Program Officer

PACT Overview

Pact is an international nonprofit that works in nearly 40 countries building solutions for human development that are evidence-based, data-driven and owned by the communities we serve. Founded in 1971, Pact works with partners to build resilience, improve accountability, and strengthen knowledge and skills for sustainable social impact.

Department

Program Operations (PrOps) - Pact exists to help create a world where those who are poor and marginalized exercise their voice, build their own solutions, and take ownership of their future. The Program Operations teams contribute to realizing this by: ensuring effective project management through supporting project startups, implementation, reporting and financial management as well as closeouts; portfolio coordination: providing a coordinating role across departments in DC that support country offices and programs; working with country teams to develop, refine and pursue their strategies by leveraging technical knowledge (our own and others) and supporting business development as needed; knowledge sharing and learning: enhancing communication between country offices and DC-based teams to ensure better understanding of the diverse operating environments and program approaches.

Position Overview

The Program Officer plays a significant role in the operations of their assigned portfolio by coordinating, and delivering technical, management, financial, and administrative assistance and support to a country and project portfolio, and by guiding program operations teams comprised of program operation specialists and officers, in supporting their country portfolios.

Key Responsibilities

Country Office Support

• Supervise up to 1 full time staff and/or interns to deliver a range of management, technical, administrative, and operational support services to empower and enable country offices and programs in achieving time, scope, and budget objectives.
• Serve as the main point of contact for multiple and/or complex country offices and project staff and facilitate communications between country office and DC staff on all operational issues, referring issues to appropriate departments within the institution.
• Lead the opening and closing of country offices and projects working closely with HR, Global Security, Global Finance, General Counsel, and Grants & Contracts.
• Coordinate Pact’s DC-based and global support to projects, ensuring effective and efficient support.

Project Management

• Lead regular country or Global project- focused reviews of project implementation progress (including technical delivery), operations issues, and address other project management needs
• Review and contribute to the development of project workplans, budgets, and reports.
• Tracking and review of project deliverables (as required by the program) for submission to donors.
• Support the recruitment and onboarding processes for in-country, project-specific, and DC-based staff relevant to the portfolio.
• Ensure ongoing communication and close collaboration with donors to maintain relationships during implementation to ensure quality delivery of the projects.

Country Portfolio Management

• Provide support to Regional Directors and Country Directors on Country Office strategy development, or lead strategy development in priority countries without an in-country presence.
• May lead surge support initiatives including development of strategy and coordination with other departments (i.e,. leadership transitions, bridge funding, project expansions)
• Facilitate cross learning and the dissemination of best practices across projects.
• Represent country offices within the DC office, advocating for support and prioritization.
• Consult on opportunity pipeline and contribute to prioritization process.

Compliance and Sub-grants Management

• Ensure country office and project compliance with both Pact and donor policies, in coordination with internal audit and G&C teams.
• Identify risk and link to appropriate teams to mitigate risk.
• Provide support on portfolio subgrant management and monitoring.
• Ensure the completion of corrective action on any internal audits in portfolio.

Budget and Financial Management

• Work with in-country project teams to track and monitor project budgets against expenditures, providing analysis and proactive guidance in areas of potential challenges.
• Support the development of annual budgets, both for donor and Pact’s organizational budget.
• As needed, support project teams to develop and manage budget modifications, realignments, extensions, and renewals.
• As needed, support new proposal budgets that will potentially impact country office.
• Monitor closeout expenses and support the planning for bridge funding for country offices as needed
• Support COs in brainstorming strategies to ensure costs share requirements are met.
• If no country office exists to support a project, lead CO level and project level budgeting, including donor budget requests.

Procurement Management

• Monitor procurement process to ensure compliance and efficiency, includes engagement of USN/TCN consultants. If no country office exists, manage procurement acquisition.
• Identifying training needs in country and coordinate with Grants & Contracts;
• May lead or co-facilitate procurement trainings

Business Development

• Support/coordinate the development of No Cost Extensions and renewals for projects
• Where required, review and advice on project design and budgets, ensuring that they integrate into existing programming, and are implementable within the country operational context.

Knowledge Management

• Ensure country office and project intellectual capital is properly captured, filed, and disseminated, including maintenance of donor deliverables in Promise.

All other duties as assigned

Basic Requirements

• Master's degree with five (5) years work experience or bachelor's degree with at least seven (7+) years work experience
• Proven experience managing staff and complex projects
• Experience supporting programs funded by major international development organizations, especially USAID
• Experience working in a developing country and coordinating with international field offices
• Ability and willingness to travel to travel regularly and at short notice
• Excellent communication (written and verbal) and cross cultural skills
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Spanish
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a field related to Pact’s mission, such as in international development, international relations, regional studies, economics, business, environmental studies, or public health
• Competency in another language other than English (depending on region’s requirements) preferred
• Project Management certification
• Familiarity with USAID rules and regulations, specifically 2 CRF 200 and cost principles