Overview
The Programme Manager (Risk & Direct Cash Delivery) is responsible for managing the office’s cash-based assistance portfolio and providing strategic leadership and operational oversight for UNICEF South Sudan’s cash-based assistance. The role ensures strong governance, compliance, and operational readiness for large-scale, risk-informed cash payments.
Key Responsibilities
- Establish a strong risk management and monitoring framework for cash-based assistance.
- Oversee cash team operations, including HOPE data systems, technical support, payments, and monitoring.
- Coordinate daily team activities and align priorities with programme and operations needs.
- Lead capacity building and institutionalize tools, SOPs, and standards for large-scale cash delivery.
- Coordinate with partners (IPs, FSPs, TPM) to ensure quality, risk management, and updated procedures and security measures.
- Supervise technical coordination mechanisms and advise the CMT on project adjustments.
- Provide strategic guidance to ensure coordination across data management, grievances, finance, and partnerships.
- Collaborate with Health and Social Policy teams on technical and operational design of cash modalities.
- Serve as secretariat for the cash delivery task force at the country office level.
- Lead Cash Task Force meetings to ensure coordination and timely decision-making.
- Act as focal point for cash modalities, ensuring harmonization across sections.
- Coordinate with field offices to ensure compliance with operational and technical standards, including travel.
- Align programme sections with direct delivery teams to ensure effective service delivery.
- Support design and scale-up of new cash-based interventions across sectors.
- Update management on risk exposure and flag issues for rapid decision-making.
- Provide strategic and technical support to ensure compliance with UNICEF standards.
- Review and approve systems to ensure data integrity and adherence to best practices.
- Approve cash-related inputs for senior management briefings and donor reports.
- Represent the office in UN/inter-agency platforms, especially the Cash Working Group (CWG).
- Support inter-agency coordination, harmonization, and joint analysis of cash operations.
- Advocate for harmonized transfer values and Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) prioritizing children’s needs.
- Liaise with the global cash-based assistance hub as focal point.
Required Experience
At least 8 years of progressively responsible international professional experience in humanitarian or development contexts is required. Hands-on experience in the use of cash transfer modalities in humanitarian context is required. Operational experience in programme planning, implementing, reporting, and monitoring involving the use of cash-based modalities in humanitarian and/or high-risk contexts is required. Demonstrated experience in managing cash-related technical and operational risks in humanitarian and/or high-risk contexts.
Qualifications
Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Social Sciences, International Relations, Public Policy, Public Administration, Social Development, Development Planning, or other relevant disciplines. A Bachelor or equivalent (First Level University Degree) in a relevant area combined with 2 additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
