Program Development and Quality Director, Ukraine Response

Save the Children International is a leading global humanitarian organization that has been protecting childrens rights worldwide for over 100 years. We operate in more than 100 countries responding to emergencies implementing innovative development programs and advocating for childrens rights on a global scale.

Our work in Ukraine began in 2014. Since then we have significantly expanded our presence providing support to children and families affected by war. Our key areas of focus include education child protection food security social support and advocacy to drive lasting change in childrens lives.

ROLE PURPOSE:

As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) in Country the Program Development and Quality Director (PDQ Director)is responsible for driving the country office strategic plan and theory of change. S/He is responsible for ensuring strategic development and technical oversight of high quality evidence based high impact innovative full spectrum programs that respond to humanitarian needs while substantively contributing to the acceleration of efforts towards post-war recovery and system strengthening in Ukraine to deliver immediate and lasting change for children and contribute to Save the Childrens global breakthroughs: Learn Survive Be Protected.

One of the key aspects of the role is to lead on the shift of Save the Children programming in Ukraine to broader post-war recovery and system strengthening activities that build lasting change for children while maintaining technical and other support to humanitarian response programs. The post-holder will drive a change management process to shifting the strategic focus of Save the Children programming to align to longer-term development agenda identified through an understanding of the wider political and specific socioeconomic context within the country.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Country Director

Technical Report: Global PQI

Staff directly reporting to this post: MEAL New Business Development and Program Quality/Technical Expertise staff. These positions will vary depending on the thematic programmes.

Role Dimensions: The PDQ Director plays a key role in defining and pursuing the strategic direction for Save the Childrens programs in-country ensuring the relevance strategic coherence and impact of our programs for children in all contexts.

The PDQ Director will play a pivotal role in supporting Save the Childrens mission to transform education protection livelihoods and child rights delivery in Ukraine looking beyond the ongoing war towards the recovery phase. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in child protection rights education and systems strengthening with proven leadership experience in complex environments in conflict and post-conflict settings. S/he will excel at navigating policies and regulations driving impactful improvements and fostering strategic partnerships.

The incumbent will work across various oblasts in Ukraine offering technical collaboration and support for ongoing programs and work closely with organisations Senior Management Team cross-functional teams and the government. Areas of collaboration will include developing and implementing supportive supervision and quality assurance mechanisms; monitoring reporting evaluation and documentation efforts to inform course corrections and strengthening representation with program/ sector partners and the government. Additionally thePDQ Directorwill foster public-private partnerships build sector and donor relationships and lead/ support resource mobilization efforts.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Strategy and Planning

• Provide strategic leadership technical direction and effective management of the current portfolio of projects and new areas of impact. Develop strategic vision for system strengthening work and provide senior management acumen across Save the Children system strengthening initiatives in collaboration with the Save the Children Senior Management Team (SMT).
• Lead on the design of strategy and program activities that support national and sub-national governments to become better stewards of children rights including supporting policy dialogue country-driven reforms and evidence generation and use.
• Lead on the SMT to drive forward the Country Strategic Plans (CSP) and take overall leadership on designing multi-sector recovery system strengthening and response strategies programme plans including responsibility for sectoral log frames and programme master budgets ensuring the highest technical expertise is represented across these and ensuring linkages with existing humanitarian programmes and strategies.
• Support development of cross-team coordination mechanisms to ensure effective collaboration and integration across key programs (e.g. program operations advocacy) and related departments (e.g. awards).

Recovery and System Strengthening

• Drive a change management process to shift of Save the Children programming in Ukraine to broader post-war recovery and system strengthening activities that build lasting changing for children.
• Identify gaps in the child rights stewardship system in Ukraine that have significant impact on children in the country and opportunities for Save the Children for entry into building a recovery strategy that addresses those gaps.
• Understand solutions that are currently being rolled out by the national and subnational government to those challenges and identify new solutions that are yet to be launched which will include mapping the needs & process identifying areas and processes for improvement identify most fit for purpose solution to challenges to stewardship of children rights with focus on education child protection and mental health.
• Identify new donors civil society and government partners that are more geared towards recovery and system strengthening.

