mothers2mothers (m2m) Recent Job Opportunity – Apply Now!

mothers2mothers (m2m) is an Africa-based NGO that unlocks the potential of women to eliminate paediatric AIDS and create healthy families across eight sub-Saharan countries. m2m trains, employs, and helps empower HIV-positive women to work as community healthcare workers in understaffed health centres and underserved communities. Through a peer-to-peer approach, these ‘Mentor Mothers’ deliver a range of health services, advice, and support to women and their families.

Started in Cape Town, South Africa in 2001 with an initial focus on preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, m2m has innovated and built on its strengths and now provides family-centred support for a range of related health and social issues spanning pregnancy, birth, childhood, and adolescence. It also partners with governments and other NGOs on the adoption of its programme to spread the Mentor Mother Model and its benefits. m2m has a track record of scaling its services and proven impact.

In 2017, m2m and its partners enrolled 2.3 million new clients. m2m has virtually eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV among the enrolled clients it serves directly for the last four years, with an average transmission rate of just 1.6%, while 97% of children in its ECD programmes meet all of their development milestones at 12 months. For more, visit www.m2m.org.

Job Title: Senior Portfolio Lead
Location: Cape Town

The Senior Portfolio Lead: Country Management (SPL: CM) is a core member of the Operations Department with primary responsibility for oversight and management of a portfolio of country programmes and projects, working closely with all functional units of the organisation, including Finance, HR, Grants & Compliance, Programmes and Technical Support, and Business Development.  The position reports to the Chief Operations Officer and is based at the m2m Head Office, with regular international travel.

Key Performance Areas:  

1. Country Management and Programme Implementation (35%)

• Supervise and line manage Country Leads (Country Directors, Project Directors, and Country Representatives) to ensure:
• Efficient and effective programme management at the country level that exemplifies the m2m model and philosophy;
• Achievement of programme targets and goals;
• Development and enforcement of realistic operational and programme/project implementation plans, in line with m2m strategic priorities;
• Development and management of cost-effective budgets based upon programme priorities and m2m costing guidance;
• Development of country strategy framework in line with organizational strategic plan and trends in public health, programme design, and management;
• Compliance to donor requirements and guidelines, working closely with the m2m Grants & Compliance team, including review of technical and programmatic reporting to donors.
• Represent country leads in their absence.
• Lead recruitment of Country Lead, including decision-making authority, and support recruitment of other country-level senior staff.
• Represent and sensitively reflect the interests and needs of country offices at m2m head office and with executive management.
• Serve as delegated authority and approver (from COO) for country and project transactions.
• Manage CMU cluster (Senior Programme Officer, and Finance [direct] and Human Resources [in-direct] Business Partners) to deliver optimal operational, administrative, and technical support from m2m head office, ensuring:
• The delivery of support to design, manage, review, monitor, and update workplans for country offices and projects to guide implementation and programme success;
• The management of country and project finances, including pipeline management, burn rate calculations, effective budgeting, and monitoring of redirections and the need to re-budget according to donor standards;
• Efficient country and project start-up and close-out;
• Success of internal quarterly review process, including analysis and presentation of outputs, in conjunction with M&E team;
• Recruitment, management, and support of external consultants.
• Support development of concept notes and proposals for funding of new projects/initiatives in conjunction with Country Leads and Business Development Department; serve as key member of proposal design team, including development and review of costing assumptions.
• Identify project successes, challenges, lessons learnt and make recommendations for scale-up where necessary; document for internal use and external audiences.
• Engage in high-level donor meeting and consultations.  Focus
• Advise on development and finalisation of communications materials and organisational collateral, including talking points and preparation for external presentations and representation

2. Project Director (20%)

• Serve as Project Director for Foundations, bi-lateral/multi-lateral awards and major in-country sub-awards, with accountability for management, implementation and monitoring of projects.
• Serve as primary decision maker for use of project resources, programmatic activities, compliance and reporting for directly managed projects, and advise country leads on similar factors for their awards.

3. Advisory Role to Executive Management (30%)

• Advise SMT and COO on strategic direction for country programmes and matters related to target achievement, operations, finance, and country lead performance and support
• Provide substantive input into organisational strategic plan development and implementation
• Advise country leads on decision making related to project resource utilisation, implementation, and donor engagement
• Execute, develop, and lead implementation of strategy for new m2m countries, in collaboration with SMT, BD, and DPTS
• At the discretion of the CEO and COO, represent m2m in external fora

4. Organizational and Operational Initiatives (15%)

• Promote programme innovation and integration by leading and coordinating m2m pilot projects, in collaboration with technical, RSI, and country teams;
• Lead & participate in cross-cutting organizational projects (Annual Meetings, Country Director Retreats, retreat, Board Meetings, Project BIO forums, etc.)

Qualifications and Experience:

• Master’s degree in Public Health, Social Studies, or related field.
• Ten years’ relevant work experience in programme development and management, at least at an international NGO.
• Expert understanding of project lifecycle and programme development and implementation.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience managing bi- and multi-lateral funding mechanisms, for example USAID, CDC, DFID, UNICEF, foundations, and other government and private donor funding instruments and regulations.
• Demonstrated experience in programme design and management, including innovation and project management in resource limited settings.
• High-level of experience in work planning and managing, reviewing, and ensuring fidelity to resulting work plans for projects, programmes, and country offices.
• Successful track record of managing individuals, including senior staff, leading diverse teams, and implementing human resource processes as a manager.
• Demonstrated experience with new project start-up at country level; managing operational planning processes; managing complex stakeholder processes, and ability to provide clear communication around those processes.
• High-level experience in budgeting and financial monitoring.
• Excellent writing skills including analytical reports and proposals.
• Proven track record in managing key donor relationships and serving as key contact with external strategic partners.
• Strategic thinker, with excellent analytical, problem-solving skills and research skills. Demonstrated experience in making complex decisions in a matrixed environment across multiple technical and functional areas.
• Demonstrated ability to lead high-level projects, ensuring coordination and synergy and manage multiple key strategic priorities under time pressure.
• High level of computer literacy.
• Well-developed interpersonal management and communication skills.
• Strong design and conceptualization skills; ability to think creatively and systematically at all project levels (goal, objectives, activities, inputs).

mothers2mothers is an equal opportunity employer. We particularly encourage applications from people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA), people with disabilities, women and previously disadvantaged people.
Competitive salary packages will be negotiable in accordance with m2m’s remuneration policies.

To apply

Interested applicants should apply for this position via  https://www.m2m.org/careers/

Applications Deadline: Friday, 2 August, 2019