🇸🇱 Job Vacancy @ UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) – Programme Officer

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Job Category 1

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Programme Roles)

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities) 1

The British High Commission is looking to recruit up to three passionate and motivated Executive Officer (EO) Programme Officers to support high quality programme management of our exciting portfolio of programmes. This is a fantastic opportunity to ensure our programmes deliver results for Sierra Leoneans through excellence in programme, financial, risk and commercial management. The posts require the ability to build trusted and influential relationships with suppliers and partners to deliver effectively. Programme officers at the BHC Freetown are likely to work on a range of different programmes and thematic areas. Successful candidates may be offered roles in the following teams (subject to experience, skills, and the needs of the BHC on appointment):

•  Human Development Team (HDT) - leads on some of our most important impactful programme areas and which form the bulk of our current portfolio - including on education, health, the empowerment of women and girls, and wider social development policy and practice.
•  Political and Governance Team (PGT) - leads on programmes that help to address a range of high-profile challenges covering the rule of law, accountability and anti-corruption as well as a focus on national civil society and governance strengthening.
•  Economic Growth Team (EGT) - leads on programmes designed to promote sustainable economic growth, diversifying the economy, creating jobs and addressing barriers to growth. Programmes include championing private sector development (including trade and investment), renewable electricity generation, water and electricity infrastructure. There is also the potential to support development of nascent climate and environment policy and programmes within this team.
•  The Delivery Hub - the nerve centre of BHC Freetown and the place where plans, decisions, delivery standards, data, communication and events and reputation-building all come together. The Team leads on providing strategic direction of the BHC programme portfolio, assurance, coherence, support for capacity building to deliver our goals. This includes management of cross-cutting areas and also of a new Strategic Partnerships Facility Programme.

In all cases, these roles will include managing the programme cycle, managing risks, finances, engaging with implementing partners, driving forward implementation, and ensuring programmatic compliance. The post-holder will be working closely with a range of delivery partners including multilaterals, international and Sierra Leonean NGOs, and private sector suppliers.

What will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:

An EO Programme Officer (PO) leads the programme management of less complex or lower spending programmes or components within programmes and supports an Higher Executive Officer Programme Manager on more complex programmes / components. They will work alongside the Programme Managers, Technical Advisers, and Senior Responsible Officers (SROs). They are expected to have a solid understanding of the Smart Rules and to be able to provide advice on programme compliance and straightforward issues, although they are likely to need support on more complex issues. POs support the management of the Team's portfolio by providing accurate information on their own programmes and components. POs understand the distinction between programme management and advisory roles and seek inputs accordingly.

The post-holders will need to demonstrate a commitment to working collaboratively, transparently and accountably with colleagues in their team and across the office. We are looking for people with a pro-active attitude, the willingness to work responsively across several issues simultaneously, learn quickly and an ability to work with a range of different stakeholders. The post-holders should be committed to programme delivery excellence and be willing to actively invest in lesson learning, their own L&D and that of others to support this aim.

Key responsibilities include:

1. Managing aspects of the project cycle for the programmes / components you are responsible for. A PO may lead programme management of less complex or lower spending programme / components and support the HEO PM on more complex programmes/ components. They will ensure compliance with the Smart Rules for any programmes / components on which they lead and will support the PMs / SROs in ensuring broader compliance across the portfolio. Specific duties will vary depending on the stage of the programme but may include engaging with the Procurement and Commercial Department on procurement, inputting into Business Cases, developing Terms of Reference, participating in and drafting parts of the Annual Reviews or Project Completion Reports, and managing the processes and timelines for all these activities on BHC/FCDO systems.

2. Ensuring the effective financial management of programmes to ensure agreed programme and departmental spending targets are met, variances are minimised and Value for Money is achieved. Where you are leading on programmes / components, you will be expected to work closely with the SRO and PM to proactively manage accurate financial forecasts over the year and profiling for outer years, ensure timely payment of invoices, and robust scrutiny and follow up of financial reports and Annual Audited Statements, liaising with the finance team. This will also include the ability to clearly explain the programme activities behind forecasts or variances in financial performance. You will lead on financial management engagement with the programme's partners including budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting. Where POs are not leading on components / programmes, they will be expected to support PMs in delivering effective financial management. PMs will also be expected to have an understanding of how their programme contributes towards team- and office- level finances and to support team-level financial management.

3. Proactively managing risk (including fraud risk) of programmes, drawing on the risk management framework, Due Diligence guidance, Delivery Chain Risk Mapping, Counter Aid Diversion Strategy and best practice, maintaining up to date records (including robust asset management procedures) and escalating risks as appropriate. A PO proactively supports the recording and management of risks of a programme including utilising and updating risk tracking. POs may be expected to lead on routine due diligence assessments (DDA) and DDA action plans, although more complex DDAs will be undertaken by PMs.

4. Establishing and maintaining strong supplier and partner relationships of projects to improve their performance in line with agreements / contracts / Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs), commercial best practice, and suppliers' code of conduct. You will be expected to challenge and help your programme partners develop their understanding and capacity on risk, safeguarding, finance, reporting and general programme management.

5. Implementing the effective monitoring of projects, including through spot checks and field visits, timely reviews, ensuring adherence to reporting requirements and scrutinising performance reports. You will work with the team to track the implementation of our programmes and verifying partners information, to raise confidence and assurance that the portfolio is delivering to its objectives.

6. Managing and strengthening programme management capacity in your team and the wider BHC Freetown. This will involve sharing lesson learning across the office and helping to build the office evidence base on what works.

7. Support wider team and / or cross office priorities as required. This may include supporting the Senior Programme Manager / Team Leader on management of the team portfolio including lesson learning in programme management. You will have the opportunity to support cross office working including assisting with communications briefings, Parliamentary Questions, VIP visits and corporate returns, so taking an active interest in the strategic aims of the department is important.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience 1

•  Experience of programme management
•  Excellent financial management and risk management skills.
•  Good written and oral communication skills.
•  Strong time management, organisational and planning skills in order to manage multiple work streams and deliver to a high standard either as an individual or team effort.
•  Ability to work independently with limited supervision, take the initiative and deliver at pace.
•  Proven experience in engaging and managing external partners.
•  Strong IT capability including MS Excel and Word. This means having a very good knowledge of windows operating systems, especially Microsoft applications including Microsoft Exchange and the use of Microsoft office tools like word, excel, Power Point etc.
•  Fluency in spoken and written English language
•  Experience in line management and / or capacity building. A role play or scenario exercise may be included in the interview process.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience 1

•  Leadership experience, demonstrated by leading a group of staff on a specific task or activity.
•  Previous experience of working in a INGO/Embassy on programme management.

Required behaviours 1

Changing and Improving, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together, Developing Self and Others

Application deadline 1 : 29 October 2023

Grade 1

Executive Officer (EO)

Type of Position 1

Fixed Term

Working hours per week 1

35

Duration of Post 1

24 months

Region 1

Africa

Country/Territory 1

Sierra Leone

Location (City) 1

Freetown

Type of Post 1

British High Commission

Number of vacancies 1

3

Salary 1

SLE 8,998.58 per Month

Start Date 1 : 1 December 2023

Additional information 1

•  Please complete the application form in full as the information provided is used during screening.
•  Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted.
•  The British High Commission will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position.
•  Employees recruited locally by the British High Commission are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law.
•  All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit.
•  The responsibility lies on the successful candidate to:
•  The British High Commission does not sponsor visas/work permits except where it may be local practice to do so.
•  Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount.
•  Information about the Civil Service Success Profiles can be found on this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles
•  Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates.
•  Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a 'reserve list'. If during the reserve period of 12 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate.

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