DIRECTOR, PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT

Vacancy Notice  

DIRECTOR

PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT

Grade: 1

Location: Lisbon, Portugal

ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING

The Organization

KAICIID aims to create a more peaceful world by promoting dialogue and supporting religious leaders and communities in tackling our most pressing problems. We do this through education and training; convening religious and cultural leaders; engaging with policymakers and carrying out research to encourage and enhance inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue. We work with our partners to build their capacities, connections and confidence.

Our work focuses on four pressing and linked issues that challenge humanity: violent conflict; migration; the climate emergency, and social cohesion. We bring together religious and cultural leaders with policymakers to find constructive ways to address these issues through dialogue. Our work respects and values the differences between faiths and cultures but promotes the idea that we share a common humanity and a collective need to address these problems. Through all our work run three threads: youth engagement, gender and policy development.

The Organization is currently in the process of relocating its Seat from Vienna, Austria to Lisbon, Portugal.

For more information on KAICIID, please click on the following link: https://www.kaiciid.org

The Programme Department

The primary objective of the Programme Department is to create the conditions, platforms and environment through which religious leaders and other actors, in particular policy makers and practitioners, can engage in constructive dialogue, thus strengthening mutual understanding and respect with the ultimate aim to encourage them to initiate action to bring about change in the policies of religious institutions and governments, at various levels, build mechanisms to facilitate on-going dialogue and action as well as strengthen networks of committed and experienced religious leaders, and other actors in the use of interreligious dialogue (IRD) for peace and reconciliation in conflict situations in particular.

ROLE

Under the direct supervision of the Secretary General and, in close coordination with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), the Programme Director’s main responsibility is to translate the Centre’s strategic plan into innovative programmes in the field of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, ensuring its effective delivery, monitoring and evaluation.  The incumbent’s work will, therefore, have a direct impact on the Centre’s reputation including perception about its effectiveness vis-a-vis its relationship with external stakeholders as well as its overall management and accountability systems.

As an SLT (Senior Leadership Team) active member, the Director will, inter alia, provide strategic guidance and support for the implementation of the Centre’s programmatic goals and workplan. This will include spearheading results-based management and performance across its programmes as well as teams.  To achieve this, the Programme Director will fulfil a dual role including (a) supporting the Secretary General in executing his/her high-level representation, advocacy and management support functions; and (b)  leading the programme team for programme implementation and ensure results-based management.

FUNCTIONS:

Strategic leadership: including advice and support to Senior leadership

• Advise the Secretary General and the Senior Leadership Team on, inter alia, global, regional and country level priorities and emerging issues with reference to programme design and delivery;
• Advise the Secretary General on relations with national and international stakeholders, to identify shared visions and/or common approaches and modalities to achieve strategic targets;
• Support the Secretary General, SLT and/or the Centre’s governing bodies through the identification and assessment of opportunities for comparative advantage for advocacy, policy proposals, statements, and position papers.

Programmatic oversight & management

• Ensure that the Centre's programme is designed, managed and implemented in conformity with its mandate, policies, strategy and guidelines.
• Coordinate the full portfolio of Programme Department activities, supporting the two Hubs in their efforts to incorporate and mainstream cross-cutting issues inter alia, youth, human rights, capacity building, dialogue knowledge, social cohesion and peacebuilding;
• Provide overall direction, guidance and support in the operationalisation and implementation of the KAICIID strategic framework, including monitoring and evaluation in line with best practices and KAICIID’s Monitoring and Evaluation Policy Framework;
• Oversee planning and management of budgetary and programmatic activities undertaken by the Department, ensuring that such activities are carried out efficiently, in a timely fashion and cost-effectively.
• Analyse and anticipate potential for risks in directives and procedures and propose action to protect the Programme Department and/or Centre from such risks.
• Provide capacity support/training to the Programme Department staff on a range of  policy, advocacy, programmatic and performance-based issues, ensuring shared vision and messaging throughout the organization;
• Oversee preparations of reports for presentation to the Centre’s governing bodies, external stakeholders and to the Secretary General, as required;
• Promote knowledge management, and contribute to the organizational learning;
• Based on stakeholder needs, develop new initiatives to support the Centre’s strategic direction, coordinate KAICIID’s cooperation with governmental and inter-governmental institutions, partners and other stakeholders.

