Job Title: Peacebuilding Manager
Location: Juba
Reporting to: Country Director
Management responsibility (if applicable) Project Coordinator(s); and some consultancies as agreed with the Country Director
Key Relationships:
- In country: South Sudan team (Advocacy and Civil Society Mobilisation Manager, Partnerships Development Manager (TBR), Finance Manager, Gender and Inclusion Coordinator, MEL Adviser, Admin and HR Coordinator, Safety and Security Adviser, other programme staff); Partners’ staff
- Global: Programme Learning and Support team; Policy and Advocacy, and Communications teams
Grade and Salary: A competitive INGO salary will be offered
Contract terms and hours: Open ended; standard working week is 37.5 hours
Background:
Saferworld is an independent international organisation working to prevent violent conflict and build safer lives. We work with people affected by conflict to improve their safety and sense of security, and conduct wider research and analysis. We use this evidence and learning to improve local, national and international policies and practices that can help build lasting peace. Our priority is people – we believe in a world where everyone can lead peaceful, fulfilling lives, free from fear and insecurity. We work in over 10 countries across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. We work with a wide range of partners including government agencies, international organisations, civil society organisations, youth and women groups; and communities.
Saferworld in South Sudan:
Saferworld has been working together with South Sudanese civil society organisations on conflict prevention issues in South Sudan since 2008. In 2021 the country programme developed a three-year strategy that aims to bring about transformative change in the way Saferworld and partners work with others to place the average South Sudanese citizen at the centre of decision making and programming. These overarching objective cuts across five impact areas: 1) inclusive peace and justice, 2) people-centred security, 3) gender equality, 4) redesigning international engagement, and 5) climate, conflict and the environment. Together with partners, we support women, youth and community groups in their efforts to build peace, by identifying and addressing safety and peacebuilding priorities that are specific to different communities.
This includes supporting gender transformative approaches, and programming which promotes the participation of young people, women and other marginalised South Sudanese in decision-making processes.
Central to our strategy is working across administrative boundaries and supporting and facilitating spaces for civil society organisations, including women’s rights organisations and youth-led organisations, to work in solidarity to amplify the voices of the communities they work with and to advocate in sub-national and national policy discussions and peacebuilding processes.
Job purpose:
The Peacebuilding Manager will lead the development, implementation, coordination, management and representation of the various Saferworld projects in line with the country programme’s strategic framework. The main objective of the role is to provide overall leadership for Saferworld projects, ensuring strong systems for programme and financial management and monitoring evaluation and learning are in place. The post-holder will support partners to lead implementation in South Sudan, in ways that reflect the principles of power-sharing and accompaniment.
The Peacebuilding Manager will also work with colleagues and partners to identify new business development opportunities that are consistent with Saferworld priorities, and supports in-country efforts to bring those opportunities to fruition. The post holder will represent Saferworld’s work with government, donors and other stakeholders.
Roles and responsibilities:
Programme development and leadership:
- Working closely with the Country Director, contribute to the development and implementation of the country strategy and annual plans and budgets.
- Ensure alignment and integration between Saferworld’s programme interventions and Saferworld’s strategic priorities, approaches and values, including on gender- and conflict-sensitivity and partnerships
- With the Country Director, provide support in identifying new funding opportunities and in the development of new proposals and budgets, as required.
- In coordination with the Country Director, liaise with relevant local and international actors, such as local government and civil society partners, government agencies, international NGOs, national NGOs, and UN.
Programme management and implementation:
- Ensure Saferworld projects (and programmes) achieve the agreed deliverables.
- Support the development and regular adaption of project (and programme) work plans with staff and partners, providing ongoing support in assessing the extent to which initiatives are achieving desired results.
- Contribute to quarterly reviews, outcome harvesting, and planning processes.
- Work closely with the MEL Adviser, ensure that project activities and outcomes are well-documented and that analyses and reports are shared with the rest of the South Sudan team, and the organisation more widely as relevant.
- Ensure compliance with and implementation of all donor-related, Saferworld, and project-specific policies, in collaboration with the other departments of Saferworld (Finance, HR, Operations and MEL) and HQ.
- In collaboration with the Partnerships Development Manager and Advocacy and Civil Society Mobilisation Manager, ensure project and programme proposals and reports are submitted to donors, the Government of Sudan (as needed) and Saferworld UK and other offices (as needed) in a timely manner.
- Keep abreast of developments in the project sites and ensure that programme activities remain relevant and responsive to the context.
- Identify opportunities for advocacy and policy work in South Sudan and internationally, drawing on work in the project target areas, as well as the national/international-level and state-level advocacy strategies; and represent Saferworld in high-level and coordination meetings at the state level as required.
Working with partners:
- With the Programme Development Manager, build and maintain effective relationships with partner organisations, and support demand-driven capacity strengthening of Saferworld’s partners in South Sudan.
- Provide ongoing mentoring and technical support for partners through accompaniment, site visits and two-way learning and reflection spaces.
- Maintain good relationships and regular contacts with partners and other relevant stakeholders including government, particularly state-level and local government officials, the National South Sudan Police Service (NSSPS), the Bureau of Community Security and Small Arms Control Bureau (BCSSAC), the Ministry of Peace, the Peace and Reconciliation Commission (PRC); Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, and other international partners and actors working in project locations.
- Ensure effective management of any formal partnerships between Saferworld and government, civil society, and international partners in the project locations.
