View Vacancy - Programme Manager - Prosperity Fund Future Cities Programme ( 22/19 PTA)

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Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Policy & Political roles)
Economic and Prosperity

Background and main purpose of job:

In November 2015, the UK Government announced a new cross-Government Prosperity Fund with the primary aim of supporting growth in partner countries. This came into effect in April 2016. South Africa is a priority partner country for the Fund, and the Prime Minister announced around £50m of such programmes for South Africa during her bilateral meeting with South Africa’s President Ramaphosa in London in April 2018.

The Global Future Cities Programme is one of ten Prosperity Fund programmes operating or in development in South Africa. The three-year, £80m ODA programme seeks to promote inclusive urban growth and increase global prosperity through targeted interventions in transport, urban planning and resilience, with big data and project finance as cross-cutting enablers. In South Africa, the programme will offer support in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, in addition to 16 other cities in 9 other countries.

We are recruiting a Programme Manager to lead this programme in South Africa and oversee its inception and delivery in partnership with the City administrations, the contracted delivery partner (to be procured in early 2019) and multilateral/ NGO development organisations.

As the Future Cities Programme Manager in South Africa, you will be based at the British High Commission, Pretoria within a diverse, supportive and fast-paced team. You will work to the Deputy Head of the Prosperity Fund portfolio in South Africa and will coordinate with other UK Government colleagues in-country and in the UK to achieve UK policy objectives and to ensure that programme complies with rules and governance requirements of the Prosperity Fund, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the OECD. An important aspect of the job will be working with Department of International Trade colleagues to unlock the opportunities for increased inward trade and investment.

This is a challenging and exciting opportunity to deliver a key and visible component of the Prosperity Fund which – in the South African context – seeks to reduce urban poverty and break down the spatial legacy of apartheid while creating new opportunities for job creation, business and trade.

Roles and responsibilities:

We are looking for an individual who is confident and capable in managing performance, finding solutions and identifying risks and opportunities in an international development context. The jobholder will have three main responsibilities: overseeing programme delivery, partnering with stakeholders and coordinating with UK Government colleagues at Post and in London to deliver secondary benefits and policy outcomes.

Programme Management

  • Deploy robust programme management skills at scale, leading on programme risk management; Monitoring, Reporting, Evaluation and Learning; transitional procurement and financial arrangements; governance at Post and with London; and contract management. Utilise strong insight into the impact of the programme and communicate that among programme stakeholders.

 Stakeholder Engagement

  • Build and maintain relationships with programme partners in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg; global and local implementing partners; and wider stakeholders in South African Government and civil society. This will include pre-empting risks, ensuring that projects are delivering to plan and leveraging opportunities to enhance the programme’s sustained impact, intervening with High Commission colleagues and London-based programme leads where necessary, and robustly representing UK whole of Government interests with those partners.

 Secondary Benefits

  • Support the delivery of secondary prosperity benefits of the programme by increasing the visibility of UK investment in the programme and thought leadership in the sector. Identify commercial opportunities in the Future Cities sphere to expand that market for international (including UK) trade and investment and partner effectively with the Secondary Benefits Advisers and Department for International Trade in South Africa to respond.

Policy Leadership

  • Develop expertise in the development challenges facing South African cities while monitoring changes in the political, social and commercial landscape. In time, serve as a key contact between City officials and High Commission and Prosperity Fund teams and identify opportunities to support shared priorities. Share insights from the programme to enhance UK Government understanding of development issues in city contexts.

 

  • University degree relevant to the job
  • Understanding of ODA/ international development
  • Minimum 5 years work experience, ideally managing programmes in an international development context
  • Experience in overseeing the delivery of complex programmes
  • Passion for inclusive growth
  • Excellent computer skills, primarily using Microsoft Office applications and managing information in compliance with departmental rules and best practice
  • Expertise or experience in local government in South Africa
  • Qualifications in urban design, infrastructure, transport, planning or resilience
  • Familiarity with UK city systems and commercial expertise
  • Familiarity with UK Government development objectives and practices
  • Budget management, procurement and financial reporting experience
  • A strong understanding of gender issues
  • Excellent communication and influencing skills with different audiences
22 April 2019
Higher Executive Officer (HEO)
Fixed Term
24 months
Africa
South Africa
Pretoria
British High Commission
1
R44,169.91
3 June 2019

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office is committed to developing its staff. In addition to on-the-job learning, there will be opportunities for training covering:

  • Working in a diplomatic mission
  • Understanding how UK international development assistance is managed / implemented
  • Understanding Global Future Cities Programme objectives and effective programme management
  • Application of gender and inclusion priorities
  • Please complete the application form in full as the information provided is used during screening.  
  • Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted. 
  • The British High Commission will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position. 
  • Employees recruited locally by the British High Commission in Pretoris are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in South Africa. 
  • All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit. 
  • The responsibility lies on the successful candidate to;

1.    Obtain the relevant permit

2.    Pay the fees for the permit

3.    Make arrangements to relocate

4.    Meet the costs to relocation 

  • Employees who are not eligible to pay local income tax: e.g. certain third-country nationals and spouses/partners of UK diplomats will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount. 
  • Information about the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Competency Framework can be found on this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-competency-framework Please note:  Job grade AA=A1, AO=A2, EO=B3, HEO=C4, SEO=C5  
  • Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates. 
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This opportunity is closed to applications.