SAVE THE CHILDREN
recruits
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAM QUALITY AND ADVOCACY
We are Save the Children. We work in more than 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential.
About Save the Children
Save the Children is the world’s leading independent organization for children. We work together, with our partners, to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. We have over two million supporters worldwide and raised 1.6 billion dollars last year to reach more children than ever before, through program in health, nutrition, education, protection and child rights, also in times of humanitarian crises. To achieve our ambitious goals and breakthroughs for children, Save the Children works in 10 countries within the West and Central Africa Region with a current staff complement of approximately 1400 and current expenditure of approximately $75 million each year.
Save the Children in Cote d’Ivoire
Save the Children, Cote d’Ivoire Program is seeking a Director of Program Quality and Advocacy for (01) Year with possible extension, based in Abidjan.
This is a national position with national conditions.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
As a member of the Senior Management Team, contribute to:
- Leadership of the Cote d’Ivoire Country Program and Office
- Support the development of an organizational culture that reflects the ability to work in humanitarian, transition and development contexts, promotes accountability and high performance, encourages a team culture of learning, creativity and innovation, and frees up our people to deliver outstanding results for children and excellent customer service for our Members and donors
- Help design and implement a coherent organizational structure that is consistent with agency practices and appropriate to program needs
- Help establish, maintain, and improve active and regular working relationships with: host government authorities, donors, partner agencies including major institutional donors, and local and international NGOs
- Ensure that the required support is provided promptly, at scale and in line with the rules and principles during emergencies, working closely with the Regional Office
1. Strategic Planning
- Lead the development of Child Rights Situation Analyses, program strategies and annual plans
- Lead the design and report of cost effective, innovative programs to realize the rights of vulnerable and marginalized children in Cote d’Ivoire
- Ensure a participatory coordinated child rights approach is taken to proposal development and that Technical Advisers, Finance, HR and Operations departments participate in this process
- In collaboration with the New Business Development and Proposal Writer and the country leadership, design and implement fundraising strategies and project proposals to ensure that program sectors are adequately financed, within the parameters of the Country Strategic Plan
- Develop working relationships with donor liaisons to ensuring that Save the Children is well positioned to access information on donor strategy and priorities
2. Strategic Policy Development
- Develop and maintain an overview of child rights, key policies and program concerning children and main actors involved in children’s rights in Cote d’Ivoire
- Keep abreast with and contribute to Save the Children initiatives and global trends and wherever possible apply them in Save the Children’s program and advocacy efforts
- Initiate research in key thematic areas and lead policy analysis at national level in key Save the Children programming sectors
3. Program Quality Development
- Ensure provision of high quality technical advice to all program and ensure integration of policy and advocacy initiatives in all aspects of programming, including partner and staff capacity building
- Ensure appropriate coordination between the technical support unit and field operations
- Ensure that Save the Children is positioned as a technical leader at national level in the sectors it works, including active participation in clusters and sectorial working groups
- In coordination with Director of Program Operations ensure that Save the Children principles such as child rights and participation, community based approaches, good governance, non-discrimination etc. are mainstreamed in program development
- Support the Director of Program Operations to review and update program approaches in the country and in line with the changing needs of children and our objectives
4. Advocacy and Networking
- Lead the development of an advocacy strategy based on the analysis of child rights in the country and with a view to position Save the Children in Cote d’Ivoire as the leading independent organization for children’s issues in Cote d’Ivoire
- Identify advocacy messages for relevant thematic areas and design strategies to influence policy decisions
- Prepare key policy briefing documents and communication materials
- Network with NGOs, INGOs, UN and policy makers and media, representing Save the Children
- Maintain strategic links with Government of Cote d’Ivoire key ministries at national and state levels, identify opportunities and ensure Save the Children’s participation in key activities of the national, state and local level government
5. Knowledge Management
- Ensure learning by the country program from relevant best practice and assessing performance regularly against agreed program objectives and indicators
- Ensure a strong monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning system is in place enabling the country program to learn from experience and influence external policies and actors
- Support the Director of Program Operations in the measurement of achievement and progress toward program goals and results through the MEAL system
- Lead internal and external program/project evaluations as necessary and ensure the execution of baseline, periodic, and final evaluations as necessary in coordination with Director of Program Operations
6. Team leadership
- Effectively develop and lead a high performing Program Quality team with an innovative and integrated work approach
- Manage the Program Quality team; define expectations and objectives, provide leadership and technical support as needed, and evaluate direct reports regularly
- Incorporate staff development strategies and Performance Management Systems into team building process. Establish result based system and follow up
- Manage the performance of all staff in the Program Operations work area through:Ensure appropriate staffing within the Program Quality team
- Effective use of the Performance Management System including the establishment of clear, measureable objectives, on-going feedback, periodic reviews and fair and unbiased evaluations;
- Coaching, mentoring and other developmental opportunities;
- Recognition and rewards for outstanding performance; Documentation of performance that is less than satisfactory, with appropriate performance improvements/ work plans
- Ensure that all staff understand and are able to perform their role in a humanitarian situation
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Master’s degree in Social Sciences, preferably in an area of social development. A general appreciation of global development, and particularly fragile states
- Experience from developing and managing high performing and motivated teams as well as from contributing to personal and technical growth and development among staff members
- More than seven years, out of which 3 – 5 years international experience, in designing and evaluating large scale, multi-sectorial development and emergency program, preferably from a child rights approach in accordance with the CRC and international humanitarian law standards
- Proven skills in proposal development and reporting across all major institutional donors, including but not limited to, USAID, EU, ECHO, DFID, CIDA, SIDA and others as indicated
- Sound knowledge of rights based approaches to working with children and communities, and a creative and innovative approach to working on these issues with a proven commitment to child participation and empowerment methodologies
- Substantial understanding of Monitoring and Evaluation as well as accountability towards donors and beneficiaries
- Excellent conceptual and analytical skills. Effective negotiator, with the ability to positively influence cross departmental and cross sectorial work
- Proven ability to design and deliver on fundraising strategies
- Networking - credibility to lobby, influence and represent Save the Children at all levels
- Fluency in written and spoken French and English and computer literate
- Experience of working in an insecure environment
- Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles
- Commitment to Save the Children values.
HOW TO APPLY:
Please send your application at the following address: cotedivoire.office@savethechildren.org
Subject: Director of Program Quality and Advocacy
For more information on our work, please visit our website on http://www.savethechildren.net/jobs/job-details/2212
Our selection processes reflect our commitment to safeguard children from abuse. Our people are as diverse as the challenges we face.
Please note that the closing date for applications is February 12th, 2015 at 12H00 am.
