Program Manager at BeThatGirl

Programme Manager

Be That Girl Foundation (BTG)

 1.   Conditions

·      Position title: Programme Manager – Be That Girl foundation

·      Reporting to: Be That Girl Foundation CEO.

·      Location: based in Zambia or Kenya, preferably in Lusaka or Nairobi.

·      Nationality/work permit: candidates need to be Zambian or Kenyan nationals or have an existing permit to work in Zambia/Kenya.

·      Start date: asap; latest February 2025

·      Status: independent consultant on a full-time basis (40 hours per week), as the foundation does not yet have a registered office in Africa. In the coming years, we may set up an office in Southern/Eastern Africa.

·      Working set-up: working remotely from home. Option to discuss renting a space at physical office if preferred.

·      Ability and willingness to travel a must: regular travel within the region necessary (around 1/3 of the year).

·      Remuneration: competitive, based on level of experience and qualifications.

2.   Background on Be That Girl foundation

Established in 2021 by Cornelia Gantner, Be That Girl aims to help girls and women lead self-determined lives, guided by their aspirations and priorities and supported by their communities and governments in fulfilling their potential.

All over the world, millions of women still see their trajectories thwarted by poverty, restrictive gender norms and violations of their rights, such as early marriage and gender-based violence, that clip their wings and sacrifice their enormous promise.

Be That Girl focuses on supporting those who face the highest barriers to self-determination, chiefly young women from vulnerable backgrounds in low-income countries, helping them achieve their dreams and become agents of change for the next generation.

BTG is led by an international board, supported by three Senior Advisors with vast experience in international development. See their profiles here.

You can find out about BTG’s current portfolio of partners here.

The foundation is a small but growing organisation. Within the next years, BTG plans to increase operations and grow the team, which will preferably be based on the African continent. The foundation currently has one employee – a full-time CEO based in Switzerland. This new hire will be working closely with and reporting to the CEO, as well as to the founder and board, and will therefore be the key driver of the foundation’s presence in Africa.

3.   Role description

The ideal candidate will:

1) be an experienced and dynamic leader, who will enjoy shaping the direction of a young and ambitious foundation;

2) be deeply committed to helping girls and young women achieve self-determined lives;

3) be self-motivated with a strong entrepreneurial drive, constantly identifying and pursuing new opportunities for the foundation and its partners; and

4) have a strong local network for the foundation to leverage to create synergies and increase its impact.

 

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who wants play a pivotal role in shaping a young foundation and its impact in Africa.

Key responsibilities

1.      Monitoring and Evaluation:

Support BTG’s partners in monitoring and evaluating the impact of the joint projects with BTG. This may include:

·      Support partners with survey design and implementation.

·      Help collect data and feedback from beneficiaries.

·      Help analyse the data for BTG’s board to guide future strategy.

·      Continuously help to refine KPIs to assess the foundation’s impact, in line with BTG’s vision and theory of change and with the agreement signed with each partner.

2.      Relationship management and networking:

·      Regularly visit BTG’s partners in Sub-Saharan Africa (based, so far, in Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia) to monitor progress with BTG-funded projects.

·      Be the partners’ trusted advisor on all challenges they encounter with running BTG programmes. This requires establishing excellent working relationships with all stakeholders involved in BTG programmes (NGO staff, mentors, teachers, local government representatives..)

·      Help BTG partners continuously improve annual proposals and reporting in line with BTG requirements.

·      Represent BTG in meetings with local authorities. Work to create synergies with governments for BTG projects.

·      Establish productive connections with fellow foundations and NGOs working in the same field to create synergies.

·      Attend conferences and relevant networking events focused on philanthropy to support women and girls in Africa.

3.      Strategy and reporting:

·      Formulate recommendations to partners and BTG’s CEO and board to improve project delivery, impact and potential scaling.

·      Support BTG’s CEO in the preparation of key annual outputs assessing the foundation’s impact, such as the annual report (see 2023 report here), as well as monthly board meetings.

·      Explore opportunities for future partnerships, building a network of NGOs doing excellent work aligned with BTG’s vision and bringing to the attention of BTG’s CEO suitable prospects to expand the foundation’s portfolio.

·      Support BTG’s CEO with the due diligence process to select new partners.

·      Stay abreast of international research and discourse on girls’ and women’s empowerment, bringing relevant developments to the attention of BTG’s CEO.

4.   Required qualifications

 

Essential

·      At least 5 years of proven relevant experience.

·      Previous experience with data collection, evaluation and impact assessments, preferably on girls’ education and empowerment programmes and in/with community-based organisations.

·      Demonstrated ability to analyse data and build KPI frameworks, in particular in areas such as education, employment, leadership and advocacy.

·      Strong ability to devise work plans and field schedules and adaptability to work in rural areas with limited comfort and difficult transportation.

·      Demonstrated ability to establish productive working relations with a variety of stakeholders, ranging from funders and large international NGOs to community-based organisations and beneficiaries on the ground.

·      Strong client focus, commercial acumen and entrepreneurial mindset as applicable to the various responsibilities.

·      High degree of self-organization, ability to work within agreed timelines & schedules yet flexible to anticipate and plan for ever-changing circumstances and restrictions.

·      Superior communications and writing skills in English.

·      Demonstrated excellent academic qualifications (as a minimum, BA; Masters preferred)

Desired

·      Experience with female empowerment programmes, preferably in a rural African context.

·      Fluency in one or more of the main languages spoken in Zambia, Rwanda, Malawi, Kenya, Mozambique.

·      Other relevant languages (i.e. French, Portoguese..) an asset.

 

5.   How to apply

Your application should include the following documents:

a)      CV

b)     Cover letter stating your motivation and vision for the role

c)      Two references (from previous employers or academic references)

d)     Linkedin profile.

Please send your application package by 10 December 2024 to the following email addresses: [email protected]

Based on a review of applications, shortlisted candidates will be asked for an online interview with BTG

Final candidates may be asked for an in-person interview with BTG, in Lusaka or Nairobi.