View Vacancy - Head of Prosperity Fund Portfolio Team - UK Trade, Economics and Prosperity, New Delhi

TYPE OF CONTRACT - 2 YEARS (RENEWABLE)

MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB

This is an exciting and high profile role within the British High Commission in New Delhi. The job holder will lead the Prosperity Fund Portfolio Team, responsible for providing exemplary programme management of the Economic Reform and Prosperity Programme (funded through the Prosperity Fund*) in India.

Working to the Head of Prosperity Strategy and Programmes this role will be responsible for leading, running and developing the Programme Office, driving implementation and delivery, ensuring compliance delivery, including accurate financial, HR and risk planning and management, evaluation, ensuring and reporting on impact. In addition, the job holder will be responsible for developing a strategy for programme delivery with relevant counter parts.

The jobholder will be responsible for the day-to-day management of programmes and lead relationships with procurement, HR, London offices, Deputy High Commissions, other core FCO PF functions and other UK Government Departments including DFID and DIT. They will need to build and maintain relationships with a wide range of internal and external interlocutors running the different thematic strands and including the London India PF team.

The programme covers five thematic areas; energy, urban development, ease of doing business, financial services and skills, with reach across to other priorities including technology.

In November 2015 the UK Government announced a £1.3bn Prosperity Fund (PF) over the next 4 years to promote the economic reform and development needed for growth in partner countries, whilst opening up commercial opportunities for international, including UK business.

Programme Management and Excellence: working to and with the Head of Prosperity Strategy and Programmes the jobholder will: (30%)

• Drive programme excellence through implementing FCO PPM standards and methodologies creatively and effectively. This includes leading the Prosperity Fund Portfolio Team and overseeing the ongoing development of associated programme management processes, eg financial planning and reporting (with the Head of Finance and Procurement), Monitoring Results, Evaluation and Leaning, risk registers, communication plans and delivery, programme planning documents, providing the secretariat to the India Programme Board, support to project management processes.
• Ensure programme value for money, quality and impact across the Prosperity Fund portfolio, through strong financial management ensuring full spend with impact; sound and innovative M&E; good risk management and mitigation; regular and robust reporting and evaluation of programme activity and impact; value for money and risk management; and continuous adaptation to changes in the political and economic environment.
• Ensure the team sets a model of excellent practice for due diligence, compliance with Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) and FCO processes; Share and learn from best practice in other markets e.g. China, South East Asia;
• Work with strand leads to ensure teams maintain up to date, high quality business cases and log frames that explain the fit with the Prosperity Fund’s strategic aims and flag risks clearly.
• Establish, communicate and coordinate procurement processes, advice on procurement methodologies, setting in place arrangements for financial and contract management.
• Co-ordinate and keep abreast of any centrally or regionally led PF programmes advising on impact; value for money etc.
• Co-ordinate input from other programme leads and quality-check and challenge information as appropriate.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Risk Management (20%)

• Using their overview of the portfolio work with lead programme managers to identify performance issues, acting quickly in cases of underperformance, helping put in place and track Performance Improvement Plans and Results Compacts.
• Assess risk and respond promptly when new risks emerge.
• Ensure regular and robust monitoring and evaluation of programme strands and overall programme impact, ensuring measureable outcomes are achieved on time.
• Maintain a close work relationship with implementers and delivery partners and ensure project progress and completion reports are received in time.

Financial Management: is a critical part of the role. The jobholder will: (20%)

• Ensure accurate financial forecasting, management and compliance across the portfolio and in line with FCO processes and best practice. This will include creating and maintain up to date log frames and the PF dashboard.
• Build good value for money in the programmes, ensuring at all times that the focus remains on maximising tangible development benefits for India and the UK.
• Regular liaison with stakeholders and reporting/communication of budget updates and flagging risk areas.
• Keeping stakeholders informed of PF budget and accounting rules.

Reporting/Communication: (20%)

• Ensure regular, clear, succinct and high quality proactive and reactive briefing and reporting on Prosperity Fund performance and delivery. Respond to requests for information on programmes from London and Post.
• Provide high quality documents in time ahead of Board meetings;
• Communicate creatively project successes to internal customers and external stakeholders to increase impact and reach.

Line and Team Management: (10%)

• Set an example as team leader and to the wider BHC through direct line management, as counter-signing officer and through matrix management.
• Ensure programme staff are well managed with stretching objectives.
• Provide strong line management for any staff you directly manage with regular 1:1 meetings, feedback and addressing any performance concerns promptly.
• Help staff to prioritise and manage their workloads to improve flexibility and work/life balance.
• Ensure staff have good inductions and handovers that equip them to carry out their roles including identifying skill gaps and supporting team members with L&D opportunities.
• Support senior managers in implementing decisions and initiatives to improve working practices and ensure motivated and effective Prosperity Fund Secretariat.

WHAT WE DO

The UK’s Prosperity Fund (PF) works to support conditions for sustainable and inclusive global growth by promoting economic reform and development.

The PF offers targeted funding to create real, measureable and transformational development and prosperity outcomes which promote openness and sustainability, boost bilateral relations and provide opportunities which will benefit the UK and the countries where we work in India our priorities are in the areas of Ease of Doing Business, Energy & Low Carbon, Skills & Entrepreneurship, Urban Development and Financial Services.

WHAT WE WANT FROM YOU

You will be part of the leadership team for the management and delivery of the multi-million pound Prosperity Fund. 
Excellent grant programme, programme management and financial management skills will be key to this role to meet our emphasis on efficiency, transparency and effectiveness and deliver value for money from limited resources. You will have at least 7 years’ experience of and be comfortable with managing large programme budgets of over £30million. Preference will be given to candidates with previous grant and programme management experience with international donor agencies.
The fund will support projects across India; therefore the job-holder will need to work with policy leads at the British High Commission and leads based in the British Deputy High Commission network across India, and colleagues in London. Strong written English and oral communications skills will be vital to meet our reporting requirements. People skills, the ability to lead and work as part of a team, as well as to build professional and trusting working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders will be important to this role.

RESOURCES MANAGED (STAFF AND EXPENDITURE)

• Line management of a team of up to 5 with counter signing responsibility for an additional 4
• Programme management responsibility for a budget of over £50million

• Applicant must possess a graduate degree or equivalent qualification.
• Minimum 7 years experience in a programme management role with financial management responsibility.
• Experience of managing multi-million £, multiyear programmes
• Experience of managing a team
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Excellent organisational and interpersonal skills and ability to multitask.
• Excellent IT skills – Microsoft suite of products.
• Ability to build and maintain effective business network.