Overview

Position title: Senior Program Officer, Economic Inclusion

Reports to: Director of Programs

Location: Dar-es-Salaam

Do you have the creativity, maturity and drive to develop new and innovative economic inclusion programs, mobilize resources, manage a sizeable portfolio of projects, and foster productive partnerships with diverse stakeholders in Tanzania?

For nearly 50 years, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) has been partnering with communities, governments, and local leaders to harness the best from people from all backgrounds to improve the quality of life. The Foundation’s work is rooted in the core values of self-reliance, pluralism, and respect for human dignity. AKF is a member of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), one of the world’s leading poverty solutions networks. The AKDN’s integrated approach makes long-term investments, builds permanent institutions and cultivates an active civil society, impacting tens of millions of people annually in 30 countries. Alongside its sister AKDN agencies, the Foundation implements innovative, community-driven solutions that are based on decades of experience, learning, and evaluation.

AKF Tanzania is searching for a dynamic Senior Program Officer for its Economic Inclusion & Food Security thematic portfolio based in Dar es Salaam. This position is part of AKF Tanzania’s senior management team and provides an exciting opportunity to oversee and shape the Foundation’s programming portfolio in agricultural market systems, enterprise development, and financial inclusion in Tanzania. This portfolio comprises of market systems development projects and innovative mobile money-based initiatives that AKF facilitates through private sector partnerships. The Senior Program Officer will also be responsible for driving an ambitious resource mobilization effort for AKF’s economic and agriculture sector programming in Tanzania. Reporting to the Director of Program, the Senior Program Officer will be assisted by a Program Officer in managing and growing the portfolio.

Background:

The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) is a private, non-denominational, international development agency promoting creative and effective solutions to problems that impede social and economic development in selected areas of Africa and Asia. AKF Tanzania is part of the AKF East Africa regional structure that implements programmes in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. In Tanzania, AKF is managing a robust and expanding portfolio of multi-sectoral initiatives that includes programmes in economic inclusion, food security and agriculture, education, early childhood develop­ment, health, and civil society strengthening.

Specific Responsibilities Include:

• Oversee management of the existing economic inclusion portfolio of six projects, currently focused in Lindi, Mtwara, Morogoro, and Arusha regions of Tanzania, ensuring all grant management requirements including work-planning, budgeting, and accountability, monitoring, and reporting, are met with quality assurance standards. Build and maintain a broad network of external partnerships with national government, parastatal, donors, the private sector, civil society organizations, and other partners
• Effectively mobilize resources for new and existing projects within the economic inclusion and agriculture sectors through the develop­ment of high-quality funding proposals
• Support the development of quality learning and communications materials including policy briefs and case studies to inform policies, programs, and practices

Qualifications/Experience

• Minimum of a Master’s degree in international development, business, or a related field
• At least six years of solid experience working in the international development sector, with specific experience in resource mobilization and rural economic development
• Program development experience with the ability to write strong proposals and responsive bids for new programs on market systems development, agri-business/enterprise development, value chain development, and financial inclusion
• Exceptional English communications skills, able to make strong oral presentations and produce high quality written reports, concept notes, and proposals
• Strong interpersonal skills, initiative, ability to network with a range of development partners and organizations
• Solid experience on grant management, including work-planning, M&E, report writing, preparation and monitoring of budgets
• Thorough understanding of the global and national efforts on rural economic development

• Experience working in Tanzania or East Africa will be highly preferred
• Strong leadership, teamwork and management skills
• Ability to multi-task and work on tight timelines
• Knowledge of Kiswahili will be an advantage

How to Apply

Candidates interested in this unique career opportunity should submit a cover letter explaining why they are best suited for this particular position, CV (not exceeding 4 pages) and the names and contact information of three professional referees by 14th January 2019 to the Country Director – Aga Khan Foundation, Tanzania, by e-mail to recruitment.akftz@akfea.org. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Qualified Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.