Head of programmes and business development – based in dakar, senegal.
Location: Dakar, Senegal
Contract type: Fixed – Term (12 months)
Hours: 40 Hours
Reports to: Country Director – The Gambia

Organisation overview
About Self Help Africa & United Purpose
In 2021, Self Help Africa merged with United Purpose. This international organisation aims to alleviate hunger, poverty, social inequality, and the impact of climate change through community-led, market-based, and enterprise-focused approaches. Hence, people have access to nutritious food, clean water, decent employment, and incomes while sustaining natural resources. The merger process when completed, the Gambia programme will be called Self Help Africa Gambia.
Self Help Africa/UP is an international development organisation that works on a range of sectoral interventions, to end hunger and extreme poverty. The organisation has programmes in 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and implements projects in Brazil and Bangladesh.
In early 2023 we launched a new five-year organisation strategy, which defines shared mission as the alleviation of hunger, poverty, social inequality, and the impact of climate change through community-led, market-based, and enterprise-focused approaches so that people can have access to nutritious food, clean water, decent employment, and incomes while sustaining natural resources.


Our three core values are
• Impact: We are accountable, ambitious, and committed to systemic change.
• Innovation: We are agile, creative, and enterprising in an ever-changing world.
• Community: We are inclusive, honest, and have integrity in our relationships.


Job Purpose
The Head of Programmes and Business Development provides overall leadership and management for all SHA-Senegal programs including leading the planning, design, development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the country programs and ensuring that the quality of projects, implementation, donor reporting, and field level management is of the highest standards. The Head of Programmes and Business Development undertakes business development activities, resource mobilisation, partnership development and management. He/she ensures quality assurance with all projects being implemented by SHA in Senegal. The Head of Programmes and Business Development provides line management support to all Project Managers and Program Coordinators including overall management of their performance and of all the Program staff in Senegal. The Head of Programmes and Business Development supports the translating of SHA’s Global Vision and strategy into project implementation and ensuring project design and implementation are geared towards achieving scale and impact. This includes attracting funding from diverse donors, and ensuring that the project implementation processes respond to SHA’s need to strengthen global operating systems. The Head of Programmes and Business Development shall steer the process for developing and growing SHA’s country portfolio to reflect a fair balance in the project portfolios that will include but are not limited to Value chain and market systems development, Climate Change, Food security, Youth and Women empowerment.


Key Responsibilities (Including approximate percentage effort)
Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
• Responsibility 1: Program Management (25%) Assume overall responsibility for the management of all SHA Senegal programs and provide line management support to all Project/Program Coordinators/Managers. Support Project/Program Managers/Coordinators in the management of the field resources and project budgets and ensure these are used in compliance with approved guidelines. Implement annual performance management process for all Project / Programme Managers /Coordinators and support them to ensure this cascades to all Programme staff. Work in close collaboration with the Global Office Programme Coordinators and wider Programmes Department.
• Responsibility 2: Business Development (35%) Lead on the development, implementation, and update of the SHA resource mobilisation and donor engagement strategy, building on the existing donor mapping and ongoing engagements Lead project and programme design and proposal development at country level Set and monitor annual priorities and quarterly objectives and key objectives of SHA for resource mobilisation and donor engagement, and the supporting action plan for achieving the targets Advise on best practices and channels for resource mobilisation, including but not limited to traditional donors, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), multi-partner funds, foundations, private sector, as well as other innovative financing mechanisms, etc. Identify and establish mechanisms to engage with priority partners that could be relevant for SHA’s offer, including public and private sector partners at country level Lead on the design and implementation of effective advocacy strategies and methods for strategic targeting of existing and prospective donor partners, in collaboration with the Programme Funding and the Comms teams Participate and engage in targeted networking to establish connections, leading to the development, mobilisation, prioritisation and management of partnerships with the purpose of mobilising resources and working in project consortia Follow Official Development Assistance (ODA) trends and processes, and cultivate contacts to promote digital development as an emerging area to commit and disburse flows Ensure updated donor intelligence, including updating the existing donor mapping with their latest priorities and strategies, regular analysis of donor’s contributions, as well as proactive outreach for insights Work in close collaboration with the Global Office Programme Funding team during the Go No Go and proposal development process. Develop proposal budgets, involving partners as needed.
• Responsibility 3: Program Planning and Budgeting (15%) Support all projects to develop annual budgets and workplans consistent with project documents and donor contracts.Support team in undertaking the necessary reviewing and updating of the workplans and budgets to respond to emerging field implementation challenges and project review processes.Support the review of the SHA Senegal Country Strategic Plan.

