Fresh Jobs at Save the Children

As a key member of the Regional senior leadership team, Regional Programme Operations Director – East Africa s/he will take shared responsibility for transformation of the East Africa region to a new full spectrum operating model whilst delivering Save the Children’s strategy within the region.

S/he will lead operations support aimed at ensuring that Save the Children delivers quality operations and meets its mandate of humanitarian and development programming in all East Africa countries. S/he will ensure that high quality support is given to Country & Regional offices and member staff in order to optimise the operational delivery of humanitarian and development programs in the East Africa region. S/he is responsible for supporting operational and humanitarian aspects of Country Offices programming and ensuring adequate systems are in place to enable and facilitate quality program delivery in the field.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

Save the Children works in 12 countries in East and Southern Africa (Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi) with a current staff complement of approximately 3500 staff and current expenditure of approximately $300 million each year

In order to be successful you will bring/have:

Essential

• Post-graduate qualifications or equivalent experience in international development, humanitarian response and preparedness or a related discipline
• Significant (ten years or more) senior level leadership and management experience in a large and complex international NGO or organization
• Significant experience in managing most or all of the key elements of Operations and Humanitarian systems and areas: proposal development, planning, quality assurance, award management, logistics, emergency response, preparedness and capacity building
• Substantial knowledge of international development systems, institutions and donors, and of procedures, accountability frameworks and best practices
• Robust experience in developing and implementing organisational vision and strategies
• The highest level of expertise in representation and negotiation with governments/donors and international agencies
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a matrix management environment. Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching. 
• Solid project management skills related to organisational development projects and international, cross-functional teams with a proven history of delivering results.
• Excellent facilitation and team building skills.
• Experience of building personal networks at senior levels, resulting in securing significant new opportunities for the organisation.
• Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in.
• Models international development best practices, and the leadership behaviours outlined in Save the Children’s strategy.
• Ability and willingness to change work practices and hours in the event of major responses including travelling at short notice
• Commitment to Save the Children values. 

Contract duration: 2 years, with possibility of extension

The Organisation

We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard. 

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children.  We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

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Role Purpose

Save the Children is seeking a Deputy Team Leader for the anticipated FCDO Kenya Devolution Programme (KDP). The role holder will support the Team Leader to oversee the overall consortium’s deliverables in the project.  S/he will provide leadership in ensuring achievement of project’s overall deliverables.  The project aims to strengthen the effectiveness of Kenya’s devolution process, specifically to improve development results by strengthening effective, open and accountable County Governments that improve service delivery and reduce poverty. This will be done through strengthening the functions of county governments, improving intergovernmental relations, enhancing citizens’ engagement and public participation. In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly. This position is contingent upon donor approval and funding.

Contract Duration: 12 months with possibility of extension subject to funding and performance.

No of Vacancies: One (1) Position

Reporting to: Team Leader  

Location: Nairobi

Nationality: Kenya Nationals only

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY

Technical assistance and capacity building

• Provide leadership in setting priorities in designing and managing the implementation of the project’s activities in collaboration with the other technical advisors and the implementation team, and updating the Team Leader on progress.
• Provide leadership for Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement measures in governance work.
• Review and analyze data for performance monitoring and utilize the data to take corrective actions.
• Provide leadership in ensuring the KDP is implemented on budget, on time and with quality

Oversight and Management KDP Project Operations

• Responsible for overall coordination, line management and support of the Project, and ensure that: Project has an up-to-date work plan, in line with the approved annual Detailed Implementation Plan (DIP) and phased budget.
• Ensure project receives adequate support from Country office support functions (supply chain, HR, Admin, Awards and Finance) to deliver high quality programme. 
• Ensure gaps are identified, prioritized, and communicated to the stakeholders effectively. Project has standardized systems, policies and procedures in place, well understood by all staff and implemented accordingly in the project.

Oversight of Grants and Finance Management:

• In close coordination with Award and Finance team, ensure that all programs progress in accordance with grant agreements, are completed within time, budget, and quality.
• Ensure compliance with all grant provisions and timely fulfilment of all project programmatic reporting requirements including donor reports and internal reports such as pipeline analyses and monthly reports.
• Oversee timely expenditure of approved budgets, avoiding both underspending and overspending on grant line items, and implementing plans for expenditure modification.
• Coordinate activities and prepare results reports, resource request and pipeline analyses.

Representation and advocacy

• Represent the project in relevant internal and external fora including donor meetings (as appropriate)
• Supports stakeholder engagement with communities, CSOs, national and county Governments and foster strong relationships and collaboration of other key stakeholders.
• Work with consortium members to further KDP’s vision.

People management, mentoring and development

• Ensure the recruitment, training, and promotion of staff as appropriate; ensure availability of and support appropriate professional development opportunities for staff in the project
• Incorporate staff development strategies and Performance Management Systems into team building process.

Assessment, monitoring, evaluation, and documentation

• Facilitate the annual work planning process in close collaboration the government teams and the project staff
• Ensure technical and administrative compliance with donor requirements
• Oversee narrative and financial reports for donor(s), ensuring these are of a high quality and submitted for review in a timely manner.
• Monitor KDP program outputs and results and work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Research team and FCDO MEL partner to ensure that results are documented and reported accurately and in a timely manner.
• Work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Research team and take a lead in ensuring that all KDP components have robust monitoring plans, baselines, reviews and evaluations in line with the project design and donor guidelines
• Facilitate appropriate documentation and dissemination of learnings, analyses, and good practices documentations in the project internally and externally to donors, governments, consortium partners and other key actors.

Qualifications and Experience

• A postgraduate qualification in governance, leadership, public administration, public policy, development studies or any relevant qualification.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant technical experience in devolved governance projects in Kenya or similar context
• Minimum of 5 years of expertise managing large and complex grants (ideally UK Government), working in a consortium, managing multiple partners and sub-contracting organizations.
• Excellent experience in external representation with donors, local/national governments, communities, and partners
• Strong understanding of existing policies, laws, planning and public finance planning processes in Kenya at national and county level
• Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, adapting and innovating where necessary, and defining a clear way forward and ensuring buy in
• Ability to extensively travel for project monitoring and provide on-site technical support to field teams 
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
• Highly developed cultural and political awareness and ability to work well in an international and matrix management environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets
• Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner
•  Fluency in English, both verbal and written, required
•  Commitment to Save the Children values