Director, Program Design and Development

Job Description

Devex Talent Solutions is assisting Women for Women International in their search for Director, Program Design and Development, Grade J, at the Global Programs Unit reporting to the Deputy Vice President of Global Programs. Candidates from and based in Africa and Middle East and Asia are encouraged to apply.

OVERVIEW

Women for Women International works in some of the most dangerous places to be a woman. They serve women survivors of war in conflict and post-conflict areas around the world in eight countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Eastern Congo, northern Nigeria, and South Sudan. Their core belief is that stronger women build stronger nations; and with access to knowledge, resources, and a support network, a woman can rebuild her life and improve her community.

In our nearly 30-year history, Women for Women International has reached over half a million women using a proven holistic model that targets the most marginalized women with a package of social and economic knowledge, skills, and resources. In addition to the 12-month Stronger Women, Stronger Nations training program, Women for Women International provides a range of complementary and innovative programming including engaging men as allies in women’s empowerment, supporting graduates in their development of cooperatives and associations that continue long after graduation, addressing financial inclusion through new technologies, training women graduates as Change Agents, and maintaining a robust monitoring system to track the outcomes of women from baseline to end line and post-graduation, as well as targeted research. This feeds into an organizational priority on evidenced-based programming and policy and advocacy work at the community, regional, national, and international levels. When women have the right tools, they realize the power within themselves to transform their lives, their families, their communities, and finally their entire nations.

The Global Programs Unit (GPU) is a team of 35+ professionals in the Global Support Center who support the whole organization to design, deliver, monitor and continuously learn from our program and the women we serve. The Director of Program Design and Development plays a critical role on this team, reporting to the Deputy Vice President of GPU and serving as a part of the GPU Leadership Team and the Global Leadership Team. The Global Leadership Team (GLT) includes all Director Level and more senior leaders across the entire Women for Women International organization. The GPU Leadership Team is a seven-member departmental team including the Vice President, Deputy VP, and Directors of Program Design and Development, Policy and Advocacy, Country Support, Business Development, and Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL). The Director of Program Design and Development directly leads a team of four: Associate Director, Women’s Economic Power; Associate Director, Social Power, and Gender Equality; Manager of Program Design; Program Design Associate; and provides dotted line supervision to Program Managers in our Country Offices, strategically guiding the package of interventions we offer depending on the context and leading on innovation, technical support and incorporation of lessons learned into future program design.

JOB PURPOSE

The Director, Program Design and Development is a Global Programs Unit (GPU) position that is responsible for leadership on program strategy, technical guidance and tools related to WfWI’s gender equality and women’s empowerment program approach. This includes working with Country Teams and other partners to design new approaches, activities, and projects; and ensuring program quality and rigorous cross-organizational learning.

The Director also plays a key role in developing new business for WfWI by leading the team that designs programs for proposals and pitch documents and through networking with donors. The Director identifies and leads WfWI’s programmatic partnerships and represents WfWI in global networks that help raise the organization’s profile and strengthen the application of best practices in gender equality and women’s empowerment.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead on WfWI’s program strategy and design for gender equality and women’s empowerment

Engagement

• Collaborate on WfWI’s overarching organizational strategic planning processes
• Review and support Country Office program strategies that align with the global organizational strategy
• Ensure staff from across the organization understand, use, adapt and provide feedback on program strategy

Delivery

• Based on evaluations and learning, coordinate the organization in its participatory global program strategy development drawn out of a culture of continuous learning
• Share research and cutting-edge approaches on gender equality and women’s power with WfWI staff to align program strategy with broader development trends

Develop global program theories of change and guidance; lead global technical guidance team

Engagement

• Guide Country Office, MERL, Advocacy, and Business Development teams to develop theories of change for program strategies
• Oversee the development of programmatic tools (ToTs, curricula, training aids, etc.) in response to the needs of country offices
• Lead the team of technical guidance experts who support Country Offices to ensure the participatory design and sound implementation of both our regular Stronger Women Stronger Nations programming and all complementary and innovation initiatives that enhance the outcomes of the women we serve.
• Guide the technical teams towards the design and development of program approaches that position women to drive change at the household and community level.
• Engage with Country Office and MERL teams to promote program quality and learning loops

Delivery

• Based on the agreed strategy and through participatory processes, design program guidance documents to ensure high quality of WfWI programs
• Share programmatic adaptations and best practices across country offices to promote continuous learning and improvement (i.e. annual Program Meeting)

Development of new business

Engagement

• Guide and lead, as needed, the design of program approaches and activities for new business development opportunities in close collaboration with relevant Country Teams.
• Engage in and support donor cultivation as a technical expert

Delivery

• Provide technical leadership and guidance to ensure quality and consistency of activities as presented in proposals
• Provide technical review of proposals to potential funders to ensure high-quality program activities in line with WfWI’s program strategy

Cross-organizational alignment and initiatives

Engagement

• With the Global Director of Policy & Advocacy, ensure alignment between WfWI’s program and global advocacy strategies and support WfWI’s advocacy efforts; build collaboration and teamwork across program/advocacy staff
• Engage with WfWI Affiliates in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Rwanda to share programmatic learning and support program approaches in grants
• Collaborate with Communications teams for high-quality external products and events sharing our program work

Development of external partnership

Delivery

• Explore partnerships with external organizations and represent WfWI in donor and other external briefings regarding WfWI’s work
• Maintain WfWI’s role in key networks and communities of practice
• Provide guidance to country offices in developing and maintaining program partnerships
• Develop WfWI’s capacity-building approaches with local NGOs/CSOs/Women’s Rights Organizations

Others

• Adhere to WfWI’s Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policies and report concerns and to the organizational values of Empowerment, Integrity, Respect, and Resilience.
• Disclaimer: The duties, responsibilities, and activities of this job description may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE AND REQUIREMENTS

Required

• Master’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum 10 years of work experience, the majority in international development with a preference for a lived experience in fragile and conflict-affected countries.
• Technical expertise in gender and women’s empowerment with active connections to existing networks, communities of practice, and a deep understanding of sector challenges and best practices.
• Experience and ability in mentoring, coaching, and managing staff members within a diverse and global organization
• Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to manage a large, complex, diverse team of people through an inclusive and empowering management style
• Stellar planning and project management ability
• Creative, adaptable and growth-oriented
• Able to work under pressure and handle multiple projects
• Ability to convey complex subject matter clearly and concisely
• Attention to detail
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Skilled consensus builder
• Ability and willingness to travel internationally
• Demonstrated commitment to mission-related causes
• Demonstrated understanding of, and passion for, women’s issues, conflict, and international development

Preferred

• Language skills in French, Arabic, Swahili or other languages of our program countries.