Background and job summary:

The Ethiopia Social Accountability Program (ESAP) creates platforms for citizens and local governments to engage in dialogue about citizen-identified priority problems that government, as part of its responsibilities, needs to address to improve delivery of basic services. ESAP operates in all regions and the two city administrations. The program is in its third phase and focuses strongly on institutionalization, sustainability and delivering ‘value for money’. 

ESAP consists of a large network of grantee partner organizations that are responsible for the actual implementation of the social accountability process in, currently, 416 woredas. The ESAP management agency (MA) is responsible for overseeing and supporting the work by these partners, for ensuring that donor funds are used in adherence of value for money principles, and in full compliance with all applicable policies, rules and regulation, and for reporting on progress and finances to a multi-donor trust fund at the World Bank. ESAP is a program that operates under auspices of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) of the Government of Ethiopia (GoE). The MA reports to a Steering Committee chaired by the State Minister of the MoF.

The MA is currently seeking to fill the position of capacity development team lead, a senior position within the team which reports directly to the ESAP team leader and is part of the MA’s management team. Candidates are expected to bring solid and demonstrable experience at senior level in developing and overseeing the implementation of a social accountability strategy that aims to achieve the mission and objectives of ESAP. This is a highly demanding role, for which believe a solid experience in both management roles as well as in social accountability and/or local governance is required. We expect the successful candidate to be someone who’s comfortable interacting with high levels of government and donors, is a multi-tasker, can lead a team of both national and international experts, is not hesitant to make difficult decisions to improve his team’s performance and that of ESAP partners, is highly resilient, sees cultural differences within the team as an asset, not a threat, and brings a good sense of humor to the job. 

This position is based in Addis Ababa with regular travel to the regions anticipated.

Main responsibilities:

• Lead a team of experts responsible for the development and implementation of ESAP’s social accountability strategy in accordance with approved program design. 
• Manage the ESAP technical team toward excellence by comfortable playing roles as coach, mentor and a take-charge leader who demands respect based on knowledge, reputation and leading by example.
• Oversee and maintain contacts with ESAP partners regarding technical program implementation, provide mentoring, ensure tailor-made capacity building of partner organizations as needed, and lead the program such that implementation is well coordinated with all relevant sectors, following an inclusive
• Adopt and instill in the team a business-like approach, with a focus on effectiveness, efficiency, conciseness, open communications, consultation and decisiveness, always ensuring that colleagues, partners and other stakeholders feel engaged and their expertise optimally utilized.
• Work closely with other MA units (M&E, Grants, Communications, Finance, Operations and Internal Audit) to ensure that support and oversight to ESAP partners be provided in a coordinated manner.
• Lead the preparation of ESAP quarterly and annual progress reports by overseeing the consolidation of implementing partner progress reports, review partner organizations’ action plans, and submits final drafts to the ESAP team leader.
• Maintain and deepen the relationships with the other WB’s Enhancing Shared Prosperity through Equitable Services (ESPES) programs such as Financial Transparancy and Accountability (FTA) and Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM).
• Guide the transition of woredas with operational SA systems and structures from ESAP toward sustainability, under the oversight of semi-autonomous, regionally based organizations.
• Any other task as relevant to the posiiton and/or as assigned by the ESAP team leader.

Job Requirements

Minimum qualifications:

• Master’s degree in development (or relevant other social) studies, or MBA with relevant experience.
• Ten (10) years of experience as a leader and manager of social accountability and/or local governance programs, demonstrated by a deep understanding of either within the context of Ethiopia.
• Experience working with expatriate colleagues, both as supervisor, peer and supporting consultants.
• Strong understanding of the government systems, civil service and civil society systems and structures in Ethiopia, and able to anticipate change in the country’s transitional environment.
• An open mind, a can-do mind-set, and a skin thick enough to acknowledge, appreciate and respect differences between cultures and use those differences to ESAP’s benefit.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and presentation skills.
• Strong writing skills in English and Amharic, as well as other local languages.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified applicant can send their CV to : vng@ethiojobs.net

Note: Use "Capacity Development Team Lead" as the subject line of your email !