Portfolio Manager - British Office Sudan at British Embassy

British Embassy

Position: Portfolio Manager - British Office Sudan

Salary: USD 1,087.42

Deadline: November, 08/2023

The main purpose of the job:

The Portfolio Manager will play a leading role in supporting British Office Sudan (BOS) to embed best practice on key aspects of programme delivery and management ranging from finance, risk, commercial, monitoring, learning and evidence. Together with the Operational Excellence (OpEx) Team Leader and Deputy Development Director you will be responsible for the oversight of our UK aid programme portfolio, providing a critical service across all our policy and programme teams to ensure that our programmes deliver real-life impact and results for the Sudanese people. This will support broader delivery of the HMG Sudan Country Plan.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Key responsibilities will include:

• Producing high quality management information on our bilateral programme portfolio and managing robust systems to deliver effective oversight of our work. You will draw on FCDO’s data systems to provide high quality, timely and relevant information about our programme portfolio and delivery against our wider country plan. This will support senior decision-making about the allocation and management of resources and provide assurance that we are adhering to organisational policy and procedures. You will support the Development Director and Deputy Development Director to design and implement robust systems of portfolio management. The Operational Excellence (OpEx) team is the secretariat for the Country Board, Portfolio Board and Portfolio Assurance Meeting and as such you will help to organise meetings, prepare papers, take minutes and track the implementation of actions. You will lead on the management of corporate commissions and returns, tracking the requests, collating inputs and ensuring deadlines are met.

• Implementation of our cross-office programme delivery capability plan. You will work with the Head of Programme Hub, programme managers and advisers across British Office Sudan to support them in delivering high-quality programmes that draw on best practice programme management approaches from across FCDO’s global network. You will lead on specific strands of the programme capability plan, as well as ensuring that the plan is on track, and supporting other leads within the team and elsewhere across British Office Sudan to deliver on their elements. Working closely with the Senior Programme Managers and Head of Programme Hub you will support the establishment of a Programme Management Forum to share lessons and strengthen the peer support network within the Embassy. 

• Improving the capability of FCDO implementing partners and strengthening their adherence to our control framework. You will consult with staff across British Office Sudan to understand the challenges they face with their partners and work with the Head of Programme Hub to design and deliver a series of regular programme partner engagement sessions. In addition you will provide targeted demand-driven support to particular programmes/partners, for example supporting due diligence assessments, spot checks or annual reviews.

• Support management of the new independent monitoring programme. You will work closely with the Results Adviser to identify priority portfolio assurance monitoring needs, provide steers to the cross-portfolio independent monitoring programme, liaise with the supplier delivering the programme and review relevant deliverables and reports to ensure issues and recommendations are taken up and addressed by programme teams or BOS more widely.

• Providing wider support on corporate priorities to the Senior Leadership Team. You will work with the senior leadership team to support the broader range of British Office Sudan and British Embassy Addis Ababa Committees and Boards, or ad hoc special events/projects, as required. You will be expected to support on senior official or Ministerial visits, potentially leading on the programme or briefing for such events. You may also be required to support the Development Director on donor coordination activity related to the Sudan Partnership Forum or other bodies.

• The post holder will need to be flexible and adaptable to a rapidly changing context and shifting demands on the Embassy and OpEx Team, work collaboratively and at pace to sustain a focus on delivery.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

• A good understanding of Programme and Project management (PPM) processes, procedures and best practice

• Experience in managing complex portfolios and/or programmes

• Ability to work with a range of stakeholders

• Strong analytical and management information skills

• Excellent communication and influencing skills, including producing written briefings and reports for senior staff

• Flexibility and willingness to support colleagues as and when necessary, not just on PPM work

Language requirements: 

• Language: English

• Level of language required: Fluent 

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

• Experience working in the International Development or Humanitarian sector.

• Arabic language skills.

• Prior experience working on or in Sudan.

• Formal Programme and/or Portfolio Management Qualifications (APM PMQ, AGILE, PRINCE2 or equivalent)

Required behaviours

• Making Effective Decisions, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together

Application deadline: 8 November 2023

Grade: Higher Executive Officer (HEO)

Type of Position: Fixed Term

Duration of Post: 12 months

Region: Africa

Country/Territory: Ethiopia

Location (City): Addis Ababa

Type of Post: British Embassy

Salary: USD 1,087.42

Start Date: 1 March 2024

Other benefits and conditions of employment

Working patterns: 

• This opportunity to full-time and the postholder is expected to work the British Office Sudan’s working pattern. 

• The British Office Sudan can offer flexible working such as remote working, however, no part-time or job-share given how instrumental the role is to BOS’ programme objectives. 

Additional information

• This post will be based in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). The rest of the BOS team will be based in between London, East Kilbride and Nairobi (Kenya).

• Travel requirements: There are maybe travel requirements envisaged for this role, however, will be reviewed, dependent on business need, on an ongoing basis and dependent on where the Programme Hub team are located.

• The British Office Sudan may have further vacancies in the coming months and if there are other suitable candidates, we will use this recruitment to develop a pipeline of reserve candidates, for approximately 1 year.  

• Must be able to legally work in Ethiopia

• Please complete the application form in full as the information provided is used during the screening

• Please check your application carefully before you submit it, as no changes can be made once submitted

• The British Embassy will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position

• Employees recruited locally by the British Embassy in Addis Ababa are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in Ethiopia

• 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;

• Obtain the relevant permit

• Pay the fees for the permit

• Make arrangements to relocate

• Meet the costs of relocation

• Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount

• Information about the Civil Service Success Profiles can be found on this link CLICK HERE

• Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates

• Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a reserve list. If during the reserve period of 6/12 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate

How to Apply

• Register using THIS LINK