Program Specialist, Africa region

Program Specialist, Africa region

Job Locations US-DC

Job ID

2024-2207

of Openings

PACT Overview

Pact is an international nonprofit that works in nearly 40 countries building solutions for human development that are evidence-based, data-driven and owned by the communities we serve.

Founded in 1971, Pact works with partners to build resilience, improve accountability, and strengthen knowledge and skills for sustainable social impact.

Department

Program Operations (PrOps) - Pact exists to help create a world where those who are poor and marginalized exercise their voice, build their own solutions, and take ownership of their future.

• The Program Operations teams contribute to realizing this by : ensuring effective project management through supporting project startups, implementation, reporting and financial management as well as closeouts;
• portfolio coordination : providing a coordinating role across departments in DC that support country offices and programs;
• working with country teams to develop, refine and pursue their strategies by leveraging technical knowledge (our own and others) and supporting business development as needed;

knowledge sharing and learning : enhancing communication between country offices and DC-based teams to ensure better understanding of the diverse operating environments and program approaches.

Position Overview

The Program Specialist supports his / her portfolio by providing broad operational, technical, and administrative support to assigned country offices and projects.

This position supports the Africa Program Operations team.

Key Responsibilities

Country office support

Deliver a range of management, technical, administrative, and operational support services to empower and enable country oces and programs in achieving time.

Scope, and budget objectives.

May serve as the main point of contact for smaller, less complex country offices and / or portfolios, and support Manager / Officer in serving multiple country offices, project staff and facilitate communications between country office and DC staff on all operational issues.

Refer issues to appropriate departments within the institution.

• Support Manager / Officer in the opening and closing of country offices and projects working closely with HR, Global Security, Global Finance, General Counsel, and Grants & Contracts.
• Coordinate Pact's DC-based and global support to projects, ensuring effective and efficient support.

Project Management

• Participate in regular country or Global project- focused reviews of project implementation progress (including technical delivery), operations issues, and address other project management needs
• May review and contribute to the development of project workplans, budgets, and reports.
• Assist in tracking and review of project deliverables (as required by the program) for submission to donors.
• Support the recruitment and onboarding processes for in-country, project-specific, and DC-based staff relevant to the portfolio.
• Provide support in ongoing communication and close collaboration with donors to maintain relationships during implementation to ensure quality delivery of the projects.

Country Portfolio Management

• Provide research support, as needed, to Regional Directors and Country Directors on Country Office strategy development, or lead strategy development in priority countries without an in-country presence.
• Support, as needed, development of strategy and coordination with other departments (i.e., leadership transitions, bridge funding, project expansions)
• Support cross learning and the dissemination of best practices across projects.
• May represent country offices within the DC office, advocating for support and prioritization.

Compliance and Sub-grants Management

• Support country office and project compliance with both Pact and donor policies, in coordination with internal audit and G&C teams.
• Identify risk and link to line supervisor and appropriate teams to mitigate risk.
• Provide targeted support on portfolio subgrant management and monitoring.
• Working with supervisor, ensure the completion of corrective action on any internal audits in portfolio.

Budget and Financial management

• As directed (by line supervisor), support project teams to track and monitor project budgets against expenditures and provide analysis of spending trends.
• As directed, may support inputs in the development of annual budgets, both for donor and Pact's organizational budget.
• As directed, may support project teams to develop and manage budget modifications, realignments, extensions, and renewals.
• As directed, may support COs in brainstorming strategies to ensure costs share requirements are met
• Support the tracking and documenting of project costs share requirements.
• If no country office exists to support a project, may support the designated supervisor in CO level and project level budgeting, including donor budget requests, and other tasks as required.

Procurement management

• Monitor procurement process to ensure compliance and efficiency, includes engagement of USN / TCN consultants. If no country office exists, manage procurement acquisition.
• Identifying training needs in country and coordinate with Grants & Contracts. May assist with procurement trainings
• Business Development
• As needed, support the development of components / sections of No Cost Extensions, renewals for projects

Knowledge Management

• Ensure country office and project intellectual capital is properly captured, filed, and disseminated, including maintenance of donor deliverables in Promise.
• Support periodic documentation, archiving and related knowledge management initiatives, as directed (by line supervisor).

Basic Requirements

Bachelor's degree and 5+ years relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. Master's and 3 years of experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting programs funded by major international development organizations, especially USAID
• Experience working in a developing country and coordinating with international field offices
• Ability and willingness to travel to travel regularly and at short notice
• Excellent communication (written and verbal) and cross cultural skills. Fluency in written and spoken English
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications
• Competency in another language other than English (depending on region's requirements) preferred
• Project Management certification
4 days ago