Job Detail

Job Description

Background 

United Purpose (UP) Malawi is an international non-governmental organisation working to create opportunities for lasting improvement in peoples’ lives. We work in partnership with others to support a range of livelihoods and food security, WASH and health, sustainable energy and gender equality programmes reaching over 1,000,000 people a year across Malawi.  Globally, we work in nine countries across Africa, Asia and South America, however our Malawi programme is by far and away our largest and most established country programme. UP currently operates in 17 districts in Malawi, supporting over 30 ongoing projects, with a total staff of over 250. 

UP Malawi is seeking to recruit a talented and dynamic District Manager, National MEAL Coordinator, District MEAL  Coordinator and Field Facilitator for our FCDO-funded large-scale resilience building programme, Promoting Sustainable  Partnerships for Empowered Resilience (PROSPER), the National MEAL Coordinator is based in Lilongwe while the rest of the  positions are based in Balaka. PROSPER is implemented jointly by a consortium of UN agencies, international NGOs (Concern Worldwide, GOAL, United Purpose), market systems experts (Kadale Consulting) and the largest rural finance services institution in Malawi (CUMO Microfinance Limited). This innovative and transformative programme aims to fundamentally disrupt and break the recurring cycle of hunger in Malawi. Overall the PROSPER programme targets over 1 million people in Balaka, Chikwawa, Mangochi, and Phalombe districts and aims at reducing the impact of climate shocks, responding to seasonal consumption needs, supporting the design of social safety nets, and generating evidence and knowledge to inform government policy.  

UP Malawi is primarily supporting the implementation in Balaka and Mangochi districts together with the other consortium partners and stakeholders, as part of the Concern Worldwide-led consortium. The applicants must be firmly committed to delivering lasting positive improvements to the communities that we serve, and delivering UP’s mission and upholding our values of integrity, dignity, and environmental respect. The contract will be until approximately April 2022 (with strong possibility of future extension to March 2023, subject to personal performance and funding). 

Position: District Manager (1 x based in Balaka) 

Job Purpose: Responsible for district-level technical leadership, and the coordination of district-level planning, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of the UP-directly implemented component of the BRACC PROSPER programme in Balaka. This  includes ensuring expenditure is in line with the budget and implementation is on track to meet expected targets, plus managing the district project team. Reports to UP BRACC PROSPER Project Manager, line manages the Irrigation Coordinator,  DRR Coordinator, Gender and Protection Coordinator, Food Security and Business Development Coordinator, MEAL Officer,  District Accountant, and driver/logistician. This position would also oversee the related Food for Asset/Rural Resilience  (FFA/R4) project led by WFP, if awarded, or any other food/cash distribution projects throughout the duration of the project  should the need arise. 

Key duties and responsibilities:

• Develop, implement and monitor district-level workplan and budget, in line with project logframe, agreed deliverables, and resources. This includes ensuring effective project budgetary control and monitoring in line with UP’s financial procedures and guidelines, and fraud and risk management policies.  
• Deliver expert technical support and guidance in all aspects of project implementation and budgets. This is particularly in terms of community-based resilience and disaster risk reduction, stakeholder coordination, capacity building, and gender equality into the implementation of the project. 
• Line manage the relevant district teams and coordination of project activities. 
• Ensure close collaboration and networking with all district partners, including government and communities, in liaison with other PROSPER consortium partners, as well as other UP projects, during all stages of project implementation. ∙ Closely monitor and assess UP project activities to ensure relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and work closely with the UP PROSPER Mangochi District Coordinator. 
• Represent the UP project and organisation at district level, where appropriate. This may include being the Head of Balaka Office, subject to SMT consideration and approval. 
• Manage the day-to-day use of project vehicles and motorcycles, ensuring relevant UP policies and procedures are followed. 
• Develop and submit monthly monitoring and documentation reports to UP BRACC PROSPER Project Manager. 

Successful candidates will have: 

• At least a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (agriculture, food security, agribusiness, natural resources management, Social sciences, agriculture, business, community development, gender). A Masters would be an added advantage
• At least 7 years’ experience of working in resilience and food security-related development projects.
• Strong planning and budgets skills and experience. 
• Extensive experience of targeting and working with disadvantaged people in Malawian society.
• Fluency in spoken and written English, Chichewa and Yao, including good English report writing skills.
• Well-refined people management, team working and interpersonal skills. 
• Strong respect and empathy for rural communities, and an affinity to UP’s mission and values of integrity, dignity and environmental respect. 
• A full clean driving licence and ability to drive a four-wheel drive manual vehicle and/or a motorbike is essential.  

How to apply: 

Qualified and interested candidates who meets the stated requirements must submit a completed Application Form. Please note that CVs and cover letters will not be accepted.

Please visit http://united-purpose.org/s/Job-Application-Form.doc to download the Application Form, and then submit the completed form via email only to:

Email: applicationsmw@united-purpose.org 

When submitting, please put YOUR NAME [POSITION APPLIED] in the email title. Any applications that do not include this in the title will not be considered. 

No hard copy / physical applications will be accepted. 

Closing date for the receipt of completed application forms is midnight of 30^th November 2020.

Only short listed candidates  will be contacted. For more information about UP, please visit our website at www.united-purpose.org/malawi/ .  

UP is an equal opportunity employer, and women are particularly encouraged to apply.

Skills Required

• Community mobilisation
• English Fluency
• Planning
• Report Writing
• Team-working Skills
• Chichewa Fluency
• Budgeting

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