View Vacancy - Senior Benefits and Impact Manager, Prosperity Fund
In November 2015 the UK Government announced a £1.3bn Prosperity Fund over 5 years to promote the economic reform and development needed for growth in partner countries. Priorities will include improving the business climate, competitiveness and operation of markets, energy and financial sector reform. As well as contributing to a reduction in poverty in recipient countries, we expect these reforms to create opportunities for international business including UK companies.
In India our priorities are in the areas of Ease of Doing Business, Energy and Low Carbon, Skills, Urban Development and Financial Services. The total value of our Prosperity Fund Portfolio will be around £60m.
Reporting directly to the Senior Portfolio Manager, the jobholder will be responsible for liaising with policy teams on monitoring and evaluating projects, risk management, quality assurance and communication of impact and benefits achieved. S/he will provide guidance on risk management and reporting to the thematic programme teams and policy and programme leads. This role will be critical to ensuring our programmes deliver the intended benefit and our successes are communicated with impact.
They will need to build and maintain relationships with a wide range of internal and external interlocutors running the different thematic strands, including the London Prosperity Fund Management Office.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Risk Management
- Ensure regular and robust monitoring and evaluation of programme strands and overall programme impact, ensuring measureable outcomes are achieved on time.
- Be the main link to Prosperity Fund Management Office colleagues leading on monitoring and evaluation activities at a global level.
- Working with the Senior Portfolio Manager, be the team lead on identifying performance issues, acting quickly in cases of underperformance, helping put in place and track Performance Improvement Plans and Results Compacts.
- Design and maintain a full risk management register, which should be updated regularly
- Work closely with delivery and policy officers in the thematic teams to assess risk and respond promptly when new risks emerge.
- Maintain a close working relationship with implementers and delivery partners and ensure projects are on track, delivering on time and providing value for money.
Programme Management
- Help senior team members to drive programme excellence through the implementation of FCO PPM standards and methodologies creatively and effectively. This includes establishing the Programme Management Office and associated processes, eg risk register, planning documents, metrics, organisation of Board meetings, support to project management processes.
- Be the central point of contact for the Prosperity Programme strands on a day to day basis, providing guidance and advice across the range of programme management.
- With other Prosperity Programme staff to ensure the programme delivers value for money, quality and impact across the Prosperity Fund portfolio, sound and innovative M&E; good risk management and mitigation; regular and robust reporting and evaluation of programme activity and impact.
- Co-ordinate input from other programme leads and quality-check and challenge information as appropriate.
Reporting/Communication:
- 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 project and programme successes to internal customers and external stakeholders to increase impact and reach.
- Support the wider team to improve their reporting and communication skills.
- To support the head of the programme team with freedom of information requests, press lines and briefing requests.
Line and Team Management:
- Ensure programme staff are well managed with stretching objectives.
- Look for opportunities to help develop staff through training, briefings and mentoring opportunities.
- Provide strong line management for any staff directly managed 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.
- Support senior managers in implementing decisions and initiatives to improve working practices and ensure a motivated and effective Central Portfolio Team.
You will be part of the Central Portfolio Team for the management and delivery of the multi-million pound Prosperity Fund.
Excellent programme management skills will be key to this role to meet our emphasis on efficiency, transparency and effectiveness and drive value for money. You will have wide experience of and be comfortable with managing large programmes, reporting on impact and the delivered benefits of the programme. Preference will be given to candidates with previous 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.
- Applicant must possess a graduate degree or equivalent qualification.
- Experience of measuring and reporting impact in a programme environment
- Experience of working on large programmes
- 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.
- PRINCE2 or other project/programme management training and qualifications.
- Existing network of contacts in the relevant ministries, multilateral agencies, donor agencies, trade associations, etc.
RESOURCES MANAGED (Staff and Expenditure)
- Potential line management of 1-2 staff (TBC).
- Shared programme management responsibility for a budget of more than £40million.
For British High Commission (BHC) candidates, the Local Staff BHC Terms & Conditions will apply.
For other than BHC candidates, salary will be INR 86,993 per month together with a 12% provident fund and 6% Superannuation Fund/ Special Allowance.
Additionally the BHC offers a great benefits package that includes annual domiciliary medical cover, plus a Group Hospitalisation Scheme with Rs 500,000 floater cover for your immediate family.
The BHC is recognised as a good employer, with a robust, fair and transparent performance management & appraisal system linked to increments and staff bonuses. We have a 5-day working week, plus annual leave, public holidays, maternity leave provision, special leave, paid sick leave provision; ample development opportunities, travel opportunities, a good organisational culture, and excellent work/life balance.
Around half of our work force is women. We treat people with respect and equality and have a policy of zero tolerance for any form of discrimination, bullying, or harassment.
This is a good opportunity to be part of a strong, diverse team, working in the biggest network that FCO has anywhere across the globe. We are aiming to make it the best.
Please note applications without (a), (b) and (c) will not be considered.
(a) Completed the Online Job Application Form.
(b) Complete the Motivation segment in the online application from (In Not more than 600 words).
(c) Attach a detailed CV.
- Applicants who do not have the required qualification & experience should kindly abstain from applying, as their applications will not be considered.
- Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and no telephone enquires will be dealt with.
- The appointment will be subject to Police Verification and other checks including references, educational and professional.
We welcome all applications irrespective of age, race, colour, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief or creed. We are also open to applications from people who want to work flexibly.
LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES (and any specific training courses to be completed):
The job offers the opportunity to build knowledge of a wide range of economic policy areas, and work within a programme delivery team forging stronger and mutually-rewarding partnerships between India and the UK through a diverse portfolio of project work. This role provides opportunity for innovative thinking on programme and portfolio management and project delivery mechanisms. There will be opportunities for L&D through formal training courses offered internally through the Regional Training Centre, possible visits to the UK and on-the-job interaction with professionals in relevant sectors.
This opportunity is closed to applications.
