Street Child : Country Head of Programme, DRC

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Job Vacancy Announcement

Job Title: Country Head of Programme, DRC

Reporting to: Regional Director / Country Director

Hours: 40 hours per week

Principal Location: Goma or Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Terms: 12 months fixed-term contract with possibility of extension

Salary Range : $ 75,600 - 83,000 per annun

Background:

Street Child believes that every child deserves the chance to be safe, in school and learning. True to our creed, our projects focus on a combination of education, child protection and livelihood support to address the social, economic and structural issues that underpin today's humanitarian crises. We partner with local organisations and communities to deliver our locally rooted programmes, using evidence to drive learning and the refinement and scale up of programmes to create maximum impact for the most children at the lowest cost. We pride ourselves with being willing to go to the world's toughest places where others won't, including remote, hard-to-reach areas and fragile, disaster-affected states across sub-Saharan Africa, South America, the Middle East and South Asia. Since 2008 we have helped over one million children to go to school and learn and supported over 25,000 families to set up businesses so they can afford the cost of educating their children.

For more than 3 decades, the DRC has been in turmoil, due to a crisis driven by the plundering and predation of the country's resources. Only those with weapons have a say, and distrust the suffering of civilian populations who have the misfortune of living in these resource-rich areas.

The resurgence of high intensity violence in what is known as the M23/AFC conflict in Eastern DRC and the Maindombe crisis in the West, have caused deep instability. Key consequences include: total collapse of public services-schools were shut down, banks have ceased operations, and hospitals barely function under the weight of ongoing conflict; lawlessness and terror-criminality has surged, displacing communities and leaving thousands trapped in a cycle of violence and crumbled government; mass exodus of humanitarian workers, forcing millions to survive without aid; forced recruitment of children into armed groups, stripping them of their futures. In North and South Kivu, near 5,927 schools remain closed resulting in almost 2,000,000 children with no access to education (Education cluster - 7 March). There have been more than 2 million forced returns in the Kivus, among them 830,000 children, according to the Commission on Population Movement. More than 4 million people, including 1.7 million children, are internally displaced in South and North Kivu as reported by the Commission on Population Movement. Some 33 health facilities in North Kivu and 15 facilities in South Kivu have been destroyed.

Role Purpose:

The Country Head of Programmes (CHoP) will lead the overall programme implementation within Street Child's growing DRC operations. Moved by the 3 decades of crisis in Eastern DRC and near four-year Maindombe crisis, Street Child is seeking strong capacity support for its outstanding local partners to deliver in the North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, Kasai, Maindombe, Kinshasa and beyond as opportunities arise. This role is an exciting opportunity to lead the planning and management of the programme in DRC, focusing on quality delivery in line with technical standards and best practices for the highest impact to affected children.

The Country Head of Programmes (CHoP) will lead the design, implementation, and quality assurance of Street Child's programmes in DRC, ensuring alignment with organizational strategy and donor requirements. As the senior-most position based in Goma, the CHoP also serves as Head of Goma Office, providing operational oversight, staff leadership, and representing the organization in local coordination platforms.

The role carries strategic responsibilities across Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) and Resource Mobilization, requiring proactive leadership in proposal development, donor engagement, and programme quality assurance. The CHoP is a key driver of Street Child's localization agenda, strengthening partnerships and championing the agency's commitment to inclusive, sustainable humanitarian action. 

Programme Strategy, Implementation, and Quality (40%)Provide strategic leadership and oversight for the planning, implementation, and monitoring of all programmes across Child Protection, Education in Emergencies, and Livelihoods.

Ensure that programmes are evidence-based, gender-responsive, and aligned with global humanitarian standards (Sphere, INEE Minimum Standards, CPMS).

Lead the development and operationalization of MEAL systems, ensuring regular data collection, analysis, reporting, and learning processes.

Oversee the preparation of high-quality narrative and financial reports for donors, ensuring compliance with donor and Street Child guidelines.

Guide programme teams in adaptive management and ensure timely, effective project delivery.Resource Mobilization and Donor Engagement (25%)Lead resource mobilization efforts by developing a rolling funding opportunities tracker.

Coordinate the development and submission of quality proposals, targeting at least one proposal per month, in collaboration with the proposal development and communication Manager and the Regional Director and technical leads.

Research potential donors and funding streams, maintaining updated knowledge on humanitarian funding opportunities in DRC and the region.

Build and maintain donor relations and partnerships, ensuring timely communication and reporting.Leadership and Staff Management (20%)Serve as the Head of Office for the Goma Field Office, ensuring strong leadership, adherence to organizational policies, and a positive working environment.

Supervise and mentor programme staff, including interns and junior team members; provide clear objectives, coaching, and professional development.

Implement a performance management framework that fosters accountability, efficiency, and staff well-being.

Ensure punctuality, adherence to working hours (Monday-Fri 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM, and promote a culture of responsibility and excellence.Partnership Engagement and Localization Strategy (10%)Lead the coordination of Street Child's engagement in localization efforts and strengthen partnerships with local NGOs and community-based organizations.

Represent Street Child in national coordination mechanisms, including the Child Protection Area of Responsibility (CPAoR), EiE Working Groups, and other relevant forums in Eastern DRC.

Promote Street Child's leadership in localization by fostering meaningful partnerships, supporting capacity building, and co-designing projects with local actors.

Document success stories and lessons learned to demonstrate leadership in localization and partnership strengthening.Recruitment and MEAL System Development (5%)Lead the recruitment process for the Programme Technical Team, ensuring the candidates have strong knowledge in Child Protection, EiE, and Livelihoods.

Support the programme accountability framework ensuring Street Child always meets its objectives through developed data collection, analysis and interpretation tools.

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