Area Manager- Gilgit

Job Summary

About the Company:
Silver Jubilee Development Agency (SJDA) is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated and subsisting under Companies Act 2017. It was established with the aim to promote the socio-economic progress of the communities by developing and supporting programs and institutions.

Program Brief:
The Family Economic Advancement Programme (FEAP) is SJDA’s integrated, institutional response to improve the Quality of Life of the underprivileged members of the communities by supporting the families to increase income.

The Program aims to:

• Increase the Employment and Self-Employment opportunities;
• Support to establish small enterprises;
• Improve Agriculture productivity;
• Improve Livestock breeding/rearing.

The FEAP is initially offering four sub programmes; a) Family Mentorship Programme; b) Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme; c) Structured Migration Programme; d) Family Accelerator Programme.

Position Description

SJDA is seeking applications for the position of Area Manager, GB having managerial, technical, and operational background to lead the Regional Implementation Team, under the direction of National Programme Director.

The Area Manager, with the help of area implementation team, will implement the programme; develop the process and systems required for a proactive, sustainable, and scaled approach to poverty alleviation in the region. This includes:

1. Responsible to deliver programmes targets and plan & monitor programme components in GB.
2. Oversee the team to systematically identify, assess, shortlist and triage families in need.
3. Administratively manage the Area Economic Development team and provide input to them in developing contextually appropriate “pathways” out of poverty.
4. Supervise and guide the case workers / mentors in providing family-level support, case management, and case supervision.
5. Identify, develop relationships and coordinate closely with service providers, including Government, Private and AKDN agencies and community organizations, where relevant, for effective programme implementation.
6. Suggest amendments and improvements in programme strategies and methodologies that may enhance the output and outcome of the programme.
7. Regularly evaluate and report on programme expenditure and impact at area level.

Reporting Relationships

The Area Manager will report to the National Programme Director.

Responsibilities

Project Implementation Planning, Management & Delivery

• Lead a multi-disciplinary team of diverse backgrounds to deliver the programme objectives in respective area.
• Develop & oversee adherence to work plans, along with details for field teams.
• Coordinate with livelihoods / economic development team to conduct ongoing market analyses and focused employment, entrepreneurship and skills enhancement opportunities for the target segments.
• Implement the approved programme approaches, policies, procedures and ensure that the programme objectives are achieved within the given parameters and in the most sustainable, time and cost-effective manner in the respective area.
• Engage with relevant business community and other stakeholders to establish/identify contextually-appropriate development pathways & interventions.
• Develop relationships with service providers at area level in order to deliver the programme Ensure a system for referral and follow through, as necessary, on unique or difficult cases to the relevant departments or supervisor for additional assistance.
• Participate in the hiring, training and supervision of teams including case workers, officers and volunteers in the respective area.
• Implement approved policies and procedures in the respective area.
• Ensure implementation of approved decisions of Governance Committee(s).
• Programme Budgeting, Monitoring and Reporting
• Ensure programme implementation in respective area are within the approved budgetary limitations within the agreed timelines.
• Work with relevant staff to ensure comprehensive and consistent quality documentation of all elements of the programme and measurement of key impact evaluation metrics in respective area.
• Develop regular progress reports with programme parameters and outputs and share it with Governance Committee(s) and Programme Director.
• Monitor and report on the monthly and annual expenses against the budgets in the respective area.

General Administration

• Supervise the day to day activity of the office and staff based at area level.
• Coordinate and facilitate programme staff and beneficiary families for traveling and other administrative needs.
• Assist the Programme staff in ensuring smooth and efficient operation of programme across the area.
• Set periodical goals with staff, agree on the key performance indicators and conduct performance reviews for any direct reports.
• Ensure confidentiality of sensitive matters relating to the institution and its operations and safeguard all documents, files and records.
• Undertake other duties and responsibilities as may be required from time to time.
• Communication & Community Engagement
• Liaise with Programme Director and other stakeholders for regular communication with communities and beneficiary families.
• Ensure that the target families are receiving relevant information related to the programme in respective area.
• Build and nurture relationships with Community leadership and, importantly, the residents of the programme areas to foster a culture of open communication and responsiveness.

Required Skills

Skills and Attitudes

• Absolute discretion and the ability to handle sensitive information.
• Goal-oriented, data-driven, creative with a positive ‘can-do’ attitude and strong problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong, supportive, and collaborative working relationships with internal team members and the leaders and members of stakeholder organizations
• Hands-on experience of working on socio-economic development of families and individuals, interacting with beneficiaries, either professionally or as a volunteer.
• Proven ability to lead and motivate professional and volunteer team members from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience in writing actionable reports that build on input from multiple stakeholders and related presentations, and developing other documentation.
• Experience in setting, attaining, and/or measuring performance indicators and outcomes
• Experience in project planning and implementation.
• Comfort with public speaking in front of small groups and wider audiences.
• Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Professional Experience

• Professional with a minimum of 10 years of professional experience with reputed organizations (ideally in the field of international development or socio-economic development.
• Experience of leading the delivery of projects and management of a multi-functional project team at similar position.

Academic Credentials

• Master’s Degree from a HEC approved university or from an internationally recognized university (for degree holders having degrees issued outside of Pakistan) in social or management sciences.

Language Proficiency

• Must have excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Urdu; fluency in local language would be an added advantage.

Travel and Schedule

• Position is based in Gilgit with frequent travel within programme area and across Country.
• Requires a flexible schedule in order to accommodate a non-traditional work week, including some evenings and weekends.