Head of Policy, Impact & Strategy; HPQIS

Job Title
:
Head of Policy, Impact & Strategy (HPQIS)

Company
:
Self Help Africa

Location
:
Dublin, Ireland

Contract type
:
Full Time, Permanent

Reports to
:
Chief Operating Officer

Established in 1984, Self Help Africa is an international development organisation that works through agriculture and agri‑enterprise development to address hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impacts of climate change. We believe that equitable economic development is key to lifting communities out of long‑term poverty, empowering them to take control of their futures and improving their quality of life.

In early 2023 we launched a new five‑year organisation strategy, which defines shared mission as the alleviation of hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impact of climate change through community‑led, market‑based and enterprise‑focused approaches, so that people can have access to nutritious food, clean water, decent employment and incomes, while sustaining natural resources.

Our wider organisation also includes social enterprise subsidiaries Partner Africa, which provides ethical auditing and consultancy services, and CUMO, Malawi’s largest micro‑finance provider.

Our three core values are:

• Impact
  :
  We are accountable, ambitious and committed to systemic change.
• Innovation
  :
  We are agile, creative and enterprising in an ever‑changing World.
• Community
  :
  We are inclusive, honest and have integrity in our relationships.

Central to the role is ensuring overall impact through technical excellence, monitoring and learning, and evidence‑based influencing. Your thought leadership will help shape programmatic policy, while strategic partnerships and alliances will expand the organisation’s reach and effectiveness.
In leading the department you will foster a culture of excellence, emphasizing shared vision and strategic objectives measured by KPIs.

The Head of Policy, Impact & Strategy will report directly to the COO. The post‑holder will have line management responsibility for technical teams including the GTART and M&E teams, in addition to Irish programme areas WWGS and Dev Ed.

• Act as a key focal point for strategy for the organisation including development and review of organisational strategic plans, supporting different parts of the organisation to develop coherent and aligned sub‑strategies.
• Lead on programme quality for the organisation, working closely with the GTART, M&E and Programmes teams.
• Lead on horizon scanning to ensure the organisation is keeping abreast of key strategic and policy developments in the sector and remain future proof.
• Ensure the organisation is effectively measuring and can demonstrate the impact of our work through a comprehensive, cohesive, rigorous and reflective system of monitoring, evaluation and learning.
• Build on the organisation’s thought leadership through effective evidence‑based influencing of policy and research and foster strong relationships with external stakeholders.
• Oversee a system of technical support to programmes that delivers programme excellence and deepens our key areas of expertise.
• Ensure the organisation is strategically positioned to avail of opportunities to increase impact through appropriate partnerships, alliances and networks.
• Lead a whole of organisation approach to ensuring our structures, policies and approaches are as local as possible and as international as necessary.
• Through effective leadership and line management, further develop a culture of excellence whereby there is a shared vision of working towards strategic objectives measured by KPIs, reflective and adaptive practices.
• Contribute to effective governance and statutory reporting. Report to the Programme Review Committee, alongside the Director of International Programmes, and attend board meetings as necessary, and participate in activities at board level as required.
• Engage effectively in cross‑organisational management to drive effective operations and contribute to strategic projects and carry out other tasks as identified by line management.

Internal:

• CEO
• COO
• Global Technical Advisory and Research Team
• Director of…