Operations Director

ROLE PURPOSE:

As a member of the Save the Children country office Senior Management Team, the Director of Program Implementation shares in the overall responsibility for the strategic direction and coordination of the Country Office. The Director of Program Implementation in his/her capacity is responsible for the implementation of all programming in country including the emergency preparedness and response (including Anticipatory action), Supply chain management, Awards management, safety, and security& Fraud prevention for the Country Office in Kenya and Madagascar. This role includes the operational management of the field offices and other satellite offices in the country office. In the event of a major humanitarian Response, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

COPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Country Director Staff directly reporting to this post: 11 (5 Programme Manager, 2 Team Leads, Humanitarian Manager, Operations Manager, Head of Supply Chain and Operations Coordinator). Budget Responsibilities: USD 30 million Country Dimensions: Save the Children has been operational in Kenya since 1950 and in Madagascar since 2016. As of 2024, Save the Children operates throughout Kenya & Madagascar with 10 field offices, approximately 450 staff, managing portfolio of USD 40million. In 2023, we directly reached more than 780,000 people through our humanitarian and longer term development work in Health, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH), Education, Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL), Child Protection and Child Rights Governance. The Country Office oversees more than 45 active awards totalling $40 million from a variety of governmental and institutional donors, including some of our largest donors such USAID, ECHO, EU, LEGO, BHA, and FCDO.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

 Roles and Responsibilities

 As a member of the Senior Management Team, contribute to: 

• Leadership of the Kenya and Madagascar Country Office.
• Support the development of an organisational culture that reflects our dual mandate values, 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.
•  Support the development of an organisational culture that reflects our dual mandate values, 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 Programme Development and Quality Team.

Oversight and Management of Program Implementations .

Oversight and Management of Program Operations

 Responsible for overall coordination of program implementation and delegated responsibility for field delivery of high quality programming in line with Save the Children standards and the objectives of the country strategy.

 In close coordination with the Director of Program Development and Quality and Director of Finance, participate in program proposal process and ensure that all programs progress in accordance with grant agreements, are completed within time and on budget. 

• Working with Director of Program Development and Quality, participate in conceptualizing and designing cost effective, innovative and high-quality programs to serve difficult to reach children.
• Serve as overall budget holder for most programming; manage and support budget holders for individual projects and awards and ensure project expenditure is in line with work plans and commitments to donors and members.
• Ensure programs are implemented in ways responsive to the communities, and children in line with Save the Children principles, values and strategic plan and following Save the Children compliance procedures. This includes working with government and national NGO-partners to strengthen national capacity.
• Ensure, with Head of Awards and his/her team, the preparation of timely and high quality progress reports, program reports, and donor reports.
• Coordinate overall funding process from both donors and Save the Children Members. This including: developing funding strategies, participating in the development of award proposals, and identifying strategic leads and concepts.
• Oversee all sub-offices through the Heads of Programme Implementation.
• Ensuring in implementing Programme Operations Best Practices.

Emergency Response Management

• Support the Humanitarian manager to strengthen the organisational readiness to respond to emergencies in line with global SCI emergency goal and benchmarks.
• Support Area representative ensure that each area has an up-to-date, context-based and achievable Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP), as well as that Nairobi has a specific EPP for SAVE THE CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS ROLE PROFILE 3 its support role to the field offices. Those plans must contribute to the area plans and the other country programme plans and where possible draw on SC member input and resources. 
• With support from the Humanitarian manager and under the leadership of the Country Director, mount appropriate and timely responses at scale to all emergencies consistent with established benchmarks, plans and organizational policies, and in close cooperation with incoming surge teams. 
• Working with Area Representatives and the Humanity manager, ensure that all area staff across all work sectors are familiar with, adhere to and implement the procedures and processes detailed in the Rules and Principles for emergency response.