• Responsibility 4: Budget Management and Monitoring (10%) a). In coordination with the finance department, undertake quarterly budget monitoring and variance analysis with all Project Managers and support the projects in reviewing and tracking spending to adhere to annual budgets. b). Support Project Managers and the Country Program to plan and undertake corrective management actions arising out of budget monitoring reports. c). Approve program related requests for imprest and reconciliations in line with work plans and financial management procedures.
• Responsibility 5: Program Reporting (10%) a). Review regular quarterly, semi- and annual reports from the Program/Project Managers/Coordinators and support them to comply with requirements of quality reporting and timeliness. b). Develop and review donor reports to ensure they comply with requirements in terms of quality and timelines and ensure these are of the highest standards. c). Compile quarterly and annual Country Program Reports to provide oversight of the Country Program implementation. d). Compile the Senegal Country Programme Annual report.
• Responsibility 6: Documentation and lessons learning (5%) Support country projects in developing and documenting lessons learnt and experiences for dissemination and sharing to inform future project development. Perform any other duty as may be assigned by the Country Director, Regional Director or Director of International Programmes.

Qualifications/Other Requirements
Minimum Requirements
• Bachelor’s Degree in Rural Development, Project Planning and Management, Agriculture, Agribusiness and other relevant qualification.
• Fifteen (15) years of relevant experience in Program management, business development and community development work.

Preferred Requirements
• Master’s Degree in relevant professional discipline such as Agribusiness, Economics, Development Studies.
• Ten (10) years of supervisory/managerial experience.
• Thorough understanding of programming processes, systems and principles, and the ability to provide leadership and support to staff working at community level.
• Solid skill, knowledge and foundation in proposal development and of the project management cycle.
• Sound understanding of market systems development in the agriculture sector, partnership management, youth and women themes.
• Knowledge of development issues, trends, challenges and opportunities and implications to community development.
• Demonstrated knowledge of strategic planning processes, and project-based monitoring and evaluation.

Most Critical Proficiencies
• Good understanding of annual work planning and budgeting and budget monitoring.
• A good understanding of monitoring and evaluation processes.
• Solid project management and reporting skills.Sound project and proposal development skills.
• A good understanding and sensitivity to issues associated with poverty, hunger and environment, and knowledge of the context in which non-profit organisations operate.
• Solid knowledge and experience in extension methodologies.
• Knowledge and experience in training and participatory training methodologies.
• Team leadership skills, with good abilities of addressing conflicts amongst diverse teams and constituents.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Proficient knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, presentation tools, electronic mail (Microsoft Office preferred) and Internet.
• Demonstrated proficiency in English and French, oral and written.

Essential Job Functions and Physical Demands:
• Preparing and presenting project reports and presentations in a well-designed and attractive format with superior attention to detail.
• Demonstrated creativity, ability to think systematically, willingness and ability to incorporate innovative solutions.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work cooperatively, tactfully and diplomatically with culturally diverse groups of people.
• Willingness and ability to assign and review the work of line managed staff and to use participatory management skills with junior and senior staff.
• Proven team leadership and supervisory skills with the ability to train and work cooperatively with a diverse staff.
• Regularly conduct stakeholder analysis to strengthen partnerships and leveraging of resources.
• Constant face-to-face, telephone and electronic communication with colleagues and the public to scale up country program visibility and publicity. May require constant sitting, working at a computer and focusing for extended periods of time and performing office work in the field and/or in remote conditions.
• Working with sensitive information and maintaining confidentiality.
• Ability to manage and execute multiple tasks with little supervision while meeting sometimes tight or fixed deadlines.


Essential character traits
Self-motivated, result oriented, high integrity, accountable, reliable.

Application Procedure
Fill and upload the attached Self Help Africa application form and also send your cover letter and CV in a single document (of not more than 4 pages) uploaded to the portal here. You may download the Job Description here.

In the cover letter (not more than 2 pages), please ensure to explain the following:

Why you are applying for the position?
• How do your skills and experiences meet the job’s specification?
• When will you be able to take up the position if successful?


The deadline for this application is 1st May 2024. You are advised to apply early, as applications will be treated on a rolling basis. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Self Help Africa / United Purpose is an equal opportunities employer and will never ask for funds as part of the recruitment process. Female candidates who meet these qualifications are highly encouraged to apply.

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Self Help Africa strives to be an equal opportunities employer.