Job Description

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY

Programme Management

• The job holder provides overall leadership, management and direction of the project, ensuring quality delivery and efficient and maximal use of resources.
• Ensure projects and activities are of high technical quality, meet humanitarian standards, and mainstream protection
• Overall accountability for the budget, resources, personnel, partners (if applicable), and implementation of the project within the scope of its design.
• Ensure that all project team members and partners fully understand the design, objectives, results framework, and strategies of the project in line with the project proposal.
• Ensure program implementation is on time, with target goals and budget management, using effective monitoring and evaluation systems and adaptive management principles to reach desired impacts.
• Provide overall technical leadership of the project, but also regularly liaise with the technical advisors to ensure that all project activities are implemented in line with quality standards. This includes arranging for technical support visits, trainings, development of materials, and so forth.
• Ensure that the project fully meets all of SCI’s key performance indicators and aligned with SC’s Global indicators.
• In collaboration with the MEAL team, ensure that the project’s MEAL plan, logical framework, tools, and systems are well embedded into all project activities, fully understood, implemented and routinely monitored by staff and partners, and are in line with the results framework and logic model.
• Work with the project team, partners, and MEAL/technical advisors to build a culture of learning, with regular (minimum quarterly) review sessions that use project data to assess anticipated/ unanticipated outcomes, capture learning, and modify projects accordingly.
• Ensure that all risks to the project are identified, managed and monitored appropriately, and mitigation plans are developed to address new risks or emerging developments.
• Ensure the production of timely, accurate, and quality project reports and other relevant project documentation, in line with SCI and donor protocols.
• Work closely with other project/programme teams and partners to ensure an integrated programme approach, identify ways of maximising links, sharing of experiences and lessons learnt.
• Work closely with the awards team to ensure that the member and donor are regularly updated on project activities; support the team to facilitate member/donor visits as relevant.
• Work closely with the advocacy/communications team to ensure that all communications materials for the project are accurate, of high quality, and in line with SCI and donor policies and protocols.
• Support the project team to ensure that the respective accountability and feedback mechanisms are functional and used, including by children, and that feedback is documented, analysed and used.
• Ensure clear and consistent two-way communication channels

Human Resources Management

• Regularly assess/review the human resource needs of the project and manage or participate in staff recruitment as needed for the project.
• Provide coaching and mentoring to build cohesive and high-performance project teams, which will deliver quality results and changes for children. This includes helping the team to ensure adherence to all staff performance, development, and feedback processes, in line with HR policies.
• Ensure that all members of the project team and partners are in full compliance with all of Save the Children’s policies, protocols and procedures, both global and country level. Representation and Coordination with External Stakeholders

• Maintain positive relationships with all relevant government agencies (Ministry of Education, Child Protection Directorate

  etc.) and stakeholders at national level (eg.UNICEF), ensuring they are regularly engaged and invited to participate in or monitor activities as relevant.

• Lead in maintaining external relationships as relevant to the project. This includes regular meetings and events with government officials, participation in interagency coordination (Education Cluster, etc) meetings, relevant technical working groups, and technical exchanges with other organisations doing similar programming and related work.
• Proactively reach out to other organisations, groups, and agencies that are doing similar or related activities in the project area to strengthen collaboration and synergy, and to avoid duplication.
• Work closely with the advocacy/communications team and technical advisors to maintain an integrated and joined up approach to advocacy and programme work as relevant.
• Work closely with the advocacy/communications team to develop and implement a coherent communication strategy to external and internal stakeholders for all areas of implementation.
• Provide guidance to field office level meetings facilitated to review progress of project implementation and discuss solutions related to challenges that the project faces.

Financial Resources Management

• Accountable for effective management of the budget and financial resources of the project, including all assets, equipment, and materials purchased by and assigned to the project.
• Ensure that the project budgets are fully understood by the project team and partners; jointly review project spend plans on a quarterly basis, and review BVA reports on a monthly basis, identifying and addressing variances as necessary.
• Oversight and review/approval of all monthly cash forecasts, procurement plans, and periodic financial forecasts as required for each project. Ensure full compliance with all SCI and donor financial, procurement, and related policies.
• Accountable for timely and accurate budget phasing for the project, to be included in the country office master budget, this is done as and when demanded by the finance team.
• Fully participate in monthly project review meetings to discuss and find solution to efficient financial performance of the project against budget.
• Responsible for reviewing finance reports before submission to the member and donor and ensures that it is aligned to the narrative.

Representation and Coordination with External Stakeholders

• Maintain positive relationships with all relevant government agencies (Ministry of Education, Child Protection Director etc.) and stakeholders at national level (eg.UNICEF), ensuring they are regularly engaged and invited to participate in or monitor activities as relevant.
• Lead in maintaining external relationships as relevant to the project. This includes regular meetings and events with government officials, participation in interagency coordination (Education Cluster, etc) meetings, relevant technical working groups, and technical exchanges with other organisations doing similar programming and related work.
• Proactively reach out to other organisations, groups, and agencies that are doing similar or related activities in the project area to strengthen collaboration and synergy, and to avoid duplication.
• Work closely with the advocacy/communications team and technical advisors to maintain an integrated and joined up approach to advocacy and programme work as relevant.
• Work closely with the advocacy/communications team to develop and implement a coherent communication strategy to external and internal stakeholders for all areas of implementation.
• Provide guidance to field office level meetings facilitated to review progress of project implementation and discuss solutions related to challenges that the project faces.

Other

• Prepare and submit monthly work plans, districts annual plans and relevant documents to line manager and/or districts officials as requested.
• Other significant duties may be assigned by her/his line manager.
• Comply with all relevant Save the Children policies and procedures, including, but not limited to: fraud and anti-bribery, child safeguarding and code of conduct, sexual harassment, anti-bullying and gender equality, safety and security, finance, procurement, and human resources.
• Ensure all activities of the project are implemented in line with safe programming procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS (desirable)

Degree in development studies, other social sciences or related field of study

Postgraduate degree/ postgraduate diploma is an advantage.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

• At least 3 years of relevant programming experience, with the following management roles: Education in Emergency (ECD / education), MHPSS, gender equality-related programming, community engagement, social accountability, child-focused programming, community development, and/or related programming.
• At least 2 years of experience in community centred programming, which may include community engagement, community mobilisation, social accountability.
• Experience providing technical leadership to programmes
• Previous experience in Burundi humanitarian context.
• Proven experience in all aspects of programme management, including design, planning, implementation, and monitoring/evaluation.
• Proven experience with financial management. Management of programme grants and budgets
• Experience in integrating gender, diversity and other power-related issues into programme activities.
• Experience in managing programme teams, across multiple geographic sites, including staff development, coaching, and performance management.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation, use of qualitative and quantitative data to analyse progress in programmes, and the use of logical or results frameworks, theories of change, etc.
• Substantial experience and skills in establishing and maintaining external relations with government, community stakeholders and civil society.
• Fluency in written and spoken English; excellent documentation and report-writing skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills.
• Child participation: experience in implementing programmes or activities directly with/for children.
• Strong analytical and conceptual skills and the ability to think and plan strategically.

Desirable

• Ability to be self-sufficient and resourceful, proactive in identifying and addressing challenges, yet consulting and asking for assistance as needed/relevant.
• Ability and willingness to travel to project communities and stay in basic conditions.

Additional job responsibilities

The job duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the Post holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.