Senior Roving Food Security, Livelihoods and Resilience Program Manager

10-September-2024

About Action Against Hunger 

Action Against Hunger is an international, non-governmental humanitarian organization that takes decisive action against the causes and effects of hunger through implementing relief and development programs in different countries of the world.

Action Against Hunger was established in 1979 and has led the global fight against hunger for more than 40 years in over 50 countries, saving the lives of children and working with communities before and after disasters to enable people provide for themselves, see their children grow up strong and build prosperous communities. Working with communities in such humanitarian context, we recognize that our programs and operations put out teams in contact with children and vulnerable adults who may be particularly at risk of harm and abuse.

About the Country Program in Ethiopia 

Action Against Hunger’s Ethiopia country office was established in 1985 in response to severe drought and subsequent famine, implementing relief and development projects in Tigray, Amhara and Oromia regions. Action against Hunger currently operates in six regions of Ethiopia (Amhara, Benishangul Gumuz, Gambella, Somali, Oromia and Tigray) and in Addis Ababa city administration responding to different crisis and building people’s resilience through a multi-sectoral strategy where nutrition, Food Security and Livelihoods, WASH, and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support activities are integrated to have a meaningful impact on people’s resilience.

With more than 8,900+staff in over 50 countries, last year, we helped 28 million children and their families across 55 countries. We have a country team of over 900 staff in 17 regional and satellite offices. Our main donors in Ethiopia in 2023/24 are BHA, ECHO, EU RESET, UNHCR, UNICEF, GAC, GFFO, BPRM, SIDA, EHF, FAO, WFP, CIAA, Dutch Government and others.

Summary of position   

The Senior Roving Food Security, Livelihoods and Resilience Program Manager [FSLR] will provide technical leadership and advisory support to consortiums, ACF and local implementing partners for quality, harmonized and coordinated implementation and accomplishment of the three-year SIDA and Norway Embassy funded food security and climate resilience long term development program in disaster affected households and communities in Tigray, Afar, Somali, Amhara and Oromia regions of Ethiopia. The post holder will be a technical lead and advisor for the Food Security and Nutrition and DRM component of the project and will advise the consortium members FSL technical staff in close coordination with the ‘FSL Thematic working group’.  He/She is responsible for establishing, coordinating and hosting/chairing of the ‘FSL Thematic Working Group’ for the consortium; and will capture and communicate key discussion points and actions during the working group meeting with the Consortium Lead. He/She will also be a key member of the ‘Livelihood and DRR Thematic Working Group’ as a technical person representing Action Against Hunger. 

The Senior Roving FSLR program manager will have technical leadership role and responsibility to ensure the consistent, coordinated and harmonized implementation of the project’s outcome 1 and Outcome 2 – Food and Nutrition Security and DRM/DRR and Natural resources management components of the project through use and application of jointly agreed project implementation modalities, Standard Operating Procedures, approaches and processes. The postholder will have a direct engagement in the implementation and achievement of outcome 5 through the application of Nexus approach in all the project implementation modalities. He/She will have a responsibility to engage and support on the implementation and achievement of outcome 3 as a consortium technical person. He/She will ensure the technical guidelines, manuals and standard operating procedures of the project are aligned and consistent with the national policies, guidelines and procedures so that the project will be contributing to the national over goals of building resilient community and achieving sustainable development Goals. He/she will take the technical leadership role in conducting assessments/surveys, analysis and reporting in the technical areas of market, food security, livelihood and including the DRM/DRR, Environmental Impact thematic areas. Moreover, the He/She will support, guide and advise consortiums and implementing partners on how to integrate, harmonize and coordinate the project activities with ongoing development initiatives with the essence of maximizing effectiveness, efficiency, avoid duplication of efforts and resources.  

The Senior Roving Food Security, Livelihoods and Resilience Program Manager will also take part in the designing of long-term food Security and livelihood programs of ACF in collaboration with country teams, HEARO and Head Quarter technical staffs. S/he will consolidate key lessons on this HDP-Triple nexus Food and nutrition security project and scale it up as lessons for future long term food security, Livelihood and resilience building Programs. 

