The Legal Services Facility (LSF) a registered non-government Organization (NGO) with Registration No. 00NGO/R2/00011. It is a basket fund created to channel funding on equal opportunity basis to organizations which are providing legal aid and paralegal services in Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar.  These services assist individuals to claim their rights, redress grievances and protect their fundamental human rights.

The LSF manages a basket fund to which DANIDA and the EU are contributors. It operates as grant maker with the overall goal to increase access to justice through a legal empowerment approach, in particular for women and girls. Through implementing partners, a paralegal cadre of around 4000 is supported, organized in 184 districts based paralegal organizations.

The LSF is seeking a strategic, organizational leader and exceptional manager to partner with the LSF CEO and Board of Directors to advance the mission of the organization.

In this role, the Director of Programs and Operations will lead the execution of the organization’s strategic plan. The Director will operationalize best practices in management systems, including appropriate integration and collaboration of teams and functional areas, to ensure strong organizational performance to meet ambitious goals.

Post:  Director of Programs and Operations

Location: Dar es Salaam

Reports to: CEO

The Role

1.0 Job purposes

The Director of Programs and Operations oversees the coordination and administration of all aspects of the ongoing LSF programs including planning, budget, management, and organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling program activities.

To lead and develop an internal team to support the following areas: programs, grant making and grant management, program planning, budgeting and budget management, capacity development to become an effective approach towards grantees / implementing partners and a monitoring and results functions that provides a thorough analysis of available and quality assured data, with ample utilization of ICT.

The role will ensure that the LSF result areas: Accessibility of legal aid services, Legal Empowerment, Conducive environment for Legal aid, Sustainability of legal aid are kept central in all programmatic interventions the LSF embarks on and is responsible for achievement of the outcomes/ results in each of the result areas according to the existing benchmarks mentioned in the logical framework.

2.0 Reporting lines

The Director of Programs and Operations will report to the Chief Executive Officer.

The Director of Programs and Operations will directly supervise M&R Manager, Program Advocacy and Implementation Manager and Senior programs officer Zanzibar.

3.0 Key responsibilities and tasks:

1. Organizational Leadership and Strategy:
   • Collaborate with the Board, CEO and key staff to advance strategic plan and goals and ensure program areas are aligned with strategic plan.
   • Implement strategic plan, integrating all aspects of the organization’s work.
   • Working with the CEO, create, maintain, and/or oversee systems and processes to ensure effective management of the daily operations of program staff and an organizational structure that supports the organization’s goals.
   • Facilitate Staff Team meetings and strategic planning sessions.
   • Support LFS’s major partnerships

1. Planning:
   • Formulation of LSF Annual Plans including, in close collaboration with the Director Finance and Admin, the budget, for the Programs and oversee proper implementation.
   • Plan the delivery of the overall program and its activities, outputs and results in accordance with the Strategic Plan of the LSF.
   • Develop new initiatives, innovative approaches to support the strategic direction of the LSF.
   • Assist in the development a program evaluation framework to assess the strengths of the program and to identify areas for improvement.
   • Participate in monitoring programme implementation progress, ensure adherence to the programme annual work plan, budgets, prepare revisions (if required) and evaluate annual plan performance
   • Organize and participate in programme quarterly review sessions and prepare a report to that effect.

• Grants Management:
  • Manage grant life cycle, from request to close. This entails reviewing applications, tracking payments, reviewing or producing relevant reports, and monitoring impact.
  • Provide proposals ideas and analysis on impact measurement of the LSF interventions e.g. the costs saved by dealing with GBV cases, the benefits generated by securing property rights for women in inheritance cases etc.
  • Manage the review of funding requests for completeness, eligibility, and compliance with LSF regulations.
  • Conduct the due diligence that is required in the decision-making process, ensuring consistent application of statutory and internal requirements.
  • Manage communications with grantees and applicants, and where appropriate, provide technical support and compliance-related information.
  • Analyze systems for tracking grant data, make recommendations to improve grant-making systems that contribute to the team’s learning and evaluation efforts.
  • Provide grants management support to CEO regarding grants administration process, compliance, and data analysis.
  • Work with CEO and other key staff to report on the impact of grants – both internally (primarily with the Board) and externally

