Key Responsibilities

Management and operations

The Program Manager will support and engage with the leadership of the Gender Equality Initiative, providing an effective enabling environment for them to be able to lead, guide and advise the program. Duties include

• Work with the Initiative and work package leads to develop and implement the initiative level strategy and continually review as required.
• Overseeing the development, management and implementation of work plans to ensure effective and timely delivery of outputs and ensure that intended outcomes are reached
• Supporting the Initiative leadership of Gender Equality with timely and accurate documentation to enable effective leadership and management of the program. Such documentation may include but is not limited to: budgets; finance and/or performance reports; CGIAR processes, procedures, and timelines; results-based management frameworks and performance management tools.
• Managing administration and overseeing day-to-day operations and logistics; such as, for instance: developing and monitoring partner and consultant agreements; ensuring that CGIAR and ILRI policies relating to intellectual property, Open Access, human resources and others are being followed at the Initiative level; overseeing travel, meeting arrangements and other logistics
• Contributing to the development of proposals for future research programs
• Lead the initiative program management and administrative team and build their capacity on the best project management practices

Planning and Reporting

The Program Manager will be responsible for all the Gender Equality Initiative work related to planning and reporting on results, which involves coordination of contributions from work package leaders and their teams. Duties include

• Taking responsibility for understanding and meeting CGIAR’s requirements on annual plans of work and results and annual reporting and integrating this in a planning and reporting system that is useful and helpful for the Initiative and work package leadership to keep track of work, progress, and results
• Managing the development of the annual plans of work and results
• Managing the development of the annual report for the Gender Equality Initiative
• Contributing to efforts of harmonizing reporting and planning tools/templates across Initiatives
• Managing planning and reporting commitments to other stakeholders if any

Budgeting and Financial Planning

The Program Manager will be responsible for budgeting and financial planning for the Gender Equality Initiative, working closely with finance and administration teams of the Hosting Center ILRI and, where needed, liaise and follow up with finance and administration teams of any of the other involved CGIAR centers. Duties include

• Overseeing Initiative-level budgeting, including development of annual budgets for approval
• Monitoring and supervising budgets and expenditures of the Gender Equality Initiative; and advising on adaptive management if needed
• Contributing to the development of budgets for proposals of future research programs
• Managing budgeting and financial reporting to other stakeholders if any

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

The Program Manager will contribute to developing and maintaining robust and harmonized monitoring, evaluation and learning systems and structures for the Gender Equality Initiative. Duties include

• Ensuring that effective systems are in place for tracking and reporting on planned results and outcomes and implemented
• Managing data collection and maintaining a database on project indicators
• Fostering a learning culture and overseeing the development of a learning strategy for the Gender Equality Initiative
• Actively participating in CGIAR-wide monitoring, evaluation and learning efforts
• Working with Communications to compile final reports and identify topics for wider communication.

Requirements

• A Master’s degree in project management, business administration, public policy, social sciences, international development, agricultural or environmental sciences or closely related field with a minimum of 7 years of relevant professional program management experience with 3 years at managerial level
• Bachelor’s degree level degree will be considered if the candidate has a minimum of 10 years of relevant professional program management with 3 years at managerial level
• A certification in Project Management
• Experience in successfully coordinating large, multi-partner projects
• Excellent understanding of and demonstrated experience with program planning and reporting in complex, multi-faceted programs
• Excellent understanding of and demonstrated experience with budgeting and financial reporting processes
• Demonstrated experience with monitoring, evaluation and learning in complex, multi-faceted programs
• Experience with developing and implementing MELIA plans and reports and supporting scientists or other professionals to understand MELIA concepts
• Proven decision-making and problem-solving ability
• Analytical skills relevant to research, acquisition and analysis of appropriate data for effective problem solving and/or decision-making
• Demonstrated capacity for negotiation, communication, facilitation and delivery of complex tasks in challenging international environments
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, while also seeing the big picture
• Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment
• Good proficiency in the use of MS Windows-based software packages, including word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation programs
• Fluency in written and spoken English