Save the Children Senior Programme Manager (Adolescent Girls) Job in Nairobi Kenya

Senior Programme Manager - Adolescent Girls’ Initiative (Rural)

Kenya Country Office
 

Team / Programme: Programme Operations 

Location:  Nairobi with frequent travel to Wajir and Mandera Counties 
 

Grade: TBC  (Competitive Package)

Post Type: National 
 

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: 
 

Under the general direction and guidance of the Director of Programme Operations and with technical advice from the Director of Programme Development and Quality (PDQ) ensure that all programmes targets of the 6-year Adolescent Girls Initiative Action Research Project (AGIARP) are achieved across the integrated 4-pillar programme (health including sexual & reproductive health, wealth creation, education and child protection), are of excellent technical quality and contributes significantly to Save the Children’s strategic objectives, national/global learning and advocacy. 

The Senior Programme Manager - Adolescent Girls’ Initiative (Rural) is expected to provide technical advice and project management support to field project staff to ensure the objectives of the project are successfully achieved. 

He/she shall also contribute to achieving all project milestones on time and delivery of quality multi-sectoral programming for adolescent girls aged 10-14. 

The Senior Programme Manager - Adolescent Girls’ Initiative (Rural) must be willing to embrace a child rights programming approach and represent Save the Children in national forums and working groups.  

He/she will support the overall country strategic intent to focus on risk reduction, adaptation and resiliency in light of a changing context in East Africa.
 

This position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya, with frequent travel to our field offices in Wajir and Mandera to coordinate a 5-year study of outcomes for adolescent girls, ages 10-14.  

The position may be co-located with the research partner for 2-3 days per week.

Scope of Role: 
 

Reports to: Director of Programme Operations
 

Dimensions: 

Save the Children has supported children in Kenya since before its Independence in 1963 and has had a consistent operational presence in the country since 1984. 

We provide support to children through developmental and humanitarian relief programmes delivered both directly and through local partners. 

Current programming focuses on child protection, child rights governance, education, Health, HIV/AIDS, livelihoods, nutrition and WASH. 

Save the Children has an operational presence in Dadaab Refugee Camp, Garissa, Mandera, Meru and Wajir. 

Currently, we have a staff complement of approximately 260 staff and a confirmed budget of approximately US$18 million this year.
 

Staff directly reporting to this post: 2-4 
 

Key Areas of Accountability:

Overall Programme Management

• Provide strategic guidance and technical support, supervision and leadership to SCI Kenya’s AGIARP teams ensuring quality control of all programme deliverables including overall achievement of program objectives and targets. 
• Specifically lead the design and development during the Inception Phase and direct and support the Implementation Phase of the AGIARP in collaboration with other consortium partners.
• Oversee preparation of annual detailed implementation plans, monitoring performance against work plan deadlines and all project reporting requirements.
• Responsible for all HR responsibilities relating to the AGIARP team including developing annual workplans and mid-term and annual performance review.  
• Provide oversight of all financial management of the project including including budget planning, expenditure, reporting and ensuring effective use of financial and human resources in accordance with all SCI Kenya financial procedures and protocols. 
• Provide technical guidance to ensure that all programme goals are met through delivery of integrated project activities across the 4-programme pillars (health including sexual and reproductive health, protection and education) that meet the programme goals targeting girls aged 10-14 years of age.   
• Maintain effective and regular communication with other implementing and research partners, working  closely and supporting partners in the efficient delivery of all operational research activities including design, roll-out and collection of on-going project monitoring data.   
• Ensure the AGIARP is consistent with Save the Children strategic and thematic objectives and dual mandate, that the project maintains a gender sensitive lens and work towards gender equity in all aspects of the project. Additionally, ensure that the AGIARP is aligned to Government of Kenya’s priorities on gender equality, especially with respect to young/adolescent girls.
• Travel frequently to implementation sites to liaise with field project staff across all 4 sectors, community leaders, local governments and beneficiaries to ensure continued participation and support for the project. It is anticipated that the position will be required to travel 30-40% of the time to project locations in Wajir and Mandera.
• Provide inputs into the Project Advisory Committee in consultation with and as requested by the Directof of PDQ.
• Ensure that programme strategy supports and demonstrates good practice in child safeguarding and gender mainstreaming.
• Using a child rights programming lens, ensure that the AGIARP is built around SCI’s Theory of Change and aligns with Global Initiative strategic direction.

