Program Director

Program Director

1 position based in Vientiane Capital

Deadline: 20, September 2024

CARE INTERNATIONAL IN LAO PDR
CARE International is a global NGO working to end poverty and achieve social justice. We rebuild and improve the lives of the most vulnerable groups, especially women and girls who are often the most marginalised individuals in their communities and face unequal access to social and economic rights. In 2024, CARE worked in more than 100 countries around the world, supporting 200 million people from vulnerable communities to fight poverty and social injustice. To date, CARE has supported over 52 million participants to promote lasting change in their lives, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
CARE International in Lao PDR began its operations in 1992 and has worked since then to improve the lives of vulnerable groups in both rural and urban areas, particularly the ethnic minority communities. CARE works in partnership with community members, the government, local civil society organisations, and the private sector. CARE currently implements projects in 04 provinces: Vientiane Capital, Phongsaly, Luang Namtha and Sekong.
CARE’s “Marginalized Women and Girls” program empowers women and girls to exercise their rights, to lead and make decisions, and benefit from socio-economic justice through thematic focus on women’s health, women’s economic empowerment and women’s resilience and climate change. CARE has extensive experience and expertise in both areas and will continue to pursue evidence-based practices to deliver long-lasting solutions effectively and sustainably.
Job Summary / About the Role
The Program Director plays a crucial role in providing extensive program management and technical support to CARE International in Lao PDR (CIL). This position is pivotal in enhancing program development, fundraising, program quality, knowledge management, partnerships, learning, and ensuring alignment with organizational priorities. Additionally, the role focuses on developing the skills and capacities of relevant program staff.
The Program Director is a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) and a lead member of the Program Coordination Team (PCT).
Key Responsibilities
Strategies and Leadership
• Lead the development, implementation, and review of long-term programs.
• Ensure CARE Laos’ long-term strategy focuses on addressing the needs and rights of remote ethnic women, achieving gender equality, and empowering women by actively contributing to strategy development as a member of the CARE Lao Leadership Team.
• Demonstrate a passion for gender equality and women’s empowerment, and a commitment to CARE’s values, including ethnic diversity and cultural sensitivity.
• Contribute to the development and revision of policies.
Program Management
• Oversee overall program and project management across CIL’s programming.
• Collaborate with donors and CARE Member Partners (CMPs) to ensure smooth coordination, including following up on existing and new collaboration opportunities.
• Oversee budget management and work with Finance to ensure overall budget management and spending are on track.
• Manage technical monitoring support and performance reports for relevant donors/partners.
• Establish and maintain networking and positioning of CIL with existing and potential partners (including GoL, NPAs, INGOs, and the UN).
• Enforce financial policies and practices to maintain transparency and integrity.
Team Management
• Effectively manage teams and foster a sense of team spirit by encouraging cooperation and communication through team building, regular meetings, empowerment, and motivational activities.
• Ensure quarterly work plans are developed for staff to implement project activities as per the work plan; ensure that roles within the team are clear and that all team members understand their role and contribution to program goals and deliverables.
• Directly supervise the team, providing advice and guidance, managing performance, administering leave, budget, and other approvals, and preparing annual planning and performance appraisals.
• Provide appropriate and timely feedback on staff annual performance objectives.
• Define standards for appropriate behavior and address inappropriate behavior from others. Resolve conflicts tactfully and take actions to reduce team frustrations.
• Provide effective staff support and development through ongoing coaching/mentoring, direct supervision, and promoting national staff leadership.
• Work with other senior managers to identify critical staff needs and coordinate with Human Resources (HR) on recruitment and other HR processes.
Program Development
• Collaborate with the Business Development team and Technical Advisors in program development, including coordinating new project designs and proposals in alignment with CIL’s program priorities and donor guidelines.
• Strengthen donor relationships both in-country and externally as required.
• Engage and build capacities on program designs, proposals, and relevant topics for program and implementing partner staff.
• Work with the program team to ensure program approaches are applied and support specific project initiatives to advance program priorities and innovation.
