Program Coordinator

Job Summary

The Programme Coordinator at Islamic Relief Afghanistan is a senior country-office role responsible for coordinating the effective implementation of the programme portfolio across field offices, ensuring delivery against approved workplans, budgets, donor commitments, and organisational standards. The role strengthens operational performance through structured planning, budget and burn-rate follow-up, procurement coordination, reporting oversight, field support, and close collaboration with programme, MEAL, finance, supply chain, and provincial teams.
The post holder supports programme leadership by driving routine performance management processes, facilitating monthly coordination and review mechanisms, identifying implementation bottlenecks, and ensuring timely corrective action. The role also contributes to compliance, documentation, learning, and standardisation of programme management approaches across sectors and provinces.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Programme Management

·       Coordinate the implementation of programmes across IRAF field offices, ensuring activities are delivered in line with award agreements, approved project documents, humanitarian standards, and Islamic Relief Afghanistan requirements.

·       Support the Head of Programme in translating strategic decisions into operational actions across sectors and provinces.

·       Ensure detailed implementation plans, phased budgets, procurement plans, risk mitigation actions, and activity tracking tools are in place and regularly updated for all projects.

·       Review budget monitoring reports, expenditure forecasts, and commitment reports regularly, and coordinate timely corrective action on overspend, underspend, and implementation delays.

·       Lead structured monthly coordination and review processes between Country Office budget holders and Provincial Managers to assess programme progress, budget utilisation, burn rates, procurement status, reporting readiness, MEAL findings, and key implementation challenges.

·       Ensure approved meeting minutes and monthly action plans are produced, responsibilities are assigned, and agreed actions are tracked to completion.

·       Develop and strengthen programme implementation approaches and SOPs aligned with organisational strategy, programme cycle management standards, and compliance requirements.

2. Programme Performance, Budget Oversight & Recovery Follow-up

·       Monitor portfolio performance with specific attention to low burn rates, delayed activities, under-performing projects, and variance against approved budgets and timelines.

·       Analyse implementation and budget performance data, identify trends and bottlenecks, and escalate issues requiring management action in a timely manner.

·       Coordinate development and follow-up of corrective action plans and recovery measures for projects facing implementation delays or budget under-utilisation.

·       Support preparation of evidence-based performance updates, summaries, and presentations for management, donor, and HQ review meetings, as required.

·       Ensure financial expenditures are aligned with approved activities and implementation progress, in close coordination with finance and budget holders.

3. Procurement Planning, Operations Coordination & Field Support

·       Ensure all projects maintain accurate and up-to-date procurement plans aligned with workplans, budgets, and operational priorities.

·       Coordinate closely with Supply Chain, Finance, HR, MEAL, and provincial teams to address operational bottlenecks affecting implementation.

·       Monitor procurement pipelines, service delivery readiness, and support-function follow-up to help keep projects on schedule and within budget.

·       Identify and escalate procurement and operational risks that may affect programme delivery, compliance, or donor commitments.

·       Coordinate with area and provincial offices to support timely implementation in accordance with project documents, workplans, and approved standards.

·       Conduct regular field visits to assess implementation progress, verify challenges, and support timely problem-solving.

4. Quality Assurance, MEAL & Accountability

·       Ensure programmes are delivered to a high standard and in accordance with SPHERE, CHS, donor, and Islamic Relief requirements, as applicable.

·       Ensure project kick-off, review, and close-out processes are conducted in a timely and structured manner, with agreed actions followed through.

·       Ensure MEAL-related activities are planned, resourced, and implemented in a timely manner across projects and sectors.

·       Work closely with MEAL teams to strengthen data use, programme adaptation, community participation, and accountability mechanisms, including complaints and feedback processes.

·       Ensure monitoring findings, lessons learned, and review recommendations are integrated into programme adaptation and improvement.

·       Ensure GPMS and other required programme management systems are regularly updated, accurate, and aligned with implementation status.

5. Stakeholder Coordination, Reporting & Documentation

·       Strengthening coordination with clusters, relevant authorities, donors, partners, HQ, and internal teams to support smooth programme delivery and compliance.

·       Coordinate timely preparation of quality donor narrative inputs and support readiness of financial reporting in collaboration with programme, finance, MEAL, and field teams.

·       Track reporting deadlines, identify reporting risks early, and support corrective action to avoid delays or compliance gaps.

·       Ensure required programme documentation is complete, submitted to the appropriate reporting and archiving functions, and maintained in an audit-ready manner.

·       Support donor visibility, authority reporting, and documentation requirements in coordination with relevant teams, where applicable.

6. Team Leadership, Capacity Building, Compliance & Safeguarding

·       Promote participatory management, teamwork, and strong coordination between country and field teams to improve delivery and accountability.

·       Provide coaching, mentoring, and on-the-job support to programme staff and partners to strengthen programme management, planning, reporting, and compliance skills.

·       Support staff performance management processes and contribute to clear follow-up on responsibilities and deliverables.

·       Uphold Islamic Relief policies and procedures, including safeguarding, code of conduct, accountability, and other compliance requirements.

·       Identify and help mitigate key programme risks, including diversion, delays, weak documentation, and compliance concerns affecting implementation.

·       Carry out any other duties commensurate with the nature and level of the role as assigned by the line manager.