Response Team Leader at Save the Children

We are currently looking for a Response Team Leader to join our team. As a Team Leader, you will generally be deployed to manage a large and/or complex response, and to provide response oversight and strategic direction to the country programme in collaboration with the Country Director and the Operations and/or Humanitarian Director.

You will bring to the role  significant senior management experience, including  leading a diverse, multi-function and/or multi-sector team at a Country Director or other relevant SMT level and experience of managing multi-donor, multi-site programmes (including ECHO, DFID and OFDA) of GBP 5m+ in a first phase response at regional or country level. 

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

• Assume overall oversight of country-wide or regional, most often categorised as Category 1 or 2 emergency response in collaboration with the Country Director and other relevant CO SMT members, or where applicable set up response programmes in countries with no SC presence.
• Ensuring strict compliance of programme activities with Save the Children national and global policies and procedures and with relevant donor regulations and agreements, SPHERE guidelines and the NGO code of conduct.
• Lead on country or regional level strategic planning for the humanitarian response to ensure an effective emergency response in all of its phases of delivery. This includes identifying strategic implementation approach (direct implementation, partner implementation, partner-led) with the aim to complement local response capacity.
• Having oversight over the development of relevant master budgets, aligned with the Response Strategy objectives, for the duration of the response and for multiple sites and multiple sectors where appropriate. S/he will take overall leadership on the implementation of the Response relevant national level budgets, while keeping relevant stakeholders informed and ensuring any corrective actions are taken where required. 
• In coordination with relevant (E)SMT level members from both the Response and CO teams, s/he will ensure the preparation of a timely programme delivery and submitting the donor reports on project activities in compliance with internal SCI requirements and any relevant external donor requirements.
• Ensuring that the relevant project monitoring plans and systems for identifying and tracking the indicators and develop processes/procedures and forms to support monitoring and inform learning are established and implemented.
• Ensure optimal safety and security management procedures and practices are in place for the emergency response programme and continually monitor the safety and security situation, adapting staff safety and security procedures accordingly in collaboration and cooperation with the Country Security Manager.
• Oversee effective functioning of logistics systems to procure, store and distribute stock, supplies and services for the timely delivery of project objectives at national level
• Ensure the application of the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability throughout the responses.
• Plan, identify and resource appropriate and effective structure & staffing needs for entire response; In liaison with the HR Director ensuring that personnel policies are in accordance with national laws)
• Oversee the development & implementation of staff well-being (policy) and ensure appropriate staff well-being and R&R policy and processes in place

Capacity Strengthening:

• Ensure that capacity strengthening plans and performance management systems are in place to develop the requisite competencies in staff and key partners to improve local preparedness and response capacity to ensure ongoing sustainability and quality of response
• Coach and mentor international staff and national level counterparts and link in to wider organisational talent development mechanisms.

Representation & Advocacy & Organisational Learning:

• Represent Save the Children’s emergency response on a national, regional and international level to donors, the media and members of the humanitarian community. 
• Help shape broader sector strategies through influence of and leadership within inter-agency coordination forums, ensuring the specific needs of children are being addressed
• Amplify voices of local humanitarian actors including community-based groups and support their participation and representation to influence the inter-agency coordination forums
• Regularly undertake high level representation and advocacy with Government partners and officials as well as donor representatives. Establish systems for communication with local Government partners, relevant line departments and community representations in the project area(s). 
• Lead on organisational level operational practice, innovation and learning in consultation with Humanitarian team.  
• Ensure SCI response review framework is implemented and lessons learnt / recommendations followed up

General:

• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLE:

 Leading and Inspiring Others

• Demonstrates leadership in all our work, embodies our values, and articulates a compelling vision to inspire others to achieve our goals for children.
• Level required: Accomplished

Problem Solving and Decision-Making

• Takes effective, considered and timely decisions by gathering and evaluating relevant information from within or outside the organisation.
• Level required: Accomplished

Networking

• Builds and uses sustainable relationships and networks to support the work of Save the Children.
• Level required: Accomplished

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Extensive experience of working within a senior management role and within a complex country programme in an emergency response or fragile state setting; and/or extensive experience of setting up responses in out of area contexts (either where no SC presence or CO presence); and/or extensive experience of working in high income contexts
• Previous experience of managing programme teams in large-scale/complex, first phase emergency response is essential
• Degree or equivalent field experience
• Senior management experience of leading a diverse, multi-function and/or multi-sector team at a Country Director or other relevant SMT level.
• Experience of managing multi-donor, multi-site programmes (including ECHO, DFID and OFDA) of GBP 5m+ in a first phase response at regional or country level
• Multi-site security management in insecure environments
• Experience of international level representation with key stakeholders, and co-ordination with other NGOs/UN
• Experience of international media representation and advocacy
• Experience of M&E and beneficiary accountability systems in large complex programmes
• Experience of developing and negotiating successful partnerships with institutional donors
• Proven ability to influence change at an operational and strategic level
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• A high level of written and spoken English 
• The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.
• Commitment to the aims and principles of SC. In particular, a good understanding of the SC mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support
• Fluent in French, Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic