Programme Manager at Save The Children

Role Purpose

• Strategically lead and manage the Child Development Grant Programme in Northern Nigeria; accountable for the achievement of programme deliverables and delivery of the joint log-frame within the consortium of Save the Children and Action Against Hunger.

Key Areas of Accountability
Programme Management/Development:

• Manage and lead programme related strategic liaison with in-country government, donors, consortium INGOs and Agencies. Manage relationships to ensure ongoing programme performance and technical quality assurance.
• Ensuring the programme meets or exceeds agreed targets, including reviewing cross-consortium programme performance data and programme management arrangements on a monthly basis, identifying and agreeing residual actions, mitigation activities and influencing consortium partners to ensure partner performance is maintained.
• Maintain a close working relationship with the technical team to ensure that the programme achieves technical excellence, embedding continuous improvements in operational aspects of programmes.
• Inspire, lead and motivate programme teams to deliver on programme objectives.
• Ensure that the Programme is appropriately staffed across Save the Children and consortium members, including the appropriate combination of expertise across technical and operational areas
• Identify, implement and improve accountability mechanisms for operating under commercial arrangements across partnerships and programme consortium arrangements including contract compliance considerations.
• Develop programme systems that are flexible and responsive to changing demands of programme implementation.
• Ensure that an effective monitoring system is in place for achieving prior agreed targets in relation to programme activities, budget allocations and financial expenditures, ensuring that value for money can be effectively demonstrated to the donor
• Identify and effectively manage all key risks related to the programme
• Demonstrate and ensure programme implementation demonstrates high levels of commitment to Save the Children and our vision, mission and values in order to ensure the objectives of your role and the country programme are met.
• Ensure the effective and efficient use of all Save the Children resources in order to keep costs low and ensure safety in the workplace.
• Comply with the requirements of Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding Policy to ensure maximum protection for children
• Ensure strong budget management and compliance and resource utilisation

Staff Management / HR:

• To directly line-manage the Programme staff by ensuring that they have clear work plans and objectives and, at a minimum, receive quarterly supervisions, mid-year and annual reviews.  
• To have overall management responsibility for the Programme team.  Lead and motivate the team to ensure effective Programme implementation. At a minimum ensure there are monthly team meetings.
• To monitor and support all Programme staff in implementing Programmes. In particular this includes ensuring their appropriate induction, training and follow-up needs of all Programme staff are identified and planned for with the Field Managers and Human Resource staff. Key areas to consider include; grants management systems, logistics and security guidelines, programme management, monitoring and evaluation procedures and guidelines.
• Manage performance of direct reports in the work area through:
• effective use of the Performance Management System including the establishment of clear, measureable objectives, ongoing feedback, periodic reviews and fair and unbiased evaluations;
• Build the capacity of staff to monitor/ manage grants and awards as well as understand and implement compliance requirements from donors, Save the Children and/or the Government of Kenya.
• Maintain clear communication with both the functional (direct) line manager and the technical manager to foster a smooth working relation under existing matrix structure.

Representation and Coordination:

• Regularly undertake liaison and advocacy with Government partners and officials and visits to field sites for donor representatives and other external visitors as required.
• Represent Save the Children in meetings with donors at Country and state levels.
• Contribute towards the dissemination of Save the Children work through publications (general, thematic sector, academic) in consultation with Programme technical Advisors

Competencies
Leading:

• Delivering Results: Takes personal responsibility and holds others to account to deliver our ambitious goals for children, continually improving own performance or that of the team/organisation.
• Developing Self and Others: Invests time and energy to actively develop self and others to help realise their full potential, and to build the organisation’s capability for the future.
• Leading and Inspiring Others: Demonstrates leadership in all our work, role models our values and articulates a compelling vision to inspire others to achieve goals for our children.

Thinking:

• Problem Solving and Decision Making: Takes effective, considered and timely decisions by gathering and evaluating relevant information from within or outside the organisation and making appropriate judgements.
• Applying Technical Expertise: Applies the required technical and professional expertise to the highest standards, promotes and shares best practices within and outside the organisation.
• Innovating and Adapting: Develops and implements innovative solutions to adapt and succeed in an ever – changing, uncertain work and global environment.

Engaging:

• Working Effectively with others: Works collaboratively to achieve shared goals and thrives on diversity of people and perspectives. Knows when to lead and when to follow and how to ensure effective cross- boundary working.
• Communicating with Impact: Communicates clearly and confidently with others to engage and Influence, Promotes dialogue and ensures timely and appropriate messages, building confidence and trust with others.
• Networking: Builds and uses sustainable relationships and networks to support the work of Save the Children.

Skills and Behaviours (our Values in Practice)
Accountability:

• Accuracy and timeliness in all areas of responsibility
• High level of accuracy in work, and ability to analyse complex sets of relationships and situations
• Holds self and others accountable

Ambition:

• Creating best-in-class EA function
• Future-orientated, thinks pro-actively

Collaboration:

• Working effectively with stakeholders to achieve common goals
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Designing more effective admin and value for money systems
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency, demonstrates highest levels of integrity.

Skills & Experience
Administrative & General Skills:

• Prior experience of designing and/or delivering large scale (in excess of £10m) cash transfer programmes
• Proven ability to manage large consortiums with a minimum of 4 years experience managing multi-regional or multi-country programmes
• Demonstrable track record of meeting or exceeding programme targets, while maintaining technical quality.
• Ability to represent the cash transfer programme at a strategic level and engage and influence key stakeholders
• Demonstrated experience of working with national and/or regional level government structures to strengthen the capacity of the state to take ownership for and deliver services.
• Self-motivated and results orientated.
• Highly numerically articulate with a track record of data manipulation and use of spreadsheets and reporting systems.
• Experience in management of finance and budget monitoring and risk management.
• Proven ability to motivate and develop others
• Highly diplomatic and emotionally intelligent with strong oral and written communication skills.
• Strong communication, and interpersonal skills in English, with substantial experience in managing multicultural teams
• Experience of building, leading and developing a team of senior staff with different backgrounds and expertise
• Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy-in
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles

Desirable experience and characteristics:

• Post-graduate qualification in Public Health, or Nutrition or Food Security related relevant discipline
• Substantial experience of working and living in Africa, ideally with professional experience in Nigeria
• Demonstrable understanding of Value for Money and DFID results agenda.
• Ability to coach and mentor multi-sectoral partners