Job Opportunities at Save the Children

ROLE PURPOSE:

The incumbent will strategically lead and manage a Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) funded education project to be implemented in 3 states of North-West Nigeria- Kaduna, Kano, and Jigawa. He/she will be accountable and responsible for achieving the project's deliverables.The project aims to improve children's competencies in literacy and numeracy, empowerment through child protection services while leveraging community engagement for children's school enrolment across three Northwest states.

The post-holder will also be responsible for effective stakeholder management, including developing and maintaining strong working relationships with the donor, state and federal government, and development partners working in the education sector.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

• Reports to: Deputy Director of Program Operations
• Staff directly reporting to this post: 5 -7
• Budget responsibility: Yes

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Programme Implementation and Management

• Manage and lead project-related strategic liaison with federal and state governments and FCDO to ensure optimal project performance at state and federal levels.
• Monitor progress of project activities against the detailed implementation plan, MEAL plan, and log-frame.
• Conduct periodic review meetings with relevant project and non-project teams.
• Identify and effectively manage all key risks related to the project.
• Ensure regular update of all relevant project management tools, including but not limited to detailed implementation plans, risk register, procurement plan, issue log, stakeholder register, communication and knowledge management plans, MEAL plan, indicator performance tracking tool, and log-frame.
• Ensure project implementation demonstrates high levels of commitment and adherence to the ethos and values of Save the Children.
• Ensure effective and efficient use of all Save the Children resources.
• Ensure compliance with the requirements of Save the Children's Child Safeguarding Policy to ensure maximum protection for children
• Inspire, lead and motivate the project teams to deliver on project objectives.
• Ensure that all project assets and supplies are maintained and utilized safely, securely, and accountable.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning.

• Ensure an effective monitoring system for achieving targets concerning programme activities, budget allocations, and financial expenditures.
• Ensure proper and regular documentation of programme learning, and incorporate analysis and lessons learned into new strategies/activities and advocacy work.
• Ensure that all learning points from the project's work are disseminated to all relevant stakeholders and audiences. In particular, work closely with relevant TAs across Save the Children to maximize the synergies and learn from the project.

Financial Management

• Lead the development of the project's detailed budget and ensure timely development of financial reports.
• Manage the project's budget, acting as the authorized budget-holder; ensure that all activities payments are appropriately approved and are made promptly.
• Ensure robust financial management and compliance with Save the Children financial policy and procedures.
• Ensure practical demonstration of value for money to the project's donor.
• Regularly analyze the project's financial performance and develop appropriate mitigations as required.

Reporting

• Lead the process of producing regular project progress reports to both internal and external stakeholders.

General

• Represent the project externally with relevant partners and stakeholders.
• Comply with Save the Children policies and practices concerning child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities, and other relevant policies and procedures.
• Line manage Senior TA's and State team Leads.
• Support the values of SCI.

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 analyze 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 systems
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

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

EXPERIENCE, QUALIFICATIONS, AND SKILLS

Administrative & General Skills

• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Strong analytical skills.
• Excellent computer skills (MS Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint)

Essential:

• Master's Degree development studies or relevant social sciences.
• Demonstrable experience of developing and managing major donor contracts and grants in excess of $ 10million.
• At least seven years of demonstrated experience in managing, coordinating, and supervising multi-location teams working with governments and development partners.
• Strong representation skills and willingness to speak out for children amongst senior government, donor and diplomatic officials, both at provincial and national level.
• Training, facilitation, briefing and presentation skills
• Demonstrated experience of building and leading a team of senior staff with different backgrounds and expertise.
• Previous working experience in improving the programme delivery with adequate quality
• Demonstrable understanding of Value for Money and FCDO results in agenda.
• Significant project management experience.
• Prior experience on education projects/programmes.
• Excellent budget and financial management skills.
• Excellent communication and writing skills.
• Commitment to SCI's mission, values, and approach (includes gender equality, child safeguarding, and equal opportunities).
• Project Manager/Lead/CoP experience, preferably of a consortium that includes local and international partners, is paramount for the role.
• Demonstrated ability to assess priorities and handle multiple tasks simultaneously to meet deadlines with attention to detail and quality.

