CONTRACT LENGTH: one year with possibility of extension 

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; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The North Response Team Leader will play a key role in ensuring a successful roll out of response operations; Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) the emergency response activities (specifically - but not exclusive to - SOPs for targeting, beneficiary registration and database management, distribution protocols); Review, update and finalise Emergency Preparedness Plan. He/she is responsible to review, update and capacity build (where necessary) the Response Team; Lead on all programming readiness activities.

He/she ensure adequate monitoring, reporting and acquittal of response activities in accordance with SC’s humanitarian accountability framework, relevant standards, and essential environmental mitigation measures; establish and maintain constructive working relationships with other NGO’s, UN agencies, host government, bilateral and multilateral donors, and other principle stakeholders. Recommends changes to the team composition and functioning with the Country Office teams and partners to maximize programme quality and effectiveness; create the conditions to ensure effective teamwork and morale; ensure staff wellbeing is addressed.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

Response Leadership

• Comply with SC policies and practice with respect to child safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
•  Ensure all response staff are fully briefed on all aspects of core policy, safety and security, social and cultural norms and local conditions and behavior.
•  Lead on country level strategic planning for the response to ensure an effective emergency response in all of its phases of delivery.
• Establish and maintain practical working relationships with other NGO’s, UN agencies, host government, bilateral and multilateral donors, and other stakeholders.
• Continuously review and recommend changes to the team composition and functioning with Country Office and partners to maximize response programme quality and effectiveness.
• Ensure the Country Director, DCD PI, other function heads, and Members are kept informed about the response implementation and strategies, project plans, progress reports, and other significant developments.
• Promote a productive work culture and the Code of Conduct with zero tolerance for all the core policies of SC.

Assessment, Program Design and Planning

•  Closely work with the CD/ DCD Program Implementation, to ensure assessments are timely executed and implementation and exit strategies are proactively developed.
• Ensure that Members are provided with regular reports and are aware of developments of response
• Lead the development of all response project implementation plans and budgets within the framework of the agreed response programme and strategy
• Support and advise the CD and DCD PI with securing donor funding for emergency projects.
• Oversee project design and proposal preparations for the response.
• Response Management and Implementation
• Ensure strict compliance with SC and global policies and procedures and with relevant donor regulations and agreements.
• Maintain ongoing humanitarian response and align activities accordingly.
• Ensuring relevant monitoring plans and systems for identifying and tracking the indicators and develop processes/procedures and forms to support monitoring, informed learnings are established and implemented.
• Ensure different sectoral activities are implemented in a coordinated and integrated manner.
• People responsibility
•  Plan, identify and resource appropriate and effective structure & staffing needs for the entire response in liaison with HR.
• Ensure response staff understand and carry out their duties in accordance with humanitarian principles, core values and the Code of Conduct.
• Conduct performance review of the team, if and as required, ensure regular feedback and mentoring on their performance.
• Monitor ongoing human resources issues and make recommendations and adjustments accordingly.
• Oversee the development & implementation of staff well-being (policy) and ensure appropriate staff well-being and R&R policy and processes in place.
• Ensure capacity building plans and performance management systems are in place to develop response team competencies to ensure ongoing sustainability and quality of response.
• Safety and Security
• Ensure optimal safety and security management procedures and practices are in place for the response programme and continually monitor the safety and security situation, adapting staff safety and security procedures accordingly, in collaboration and cooperation with the Country Safety team.
• Ensure all the response staff understand individual and collective responsibilities for safety and security.
• Liaise with Staff Safety and Access team to ensure compliance with safety Guidelines and their effective application in the local context.
• Monitor the operational environment with respect to increased level of threat and advise relevant staff and Staff Safety Director.
• Budget Management and Planning
• Ensure the development master budgets aligned with the Response objectives, for the duration of the response and for multiple sites and multiple sectors where appropriate.
•  Leads the implementation of response budgets, while keeping relevant stakeholders informed and ensuring corrective actions are taken where required.
• Ensure preparation of a timely programme delivery and donor reporting on project activities in compliance with internal requirements and any relevant external donor requirements.
• Oversee effective functioning of supply chain systems to procure, store and distribute stock, supplies and services for the timely delivery of response objectives 
• Representation & Advocacy & Organisational Learning:
• Represent SC and the response on a national, regional and international level to donors, the media and members of the humanitarian community, if and required.
• Regularly undertake high level representation and advocacy with Government partners and officials as well as donor representatives.
• Establish systems for communication with local Government partners, relevant line departments and community representations in the response areas.
• Help shape broader sector strategies through influence of and leadership within inter-agency 
• coordination forums, ensuring the specific needs of children are being addressed.
• Lead on organisational level operational practice, innovation and learning in consultation with Humanitarian team.
• Ensure SCI response review framework is implemented and lessons learnt/recommendations followed up. 

Job Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Extensive experience of working within a senior management role and within a complex country programme in an emergency response or fragile state setting; and/or extensive experience of setting up responses in out of area contexts (either where no SC presence or CO presence);
• Previous experience of managing programme teams in large-scale/complex, first phase emergency response is essential
• Master’s Degree in a relevant field.
• Senior management experience of leading a diverse, multi-function and/or multi-sector team at a Country Director or other relevant SMT level.
• Experience of managing multi-donor, multi-site programmes (including ECHO, DFID and OFDA) of GBP 5m+ in a first phase response at regional or country level
• Multi-site security management in insecure environments
• Experience of international level representation with key stakeholders, and co-ordination with other NGOs/UN
• Experience of international media representation and advocacy
• Experience of M&E and beneficiary accountability systems in large complex programmes
• Experience of developing and negotiating successful partnerships with institutional donors
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• A high level of written and spoken English
• The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances
• Proven ability to influence change at an operational and strategic level
• Commitment to the aims and principles of SC. In particular, a good understanding of the SC mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support

Desirable: Media experience/trainingKEY COMPETENCIES

Generic Competencies

Child Rights: Promotes an enabling environment for participation, and accountability to children

Be the Innovator: Promotes innovation to find new and better approaches to driving progress for children

Deliver Results at Scale: Promotes a clear focus on impact in a project and programme design, management, and oversight

Generic Competencies

• Being the Voice of Children: Promotes evidence-based policy and public engagement that includes the voices of children and their communities
• Advancing Equality & Inclusion: Displays a commitment to ensuring everything we do considers the most deprived and marginalised children and adolescent
• Building & Strengthening Partnerships: Promotes working with diverse partners as critical to delivery

Child Rights: Promotes the rights of children in own work and in work with colleagues and peers,

Additional job responsibilities

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

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI’s global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Gender Equality Policies, supported by relevant procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy.

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SC Health and Safety policies and procedures

We offer a competitive package in the context of the sector. The duty station of the position holder will be in Addis Ababa This role is offered on the basis of national terms and conditions only.

The Organization

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 realize 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.

How to Apply

Application Information

Please attach a copy of your CV and cover letter with your application, and include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found CLICK HERE

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our global anti-harassment policy.