The Roving FSLR program manager’s role purpose, engagement and delivery are described as follows:

Purpose

The Roving Food Security, Livelihoods and Resilience Program Manager will technically lead, guide and oversee implementationandmonitoring the overall execution of the Food Security and Climate resilience building program operations in the operational regions. S/he provides technical and programmatic guidance in planning, reviewing and effective implementation of the long-term program for both ACF and project consortium members. S/he will provide technical support and back up for effective budget management, control and forecasting, project monitoring and supportive supervision. The major purpose of this post is to ensure program effectiveness and efficiency; Quality program implementation, execution and reporting; provide technical guidance, advisory support and leadership on Food and nutrition Security; Disaster Risk Management and natural resource management component of the project. S/he will ensure harmonization of approaches; Use and application of similar implementation modalities, processes, programmatic checklists, standard Operating procedures and technical guidelines. S/he will also organize and lead technical meetings/ workshops; development of technical guides, assessment tools; and coordinating technical assessments and consolidating and analysis of reports for the above mentioned two technical components of the project- Outcome 1 and Outcome 2; and outcome 3 and 5 as required.   

Engagement:

The Food Security, Livelihoods and Resilience Program Manager will collaborate and closely work with other Emergency food security and livelihood teams, Program and operational at capital level. Externally, s/he collaborates and works   with Consortium members [DRC and IRC], local project implementing partners, regional and national government authorities and with other Humanitarian and development organizations in the operational regions those are engaged on food and nutrition security, livelihood and Climate resilience building program delivery. Representing ACF, S/he will actively participate on national level forums/meetings like UN agencies monthly meetings, Food Cluster, Agriculture cluster, DRR/Early warning, Anticipatory action platforms and other coordination meetings. S/he ensures that humanitarian interventions by consortium partners and other agencies including government flagship and poverty reduction programs are aligned, coordinated and harmonized with this long-term program.

The post holder is expected to ensure the integration of FSL and DRR components of the project with the HDP Nexus approaches and principles reflected in the ‘Nutrition Centric-Humanitarian, Development and Peace Triple Nexus (NC-HDPTN)’ Operational Guide (OG) and Implementation Roadmap (IR) with due emphasis on the establishment of the Nexus Governance and Coordination Structure at respective level, execution of the Periodic Situational Assessment and Need Analysis during the project period and setting and implementation of the collective outcome for the actors as appropriate.

He/She will work in close coordination with other thematic working groups and technical leads; and support teams to ensure the FSL and DRR aspects of the project are well integrated in each thematic areas and implemented in the harmonized approach.

Delivery:

The Roving Food Security, Livelihood and Resilience Program Manager will provide technical and advisory support; develop and execute technical guidelines, standard operating procedures and checklists; lead technical assessment/surveys, analysis and consolidating reports and providing overall technical leadership for the FSL components of the projects and ensure that the content is consistent with best practices in the sector. S/he ensures ACF, and partners are executing the project in line with these harmonized technical guides, implementation modalities, standard operating procedures; monitored and reported accordingly for quality and consistent implementation in line with ACF’s and donors’ rules, regulations and standards.

He/She will convene and chair consortium FSL Thematic Working Group meetings to share good practice and lessons learned and will participate in the Livelihood and DRR Thematic Working Group representing ACF as a member.

Essential job duties and responsibilities 

Program designing, Planning, technical assessments and harmonization of implementation modality   

• Led, coordinate  and organize technical assessment that include Food and nutrition security , Disaster Risk Reduction and Participatory Lead, organize and coordinate technical assessments including but not limited to market assessment, Food ,nutrition Security and Livelihoods Assessments, base line and end line surveys for Food Security and Livelihood development programs, DRM / Participatory Disaster Risk Management /CVCA ; and  identify needs and priorities of the target populations in need of assistance.The sub tasks primarily include organizing and leading development and endorsement of technical assessment and implementation guides, SOPs and Checklists, templates and TORs; coordinate analysis and report writing and ensure its endorsements for final use and communicating in consultation with consortium manager

• Involve in designing of similar long term food security, livelihood and resilience building Programs with other technical staffs at Country office   

• Based on past accomplishments and achievements, adjusts program targets, strategies and resources and to ensure appropriate progress toward program objectives.

