Options Consultancy Services Limited is a leading global health consultancy established in 1992 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Marie Stopes International. We manage health programmes that ensure vulnerable women and children can access the high-quality health services they need. We work with partners to co-create and implement locally informed solutions to complex health problems. This includes governments, development partners, NGOs, civil society and health workers. Our programming is flexible, evidence-based and politically informed. This means we adapt to changing contexts, use data to inform our decisions and ensure our approach is appropriate. Our focus is always on building local skills and systems that last.

Options Consultancy Services seeks a Programme Manager to support the delivery of the UK Department of International Development's (DFID) Technical Assistance to Strengthen Capabilities Project, which will provide technical assistance (TA) to SUN (Scaling up Nutrition) governments, the SUN Movement Secretariat, and DFID.

Responsibilities: 

The objective of this programme is to provide:

• Technical assistance to governments in the SUN Movement and to the SUN Movement Secretariat to catalyse country efforts to scale up nutrition impact (component 1). This will predominantly be short-term TA to multiple countries, though there may be some instances of longer-term engagement.
• Technical assistance to DFID to maximise the quality and effectiveness of its nutrition-related policy and programmes, to support evidence generation and lesson learning and to develop nutrition capacity (component 2)

The Programme Manager will work closely with other Options’ team members to ensure that all work is carried out to high standards and to support the development of the organisation as a whole, and will report to the Project Lead based in London, UK. He/she will be part of the core team which also includes two Component Lead who will assume responsibility for the day to day engagement with the SUN Movement Secretariat and DFID.

The Programme Manager will work closely with the Project Lead to contribute to the strategic planning and monitoring of the project, resolving issues and initiating corrective action as appropriate. The post holder will contribute to the strategical planning and monitoring of the programme in line with Options project cycle management. The postholder will track project deliverables ensuring they meet appropriate levels of quality, are on time and within budget, in accordance with the project plan. The postholder will also support the Project Lead to define project tasks and resource requirements, including developing project work plans and supporting the design and implementation of effective technical assistance.

The Programme Manager will be responsible for organising short-term consultant inputs including preparation of terms of reference, sourcing, negotiating, drafting contracts as well as briefing and managing consultants. They will also liaise with the consortium partners, implementing agencies and other relevant individuals and organisations as required and ensure excellent relations are maintained.

The role is based in the UK, and the post holder will work on all aspects of financial management related to the programme and assignments, and contribute to the monthly management accounts, annual audit and budgeting process, and regular budgeting re-forecasting.

• Significant experience of working in international development at programme management level
• Demonstrated experience in supporting the management of rapid response demands for short-term technical assistance
• Experience organising short and long term consultant inputs including preparation of terms of references (TORs), sourcing, negotiating, drafting contracts briefing and managing consultants
• Experience of contributing to the strategical planning and monitoring of programmes
• Liaise with clients, implementing agencies and other relevant individuals and organisations as required and ensure excellent relations are maintained
• Experience of close working relationships within a consortium setting. Maintaining open lines of communication with partners to ensure smooth operations and best practise in financial and contract management
• Clear understanding of donor priorities and ways of working, including but not limited to best practise in contract management, recruitment and sourcing of consultants, financial management and VfM practices
• Management of project budgets, monitoring the expenditures and costs against delivered and realised milestones as the projects progress
• Work with the finance team on all aspects of financial management related to overseas programmes and assignments, and contribute to the monthly management accounts, annual audit and budgeting process, and regular budgeting and re-forecasting
• Internal and external financial reporting, including invoicing and expenditure tracking and variance analysis
• Contribute to knowledge management practices within the TAN programme
• Experience of financial management and knowledge of best practice
• Language skills in Spanish and/or French is highly desirable
• Ability to work constructively and collaboratively with others to achieve success
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
• Supervise programme administration, travel and logistics
• Ability to plan and manage work in a highly organised way
• Excellent communicator both in writing and verbally
• Experience of working with the SUN Movement Secretariat and/or broader SUN Movement structures is desirable

• This project is currently in design and subject to securing donor funding - the precise details of timelines and tasks are subject to change prior to project start-up
• Options is an equal opportunities employer
• Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and post holders to share this commitment
• We seek people who are pro-choice, energetic and enthusiastic about Options’ vision
• Overseas candidates require a valid UK work permit
• As applications will be reviewed as they are received, interested applicants are encouraged to submit applicants as soon as possible. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
• Please note that this role will be subject to full pre-employment background checks including criminal reference check (CRC), identification check, employment references and right to work verification (where appropriate)