Viamo

Head of Programs, Zambia

About Viamo

Mobile technology is revolutionizing how organizations engage with their end-users. More than 96% of the world's population has access to a mobile phone, meaning it is now possible to reach nearly every single person on the planet. Yet 3 billion people living in emerging markets still lack access to relevant, timely, and engaging information in their local languages, and their voices remain underheard. Moreover, the organizations that serve them lack the technology and capacity to reach them, and many are unaware of the power of mobile technology to meet their organizational goals.

Viamo connects individuals and organizations using digital technology to make better decisions.

With more than 35 million people reached in 2021 alone, we are well on our way to meeting our goal of reaching 50 M people annually by 2023.


About the role

Reporting to the Country Director, Zambia, this position will be based in Lusaka, Zambia.

The Head of Programs (HOP) is part of the regional implementation team in the Southern African Region, working with some of the most innovative development organizations and private sector companies. Part of the senior leadership team, this role will provide overall leadership and management of the implementation team in the country. Specifically, the HOP will support its team of Program Managers (PMs) and Assistants to ensure that the project design, development, implementation, and review processes meet the required quality standards. The HOP will also be responsible for supporting capacity planning, training, and staff development to ensure the availability of highly skilled and engaged Program Managers (PMs) to lead Viamo's project implementation.

This position is contingent on the successful signature of an impending contract.

Key Responsibilities

Client Management

  • Represent Viamo with strategic clients, working closely with them to establish complex Scopes of Work, annual work plans, budgets, and deliverable schedules that meet their ICT4D needs.
  • Participate in regular coordination meetings with consortium members and/or government and private sector stakeholders.
  • Carry out field visits to project intervention areas to participate in/support community mobilization and orientation efforts.
  • Solicit and document regular partner feedback to inform the ongoing development of Viamo’s solutions.

Team Management

  • Support the recruitment, selection, and training of the implementation team in the country.
  • Coach and manage PMs while providing access to high-quality learning opportunities, emphasizing career development.
  • Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one-on-one and performance reviews.
  • Ensure that PMs are trained and proficient in using project management tools such as Wrike to improve project management efficiency.
  • Ensure the team culture is positive, transparent, and focused on staff wellbeing.

Project Quality

  • Closely monitor project implementation according to established work plans and deliverables schedules and support PMs in implementation when needed
  • Oversee the development and fulfillment of all progress and financial reporting requirements, as agreed upon with clients.
  • Support the operationalization of systems to promote accountability to clients and end-users of Viamo products by reviewing and resolving all project severities (1, 2, and 3) in country
  • Ensure the smooth integration of project quality and accountability standards into the daily work of PMs.
  • Analyze root causes of project issues to identify triggers for customer dissatisfaction and roll out mitigation measures, including service delivery training for Program Managers.
  • Support PMs in monitoring invoicing milestones and project financial KPIs including but not limited to project burn rate and variance.
  • Review revenue projections every quarter, identify invoices at risk, and take corrective actions.

Strategy and Planning

  • Promote team learning by ensuring that project innovations and impact are analyzed, documented to contribute to learning, and effectively communicated internally.
  • Develop and implement strategies to monitor and improve Viamo's Delight KPIs including CSAT results, NPS scores, and implementation delays.

Project Operations Management

  • Coordinate with Viamo's Country Director, and Head of Implementation (HOI) on a regular basis to ensure achievement of project targets.
  • In collaboration with other HOPs, HOIs, and the Project Quality Director, review and develop implementation tools, SOPs, processes, and guidance documents for effective project delivery.

Business Development Support

  • Support the Country Director in the identification of repeat business opportunities; track and respond to RFPs, and design high-quality scopes of work and budgets.

Key Performance Indicators

  • Implementation quality: Net Promoter Score
  • Revenue: Target Attainment, Variance vs forecast
  • Expenditure vs budget & Variance vs obligated funds (for complex projects)

Team and Reporting Structure

  • Reports to the Country Director, Zambia
  • Line manages the Program Managers and/or Program Assistants in Zambia
  • Works closely with the Head of Implementation and other Heads of Programs.

Profile

Required

  • Bachelor's Degree in Social Sciences. A Masters Degree in Development, Economics, or Management preferred
  • Minimum 7 years of project management experience with at least 3 years in a team management role in an international organization
  • Demonstrated experience in leading and managing complex projects including development of complex SoWs and budgets.
  • Demonstrated strategic planning, staff development, and capacity-building experience.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Experience implementing USG-funded, or other projects funded by bilateral or multilateral organizations.
  • Languages: Professional proficiency in English (oral and written) is required.
  • This position is only open to Zambian citizens or residents with the right to work in Zambia.

Desirable

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills in the primary national language(s) spoken in Zambia
  • Working experience in Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL), preferably in the use of digital tools to support development goals
  • Demonstrated experience learning and onboarding staff in software programs and web applications
  • Advanced Excel skills
  • Project Management Certification like CAPM, PMP, PRINCE2 or PMDPro
  • Proven success with business development.