• Review, follow up and share draft plans of the above-mentioned activities with consortium manager, program team, staff and partners involved in the implementation & incorporate their input into the plan.

• Submits Periodic plans (technical and financial) as per established schedules to all program stakeholders

• Ensure active participation, engagement and involvement of technical staffs of consortiums, local partners and   all of stakeholders during program design, implementation & monitoring of the two components of the project mentioned above

• Ensure the developed technical guidelines, Standard Operating procedures and checklists align, harmonize and consistent with Ethiopia’s technical guidelines, manuals, policies and procedures on food and nutrition and livelihood security; DRM/DRR , environmental protection, sustainable development and resilience building initiatives and government priorities. 

Program Implementation and Follow-up

• Ensure proper implementation and adherence to the agreed and jointly developed technical guidelines, SOPs and checklists among all project implementing partners, consortium and stakeholders across all regions throughout the project lifetime. 
• Ensures that both program operation locations, consortiums and local implementing Partners have updated monthly, and quarterly implementation plans. 
• In Collaboration with MEAL and in consultation with Consortium Lead, Periodically Organize field visits and provide formal and informal feedback to the program staff in terms of adequate and inadequate progress as well as recommendations for improved performance.
• Maintains ongoing communication with consortiums manager, implementing partners and program stakeholders technical personnels regarding use and harmonization of technical guides; and provide technical advisory support to the consortium technical personnels and implementing partners 

• Continuously assesses program’s context, assumptions and changes in the working environment to ensure that the program focus, strategies & activities remain relevant and propose adjustments when needed. 

• Organize & supervise the implementation of planned activities in collaboration with other technical leads including MEAL manager and consortium and implementing partners focal points.

C) Program Monitoring, Reporting and Documentation 

• Establish/strengthen systems to monitor the implementation of project activities as outlined in the detailed implementation plan.

• Follow up, consolidate and review periodic reports of activity in consultation with each base FSL program managers, consortium Lead , FSL-HoD and other technical departments like Grants, MEAL, Finance  and others . 

• Ensure that reports are prepared & submitted to the consortium Lead and the Consortium MEAL and Knowledge Management Manager on time and with expected quality. 

• Ensure monthly progress reports are consistently captured by ACF system like APR-(Activity Monthly Report ); DHIS ii and others; and  reported accordingly. 

• Regularly collect reports from all both locations (Tigray and Oromia) sites, compile and prepare as per the required reporting formats and submit  on time and as per agreed reporting calendar

• Work with FSL Program Managers, Field Coordinator, MEAL, Grant and others to prepare interim, intermediate and final program report for ACF part 

• Participate on various coordination platforms like National Food Cluster coordination platforms, DRM-ATF and other meetings progresses, updates as well as provide any relevant information regarding SIDA’s /Norway embassy funded long term resilience building program 
• Brief the project’s activities & objectives to external stakeholders at National & regional level as needed
• Implement other duties assigned by direct line manager 

D) Technical and advisory support to Consortiums and implementing Partners 

• Provide technical and advisory support for consortiums and implementing partners in proper use, implementation and contextualizing the developed technical guides, standard operating procedures, manuals and checklists; and ensure harmonization of these standards among all partners implementing the project 

• Take technical leadership in conducting assessments, analysis and reporting in the technical areas of market, food security, livelihood and nutrition baseline /end line studies; DRM/DRR, Environmental Impact assessment 

• Support, guide and advise project implementing partners on how to integrate, harmonize and coordinate the project activities with ongoing development initiatives with the essence of maximizing effectiveness, efficiency, avoid duplication of efforts and resources. 

