Head of Department – Partnership and Field Operation

Ipas Nepal Vacancy Announcement

Ipas works globally with a vision that every woman and girl has the right and ability to determine her own sexuality and reproductive health. Our programs use a multifaceted approach that addresses reproductive health services, access to services, and fulfillment of reproductive rights. 

As part of the broader reproductive justice movement, Ipas is working to ensure that abortion and contraceptive care are essential health services and that all people can access them. Our programs use a multifaceted approach that addresses reproductive health services, access to services, and fulfillment of reproductive rights. We seek to expand the availability, quality, and sustainability of abortion and related reproductive health services, as well as improve the enabling environment for the services.

Ipas Nepal’s program intervention prioritizes intersectional partnerships that integrate into the broader gender equality and social justice, including gender-based violence prevention and response, and women-led climate justice. 

Position: Head of Department – Partnership and Field Operation

Number of positions required: 1 (one)

Base: Kathmandu

The HOD - Partnership and Field Operation provides strategic direction to the in-country team to plan, implement and monitor Ipas Nepal-supported programs leading the Program and Field Operations Department. The position plays an important leadership role in the start-up, development, scale, and management of Ipas Nepal program interventions and partnership management. This position collaborates with partner organizations speedily at federal, province, and district levels and Ipas Nepal central teams to build capacity and ensure effectively execute programs implemented by Ipas Nepal in the field and ensures technical support to the Province and Local governments as and when required. HoD - Partnership and Field Operation leads the Agency building, community, and civil society engagement program interventions at the province, district, and local levels in coordination with the government, and other partners as required. This position contributes significantly to new program development and reports to the Country Director of Ipas Nepal.

Detailed duties and responsibilities for the position

A. Program design, planning, and management. 

• Contribute to Ipas Nepal program design, project planning, and operationalization of program activities in the intervention area.
• Lead to the development of overall program work plans, budgets, and annual district-specific activity plans in support of the Ipas Nepal central, field team including partner NGOs.
• Lead agency building of women and girls, community and CSO engagement as well as oversite overall program implementation in Ipas-supported province/district and local level interventions. 
• Designs and develops program activity implementation guidelines, tracking sheets, and operational manuals to help the province/district team (DHO and Ipas field staff) to implement Ipas-supported activities smoothly.
• Regularly review Ipas Nepal work plans, strategies, budget, and data and update the plan and implement the program interventions.
• Review monthly plan of Province Coordinators and provide programmatic directions and support as well as approved Province/district program budget and expenses submitted by the field team.
• Coordinate and collaborate with the Health System, R&E, and other technical teams for program integration, linkages, and implementation of SoPs in the program districts.
• Reports to the Program Management Team in reference to the progress of projects, strategic direction, and technical issues
• Monitor and review financial expenses ensuring compliance with organizational policies.   

B. Program Monitoring and technical backstopping  

• Visits and coordinate with key government and civil society stakeholders of intervention Province and Local level for their support, collaboration, and ownership of SRHR program
• Visits programs and intervention provinces/districts to ensure that service providers and facilities are getting enough support and that women are receiving quality care and smooth functioning of program activity in intervention districts. 
• Facilitate and ensure Ipas-supported program activities are implemented as per SOPs and guidelines in coordination to Ipas central team, field staff, and Government stakeholders. 
• Review reports, data, and evidence generated related to program intervention health facilities and use evidence for program improvement. 
• Oversee project implementation including project scope, budget, schedule tracking, and developing them on a regular basis 
• Provide guidance to the field team including partners staff to review program data, monitoring findings, and field observations for program performance improvement through personal and virtual meetings.

C. Partnership Management

• Strategic engagement with all types of partners (Government, NGO, INGOs, funding agencies, and civil society) in line with Ipas Nepal partnership strategy for their support, strengthen partnership/collaboration, and leverage funding on SRHR.
• Coordinate and communicate with all types of partners on regular basis in close communication and guidance of CD/DCD
• Coordinate with Government, NGO, and Civil society for strategic partnership, especially partnership review, MOU and engage in partners selection, onboarding, and maintain partnership relations. 
• Develop linkage with national and district level stakeholders and build a relationship to promote partnership building, linkages amongst aligned organizations, and strategies for building social networking for creating an enabling environment for SAS   
• Overall management of sub-grantees especially selection, mobilization, monitoring, and fund utilization
• Plan, prepare, and execute capacity-building initiatives of partners. 
• Coordinate and support for review and reflection meeting of partners

D. Strategic Support and Representation  

• Participates in internal/external meetings with the in-country team to address program-related issues and share lessons learned, program achievements, new challenges, and future directions.
• Contribute to organizational strategic documents, policies, and SoPs  
• Represent Ipas Nepal in different technical forums, groups, and concerned government offices speedy at the province and district levels.
• Proactively contribute to developing concept notes, funding proposals, and program innovations for the county program that are most applicable to represent Ipas Nepal in various national and international platforms in relevant business areas. 
• Contribute actively to the overall management and governance of Ipas Nepal as a senior management team. 
• Contribute and support the Project Management process in Nepal.
• Engage and facilitate with SWC and concerning Ministry for project evaluation, MOU, CPAC meeting, and PA/GA process.
• Attend strategic meetings and relationships, especially with the Association of International NGOs in Nepal and other key platforms. 

