in Prague, Czech Republic. Founded in 1992, PIN is currently operating in 24 countries across Africa, Asia, Middle East and Europe. PIN has been operating in Ethiopia since 2003. PIN Ethiopia currently implements various development and humanitarian interventions across the sectors of food security, nutrition, resilience, environment and livelihoods, water and sanitation, education, skills development and job creation, social protection and humanitarian response. PIN is a member of Alliance2015, a strategic network of eight European non-government organizations engaged in humanitarian and development action.

About the role:

Program Quality and Development Specialist (PQDS) will lead PIN ETH’s pre-positioning in developing new grants / fundraising priorities, design, lead and write proposals and concept notes, finalize proof of concept of all tested interventions and perform required tasks of submitting proposals (or close collaboration with HQ on submission if requested). PQDS line manager is Programs Director (PD) who needs to be informed on pertinent issues and changing circumstances as they arise. PQDS supports closely the work of in- country Technical Advisors, either on short-term country visit or Program Quality Unit within the Country Program. PQDS manages the work of the Partnership Officer and support the development of the country partnership strategy. 

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work closely with project teams to prepare accurate, timely reports that meet donor standards, addressing donor requirements and queries with clarity and transparency. 
• Participates (and leads, when possible) the proposal and resource mobilization development process together with PD, CP Specialists, and Country Management Team (CMT) members for each opportunity, leading kick off meetings, preparing division of tasks, time plan, and pro-actively leading and/or participating in other necessary tasks related to preparation for specific business cases and/or funding opportunities.
• Facilitate grant opening and closing meetings, capture learnings that support future improvements.
• Ensure (in cooperation with HQ desk) that all the documents related to project proposals are filled out electronically and shared among relevant team members.
• Ensure (by collaborating with relevant program managers and advisors) alignment of proposals with donor strategies, government priorities, and sustainability objectives.
• Contribute to building partnerships and coordination for engagements with potential and existing partners in line with PIN ETH’s and Relief and Development Department (RDD) Country Strategies.
• Together with PD, ensures capacity development of PIN ETH’s team in topics necessary for proposal writing, successful positioning and programmatic (sectoral) planning.
• Ensure aligning of proposals and programmatic design with donor strategies (including their mainstreaming policies, such as environmental policy, GESI policy, GBV mitigation etc.), together with government’s commitment towards SDGs (and UN agenda) and governmental (periodic) plans and policies;
• Closely collaborate with MEAL team to measure and communicate impact of PIN ETH’s programming, and together with MEAL Unit Manager and PD lead on integrating PIN’s learning, best approaches and mainstreaming agenda in all program design and proposal development.
• Cooperate with IFU and KLD advisors and PIN ETH advisors
• Participate in reviewing/updating (or development) of PIN ETH’s key strategy documents.
• Identify opportunities for strategic portfolio development based on regular engagement with stakeholders and alignment with the country strategy
• In close collaboration with CD and PD (CMT), contribute to ensuring PIN’s visibility within the donor community, key partners, stakeholders, and coordination forums
• Together with PD, contribute to PIN’s participation in relevant clusters and working groups, ensuring the organization’s views are represented
• Contributes to efforts to network and build relationships, as per the country strategy, with the aim of strengthening PIN’s positioning and impact

Main requirements:

•        At least 3-years’ experience of working within a humanitarian and/or development sector
•        Demonstrated experience in leading coordination of successful large proposals, interim and final reporting to key donors, such as ECHO, BHA, OCHA, BMZ, SDC, USAID, GAC, FCDO, etc.
•        Experience with donor positioning and compliance
•        Strong grasp of all stages of program cycle management and quality standards in humanitarian and/or development programming
•        Working knowledge of budget development and management
•        Experience of working in a multi-cultural setting (familiarity with the context of Ethiopia and experience from Africa Region is an advantage);
•        Excellent time management skills and ability to multitask
•        Strong organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills
•        Demonstrated experience in providing structured capacity building on proposal development and reporting
•        Experience with monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) frameworks
•        Strong analytical skills, with the ability to monitor implementation quality and make data-driven decisions
•        Excellent communication skills, including fluent spoken and written English, and exceptional report writing and editing skills

PIN offers:

•         Working environment in a well-established middle-sized and continuously growing humanitarian organization in a challenging context;
•      Salary and benefits: Salary based according to PIN´s salary scale and HR policies; expected salary range between 2450 EUR – 2900 EUR super gross (based on experience);
•     Additional allowances include:
•           Monthly Subsistence Allowance of 1350 EUR
•           Accommodation provided by PIN/Monthly Housing Allowance
•      Time off and Rest
•           25 days of holiday per year
•           10 sick days
•      Travel benefits:
•            Reimbursement of travel expenses with travel to the country of residence once every 6 months of work;
•           Reimbursement of costs of visas and vaccinations; assistance with the visa application procedure;
•           Reimbursement of the medical check-up before and after the deployment;
•           Travel health insurance covering medical care, incl. the repatriation;
•       Health and Well-being:      
•           Free 24/7 medical helpdesk available online;
•           Free psychological consultation available online;
•       Professional Development: Free access to e-learning sites, global PIN’s Induction Training, access to PIN Learning Hub, and individually tailored capacity-building opportunities; incl. HEAT training

How to apply:

If you are interested in this position, send us your CV and short cover letter via our application form.

Please note only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Interviews will be conducted on rolling basis and the vacancy will be closed when filled.

 People in Need is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behavior at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct and is committed to promoting the welfare of children and adults with whom People in Need involves. People in Need expects all staff to perform job duties and responsibilities in accordance with People in Need code of conduct and key policies (available at: https://www.peopleinneed.net/key-policies-4142gp). People in Need Staff will undertake the appropriate level of training.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organization and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.