• Initiate exchange of lessons and best experiences among partners in different geographies and work with MEAL thematic leads for identification and documentation of best practices, lessons and sharing with wider stakeholders for future learning and scaling 

• Ensure the developed thematic guides, manuals and standard operating procedures are in harmony and align with National guidelines, policies and procedures

Team Management and Supervisory Responsibilities

• Direct Management: Not Available

• In coordination with the Consortium Lead, FSL HoD, Field FSL PMs and HR team, ensure the selection, recruitment, and retention of the best-qualified talent by providing strong supervision as defined in the HR Policy and Manual.

• Guide the work of the project FSL team, mentor and coach the team as needed, and enable them to perform at their best.

Gender Equality Commitments  

• Foster an environment that supports values of women and men, and equal access to information.

• Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.

• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.

• Ensure PSEA activities are incorporated and mainstreamed during implementation of project activities  

• Value and respect all cultures. 

Fiscal Responsibility 

• Budget follow up (BFU) regularly and ensure the utilization of allocated budget in timely manner to ensure accurate and effective use of funds in collaboration with FSL-PMs at base level 

• Participate on monthly BFU meetings, review and provide timely feedback on budget 

• Ensure that the budget is implemented in compliance with Action Against Hunger and donor regulations.

• Review annual financial plans of the program and ensure that these financial plans are implemented in accordance with annual physical/activity plans 

Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with many interruptions. Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required.

Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business purposes. While performing the duties of this job in the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as to infectious diseases. 

Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

• M.A Degree in Economics, Agricultural economics, Management, Development Studies, Sociology and social anthropology, Geography, DRR, Food Security and Livelihoods. 

• Ten (10) years relevant professional work experience in humanitarian and/or development organizations (NGOs). The Candidate should have at least Eight years in food security, livelihood and resilience building / or Long-term resilience building Programs coordination role for M.A Degree and ten [10] years for B.A Degree candidates. 

• Previous proven experience in managing long term food security, livelihood & resilience building programs 

• Significant exposure to projects involving networking and multiple partnerships, particularly related to food and nutrition security; Climate resilience and resilience building initiatives. 

• Working knowledge of programming in vulnerable environments, including conflict environments

• Strong technical leadership skills in FSL, with qualities of planning, problem solving, and networking as well as ability to motivate and build strong technical teamwork across diverse groups of consortium team and stakeholders. 

• Excellent capacity for strategic humanitarian, development and Peace context analysis and planning

• Proven experience in project management in post-crisis, recovery and resilience programing context and in diverse and complex work setting 

• Previous track recording and experience in coordinating and implementing projects at national level is strongly required.

• Experience in implementing projects in the consortium approach or similar context is strongly required.

• Having experience and know-how in designing and implementing programs in HDP Nexus approach is an asset.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Computer knowledge; Excellent knowledge of English (written and spoken); report writing skill and ability to respect deadlines; willing to share information and communicate transparently; and capacity to develop and maintain team spirit; and capacity to analyze humanitarian context. 

• Good knowledge of the intervention area/region 
• Proven track recording on Food Security, Livelihoods and resilience building programs designing, implementation and management; good technical skill on needs assessment and analysis; project formulation and monitoring, good knowledge in Climate sensitive food security, livelihood and resilience building programs 
• Good interpersonal communication skill and ability to effectively liaise with government, community leaders and other stakeholders and Program implementation consortium NGOs as well as local implementing partners 

How To Apply

                                  APPLICATION PROCEDURE

If you are interested, please send your application composed of nonreturnable CV, a Covering Letter with “Senior Roving Food Security, Livelihoods and Resilience Program Manager-Addis Ababa to the following addresses:

Through www.ethiojobs.net 

Deadline: Thursday 19-September-2024

NB: Only shortlisted applicants will be communicated, and the selection process includes a 

technical test and an interview.

Action Against Hunger-USA provides all staff with an _attractive salary & benefits package. We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees & qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Action Against Hunger-USA complies with all applicable laws governing nondiscrimination in employment