Job
Programme Manager

Print

Organization Name: SPARK
Location: Tunis, Tunisia
Apply email: Not Specified
Start Date: 15 Oct 2018, 12:39 pm
Closing Date: 05 Nov 2018, 12:00 am

SPARK develops higher education and entrepreneurship, so that young ambitious people are empowered to lead their conflict affected society into prosperity. SPARK is a dynamic and growing not-for-profit development organization with 80 staff members which supports young entrepreneurs to start or grow their own businesses. SPARK provides displaced youth with access to higher education in fragile areas. Moreover, SPARK assists post-secondary education institutions to reform their curricula to better meet the needs of the labour markets. Based in Amsterdam, SPARK has offices in among others Abidjan, Amman, Beirut, Belgrade, Bujumbura, Gaziantep, Erbil, Hargeisa, Juba, Kigali, Mitrovica, Monrovia, Ramallah, Sanaa and Tunis.

SPARK and its partners have implemented the LEAD programme since January 2016. The overarching objective is to contribute to the reduction of irregular economic migration and radicalization by improving the socio-economic position of young people in Libya, Somalia and Tunisia. As such the programme strives to create sustainable youth employment in growth sectors with special attention to young women, by assisting existing – (70%) and new entrepreneurs (30%) with coaching & training and facilitating SMEs access to finance and markets. An integral part for achieving these goals is the promotion of entrepreneurship among young people by integrating entrepreneurship education in secondary and higher education; and additionally by providing a platform for successful young entrepreneurs.

Programme activities are aimed at young people in Tunisia, Libya and Somalia/Land between 15 and 35 years old, with an emphasis on people between 15 and 24 years old (60%) and women (40%).

Under the supervision and guidance of the Regional Programme Manager, the Tunisia Programme Manager will be responsible for the successful project delivery in Tunisia, working collaboratively with the Programme Support Officer & local partners in the region to manage directly implementation of the LEAD Tunisia activities. The Tunisia Programme Manager will be responsible for identifying new opportunities for SPARK in Tunisia, build effective relationships with various stakeholders and support in the development of new proposals.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities

1.Staff and Program Management:

Oversight of Tunisia based programme staff, coordinate and implement activities in line with approved project proposal, budget and within the agreed time frames.
Lead the coordination, management and motivation of program staff by ensuring that they have clear objectives/individual work plans as part of performance management and provide constructive feedback on their performance. Ensure work plans are designed collectively with staff and other key stakeholders.
Ensure compliance to all Spark, Donor and Government of Tunisia policies, procedures and guidelines that relate to the implementation of the program with limited supervision.
Make sure that all project deadlines, quality standards and targets are met, redesigning deadlines, quality standards (as needed) in consultation with the LEAD Regional Programme Manager.
Manage external consultant relationships and local partners, tracking deliverables against timeline, and ensuring quality delivery
Draft reports related to the LEAD program both internal and external to the donor and HQ, with a high level of quality with limited need for revision.
Oversee the implementation of programme activities, both local partner and SPARK-led, including providing clear objectives and methodology, budget and work plan.

2.Partnership Management/ External Representation:

Independently establish, maintain and grow productive working relationships with Local Government officials and line departments, and private sector, soliciting their participation in all activities where appropriate, in close coordination with the Regional Programme Manager
Develop new programme ideas, supporting in the drafting of new proposals on a range of private sector and SME-oriented activities
Build and strengthen strong partnerships with private sector actors with an incentive to support and mentor SME’s and entrepreneurs
Responsible for monitoring partners based on partnership agreements and ensuring Tunisia M&E dashboard is regularly updated.
Identify follow-up funding for leveraging the LEAD programme and coordinate partnership possibilities and business development at country level in coordination with the Country Manager.
3.Program Support Operations:

Capacity building of staff to ensure operational systems are in place to support field activities
Requirements and Skills

Minimum Bachelors degree in Business, Finance, Economics or relevant field of study
A minimum of seven years’ professional experience, preferably in the field of private sector development and/or entrepreneurship
Strong project management skills in the field of SME and/or private sector development
Strong experience in working with and supporting local civil society organisations
Experience of managing grants and programme budgets
Strong networks with government and relevant stakeholders
Experience working with business incubators and/or accelerators (desirable)
Fluency in Arabic and French asset. Good command of English
Demonstrated management experience including ability to manage and motivate staff
Experience in project proposal writing and business development (acquisition)
Ability to problem solve and think outside the box
Ability to work independently and as a member of a team
Willingness to travel across Tunisia when required

SPARK Offers

A challenging and exciting position in an international environment;
A change to improve the higher studies standards of the country;
Remuneration based on experience and full time contract (40h/per week)
Dynamic team to work with.

How to apply?

If you are interested, please apply with motivation letter and CV (both in English) on https://vacancy.spark-online.org until 05 November 2018 with reference: Tunisia Programme Manager.

If you have any questions regarding SPARK or the position, please visit our website www.spark-online.org or contact Majdalene Bentaher – m.bentaher@spark-online.org. Applications sent to this email address will not be considered.

All applications will be assessed on rolling basis; interviews can therefore take place before the application deadline. However, due to the large volume of applications we receive, we cannot respond to every applicant individually. There may be a delay between the deadline and the moment we contact selected applicants.

If you have not received a reply we regret to inform that we have continued with other candidates.

About SPARK

SPARK develops higher education and entrepreneurship to empower young, ambitious people to lead their fragile and conflict-affected societies into prosperity. SPARK is a dynamic and growing, international not-for-profit development organisation with 80+ staff members, in more than 14 offices around the world. SPARK supports refugees in the Middle-East by providing them with scholarships in universities and higher education institutions in the region. SPARK also supports young entrepreneurs in fragile states, to start or grow their own businesses.

Job Email id: vacancy(at)spark-online.org