• Coordinate and supervise key technical advisors and relevant program policy focal points to ensure effective mainstreaming of key cross-cutting areas such as gender, GBV, safeguarding, child protection, resilience, and climate change.
• Work with relevant Technical Advisors in planning and rolling out program strategies while maintaining effective synergies with program management.
Program Quality and Monitoring, Impact, Learning, Accountability (MILKA)
• Strengthen CIL’s program alignment with CARE International policies and frameworks, particularly its approaches to MILKA.
• Provide capacity-building opportunities to program and partner teams to enhance skills and learning.
• Ensure the effectiveness of program/project outcomes, including evidence-based results and data monitoring, and submission of high-quality reports to relevant donors.
• Contribute to the institutionalization and documentation of effective program development and management practices and facilitate communication and interchange between Country Office staff.
• Ensure overall accountability for program implementation and donor compliance, including community consultation and feedback mechanisms.
• Track and report on the outcomes and impact of the program.
Partnership
• Ensure partnerships, including those with both Government and non-Government stakeholders, are based on mutual benefit and accountability.
• Collaborate and strengthen the implementation of partnership policy, strategy, and learning.
Selection Criteria
Required
• Educational Background: A minimum of a graduate degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience.
• Professional Experience: Over 10 years of experience working in a development context with a similar type of organization.
• Contextual Understanding: In-depth knowledge of development issues within the context of Lao PDR.
• Field Experience: Proven overseas field experience in leading program development and planning at a senior level (minimum 5 years).
• Expertise: Advanced knowledge of cutting-edge thinking, concepts, analysis, and tools in one or more of CARE International in Laos’ thematic priorities, such as health, women’s economic empowerment, gender-based violence, climate change resilience, or civil society development.
• Capacity Building: Demonstrated experience in strengthening staff capacity and the ability to lead, manage, mentor, or coach staff and partners in various contexts and needs.
• Organizational Skills: High-level organizational and time management skills, including the ability to manage workflows and balance competing priorities to meet deadlines.
• Commitment to Values: A strong understanding of gender equality and women’s empowerment, with a commitment to CARE’s approaches and values, including ethnic diversity and cultural sensitivity.
• Adaptability: Ability to respond effectively to challenges and work efficiently in a cross-functional, diverse, and busy team environment with minimal supervision.
• Networking and Negotiation: Excellent liaison and negotiation skills, with the ability to build and maintain networks and relationships.
Desirable
•
Local Experience: Experience working in the context of Lao PDR, ideally with an international non-governmental organization (INGO).
• Language Skills: Knowledge of the Lao language.
• Travel Requirements: Willingness to travel to remote working locations in Lao PDR for extended periods.
• Supervisory Experience: Experience in supervising multiple staff members.
APPLICATION SUBMISSION:
Qualified candidates should submit a CV and a letter of application. Please indicate the name of position that you are applying for, including contact details of three referees and your salary expectations for each position, and email to LAO.Jobs@care.org Deadline on Friday 20th September 2024. The detailed Job Description can be provided upon request.
•CARE is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse workforce. Women, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
•CARE Laos has zero tolerance approach towards sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, and child abuse towards any person including our staff, representatives, partners, programme participants and members of the community where we work. We expect all staff, partners and related personnel to
share this commitment by understanding, abiding by and working within the CARE International Safeguarding Policy and related framework at all times whilst representing CARE. and imbed child protection in all we do;
•CARE Laos participates in the Inter-agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS). CARE Laos reserves the right to seek information from job applicants’ previous employers about incidents of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment, and/or child abuse. The applicant may have been found guilty to have committed or about which an investigation was in the process of being carried out at the time of the termination of the applicant’s employment with that employer. By submitting the application, the job applicant confirms that s/he has no abjection to CARE Laos requesting the information specified above; and
•As well as pre-employment checks, CARE Laos will use the recruitment and reference process to ensure potential new staff understand and are aligned with these expectations.
(Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview. CVs and other documents submitted to CARE will not be returned).