Managing people:
- Provide line management support for direct reports.
- Monitor and support the performance of staff on the basis of Saferworld’s performance management system.
- Identify specific professional development opportunities for staff and provide coaching, mentoring and external training opportunities; and other skills development support as required.
- Manage and ensure implementation of safety and security plans for all project locations, ensuring regular briefings and training to staff, consultants and partners.
Financial management and compliance:
- Ensure compliance of field offices with local legislation, Saferworld’s policies and procedures, and donor regulations.
- Working with the Finance Team, ensure all accounting and finance functions relating to the work in project locations are complied with by staff and/or partners.
- Ensure submission of timely and accurate financial reports and other data to Finance Team in Juba.
- As budget holder, manage the assigned budgets to ensure the country programme delivers projects to budget.
- Undertake timely and accurate regular and ad hoc budgeting and forecasting.
Key working relationships
- Colleagues in the South Sudan programme team– Maintain a good working relationship, communication and working collaboratively on programme implementation, monitoring, assessment and reporting.
- Partner Organisations - working collaboratively to co-design and effectively deliver programme activities, facilitating participatory budgeting processes, and supporting demand-driven capacity strengthening activities.
- Colleagues in the finance team both in country and at HQ– working collaboratively on budgeting, compliance and financial reporting.
- Colleagues in Programme Support and Leaning team, including the Programme Development Manager– working collaboratively and for support on programmatic approaches and learning, and on programme development.
- Other colleagues and relevant London-based, Washington DC and Brussels staff– contributing to learning opportunities, communications and advocacy to enable our programming to respond to changes as they arise.
- Sub-national/ National authorities and other external stakeholders including donors– Liaise with relevant government officials and maintain relationships with key INGOs /CSOs and strategic networks in country and at the regional level as may be necessary to enhance networking, information sharing, collaborative working as appropriate,
Scope and accountability
Decision making and delegation of authority
- Represent Saferworld in relevant high-level and coordination meetings at various levels.
Financial resources
- Manage project budgets.
- Approve of financial transactions as allowed in the Delegation of Authority matrix.
Other resources
- Ensure submission of timely and accurate financial reports and other data to finance staff in Juba.
People management
- Project staff as agreed with the Country Director
Legal, regulatory and compliance responsibility
- Ensure compliance of the state-level offices with local legislation, Saferworld’s policies and procedures, and donor regulations.
Person specification
Knowledge, qualifications and experience
- Postgraduate degree from a reputable institution in international relations, peace and conflict studies or related specialities, or equivalent professional experience.
- Demonstrable experience in one or more of the following areas: gender, climate change and conflict, community security, coalition building and/or networks, conflict sensitivity, peace building and/or justice sector programming.
- Substantial knowledge of South Sudan and/or the region.
- Proven ability to plan strategically and manage organisational systems and procedures.
- Previous experience living and operating in a conflict-affected environment, such as South Sudan.
- Demonstrable experience of working with partners in ways that reflect the principles of power-sharing and accompaniment.
- Experience in financial management, including regular oversight of financial procedures, budget monitoring, and donor reporting.
- Experience managing a programme that has several remote in the country.
- Significant experience of managing multiple grants in a complex and logistically challenging conflict or post-conflict environment.
- Ability and availability to do periodical in-country travels to visit projects and programmes and occasional out of country travels.
- Experience in mainstreaming gender and gender sensitivity in programmes, research and analysis.
- Additional technical expertise in one or more of Saferworld’s core strategic areas: SO1) Inclusive peace and justice SO2) People-centred security, SO3) Gender equality, SO4) Redressing international engagement, and SO5) Climate and environmental action.
Skills and abilities
- A good thinker capable of providing thought leadership, and challenging others to be visionary and ambitious.
- Leadership and team management skills.
- A good team player, leader and mentor.
- Strong communication and people management skills with experience of managing staff in a multi-cultural setting.
- Excellent written and oral communications skills in English.
- Finance and budget management skills.
- Strong analytical skills.
- Ability to absorb stretch assignments, undertake multiple tasks, and work across various boundaries.
- Proficiency in word processing, spreadsheets and database skills.
Personal qualities
- A change agent able to transcend personal and other interests, see things from different perspectives and from all sides, and be a critical friend who can challenge others to become agents of change.
- Politically savvy, and able to navigate political dynamics, using sound judgement.
- Problem solver (including with others) capable of producing high quality work first time, without much oversight.
- Commitment to and compliance with Saferworld’s safeguarding principles.
- Commitment to respect and value equality and diversity, and understanding of how this applies to own area of work.
- Commitment to own continuing personal and professional development.
- Commitment to gender equality.
- Commitment to the vision, mission and values of Saferworld.
- Commitment to and compliance with Saferworld’s safeguarding principles.
- Commitment to respect and value equality and diversity, and understanding of how this applies to own area of work.
- Commitment to own continuing personal and professional development.
- Commitment to the vision, mission and values of Saferworld.
Other requirements
- Expertise in gender or demonstrable understanding of gender dynamics in South Sudan.
- Conduct regular monitoring visits to project sites across the country.
- Undertake regional/international travels as and when required for Saferworld’s business.
How to apply
Application process
Send your CV and a cover letter addressing the person specification and why you feel your experience matches the requirements of the role to jobs@saferworld.org.uk with job ref (PM_S.S)
Deadline for applications: 10th October 2023, on a rolling basis.