Project Director - REACH at Save the Children

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Project Director - REACH Ref No: 200003OE Location: Abuja Post Type: National Team/Programme: Reach Reports to: Director Program Operations. Employee Status: Fixed Term

Child Safeguarding

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 recruiting for an experienced Project Director to lead on both technical and operational aspects of the Reaching and Empowering Adolescents to make informed Choices for their Health (REACH) project in Gombe, Katsina and Zamfara states. The project aims to improve the sexual and reproductive health of married and unmarried adolescents by improving their access to high quality, gender-sensitive and adolescent-friendly SRH services.
The Project Director will provide overall strategic and operational leadership in program implementation. The Project Director must bring a senior leadership profile with a proven record of accomplishment in managing complex programming in Nigeria.
The Project Director is responsible for ensuring programme delivery and quality, through capacity building of staff and partners, activities planning linked to budget management, implementation and monitoring including data collection and analysis of impact and durable changes brought about by the programme in the areas of responsibility. S/he is also responsible for representing the organization with the donor in country, in all programmatic coordination platforms in Nigeria and in meetings with the government. The Project Director will have budget holding responsibilities.

Scope of Role:

Staff directly reporting to this post: ASRH Advisor, Gender Advisor, State Project Managers.
Budget holding: Oversight of and responsible for Project Budget of over USD 6m

Key Areas of Accountability Programme delivery, management and quality assurance:

Hold overall responsibility for development and implementation of all aspects of the REACH project in Nigeria.
Provide strategic guidance, strong leadership and ensure technically sound decision-making processes.
Lead and motivate the project teams in the areas of responsibility in the delivery of the projects goals and objectives.
Support spot checks and audit processes throughout the project lifecycle while ensuring the implementation of recommendations.
Create and nurture external partnerships; and in particular identify suitable local partners and ensure adherence to the partnership manual.
Produce high quality reports within agreed reporting schedules.
Ensure programming interventions are implemented in cooperation with affected communities, particularly children.
Ensure programming interventions are designed based on an analysis of gender relations and that programmes seek to support the different needs and opportunities of women, men, boys and girls.
Conduct regular field visits, including discussions with beneficiaries, where a report is produced and corrective actions put in place are monitored.
Ensure Save the Children’s Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy is understood by staff within the programme as well as partners and stakeholders, and that it is integrated into all aspects of the team’s work.
Document programme learning, and incorporate analysis and lessons learned into new strategies/activities and advocacy work.
Ensure programme delivery happens in strict adherence to security policy and procedures.
Ensure compliance with and adherence to Save the Children and the donor’s rules and regulations in all aspects.
Developing all grants management documents such as phased budget, work-plan of implementation, procurement plan, monitoring plan, grants filing, staff recruitment plan, etc.
Ensure regular monitoring and reporting on all grant management aspects: phased budget and actual expenses analysis, work-plan progress and updating, procurement plan revision, data collection and analysis and monitoring of indicators.
Take full responsibility for the delegated budget holding function on the programmatic aspects of the managed grant, participate actively in finance meetings and contribute to financial decision making.
Ensure value for money is effectively demonstrated to the donor.
Ensure monitoring and evaluation tools are systematically implemented and used by the teams, in cooperation with the technical education coordinator and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) staff.

Performance management and capacity building:

Line-manage the programme’s staff in the areas of responsibility.
Lead, manage and motivate the programme’s staff, ensuring they have clear objectives and receive meaningful feedback on their performance regularly, in collaboration with the human resources department.
Identify capacity-building requirements of staff in collaboration with the human resources department.
Lead on capacity building of staff and partners through coaching, mentoring and training.
Create and maintain a cooperative and positive working environment where staff have clear roles and responsibilities, participate in decision-making and are supported in progressing towards their objectives.

Coordination:

Represent the programme and Save the Children at donor meetings in country and internationally as required.
Communicate regularly across Save the Children and with SC Canada to ensure strong communications internally and externally.
Participate proactively and regularly in senior management meetings in the areas of responsibility, making concrete contributions to strategic and operational orientations.
In collaboration with the field managers/Project Managers in the areas of responsibility, represent Save the Children Nigeria with local authorities and governmental counterparts (Ministry of Health, Women Affairs, etc.), donors and members of the humanitarian community, and ensure that Save the Children’s work is coordinated with these bodies.

Programme development and fundraising:

Identify the most appropriate Sexual and Reproductive Health programming interventions for meeting the needs of children based on assessment findings.
Lead on situation analysis/needs assessments in the area of responsibility and ensure all proposals respond to beneficiary needs.
Play an active role in the development of a fundraising strategy in the areas of responsibility and in donor liaison where appropriate.
Incorporate analysis and lessons learned into new strategies/activities.

Human Resources Management:

Manage and support the team under his/her responsibility and assess the performance of personnel under his/her direct supervision,
Oversee development of technical training material that will improve aspects of ASRH work within Save the Children, at country level.

Representation, Advocacy & Organizational Learning:

Ensure that Save the Children's work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government, take a leadership role within Interagency sector for a by ensuring the specific needs of children are being addressed.
Take steps to document lessons learned, from the REACH program, for wider dissemination.
In collaboration with the Health Thematic Team, feed in learning, experiences and evidence to relevant global advocacy objectives.
Identify opportunities and material to contribute to ASRH communications and media work, acting as a spokesperson when required.

Budget Management:

Liaise with the Head of Awards management to ensure that project expenditure complies with the award guidelines.
Ensure project team is undertaking monthly Awards review meetings and all actions implemented.
Effectively manage project budget

General:

Deliver high-quality results in line with the terms of reference agreed in advance – to do this in a way that maintains the reputation of SCI.
Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures. ·
Ensure the security, health and well -being of staff and that staff management and other processes and policies and systems reflect SCI 's principles of equity and fairness.

Others:

Contribute to advocacy and research initiatives.
Advocate for the importance of child protection and education in emergency and post-emergency settings.
Comply with all relevant Save the Children policies and procedures with respect to child safeguarding policy, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies.

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.

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

Skills and Experience Essential:

Sound knowledge of Adolescent Sexual Reproductive health issues and gender in Nigeria including institutions, policies and legal frameworks.
Ability to analyse information, evaluate options and to think and plan strategically.
An understanding of gender analysis approaches and using gender-sensitive facilitation methods and reporting gender equality indicators
Demonstrated ability with project grants management, including project design, budget preparation, expenditure tracking, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, supervision and performance management, etc.
An understanding of gender analysis approaches and using gender-sensitive facilitation methods and reporting gender equality indicators
At least 8 years’ experience of working in the Health sector essentially in the area of sexual and reproductive health;
Prior experience in managing GAC/ USIAD/ DFID funded programmes.
Skills and experience in programme monitoring review, reporting and evaluation.
Strong skills in people management, moderation, conflict resolution and capacity building.
At least 8 years’ experience of working at management level within fragile, complex or conflict-affected states.
Ability to lead a programme and support a team working from remote locations.
Excellent report writing skills and fluency in written and spoken English
Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children aims, values and principles.
Management of large grants and complex budgets.
Knowledge and working experience of Child’s Rights Programming approach.
Proven skills in programme management and administration, including grants management and donor compliance.
Experience of building, leading and developing a team of senior staff with different backgrounds and expertise.

Desirable:

Experience in protection programming and promoting children’s participation in programming, design, implementation and evaluation.
Capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible
Fluency in written and spoken Hausa will be an added advantage
Previous safety and security training for working in conflict settings
Gender and sexual & reproductive health issue experience especially on girls’ education
Experience leading large complex multi-location awards
Working experience in Northern Nigeria and the ability to work in difficult circumstances.