Reports to: Country Director

Location: Goma, DRC

Country Program/Sector: WCS DRC Program

Start date: ASAP

Position Type: Full-time

Internal liaison:

WCS Central Africa: Senior Program Manager, Regional Business Manager, Regional Grants Manage

Expected travel: Local travel to field sites and sub-offices

Purpose of the position

Under the supervision of the Country Director, the Deputy Country Director in charge of Programs works with the country teams to provide proactive management support, coordinated guidance, and quality technical assistance. The Deputy Country Director in charge of Programs plays a central role in ensuring a cross-leadership relationship with country, regional, and headquarters teams, and maintaining a dynamic, open, and collaborative team environment.

Job Summary:

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is seeking a dynamic, experienced and motivated Deputy Country Director in charge of Programs to provide technical, administrative and program implementation guidance, coherence, and support to a large and complex program in DRC.

The successful candidate will provide leadership and coordination for critical program and project needs, programmatic support to field work across all departments of “protected area management” with a particular focus on planning, monitoring, execution, project reporting and new project development for a diverse array of donors funding sources, tracking contracts and grants implementation, ensuring proper grants launch and closing, onboarding of project and program team members in concert with Country Office HR, assisting with staff capacity building in concert with national program leadership, working with all department across functional boundaries to ensure timely delivery of programs in country.

In concert with Country Office Leadership, the Deputy Country Director in charge of Programs will also identify and coordinate strategic partnerships and new donor relationships to support WCS DRC strategic objectives in our protected areas.

Program Management

In collaboration with the Country Office Leadership Team (COLT) and the Senior Regional Program Manager, strengthen the management, timely execution, and accountability of programs.

• Provide guidance and project management coaching to Program managers, MEL and Grants teams and field staff, in consultation with Site Directors and Country Director.
• Quickly identify obstacles to timely delivery of quality technical programs and work with country teams to solve obstacles appropriately and rapidly.
• Provide ongoing assessments to the DRC leadership on technical programmatic opportunities and risks related to overall program performance, as well as efficacy of WCS procedures, tools, and guidelines. Present assessment results and propose strategies to enhance technical program performance on a regular basis.
• Developing proposals for departmental vetting, and facilitating the rollout of final approved budgets and technical work plans
• Conduct in-depth country and field visits to provide capacity building, assess effectiveness of technical programs, and provide management support as needed.
• In coordination with the Deputy Country Director in charge of Operations, ensure management and operations staff at the field level understand and adhere to WCS policies and procedures, crisis management, procurement for projects, new program start up, and grants closing.
• Ensure that technical program management standards are monitored, and ongoing training and technical assistance needs are identified and provided to core program management staff in each WCS protected area management program.
• Lead implementation of quality and performance improvement efforts in collaboration with COLT as needed.
• Supervise and build capacity of country technical program management support staff.

Grant Management

Take the lead role in ensuring country management teams plan and manage grants effectively, achieve program and spending targets, submit donor reports on time, and meet regulatory compliance requirements.

• In collaboration with Program Managers, Grants and Finance Managers, actively manage burn rates to ensure that grants are fully spent according to grant agreements. Analyze causes of under-spending and overspending when they occur, develop and track follow through on appropriate action plans.
• Review monthly dashboard and financial results and action plans to meet targets.
• Work in collaboration with the Regional Management team, program managers and MEL leads to ensure complete grant documentation, agreement review and signing, and grant closure.
• Monitor and standardize country teams’ application of WCS grant management tools and processes.
• Engage support of the Regional Programs team and other departments as needed to solve problems and provide support to DRC country teams in addressing grant management challenges.
• Contribute, in coordination with Grant Management Unit, to the rollout and dissemination of the grant management tools, including grant status tracking, donor requirements and regulations, burn rate monitoring, report compilation and collection, and WCS policy and donor regulations.
• Review technical narrative reports to donors, ensuring reports are complete and submitted in accordance with donor deadlines. Serve as a backstop for field teams and support preparation of reports as needed.

Inter-Departmental Coordination

Maintain positive, cooperative relationships with other WCS-DRC departments and colleagues in the Region to ensure a coordinated and collaborative approach.

• Play key role in the annual budget development process including such responsibilities as: providing technical assistance to Country Director, Deputy Country Director in charge of Operations, Finance Director, Regional Business Manager and Regional Comptroller
• Coordinate with all country departments to ensure that program and grant management needs are met in a timely way.
• Contribute to Country Programs planning and WCS strategy implementation.
• Work with country teams and Regional Communication Manager to find, craft and communicate compelling stories about WCS-DRC programs.
• Provide collaboration and back up as requested for operations management support.

Major Responsibilities:

• Coordinate and provide leadership to a portfolio of donors that includes bilateral (USAID, KfW and AFD) and multilaterals (GEF and CAFI) in close coordination with the Country and Regional offices.
• Oversee management of projects and grants including assistance with development of strategies, preparation of proposals, coordination of timely reporting and in-country donor communications, as well as compliance with donor regulations.
• Provide technical support to field staff in the review and implementation of existing work plans.
• Identify and support recruitment, new staff onboarding and capacity building and mentoring of implementation team members.
• As appropriate, facilitate internal WCS communications between the field, DRC country, regional and NY teams.
• Provide technical assistance and oversight to ensure adherence and awareness of WCS policies, donor regulations and government requirements in project administration.
• Work with the Finance Director and Grants Manager to monitor and track project budgets.
• As requested by WCS leadership, represent WCS at meetings on a national and international level
• Maintain good relationships with existing national and international NGOs and technical partners in-country, national delegation offices of bilateral and multilateral donors, and foster, where possible, the participation of existing and new partners in relevant aspects of program implementation and strategy development

Minimum Requirements:

• An advanced degree in the social sciences, international affairs, international relations, development studies, conservation, or another field relevant to the position’s responsibilities
• Demonstrated on-the-ground experience with >8 years in project and program management in the field of biodiversity conservation, community development, community impact investment, natural resource management, or similar.
• Experience working in the project/programme cycles of ideation, designing, planning, monitoring and controlling, implementing and creating M&E, reporting, budgeting, performance and work planning framework with knowledge of USAID, KfW or other bilateral donors a distinct advantage
• Demonstrated ability to supervise staff in a productive and collaborative environment.
• Experience working, coordinating and collaborating with diverse sets of stakeholders – such as local NGOs, government officials, donor representatives and the private sector
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in French and English required, with Swahili a distinct advantage
• Experience in large project or program management, administration, and fundraising
• Experience in training, coaching, mentoring
• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Proven ability to work effectively and flourish in a multi-cultural team
• Results-focused attitude to work
• Willingness and ability to travel to field sites
• Interest in wildlife conservation and committed to the WCS mission