E. Knowledge management, documentation, and new program development

• Work with Supervisees to review documents and submission events forms (General Activity, Clinical Activity, and Result Form) that are relevant to the Ipas program and are submitted timely to the R&E team.
• Work with the Ipas team on the area of work/project to collect the relevant data of the program, analysed and findings are shared for the improvement of the program.
• Document and disseminate relevant innovation in work/project.

PSEA compliance

• As an Ipas Nepal employee read, understand, and sign the acknowledgment to comply with all aspects of the PSEA as defined by the PSEA policy. 
• Contribute to a safe working environment where every team member is treated equally and respectfully.
• Ensure Ipas representatives (including consultants, interns, volunteers, independent contractors, suppliers/vendors, board members, and sub-awardees) and government officials directly working with Ipas and its partners understand and practice the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse policy while in partnership and implement the program with Ipas.

Understand and comply with the organization’s policies and ethics. 

• Understand and comply with the Human Resources, Procurement, Travel, Finance Policy, and other policies of the organization. 
• Commitment and adherence to the Ipas code of business ethics and conduct and safeguarding policy.
• Ensure Ipas representatives (including consultants, interns, volunteers, independent contractors, suppliers/vendors, board members, and sub-awardees) and government officials directly working with Ipas and its partners understand and practice the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse policy while in partnership and implement the program with Ipas. 
• Contribute to a safe working environment where every team member is treated equally and respectfully.
• Live up to the Ipas core values-driven, principled, bold, and interdependent.
• Ensure all work activities comply with the organization’s rules and regulations 
• Ensure proper documentation of memos, decisions, reports, and any official documents for record keeping hardcopy/OneDrive/Luna as appropriate

Staff responsibilities

• Take the responsibility and ownership to inform and display information on Ipas Nepal’s commitment to PSEA in every Ipas-supported program/event/workshop/training as defined by Ipas Nepal PSEA policy.
• All Ipas implementing partners will develop PSEA policy/or a brief guideline endorsed by the board.

Manager/Supervisor responsibilities

• Ensure the requirements set by the global minimum standards are in place and met.
• Perform timely performance management reviews for the team members to ensure all supervisees have their performance goals set by the end of the 1st quarter. The team members understand the goals, expected results, and their accountability.
• Conduct quarterly evidence-based performance discussions with supervisees/team members. 
• Foster a learning environment in the team and encourage supervisees/team members’ professional growth and learning by giving staff 10% of their time to engage in professional development, participate in networks, e-learning, and independent learning time.

Other responsibilities

• Engage in a learning culture and participate and enroll in learning courses at Ipas University. 
• Willing to be back up for staff and vacant positions and perform other related duties as required.

Qualification and skill requirements:

• Master’s degree in a related field of Public Health, Development Studies, or Social Science, with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience, with at least 3 years in a senior managerial responsibility (i.e. Department/unit leader, manager, senior management).
• Key skills of working with partners and sub-award management.
• Provides leadership and management for staff within the functional or technical units.
• Responsible for operational planning and management of all aspects of the programs, projects, and/or department. 
• The position plays an important role in strategic planning, program developing and policy development, and contribution to the Country Management.
• Understanding of interventions around the provision of medical abortions 
• Must have working knowledge of conceptualizing, implementing, monitoring, and communicating initiatives, and proposal and report writing skills.

Qualified women candidates and candidates particularly from disadvantaged and socially excluded/marginalized groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

For the position advertised, interested and eligible candidates are requested to visit the link given below and submit an online application along with an up-to-date curriculum vitae and cover letter.

Application link: https://ipas.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/Ipas/job/Nepal-Kathmandu/Senior-Advisor-I--Programs---Nepal_R806

Application Submission Deadline: 4 June 2023

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for further selection process. Telephone inquiries will not be entertained. Canvassing at any stage of the recruitment process shall lead to automatic disqualification and Ipas Nepal reserves the right to the final candidate selection.

Commitment to diversity and social inclusion

Ipas Nepal is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce, and we want to achieve this by aligning diversity and inclusion through affirmative actions in our recruitment and selection process. To initiate this positive action, we have a provision for affirmative actions for socially excluded and marginalized groups to make an inclusive workforce that includes the marginalized, disadvantaged, and socially excluded population and women, to bring people from various social backgrounds, gender, caste/ethnicity, cultures, religions, and races to bring gender balance and social inclusion in the workforce composition.