Desirable:

• A degree or professional certification in project management.
• Experience in business development/proposal development.
• Prior experience in managing projects funded by the FCDO.
• Ability to coach and mentor project teams.
• Experience managing sub-grantees or downstream partners.
• Skilled in influencing and obtaining the cooperation of individuals;

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Child Safeguarding

• Level 3- the role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; ore because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

Role Purpose

• The overall aim of the role is to support the  Humanitarian Response (Borno, Yobe and Adamawa) in promoting and building a ‘Child Safe Organisation’ and zero tolerance to sexual exploitation and abuse (SEAH) of adult beneficiaries through awareness raising and beneficiary sensitisation focusing on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEAH) by staff and representatives as well as facilitating confidential reporting of child safeguarding and PSEAH concerns/incidents through appropriate channels.

Scope of the Role:

• Reports to: Safeguarding Officer
• Matrix Report: Safeguarding Coordinator 
• Staff directly reporting to this post:  None.
• Budget responsibility: None                  

Key Areas of Accountability
The scope of this role will include:

• Coordinate safeguarding capacity building and mobilize project staff, partners, volunteers, and other stakeholders to undergo annual training in Safeguarding and PSEAH through formal and informal refresher sessions, discussion of case studies, quizzes etc.
• Develop and prepare materials for all Safeguarding related trainings
• Assist in organizing and facilitation safeguarding induction for newly recruited project staff, volunteers, beneficiaries, stakeholders, and partners.
• Conduct safeguarding risk assessment of all sectors, projects, and partners in collaboration with respective leads and Safeguarding Focal Points in the humanitarian response.
• Compile partners’ activity documents, analyze partners risk assessment result and support on identified gap.
• Conduct safeguarding proposal risk assessment, design mitigation plan and draft SG financial activity plan.
• Compile monthly safeguarding training data/activity report with coordination of focal points and forward to the Country Office.
• Assist sectors on reviewing of proposals on safeguarding lenses for to ensure safe program is implemented and coordinate with the MEAL area (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning), the evaluation processes for the compliance of indicators of safe programming.
• Ensures staff are trained in the use of DATIX and support Safeguarding (Child and adult) investigation processes as necessary.
• Organize learning forum on safeguarding practices at different level – schools and CFS, TLS etc
• Provide technical guidance on safeguarding to partners, volunteers, SCI representatives and other key stakeholders including consultants.
• Maintain clear records of number of staff, partners, volunteers, contractors, vendors, consultants, and other parties trained in safeguarding

Skills & Experience
Administrative & General Skills:

Essential:
He/she is expected to have the following:

• Graduate or Master's in Gender, Child Protection, Human Rights, Humanitarian Action, Anthropology, Development, Conflict, or related Degree
• Substantial experience of safeguarding, child protection, PSEA, SGBV or MEAL issues and practice, within humanitarian or insecure settings, including leading or participating in investigations.
• Direct or indirect experience of child protection practice, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.
• Knowledge of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Nigeria Child Rights Acts, VAPP Act, child protection and GBV policies and practice as well as current issues in relation to safeguarding of beneficiaries in the Nigeria context.
• Good data management, data analysis, computer literacy and excellent documentation and report writing skills in English are a must.
• Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information as well as facilitate training to a wide and diverse audience.

Desirable:

• Ability to foster and maintain strategic alliances across multiple stakeholders.
• Willingness to travel to and work in hard-to-reach areas; Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation, and coaching.
• Experience of assisting in the development of local procedures, SOPs, manuals, and guidance on safeguarding, PSEAH and Safe Programming.
• Experience on facilitation and coordination of training and workshop.
• Experience in conducting assessment, monitoring and report writing.
• Practical experience in the participation of children on the intervention of program activities.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Pidgin. 