1. Programs Management
   • Contribute to regular review of the LSF Strategic Plan and Theory of Change and logical framework.
   • Communicate with implementing partners, clients and other stakeholders to gain community support for the program and to solicit input to improve the program.
   • Coordinate the delivery of services among different program activities to increase effectiveness and efficiency.
   • Provide quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports on the program for the CEO, Board and for funders
   • Communicate with funders as outlined in funding agreements.
   • Monitor and approve all budgeted program expenditures and ensure that the program operate within the approved budget.
   • Identify and evaluate the risks associated with program activities and take appropriate action to control the risks
   • Monitor the program activities on a regular basis and conduct an annual evaluation according to the program evaluation framework.
   • Report evaluation findings to the CEO and recommend changes to enhance the program, as appropriate.
   • Actively represent the LSF in programmatic forums, forge partnerships with like-minded organisations in order to benefit from expertise and experience available in the country as well as to avoid duplications of efforts and funding.
   • Ensure that all program interventions are measurable and be measured against the indicators as mentioned in the LSF logical framework, that all capacity development intervention contributes to increased sustainability of legal aid in Tanzania.

1. Staff Management
   • Lead and manage all programmatic and operations staff and activities to effectively meet organizational and program goals, ensuring integration across all areas and programs.
   • Coordinate with CEO to communicate the LSF’s vision, priorities and goals, and ensure staff are working towards said goals and priorities.
   • Develop program impact metrics consistent with relevant plans and create a system of ongoing evaluation, ensuring strong work plans and alignment between individual, team, and organizational goals and priorities.
   • Supervise, coach, and collaborate with program staff to ensure programmatic and team success, as well as to support the team’s ongoing professional development and growth.

4.0 Qualifications: 

A combination of the experience, skills, and education listed below that provides an equivalent background to perform the work of this position.

Experience, Skills, and Education:

• 10+ years of professional experience in a fast-paced and growing nonprofit environment, as well as experience working in a leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively to lead the integration of a complex organization and utilizing best practices in management to ensure shared success.
• Significant experience developing and leading teams and working as an effective team member.
• Proven success leading a collaborative strategic planning process and ensuring its effective implementation.
• Strong staff management experience required, with the ability and interest to work closely with staff members to set and achieve individual and team goals.
• Outstanding strategic thinking skills, with a focus on results and impact.
• Superior communication skills, both oral and written; strong sense of emotional intelligence with the ability to work effectively with people at all levels of the organization to create buy-in and a sense of team work.
• Experience leading an organization through a significant time of change and growth; ability to be thoughtful, patient, supportive and nimble.
• Positive attitude, good sense of humor and interest in joining a small, but high-impact and amiable team.
• Master’s degree preferred
• Experience with organizing special events, trainings, and high-level forums with other donors, philanthropists, government agencies, private companies.
• Knowledge of legal aid, legal education, human rights awareness creation and legal Empowerment will be an added advantage
• Knowledge on local government structures in Tanzania He/she should demonstrate competence on the following:
  • Creativity, strategic, innovative and analytical thinker with the ability to manage multiple projects
• Must have strong written and oral communication skills in both Kiswahili and English Foster teamwork and ability to work with other in setting goals and making decisions.
• Demonstrated experience in programme planning, monitoring and coordination of CSOs particularly those working with provision of legal aid and its stakeholder.

This job description covers the main tasks and conveys the spirit of the sort of tasks that are anticipated proactively from staff. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary according to organizational needs.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

If you are Tanzanian and qualified for this post, please submit a single page application letter showing your suitability to the role with an updated Curriculum Vitae to  http://erp.lsftz.org/ by Monday 03^rd October, 2022. Only short-listed candidates will be notified. For a full job profile and information about LSF please visit LSF Website: www.lsftz.org: