Available Position: Head of Programs
Expected Joining: ASAP
Duration: One-year contract, with possible extension.
Payment Terms: We offer a competitive salary package.
Job Location: Based in Islamabad, with Frequent travels to project areas across Pakistan
Skills: Autonomous, Integrity, Versatility, Humanitarian, Cross-Cultural, Responsible, Proposal & Report writing

Main Tasks:
Under the supervision of the Country Director, the Head of Programs supports him/her on the overall implementation of programs in Pakistan, partner management, definition of program requirements, writing grant applications, planning, defining strategies, and reporting to donors. He/she supervises the overall work of the partners and program team, ensuring program development and quality and timely implementation of all the organization projects in Pakistan. He/she provides direct supervision and support to the operational and overall functioning of all programs, including consortiums and partner management. In direct collaboration with the Country Director, HQ Desk and Technical referents, and the support services departments, the main responsibilities are:

Program management

• Lead programming for the INGO mission in Pakistan, ensuring program quality through strategy development and participatory program design in close collaboration with the Country Director, program team, and partners.
• Develop and adjust strategies for triple nexus programming based on thorough regular context and needs analysis, INGO and partner capacities, resource availability, and coordination with the sector and government line ministries.
• Design, Review, and Conduct field assessments according to population needs, organizational priorities, and funding opportunities to propose new interventions.
• Work with the Country Director, the HQ team and the national partners to prepare concept papers and grant proposals as well as mobilize funds.
• Support the partners and Program Team in the implementation of operations and monitoring of progress on project indicators and outcomes, ensuring compliance with donor’s requirements and sector standards.
• Manage program activity budgets and ensure spending is consistent with resources available, donor commitments, and co-funding requirements in coordination with the Administration/Finance Manager.
• Contribute to the improvement of comprehensive program monitoring systems, ensuring that monitoring data are fed into management decisions and used in program management.
• Exchange information and technical support with headquarters FSL and other Technical Department Referents and the sector partners (clusters) in Pakistan, ensuring compliance with sector standards and best practices.
• Contribute to relevant Protection, Gender, and Environmental issues mainstreaming in Pakistan programs.
• Support implementation and monitoring of PSEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) across all programs.
• Ensure program teams facilitate awareness campaigns on PSEA to affected populations and local communities, the standards of conduct expected of staff and partners, and the various mechanisms for reporting abuses or concerns related to PSEA, including contact information.
• Develop and implement monitoring frameworks to track program performance, impact, and efficiency. Conduct field visits, review reports, and analyze data to ensure program objectives are being met while identifying areas for improvement.
• Evaluate program quality, including documenting best practices and lessons learned from Pakistan programs and ensuring these are considered in program design.

Partner Management

• Monitor partner activities to ensure program objectives, donor requirements, and compliance standards are met. Conduct regular assessments, provide technical guidance, and address any challenges in program implementation while ensuring accountability and transparency.
• Oversee partner reporting processes, ensuring timely submission of quality reports, data, and financial documentation. Develop tools and mechanisms to assess partner performance, track key performance indicators (KPIs), and recommend improvements for efficiency and impact.
• Identify capacity-building needs for the partners involved in the response. Take the lead on coordinating any formal or informal training for the Program

Team and partners.

• Contribute to the identification and development of partnerships providing an added value for Pakistan programs and support program team in effective partnership management.
• Ensure that all partner activities align with donor regulations and organizational policies. Guide partners on compliance requirements, financial management, and risk mitigation strategies to uphold program integrity and funding sustainability.

Representation

• Upon request, support the Country Director in the representation of the INGO Pakistan. When necessary, acts as acting Country Director in his/her absence.
• Represent INGO in NGO/cluster meetings, government coordination meetings and other programming forums in Pakistan, along with the sector program managers when relevant and/or the Country Director.
• With the Country Director, maintain fluid relationships with the donor agencies and support the follow-up of funding opportunities for INGO Pakistan programs.
• With the Country Director, contributes to program complementarity and synergies by maintaining fluid relationships with international and local organizations, specifically those working in the same geographical areas and sectors.

General support to the mission

• Safeguard that the conduct and work of the Partners and Program Team respect core humanitarian values of humanity, independence, neutrality, and impartiality.
• Contributes to the respect of security measures applied by the Country Director.
• Supports the implementation of internal procedures in coordination with the Administration, Finance and Logistics heads.
• Supports internal improvement processes. Contributes to knowledge and information sharing within the INGO team.
• Support and monitor that the conduct of INGO staff respects PSEA guidelines.

Requirements:

• University-level degree, preferably in rural development, agricultural development, or related topics.
• At least 5 years of humanitarian experience in the field, with at least 3 years in a coordination position, preferably in the following sectors: Food Security and Livelihoods.
• Experience in managing rehabilitation and development operations.
• Experience in grants management and knowledge of procedures of main donor agencies: ECHO, European Union, OFDA, DFID, AFD, UN Agencies, or others.
• Practice in designing M&E systems, tools, quality data collection, analysis and use of M&E data for program decision-making.
• Proven ability in successful partner management and capacity building.
• Ability to work and support partners remotely without diminishing oversight of projects.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work effectively on a team and to lead a team of specialists from a range of fields.
• Autonomy and rigor. Developed skills for work organization and task prioritization.
• Advanced communication skills in English with excellent report and proposal writing skills.
• Proficient user of MS Office pack.