Advocacy and Policy Development

• Support Director of PDQ in developing and/or maintaining linkage between national level policy and implementation practice; generate evidence for good practice documentation.
• As a senior member of the Country Office team, contribute to supporting national level relationships with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and other relevant ministries to develop strong commitments to the success of the AGI project.
• Be fully aware of national policies, strategies and other initiatives and developments by the Government of Kenya and other stakeholders relating to gender and gender equality, especially with respect to young/adolescent girls, and critical intersections with the project’s 4-pillars i.e. health/SRH, child protection, education, wealth creation food security/livelihoods. 
• Collaborate and coordinate with other multi-sectoral stakeholders to ensure alignment with the Mandera and Wajir County Strategies and effectiveness of programming, consult with relevant stakeholders including DFID, UNICEF, EC, USAID and other actors, as well as Children Assemblies and other child forums. Specifically ensure the following:
• Participation in working groups and technical meetings relevant to the programme goals of the AGIARP, advising field teams to ensure adequate field visibility through attendance at technical meetings at county and ward level.
• Ensure presence at relevant partner coordination meetings, especially with the Government of Kenya and key donors
• Ensure active dissemination of programme activities, results and lessons learned through the production of quality technical project documents and their effective dissemination to key stakeholders
• Participate in and contribute to SC Global Initiative activities for HIV/AIDS and Health, as relevant.

Programme Quality

• Monitor and provide timely, relevant, accurate input on the SCI’s work in the AGIARP.
• Liaise with the Programme Operations department to ensure all AGIARP and other programme staff receive the necessary and appropriate technical support. In consultation with staff and project managers agree on the range of advice, support, training and/or other assistance required from you to facilitate high quality programming and ensure it is delivered in a timely fashion.  This will involve regular visits to AGIARP ‘s operational areas.
• Assist and/or oversee the development of tools for AGIARP’s work to support and improve the quality of project activities. Where necessary provide technical training for project staff and partners as required (e.g. providing adolescent friendly SRH services, behaviour change communication, monitoring tools, programme quality tools, etc.).
• Where external consultants (local or international) are required to technically support or monitor and evaluate projects, lead the recruitment and subsequent management of contracted consultants as per the recruitment guidelines.
• Review relevant monitoring reports ensuring that technical debates are well articulated and reports are of acceptable quality before submission. Provide support to project team where necessary to improve report writing skills.  
• Analyse and provide feedback on programme implementation to ensure gender equity and adequate child participation.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Work with the wider AGIARP team to develop a project M&E framework participating in the design of baseline, mid-term and end of project evaluations, as required. 
• Ensure that field based M&E Officer(s) are fully familiar with and able to conduct all relevant monitoring  activities consistent with the project M&E framework.
• Work with the wider AGIARP team and field teams to review evaluation findings and ensure that lessons and recommendations are captured in the Lessons Learned database.
• Regularly review and monitor programmes for child safeguarding issues.  Take corrective action in modifying programme activities and/or report incidents

Other

• Participate in PDQ programme meetings, planning and review activities, ensuring that the wider SCI teams are fully informed about AGIARP past and future activities.
• Actively participate in key relevant internal meetings such as Programme Review Meetings, Senior Management Team or Area-based meetings as required.  Participate in and/or support key donor visits to the AGIARP project sites, as required.  

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

Qualifications and Experience

• Masters or advanced degree in international development with specialization in supporting women and girl’s empowerment, ideally within a multi-sectoral framework i.e. education, health/SRH, wealth creation and protection).
• Ideal candidates will have at least five years programme work experience in the design, delivery and monitoring of quality international development projects, ideally with a strong gender and women/girls empowerment component.
• Minimum seven years senior project management field experience with proven donor reporting, compliance and grant management experience, and superior human resource management skills leading diverse teams in harsh environment.
• Demonstrative financial management experience of at least US$500,000/year.
• Experience leading diverse stakeholders, and ability to understand and bridge diverging communication styles and agendas in order to reach common goals.
• Experience working in northern arid lands of Kenya, with a specific understanding of issues related to girls.
• Proven representation and advocacy skills.
• Strong commitment to capacity building of national staff and partners with willingness to adopt participatory and consultative approaches.
• Experience writing donor funding proposals for large institutional grants in excess of US$1 million.
• Strong report writing skills and ability to compile narrative sections for proposals and donor reports.
• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate and negotiate clearly and effectively at all levels, taking into account cultural and language difficulties.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets.
• Experience solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy-in.
• Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner.
• Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies.
• Fluency in English, both verbal and written, required.  Swahili preferred.
• Commitment to Save the Children values, including willingness to abide by and enforce the Child Safeguarding policy.

How to Apply

The application process is now open and will close on the above dates at 5.00 p.m. 

To apply for this position, please send a short cover letter and CV to Kenya.jobapplications@savethechildren.org  indicating the position title on the subject line.