Skills and Behaviours (Our Values in Practice)
Accountability:

• Holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks 

Integrity:

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

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Child Safeguarding

• Level 3- The responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with children or young people and, in the overseas context all posts are considered to be level 3 posts in view of potential situations which may allow staff unsupervised access to vulnerable children and young people.

Role Purpose

• The role holder is a budgeting/costing specialist responsible for analysing and determining the essential cost elements needed for each proposal submission, in relation to the donor’s requirements, and for providing timely and effective costing guidance and support throughout the proposal development process.
• The position works within the Business Development Team and in close liaison with the central Financial Analyst and regional finance leads. Central to the costing exercise is to maintain an overview of all country programme costs and how they are to be covered (or not) when working across different awards.
• This analysis to be available to the Finance Director for onward transmission to the SMT at any time.

Scope of the Role:

• Reports to: The incumbent will report to the Business Development Manager
• Dimensions: Matrix reporting to the senior Finance Manager and/or Finance Director
• Staff directly reporting to this post: N/A
• Technical responsibility: Yes
• Budget responsibility: None

Key Areas of Accountability

• Thoroughly review solicitations/calls that provide opportunities for funding and become an expert on donor instructions and requirements seeking a clear understanding of donor flexibility
• Work as a member of the Business Development Team, develop proposal budgets and costing templates and guidance to budget holders
• During the proposal development process, work closely with technical advisors to identify and cost for project activities
• Work with inputs from the CO Senior Finance Manager, review and maintain the Gap Analysis Report - a database that provides a detailed breakdown of costs and allocations of CO programme and support personnel working across all or many projects at the same time.
• Maintain a log of typical and essential direct and indirect project costs across all SCI programmes, taking into consideration, global common approaches and other SCI policies and procedures
• Analyse proposal budget allocations for SCI’s essential program inputs like Child Safeguarding, MEAL, and Security; and periodically disseminate these to relevant teams for tracking and reporting purposes
• During the proposal development process, work closely across all units such as Operations, Human Resource, Security, Logistics and Finance, to identify and budget for operational costs.
• Improve and maintain budgeting tools and processes within the Save the Children Nigeria CO, in line with Save the Children International and donor guidance.
• Ensure that realistic, comprehensive, and accurate donor-compliant budgets accompany all proposals
• Build the capacity of staff involved in proposal development when necessary, in budget development and budget-related areas of donor compliance; preferably including commercial contracts
• Work closely with ER/CAM focal person to ensure full recovery of Country Office operational cost by reviewing and ensuring that all CAM cost allocations are utilised within the relevant period
• Make appropriate estimation/projection of foreign exchange rates to be applied in proposal budgeting, taking into consideration, annual inflationary adjustments.
• Any other roles/duties that may be assigned.

Working Relationship:

• Internal: All technical leads, Budget Holders, Operations, Support services heads and Directors
• Eternal: Members, Donors etc.  

Skills & Experience
Essential:

• A B.Sc. or HND in Accounting or equivalent area of study. A professional qualification or Master’s Degree in Accounting or Financial Management will be an added advantage
• 2 - 3 years experience developing budgets for development and humanitarian projects.
• Proven experience in leading in the development of budgets for proposals for donors such as USAID, FCDO, other bilateral, foundations and/or corporations with a knowledge of their rules and regulations.
• Experience with non-profit accounting, budget analysis and development
• Ability to work with technical experts to cost out proposed project activities
• Prepared to spend time in field locations and to work with field staff as well as headquarters staff.
• Experience building the capacity of appropriate staff on business/cost proposals
• Proven experience in strategic cost modelling.
• Excellent experience of computerized accounts packages and in particular, complex spreadsheets, Power Point and Words.
• Familiar with cost modeling applications.
• Proven ability to multitask between multiple budgets with efficiency and accuracy.

Skills and Behaviours (Our Values in Practice)
Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development, and encourages others to do the same.
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others.
• Future orientated, thinks strategically.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

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