Team Management

• Manage and provide operational and strategic guidance to programme staff, fostering team work and mutually supportive communication;
• Mentor and guide the programme team to ensure sound programmes, their delivery and results-based management as a sound programmatic approach guided by systematic monitoring and evaluation.
• Foster a team spirit through open and close collaboration within the programme department and others in the centre.

Interdepartmental working relationship and ‘harmony’

• Work closely with the Human Resources Team in identifying and addressing the needs for programme team’s professional development; duty of care and any other aspects of Human Resources Management;
• Ensure close coordination between the Programme Department and others to ensure coherence and consistency in approach, systems and results so as to protect the Centre’s reputation;
• In coordination with other departments and units advise management on the development and rationalization of policies, systems, tools and guidelines for strategic planning, and results-based monitoring and reporting.

Networking and partnership building

• Maintain active and regular working relationships with partner organisations, relevant working groups and consortia;
• Represent the Centre in external meetings on matters within the Centre’s mandate and scope of work, ensuring its interests are well represented and protected at all times ;
• Promote cooperation between KAICIID and its partners, ensuring effective programmatic implementation of partnership and collaboration agreements
• As a member of the SLT, contribute to the development of the Centre’s multi-years strategy and provide regular and substantive input on various proposals for partnerships, funding and meetings participation;
• Represent the Centre at various policy level meetings and workshops.

General

• Perform any other duties as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Advanced university degree in social sciences, interreligious studies, international relations, or a similar discipline, preferably coupled with a degree in management;
• A minimum of twenty (20) years’ experience at a senior management level in the field of social development, dialogue - inter-religious and/or inter-cultural dialogue-, including at least ten (10) years of programme management experience;
• Extensive international experience gained in inter-governmental/non-governmental sector including managing large programmes and teams.  
• Extensive experience with Results Based Management (RBM) and the design of management and accountability tools and systems, and group facilitation;
• Proven record of hands-on experience in the management of complex units and situations including efficient financial management and team leadership.
• Proven track record of successful policy and strategy development and implementation;
• Extraordinary conceptual and analytical capability, strategic thinking, and the ability to rapidly learn and apply new concepts;
• Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to interact independently with religious leaders as well as with senior government officials;
• Senior management experience and knowledge of administrative policies, practices and procedures applied in inter-governmental organizations a distinct advantage;
• Ability to establish and maintain constructive partnerships and working relationships with staff at all levels in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including public speaking and representation; 
• Accurate judgement capacity translated in sound decision making and ability to provide accurate policy advice.
• Commitment to sharing information and contributing to the Centre’s learning and development strategy;
• Proven IT and presentation skills including the use of spreadsheets, databases, word, power-point etc
• Highest standards and personal attributes: strong professional and personal ethics; systematic support to human rights, respect for diversity, gender and youth mainstreaming. 

LANGUAGES

English proficiency (written and spoken) and knowledge of one of the following languages would be desirable: Arabic, Spanish, French or Portuguese.

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT

KAICIID offers fixed-term contracts of one year with a possibility of extension, depending on the continuing need for the position. Monthly net salary for Grade 1 Step 1 EUR 8761. Appointments are normally made at Step 1. If eligible, housing and education allowance may also be provided. KAICIID salaries are exempt from taxation in Portugal.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

7 March 2022

HOW TO APPLY

For more details and how to apply check: www.kaiciid.org/en/recruitment

Candidates will be expected to demonstrate the values and competencies that KAICIID requires. Click here to download further information on these values and competencies.

KAICIID is committed to diversity and inclusion and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply.