TEAM/PROGRAMME: Program Development, Quality & Impact

GRADE: Executive B 

CHILD SAFEGUARDING: (select only one)

Level 3 - the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people.

ROLE PURPOSE:

Save the Children is seeking a Technical Director for the anticipated five-year USAID-funded Empowered Communities Activity in Ethiopia. The purpose of this is to empower communities for better health and nutrition outcomes through community ownership of its own health and strengthened accountability systems.

The Technical Director will be essential member of the senior project consortium leadership team and reports directly to the Chief of Party and ensures high quality technical implementation of proven interventions that meet stated goals and reporting requirements. This role will assume the responsibilities of the COP in their absence. The Technical Director coordinates with USAID, key stakeholders, implementing partners and government representatives. This role also manages the technical implementation of key program activities throughout the targeted districts, and oversees the technical program managers and collaborates with all stakeholders and partners. The direction of this program will be led by this role in conjunction with the project team as well as the donor and government priorities. The position will be located in Addis Ababa. 

This position is contingent upon donor approval and funding.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY :

• In collaboration with the COP, ensure that technical program components are delivered according to the contractual requirement with the donor and government of Ethiopia, i.e., that all activities and deliverables are completed within the agreed timescale and budget, reports are submitted as per agreed schedules and any other requirements or criteria are fulfilled.

•   Work with program staff and Save the Children technical team based in the country office to identify technical support needs of the program and ensure this support is provided.

•   Design and regularly update detailed annual work plans and ensure these are used by the team appropriately to monitor progress towards completion and achievement of program objectives.

• Ensure all program work is of the highest technical quality and in line with national and global best practices for empower communities for better health and nutrition outcomes through community ownership of its own health and strengthened accountability systems.

• Ensure that programmatic reports for donors, government and Save the Children are prepared as required, ensuring these are of the highest quality and submitted in a timely manner to the donor. Be fully aware of the grant compliance regulations of Save the Children as well as USAID.

• Assist with the preparation and revision of a realistic budget, authorizing and monitoring expenditure in line with the budget, donor guidelines and Save the Children’s grant management and financial regulations.

•  Guide partners in the preparation of annual plans for funding, commodities and human resources. Closely monitor burn rate and guide the managers to ensure the burn rate has been achieved according to the approved plan. Manage and motivate direct reports to achieve their work plan objectives based on technical expertise, and to contribute to the achievement of the overall program goals.

• In collaboration with the technical teams, establish systems and processes for the periodic review of implementation across the project implementing areas and facilitate necessary mid-course corrections.

  • Maintain good working relationships with officials, government ministries, implementing partners and the international and local NGO community.

  • Support and coordinate with the M&E team in monitoring implementation, analysis progress and use service statistics and other data for decision-making and improving program performance.

  • Monitor country-level activities, identify challenges and develop appropriate reporting and results of project activities to the COP including progress and annual reports.

  • Attend and actively participate in periodic program meetings and ensure a summary of progress and challenges are prepared and presented with follow-up actions as required.

  • BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

    Accountability:

    •  holds themselves 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 their team to do the same

    • widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others

    • future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

    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

    • The post holder must commit to work in an international agency that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion and fights racism, gender inequality and discrimination in all forms; and to model positive behaviors that demonstrate a commitment to equality and respect to all colleagues, partners and communities. 

Job Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Minimum of master’s degree in public health, community development or management, health policy, governance or health promotion or other public health-related field of study or relevant areas of expertise; international development required.

• Minimum of Twelve years of technical experience and substantial and progressively responsible experience in managing health or nutrition programming of similar size with significant community capacity strengthening, or community health components. engagement or community health programming and other related fields in Ethiopia or similar context

• Familiarity with the evidence base, best practices and measurement of community engagement and empowerment, capacity strengthening and empowerment strategies as well as mobilization or demand creation strategies for health services

• Significant experience of collaborating effectively with local institutions and community-based organizations, consortiums and platforms including designing and conducting capacity assessment and capacity strengthening, mentoring, supervision activities, etc.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with government representatives across different sectoral ministries, private sector entities, local community organizations, donors and other stakeholders, particularly at the sub-national level.

• In-depth knowledge of USAID approaches and regulations required.

• Hands on experience in RMNACH programming preferred

• Strong staff management, budget and M&E skills and strengths in inspiring and enabling others through teamwork, training, and capacity building to realize organizational objectives.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English required and Amharic language skills desired.

• Familiarity with the political, social, and cultural context of Ethiopia preferred

KEY 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 program 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 marginalized 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 

How to Apply

Register using the following LINK