TITLE Regional Program Coordinator
REPORTING TO Head of Program Operations
LOCATION Flexible working arrangements, must hold right to work in Australia, Cambodia, or Timor-Leste. Main office in Melbourne
CLASSIFICATION Level 4
EMPLOYMENT DETAILS/HOURS Full time 2 year fixed-term contract (subject to a 6 month probation period)
Regional Program Coordinator
WaterAid is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Program Coordinator within the Program Operations Team within Policy and Programs to provide quality grant and project management, and operational support to WaterAid’s programs in Cambodia, Timor Leste, and Papua New Guinea, as well as across the region.
Background
WaterAid is an international not-for-profit organisation. Our vision is a world where everyone everywhere has access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). Our mission is to change lives by improving access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene.
WaterAid works through supporting local organisations and government authorities to design and demonstrate appropriate and sustainable WASH programs. WaterAid also seeks to influence policy change through governments and other key sector actors to secure and protect the right of marginalised people, to safe, affordable, water and sanitation services.
Everything we do is shaped by six values: Integrity, Respect, Collaboration, Courage, Accountability, and Innovation. These values define our culture and unite us globally across the many countries in which we work. The values and standards we uphold are highlighted in our Global Code of Conduct available at www.wateraid.org/uk/publications/global-code-of-conduct. All roles within WaterAid are required to comply with our Global Code of Conduct.
WaterAid is a child-safe organisation and we are committed to protection from sexual exploitation and abuse in everything we do. We recognise that we must meet community expectations and the trust placed in our personnel to maintain the highest standards of conduct with children. Therefore, all roles within WaterAid are required to comply with our Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.
Successful candidates will also be asked to undergo police and other integrity checks.
Overview
WaterAid Australia works within a federated international NGO structure, and is the WaterAid international member responsible for managing country programs in South East Asia and the Pacific. WaterAid Australia has country programs in Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, and Cambodia.
The organisation is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Program Coordinator within the Program Operations Team within Policy and Programs to provide quality grant and project management, and operational support to WaterAid’s programs in Cambodia, Timor Leste, and Papua New Guinea, as well as across the region.
WaterAid is a child safe organisation and committed to protection from sexual exploitation and abuse in everything we do. All positions within WaterAid are required to comply with our Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.
Job purpose
Within the spirit of decentralisation and locally-led programming, the role of the Program Operations Team is evolving to encourage more power transfer to WaterAid country programs. These means the role of the Program Coordinator is heavily focussed on supporting country programs to take greater ownership and responsibility for program and contract management.
The specific purpose of the Program Coordinator is to support programming across WaterAid Australia’s country programs, with a focus on strengthening the capacity of country program staff to effectively manage grants, and all the quality program processes this entails. The role provides contract oversight and project management support to projects across WaterAid Australia portfolio.
The role actively engages, along with Program Operations Team members in continuous improvement in policies, procedures, and behavioural guidance to ensure quality systems and programme performance.
To achieve this the Program Coordinator builds and maintains strong professional relationships with Country Directors, Operations Teams, and Program Managers to support country-led decision making on implementation of projects and management of contracts. The Program Coordinator will also have strong professional relationships with colleagues within WaterAid’s Policy and Programs team to ensure that global norms and best practice related to program quality, planning, monitoring, evaluation and accountability, and gender and social inclusion are applied.
The role also works closely with finance, and corporate and community engagement teams in the Melbourne office to ensure effective financial management of grants, and leads on coordination with operations teams in country to ensure WaterAid’s financial processes are relevant, understood and implemented. The role also supports in ensuring effective risk management by WaterAid.
Keeping in mind the overall purpose described above, the following key accountabilities are highlighted.
Key Accountabilities
Contract Management
Support the management of allocated WaterAid Australia’s contracts including:
- providing support to address compliance challenges and mitigate risks, enabling country teams to operate confidently and independently.in line with DFAT accreditation and quality standards;
- reviewing, drafting and negotiating contracts with Australia-based donors and partners and overseeing management of contracts;
- coordinating project planning with team members, partners and stakeholders;
- coordination of donor reports with country program counterparts, reviewing and taking a leading role as necessary;
- collaborating with country program counterparts to strengthen financial management, including supporting budget preparation, expenditure tracking, and the review and development of financial reports and donor invoices;
- supporting in-country staff to develop, monitor, and manage risks;
- working with country programs to manage project documentation to WaterAid and DFAT accreditation standards and ensuring that accurate grant information is accessible to both Melbourne and country-based staff.
