Posted on February 13, 2013

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Food Security Program Manager

Africare is a leader among private, charitable U.S. organizations assisting Africa. Africare is also the oldest and largest African-American led organization in the field. Africare's programs address needs in three principal areas: Agriculture & Food Security, Health & HIV/AIDS, and Water, Sanitation & Hygiene.

Throughout its 40-year history, Africare has reached 30 million people across the continent with innovative, sustainable, culturally appropriate and life-changing projects to improve the quality of life in communities throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. We strategically invest in innovating and implementing community-based solutions to complex problems, with a strong focus on skills transfer to create leaders out of beneficiaries. Our work has transformed communities and garnered wide recognition for its impact and sustainability.

Africare’s 1,400 staff members operate in 19 countries across Africa. Headquarters is based in Washington, DC where the President’s office and the Finance, Development, and Operations Departments are based. We are currently searching for a Food Security Program Manager.

Africare seeks qualified candidates for the Food Security Program Manager position based at its headquarters in Washington, DC. The Food Security Program Manager is responsible for working as a team within Africare’s Office for Agriculture and Food Security (OAFS) to ensure that all Africare agriculture and food security programs are implemented within the context of Africare’s overall strategy and are responsive to the needs of the countries where Africare operates. The FSPM must also ensure that activities in her/his portfolio are in full compliance with programmatic and financial requirements established by donors (Food for Peace Legislation and Guidance, USDA regulations, FTF and others). S/he also makes arrangements to ensure the quality and timeliness of work performed at headquarters and in the field offices and reports directly to the Director, Agriculture and Food Security.

The Office of Agriculture and Food Security is a technical unit at Africare headquarters that supports Africare’s field offices in the design, implementation and evaluation of programs in 18 current African countries. The FSPM will strengthen Africare’s institutional capabilities as a Title II Cooperating Sponsor and join a lean but competent team in providing technical assistance to the design; implementation and monitoring of agricultural/food security/livelihoods/ resilience projects that include USAID and USDA administered food resource programming. S/he will bring skills in emergency programming that will contribute to Africare’s nimbleness in responding to rapidly changing situations. The FSPM will also be able to contribute to Africare’s forward looking strategy as we work within the new Feed the Future, USAID Forward and New Alliance frameworks.

Responsibilities/Tasks:

1. Financial Management and Backstopping

• Consults with field offices, Region, and Office of Finance in the regular monitoring of expenditures under USAID/FFP (local currency , 202(e), ITSH and Mission funds), USDA, and/or WFP programs;
• Consult with the Office of Finance and other headquarters staff in the preparation, update and use of procedures for headquarters’ and field management of USAID/FFP, USDA, and/or WFP programs for matters pertaining to financial management, including the creation and updating of comprehensive linked budgets;
• Support the Office of Finance during Annual Audits providing information related to USAID/FFP, USDA, and/or WFP programs as requested;
• Assist in the preparation and implementation of training programs for headquarters and field staff on the financial aspects of USAID financial reports; and,
• Assist the OAFS Director with budget projections for OAFS annual operating budgets.

2. Monitoring and Technical Support

• Liaise with field office and regional staff in review and editing of P.L. 480, Title II Cooperating Sponsor Results Reports and Pipeline Resource Estimate Proposals (formerly CSR4s);
• Review and comment on monthly and/or quarterly reports written by field staff (i.e., Country Representative, Project Coordinator) concerning implementation of USAID/FFP, USDA, and/or WFP programs;
• Provide operational and planning support to the Director of Food for Development and the Regional Directors in assigned countries for activities related to USAID/FFP, USDA, and/or WFP programs;
• Participate in program monitoring and evaluation for food security impacts;
• Assist in the preparation and implementation of training programs for headquarters and field staff on the technical and programmatic aspects of OAFS activities;
• Conduct field visits related to program implementation as needed; and,
• Liaise with field offices and Regional staff in implementation of WFP programs for improvement in program performance.

3. Project Design

• Participate in design and revision of USAID/FFP, USDA, and/or WFP programs proposals which include liaising/coordinating international consultants;
• Participating in field level project design, review/editing proposal drafts;
• Responding to and incorporating changes to comments from HQ, field staff, and USDA/USAID/FFP/WFP (including responding to information in issues letters) into final proposal;
• Pursue external technical assistance for the integration of latest approaches in food security and food aid programming in Africare’s USAID/FFP, USDA, and/or WFP programs; and,
• Assist in the development of teaming agreements with technical assistance organizations and/or other Cooperating Sponsors.

4. Represent Africare’s interests at working groups, professional meetings, or conferences

• Prepare information on outputs of working groups for dissemination within OAFS and other Africare staff;

5. Administrative

• Prepare international travel documents for consultants and submit and follow-up on travel expenses and timesheets for reconciliation;
• Liaise with field offices regarding request for confirmation of receipt and timely completion of tasks and assignments; coordinate prompts to FO regarding annual tasks;
• Lead and orient temporary employees, interns, consultants and field staff, as required; and,
• Update OAFS promotional materials (one-page project descriptions) as needed.

Education Requirements:

Bachelor's degree preferably in one of the following fields: economics, agriculture, public health/nutrition, international relations, international trade, public or business administration, management;

Experience Required:

• Experience in financial management, including drafting budgets, monitoring expenses, pipeline analysis; and, community development program management;
• A minimum of five years’ experience working in a developing country (preferably in Africa);
• A minimum of 5 years monitoring and providing technical assistance to Title II programs,
• General understanding of rural development interventions in agriculture, health and community development and monitoring and evaluation of rural development programs;
• Fluent French speaker;
• Excellent Excel.

Experience Preferred:

• Experience in project design and management;
• Strong communication and organizational skills, and orientation to detail; demonstrated interpersonal skills;
• Experience with non-USAID agricultural development programs a plus
• Excellent written and verbal English language skills;
• Expertise in other MS Office products.

Application Instructions

How to Apply:

Applications should include a CV and cover letter. In the cover letter (of no more than two pages in length), the candidate should briefly describe his or her motivation for the position and highlight relevant experience and salary requirements. Successful candidate must be authorized to work in the US without sponsorship.

Please send CVs to resumes@africare.org, including "Food Security Program Manager" in the subject line.

This position is opened until filled. Unfortunately, due to the large number of applications that we receive, we may not be able to respond to each individual candidate.

Africare is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer committed to workplace diversity.