Ensuring evidence-based programme and project design

• Ensure that the country office has high quality cost-effective and evidence based multi-sector programs reflecting SCs global initiatives socioeconomic context in Ukraine and Save the Children theory of change
• Ensure programmes in the design process have a strong evidence base resulting from learning via needs assessments and situational analyses
• Ensure all thematic strategies include key global indicators to guide programme development holistic needs of children and communities are considered and safe programming principles are integrated across program and project designs

Research Monitoring Evaluation Accountability Learning (REALM) and Knowledge management

• Ensure the implementation of MEAL strategies frameworks and systems and ensure roll out of core SCI MEAL tools in line with Save the Childrens MEAL in Emergencies (MiE) System Quality Benchmarks and SC MiE Procedure and broader SCI policies
• Oversee the development of a monitoring system that provides timely and accurate project results by embedding MEAL across programme implementation
• Ensure plans to promote accountability to affected populations (AAP) and child participation are high quality and inform programming
• Ensure regular data collection and meaningful analyses establishment of accountability and learning mechanisms with regular dissemination of strategic information to SMT and other relevant staff to drive learning and improve program quality

Thematic Expertisecapacity building and quality assurance

• Monitor and advance technical and operational quality of field programmes across all themes and accountable for results and sustainability of programme outcomes
• Ensure relevant technical support is provided promptly at scale and in line with Save the Children principles and standards during emergencies.
• Support capacity development of technical experts maximizing their role as technical support providers to field teams and local project partners
• Ensure that Technical Specialists engage in larger communities of practice to link with the most relevant and evidence-based approaches and conduct timely and useful review of project reports to support quality reporting for Members and donors

Senior leadership function

• Support the development of an organisational culture that reflects SCs full spectrum mandate and values promotes accountability and high performance encourages a cross -team culture of learning creativity and innovation in a productive work environment and frees up people to deliver outstanding results for children and excellent service for our members and donors
• Support the necessary change management process to ensure the strategic reorientation of the programme towards more development oriented portfolio while ensuring ownership from the SMT and related functions.

Strategic partnership and New Business development

• Lead an effective New Business Development strategy and process identifying key donors and funding opportunities in line with CO strategy.
• Support fundraising ensuring the development of high-quality concept notes and proposals linked to the CSP and engage effectively with donors and relevant stakeholders

Staff Management Mentorship and Development

• Ensure appropriate staffing within PDQ team and the sub office staff and ensure all staff understand and are able to perform their role
• Manage PDQ team; define expectations provide leadership and technical support as needed evaluate reports regularly
• Ensure the recruitment training and promotion of staff is appropriate and ensure availability of appropriate professional development opportunities for staff. Incorporate staff development strategies and Performance Management Systems into team building process.
• Work closely with the Human Resources team provide recommendations on key technical competencies and related capacity building support and training for program staff as appropriate

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS

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

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Post graduate qualifications in relevant social science human rights development studies NGO management or equivalent field
• A minimum of ten years of progressive senior management and/ or humanitarian and development experience including experience designing and implementing programs for children in complex conflict/post-conflict settings.
• Experience in more than one of Save the Childrens thematic sectors: education child protection child rights governance health and nutrition child poverty emergencies
• Strong skills and proven experience in leading strategic planning change management and program management processes; also from the knowledge and learning perspective
• Knowledge of New Business Development members and donors and their environments and a basic understanding of advocacy policy and reform in the host country .
• Strong skills and proven experience in new program development project design and donor proposal design with corporates foundations and institutional donors
• Experience of lobbying influencing and representing an organisation at all levels and across diverse sectors
• Experience working with high level government agencies and academics on issues related to children
• Developing and managing monitoring evaluation and learning systems
• Excellent listening inter-personal communication and networking skills; and the ability to work with diversified populations
• Skilled at delivering and facilitating training and capacity building interventions e.g. coaching mentorship.
• Analytical problem solver with strong experience and understanding of project cycle management and coordination.
• High level of self-awareness and self-development with the maturity to deal with constructive feedback the willingness and ability to adapt leadership and management style as appropriate
• Experience of conducting research drafting and presenting reports to varied audiences.