Support and improve WaterAid’s Project Management Systems (WAPS) use and uptake, including:
- working with staff in country programs to identify gaps and recommending operational process guidance and system improvements as necessary;
- leading by example with excellence in the effective use of WAPS and supporting others in the regional team and country programs to do the same;
- working with the Head of Program Operations to develop and implement WAPS capacity strengthening initiatives for regional and country program staff.
Program Operations
In close consultation with the Regional Finance Team, Project Managers, and regional program staff, and in collaboration with the Head of Program Operations, support management of country program finances, including:
- identifying areas for improving ways of working, improving processes and effective financial management to deliver on commitments;
- supporting staff in country offices to prepare annual budgets and quarterly reforecasts, including allocation of expenses to contracts and projects;
- ensuring systems are in place to support country programs staff to implement WaterAid’s cost recovery and reforecasting mechanisms;
- reviewing expenditure against budgets; and
- manage the contractual relationships with consultants and partner organisations, where those relationships are managed from Melbourne including:
- preparing and negotiating agreements;
- providing relevant information, documentation, and briefings for consultants and partner personnel travelling to a country program;
- monitoring the quality of outputs and deliverables against agreements; and;
- ensuring payments are processed in accordance with agreements.
Quality Programming
- working closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning team in Melbourne and country program counterparts to ensure lessons from program implementation are well documented and linked to strategic, advocacy and policy work;
- supporting country program staff to meet agreed standards of accountability as required by WaterAid’s planning, monitoring and evaluation processes;
- working closely with staff in country programs to identify support needs and the Strategy, Quality and Technical team to coordinate technical inputs;
- ensuring the coordination of Melbourne based staff visits to country offices as relevant;
- supporting integration of gender, disability, and social inclusion within programming;
- actively advancing safeguarding within programming and supporting country program teams to do the same
- supporting monitoring, evaluation and reporting of specific grants, including:
- Contributing to the design monitoring and evaluation frameworks;
- Compiling M&E data and reporting on achievements to donors and partners;
- Supporting the development of Terms of Reference and managing contracts for monitoring and evaluation consultant visits.
Program and Business Development
- actively contribute to the preparation of proposals for institutional donors, ensuring lessons learnt are embedded in new opportunities, and appropriately costed
- particular focus on aspects related to grant management and program operations;
- support country program staff to plan programs effectively in line with Country Strategies, ensuring that the quality of work meets WaterAid’s standards;
- review and contribute to high quality business plans of country programs, with a particular focus on aspects related to grant management and program operations;
- support country programs and engage with the Corporate and Community Engagement team to identify opportunities for funding;
- actively contribute to the development of proposals for institutional donors, corporations, and philanthropic foundations with a focus on effective contract and project management components and budgeting;
- provide other support as needed to support the effective operation of WaterAid Australia country programs and Program Operations Team.
Qualifications, Skills & Attributes (Key Capabilities/Selection Criteria)
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
· Demonstrated relevant work experience in contract, project management, and compliance roles
· Demonstrated relevant work experience for an international development and/or humanitarian organisation
· Experience managing donor funded grants, including preparing proposals, negotiating and drafting contracts, ensuring compliance, conducting monitoring and evaluation, and writing reports
· Demonstrated commitment to locally led approaches and experience in capacity strengthening
· Strong financial management skills, including budget development, expenditure review and financial reporting
· Excellent communication, relationship building and problem-solving skills
· An understanding of DFAT Accreditation requirements and ACFID standards
Education
· Degree in International Development or relevant field, or equivalent experience in the sector.
Personal qualities
· Team player with ability to plan own work, manage competing priorities and work under pressure when required.
· Commitment to WaterAid’ values and standards of safety of children and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse in all our activities
· Demonstrate an understanding of gender equality and women’s empowerment including ethnic diversity and cultural sensitivity
· Commitment to innovation, continuous improvement and open to new ideas.
· A commitment to locally led initiatives and gender and social inclusion within programming
Physical Environment and Demands
Remote, flexible working arrangement in Australia, Cambodia, Timor-Leste or Papua New Guinea. with relevant equipment supplied as required, approximately 5-10 weeks overseas travel required per year when safety and security conditions permit.
Level of contact with children
During project site visits, office family days.
To Apply
Please submit an application to [email protected] by Wednesday 28th January, with the subject line Application – Program Coordinator.
Applications for this position must include a resume and a cover letter (max 2 pages) addressing the above Qualification, Skills and Selection Criteria.
For any queries not answered in this document please email [email protected].
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.