Program Manager

Mnemonic is an international non-profit organisation promoting human rights and accountability through the preservation and verification of open-source digital information.

We are human rights defenders, lawyers, archivists, technologists, and open-source investigators dedicated to preserving, memorialising, and adding value to publicly available information related to human rights violations. We use our unique position as a cross-sectorial, cross-disciplinary organisation to help human rights defenders hold power to account.

We are an equal opportunity and inclusive employer and encourage applicants of all backgrounds to apply. We do not and will not discriminate on the basis of age, race, nationality or citizenship, gender expression or identity, religion, economic background, disability, or sexual orientation.

Program overview

The program’s main goal is to create a counter-narrative to the misinformation published by all actors in the Syria conflict, to halt the permanent erasure of critical documentation, and to add value to visual open-source documentation for immediate humanitarian relief, reporting, and advocacy, as well as for legal accountability for offences perpetrated during the conflict in Syria and memorialization processes.

Projects

Among the program’s projects are: collecting and archiving at risk digital content, verification, tagging and analysing of digital content through Elfehrest media analysis platform; consolidating evidence for legal accountability purposes; conducting research and publication of human rights investigations.

To realise those activities Mnemonic is looking for a Program Manager for its Syrian Archive Program who will ensure day-to-day management of project activities in coordination with the Executive Director and Program team including the Project Manager, liaising with partner organisations and providing the project team and stakeholders with the appropriate needed technical and managerial support.

The Program Manager is responsible for planning the projects and coordinating all details of key tasks, while managing milestones and performance measurements to ensure successful delivery and desired impact.

Tasks and deliverables

The program manager will support the Mnemonic team in achieving the below-mentioned tasks while ensuring alignment with the program’s overall objectives and outcomes.

Program Management

• Leading the development and management of the program strategy and projects’ work plans with the support of the program team, and reporting to Executive Director on program’s updates and achievements;
• Managing the program’s budget and setting spending priorities, in cooperation with the Admin and Finance Department, while ensuring that resources are adequately allocated to maximise impact;
• Managing and coordinating the program team in order to ensure the timely implementation and quality delivery of program activities;
• Supporting the development of Mnemonic Standard Operating Procedures into project implementation and their application;
• Creating and analysing the monitoring and evaluation data to assess program impacts, gaps, and challenges in the program’s strategy, and generating learning that informs future grant-making and capacity building needs for staff;
• Support staff recruitment; creating job descriptions, conducting job interviews, in coordination with the Admin and Finance Department and the Executive Director;
• Ensuring technical requirements and project’s goals are met in coordination with the technical team;
• Overseeing and managing the production of research products and communication materials and ensuring that all materials adhere to the organisation’s values and standards and are appropriately vetted;
• Fostering and expanding meaningful and equitable partnerships with other human rights actors and partners;
• Coordinating and collaborating with other Mnemonic programs as needed.

Grant writing and reporting

• Acting as the lead for programme development; writing concept notes, grants modification requests and proposals, including designing logical frameworks, baseline analysis, setting realistic and measurable targets, developing proposal narrative with adequate context background;
• Leading, planning and coordinating the proposal development process with all relevant internal and external stakeholders; while meeting deadlines for internal reviews and final submissions.
• Advising the team on donor regulations and ensuring compliance with grant guidelines and requirements
• Writing and compiling interim and final narrative reports in coordination with project’s team and Mnemonic staff;
• Supporting Mnemonic in the development of standardised reporting, monitoring and evaluation tools to improve the quality of the reports.

Capacity Building and wellbeing

• Identifying and overseeing the capacity building activities of the team and its external partners;
• Overseeing the implementation of the wellbeing strategy for staff;
• Ensuring the safety and resilience of staff, physical and information security, improving those policies when needed, and ensuring that all relevant policies and procedures are implemented effectively, in collaboration with the Executive director and the Admin and Finance Department.

Communication and representation

• Overseeing and developing editorial and communications plans, including social media and multimedia production, on human rights issues, in collaboration with relevant internal and external partners;
• Coordinating, networking and establishing collaborations with Syrian and International partners;
• Attending and representing the organisation in meetings, conferences, and events and/or delegating to other team members;
• Representing the organisation and the program to the press.

Level of effort and duration

The assignment is expected to take place in the time period from October 02, 2022 to December 31, 2023 for a full-time position. Mnemonic’s headquarters is based in Berlin, Germany, but candidates applying to work remotely will be considered.

Reporting

The project manager will report to the Mnemonic Executive Director.

Terms of payments

Payment will be made monthly, upon submission of approved timesheet and satisfactory report.

Qualifications

• Fluency in oral and written English and Arabic;
• Solid project and grant management experience, as well as an independent, hands-on, reliable, and quality-oriented way of working;
• At least ten years experience working in project management, and at least three years in program management or multiple projects management;
• Excellent organisational and time-management skills;
• Degree in human rights, law, public administration, or a related field, or eight years equivalent experience;
• Familiarity with open source investigations, human rights documentation, data analysis is an asset;
• Public speaking skills (ability to represent the program to funders, stakeholders, partners), as well as good writing skills;
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching.

We Offer

• A full-time position for a limited term, 12-month contract, starting October 2022 with the possibility for extension;
• Highly motivated, growing, diverse team;
• Annual leave entitlement of 26 days;
• Competitive compensation;
• Training opportunities;
• Flexible work environment with possibility to work remotely.

How to apply

Please send your CV along with a cover letter to [email protected] before the 23th of September 2022, mentioning in the subject line of the email “Syrian Archive” Program Manager application.