Supply Chain, Inventory and Procurement 

• With support from Head of Supply Chain, ensure that the country office supply chain capacity and systems meet the Minimum Operating Standards and are able to satisfy the programming requirements.
• Ensure appropriate and adequate emergency Supply chain procedures are detailed in the Country Office Emergency Preparedness Plan in order to enable rapid scale up .
• Ensure goods and services procured are cost effective and of standard quality .
• Ensure procurement processes are effectively implemented .
• Work closely with the procurement team in negotiating the best deals with suppliers .
• Ensure proper record keeping, maintenance and control of inventory.
• Ensure proper documentation and recording of fixed assets of the organisation.
• Manage the fixed assets.

Staff Safety and Security

• Support the Operations Coordinator to ensure that each operational area (i.e. all area offices and sub offices) and the Nairobi Office holds a clear, updated and understood contingency plan to respond to various foreseen and potential scenarios. 
• Emphasise and support Area representatives in ensuring that national security guidelines, and in particular those on travel and incident reporting, are adhered to. 
• Support the Operations Coordinator to ensure that all safety and security minimum operating standards and in country guidelines and procedures are met by all area offices. 
• Support the Operations Coordinator in promoting a culture of security awareness and a shared duty of care amongst staff in area teams.

Staff Management, Mentorship, and Development – Program Operations 

• Responsible for ensuring that strong performance monitoring culture is promoted at Area level. 
• Develop high performing team through identification and management of talents and put succession plan in place for all the senior roles in the Program Operations.
• As the head program operations ensure that all staff understand and are able to perform their role in an emergency. 
• Promote a culture of inclusive and consultative management, of building high performance teams that work together efficiently and in harmony. 
• Incorporate staff development strategies and Performance Management Systems into team building process. Participate in the recruitment of all field offices and of other senior positions within the area teams as possible. 
• Establish result-based system and follow up.
• Ensure appropriate staffing within Program Operations, including field offices staff.
•  Ensure that all staff understand and are able to perform their role in an emergency.
•  Manage Program Implementation team; define expectations, provide leadership and technical support as needed, and evaluate direct reports regularly.
• Ensure the recruitment, training, and promotion of staff as appropriate and ensure availability of appropriate professional development opportunities for staff.
•  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:

Effective use of the Performance Management System including the establishment of clear, measurable objectives, ongoing 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.

BEHAVIOURS (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 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.

QUALIFICATIONS:

•  Post-graduate degree in Development Studies or other Social Sciences.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

 Essential

• Master’s degree in development or other social sciences. 
• Minimum of 10 years management experience in a corporate or an NGO environment, in a range of cultures including significant field operations experience, running both emergency and development programs. 
• Robust experience of NGO emergency program cycle management, and with experience of working within a complex and matrix organisation structure. 
• In depth understanding of at least two of the sectoral programs and a working knowledge of the program priorities of the Country Office.
• Good understanding of international humanitarian systems, institutions and donors,and of procedures and accountability frameworks and best practices in emergency management.
• Substantial and proven experience and knowledge of effective financial and budgetary control and securing and managing grants from major institutional donors.
• Solid project management skills related to organisational development projects and international, cross- functional teams with a proven history of delivering results.
• Ability to analyse information, evaluate options and to think and plan strategically.
• An in-depth understanding of national and international development issues particularly in relation to children.
• Previous experience of managing and developing a team and the ability to lead, motivate and develop others.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Ability and willingness to change work practices and hours, and work with incoming teams in the event of major emergencies.
• Willingness to spend up to 50% of time in visiting field offices security allowing.
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles including rights- based approaches.

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 the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and 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 any form of abuse.

Health and Safety 

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

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 realise 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.

 Save the Children is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ and assign the best-qualified talent.

Female Candidates are encouraged to apply.

Disclaimer:

Beware that there are individuals who may take and use SCI’s name in an attempt to solicit fees from interested job-seekers. We do not use recruiting persons or agencies to help us identify candidates for employment. If you’re contacted by a person promising you recruitment or placement at SCI for a charge, do not accept, and please get in touch with us at SCIFraud@savethechildren.org.

 Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.