Overview of Role

The Senior Programme Manager will report to the Deputy Head of Development Cooperation and will have particular responsibility for managing Ireland’s social protection programming and engagement, including through the oversight of grant funding; advancing and mainstreaming Ireland’s international development policy priority areas (including gender and climate); grant management and, monitoring, evaluation and learning. The role includes responsibility for assessing programme partners’ proposals and the monitoring of agreed programme outcomes using a whole of embassy approach.

The successful candidate will also contribute substantively to the development of a new, five-year mission strategy and will require demonstrable strategic planning and development skills. A critical understanding of the determinants of good governance, gender equality and human rights and their application and relevance to the political and governance context in Africa is essential.

Overall Role and Responsibilities:

• Support the implementation of Ireland’s foreign policy and development strategies, including The Global Island: Ireland’s Foreign Policy for a Changing World; Ireland’s international development policy A Better World and Global Ireland: Ireland’s Strategy for Africa to 2025 in the region.

• Work with the Embassy team to implement and review the Embassy’s Mission Strategy and support the design and implementation of a new mission strategy particularly for strengthening the Social protection outcome area

• Participate in the management team of the Embassy and contribute to the overall planning and work of the Mission, including by providing policy advice, briefings and recommendations to senior management.

• Support strong institutional partnership management with key partners and lead   on the management of the Social protection portfolio of grants in line with grant management standard and programme officer management as appropriate

• Effectively contribute to overall strategic planning, annual business planning and reporting as well as staff performance and development.

• Work with the embassy team to ensure a coherent and joined up approach to our overall mission business plan and strategy.

• Other duties as may be required.

Job Requirement

Essential requirements candidates must be able to demonstrate:

• Academic qualification (preferably at master’s level) and a minimum of 5 years progressively responsible senior management experience in areas of relevance to the requirements of this position (e.g. development economics, social protection, social policy, rural development, shock responsive systems, etc.). International management experience will be recognized as advantageous.

• Excellent written and spoken English and Amharic.

• Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to social protection landscape in the Ethiopian context, as well a strong knowledge of the political economy and the socio-cultural environment in Ethiopia.

• Familiarity with key national policies, institutions and programs delivering on social protection program in Ethiopia.

• Strong knowledge and experience of recent developments and international frameworks in social protection, social security and cross cutting sectors including gender equality, disaster risk management, climate change, social protection, resilience, and the humanitarian-peace-development nexus.

• The candidate must provide evidence of their knowledge of the determinants of good governance, gender equality and human rights and their application and relevance to the political and governance context in the Horn of Africa.

• The candidate should provide examples of being solutions-oriented, and committed to delivering results and taking responsibility for quality outcomes.

• Demonstrable knowledge of leading strategic planning and monitoring/evaluation/learning initiatives resulting in well-defined and achievable workplans, strategies and analysis.

• Demonstrable experience (through examples) of financial analysis and budget management at a management level.

• The candidate must demonstrate using work based examples of providing excellent interpersonal & communications skills, being persuasive, working in a team but also dealing effectively with people in external organizations;

• Proficient with MS Office Suite including Word, Excel, Outlook and Power point; additional IT applications would be beneficial (e.g. working with datasets);

• A willingness and ability to travel frequently, often to remote areas.

• The successful candidate must have a legal entitlement to live and work in Ethiopia prior to recruitment.

Terms and conditions of employment:

Start date: February 2024

Location: Embassy of Ireland, Addis Ababa

Contract duration: The successful candidate will be hired on a 3 year contract with probation period of 60 days

Working hours: Monday to Thursday, with standard office hours from 8:00am – 5:00pm, Friday from 8:00am – 2:00pm with total working hours not exceeding 48 hours per week as per local labour law

Annual Leave Entitlement: Annual leave allowance is 20 working days per year

Gross Salary: €3020 per month, paid in local currency. Salaries are paid direct to a bank account, therefore, the successful candidate must have a bank account

Eligibility Candidates must have a permanent, legal right to reside and work in Ethiopia and will be subject to employment and taxation law in Ethiopia.

How to Apply

Closing date: Monday the 25th of December, 2023 @ 17 hrs

Application form:

• An application form to apply for the position can be obtained on the Embassy’s website: CLIK HERE or through email request to AddisAbabaRecruitment@dfa.ie or in person from reception desk, Ireland Embassy (hard copy).

Application process:

Please send a completed application form and Curriculum Vitae (CV) ONLY before the closing date;

• By email to, AddisAbabaRecruitment@dfa.ie with “Application for Senior Programme Manager Social Protection” in the subject line or;

• To the postal address: Ireland Embassy, P.O.Box 9585 Addis Ababa, or;

• In person, to the reception desk of the Embassy

• Depending on response rates the deadline may be extended. Please note that only short listed applicants will be contacted.

• NOTE: Submissions without completed application forms will not be accepted

Selection Process:

• Depending on the number of applications received, a short-listing of candidates to be called for a competency-based interview may be undertaken based on the Essential/Key Requirements above.

• It is planned that interviews will be held around end of January 2024.

• A technical assessment will be included in the recruitment process;

• A second interview may be included in the recruitment process; and

• A panel may be set up depending on the calibre of candidates;

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

All personal information received will be kept in line with GDPR guidelines.

Security Clearance for Local Staff

Police security clearance will be sought in respect of individuals who come under consideration for appointment. Enquiries may also be made with the police force of any country in which the applicant under consideration for appointment resided. If unsuccessful this information will be destroyed. If the applicant subsequently comes under consideration for another position, they will be required to supply this information again.

Please note that canvassing will disqualify applicants.

The Embassy of Ireland is committed to a policy of Equal Opportunity