Job Description

The Organisation

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

 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 workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

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.

Save the Children International seeks to always be a child safe organization through fulfilling its obligations to the community and through programme implementation carried out by the organization for safeguarding children and to improve the living standards of the child.

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Position: ECHO Project Lead

Location: Hajjah Field Office        

Grade: 3a

The Opportunity:

Save the Children, (SCI), one of the largest INGOs in Yemen, has been implementing complex multi sector awards funded by ECHO for several years in the northern governorate of Hajjah. The program is an integrated project including nutrition, health, WASH and protection activities, designed to address reduction of hunger, morbidity and mortality and protect the wellbeing of the most vulnerable Yemeni men, women, boys and girls in Hajjah. 

SCI is seeking a dynamic Project Manager to lead this project. The Project Manager work with the program and operations team under the guidance of the Field Manager (FM) to provide overall management of the project through the provision of operational guidance, effective financial management, timely reporting and compliance with donor rules and regulations, strong MEAL, and ensuring necessary technical guidance and support to ensure quality delivery of the project goals. Ultimately, he/she is accountable for the project to meet its stated goals. The Project Manager will act as the primary focal point for the project and represent the project to the donor in coordination with the FM and other Country Office colleagues, in addition, he/she will take a leading role in representing SCI at key cluster meetings, working groups and in meetings with the main stakeholders of the program, including government authorities.

SCOPE OF ROLE

Reports to: DPO – Sanaa

Staff reporting to this post: The position will not directly line manage program staff in the field, they will continue reporting to the respective sector Program Managers, who in turn report to FM. However, there will be a strong dotted line from teams working on ECHO to the ECHO Project Manager, who will be expected to set workplans and supervise activities on a day to day basis within the matrix management system.

Budget Responsibilities: In country project budget of $6m according to scheme of delegation.             

Key Areas of Responsibilities

Program Planning and Implementation

• Ensure robust planning and project management processes are in place, following Save the Children’s Program Management Methodology (PMM) and good practices.
• Ensure that efficient systems are in place to support all aspects of project activity, including financial and grant management, procurement planning, project monitoring, and evaluation, and that they support the effective use of project resources in compliance with ECHO requirements.
• Ensure project workplan is up to date and regularly reviewed and all project staff are aware of project activities, outputs, and deliverables
• Develop an efficient internal communications charter to ensure clear, effective communication with all levels of management within the project teams, including Field Manager in Hajjah, DPO, Technical Advisors etc.
• Oversee timely expenditure of approved budgets, avoiding both underspending and overspending. 
• Ensure that all expenditure is in line with project budget/forecast, and that transactions and documentation comply with SCI policies, procedures, and minimum standards. Carry out regular budget monitoring and forecasting to ensure spend within the agreed budget parameters.
• Ensure close collaboration with PDQ Technical Advisers and Specialists to deliver programming according to Save the Children’s quality standards and sector wide good practice standards, including safe programming and conflict sensitivity guidelines.
• Work with the Hajjah Field Team to ensure close coordination through clusters with other humanitarian actors and UN agencies carrying out program activities for geographic mapping and to ensure program activities are in line with national and humanitarian technical priorities. 
• Work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) team (MEAL Advisor, MEAL Coordinators, and MEAL Officers) to develop appropriate monitoring and evaluation plans and to capture learning opportunities (see additional information in the Monitoring and Evaluation section below). Build adaptive management into routine program activities to leverage this learning.
• Ensure training, compliance, and adherence to program sector SOPs i.e., targeting, selection and verification criteria
• As a key member of field Senior Management Team, actively participate in weekly management and other team meetings held in FO. 

People Management and Leadership

• Provide overall leadership for the ECHO project team working with program managers to set expectations, workplans and performance objectives in order to achieve the project objectives.
• Promote accountability, contribute to objective setting and provide constructive feedback through regular performance reviews in collaboration with line managers.
• Responsible for the timely recruitment, orientation, and training of new ECHO project staff as needed. 
• Represent SCI at sector working groups, coordination meetings as well during other stakeholder meetings (if relevant), and maintain a positive, continuous, and visible presence for SCI.
• Ensure SCI’s mandate is shared and explained to relevant stakeholders.

Representation

• The PM will also ensure consistent, regular, and high-quality communication with SCI’s Member office supporting the project (SC Norway) and ECHO representatives. 
• Identify and lead on project modifications, changes and redesign including NCE/CEs as needed. 
• Maintain good working relationships with officials and other humanitarian actors, particularly those within the relevant government agencies (local and national authorities including technical line ministries), INGOs, NGOs, UN agencies and with visiting donor and third-party monitoring teams, and other key contacts. Keep abreast of NGO, government, and donor initiatives relevant to SC’s work.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning

• When security permits, undertake regular visits to field sites to assess project sites and ongoing implementation, provide monitoring and feedback and on the job support and guidance. 
• Work with relevant FO and CO teams to develop and evolve the MEAL plans and tools, and ensure the project is monitored against appropriate and measurable indicators. 
• Contribute to a summary of recommended areas of improvement, areas of success, and lead the commencement of an action plan with SCI’s program staff, local partners and/or health facility staff to evolve and make positive systems improvements where needed.
• Support in, or lead on multi-sectoral / health and nutrition, WASH, CP technical assessments in coordination with other SCI thematic areas and/or other external sector agencies, ensuring assessment findings are documented and that all assessments include a specific analysis of children’s needs. 

Safeguarding and risk management

• Ensure that project risks mitigations are in place and regularly monitored to prevent fraud, corruption, diversion or other harm in line with SCI policies and standards
• Ensure SCI safeguarding and PSEA policies are implemented in the project and are subject to continuous monitoring/review 
• Coordinate with security teams to maintain situational awareness in the programme locations and ensure safety and security measures are followed as per SCI safety and security protocols

Reporting

• Ensure timely and high-quality reporting on project achievements and challenges on monthly, quarterly, interim, and final schedules
• Proactively prepare ad hoc progress reporting for the donor and other key stakeholders when required
• Holds final responsibility for all support documents (means of verification) and general project documents
• Delivers regular communication products (including pictures) on the project to be used by the SCI AMC and Awards team
• Producing narrative reports for projects under remit, and collaborates with relevant colleagues, technical advisors, finance, and Award management functions to ensure timely submission of high-quality reporting that complies with donor requirements.

Other

• Play a leadership role in the development of follow-on proposals; coordinate input from Field Offices and relevant stakeholders in country, and define programme strategy

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.

Qualifications and Experience:

Essential: 

• At least 5 years’ experience working in integrated project management with experience in at least two of the sectors of health and nutrition, FSL, WASH and CP programming. 
• Previous experience of working with ECHO funded awards. 
• Demonstrable organizational, budget, project management, communication and writing skills, MEAL monitoring and strategic development. 
• Familiarity and demonstrable success with working within a matrix management system, ability to show leadership skills and the ability to supervise and motivate staff. 
• Experience of establishing strong and constructive working relationships with colleagues from different functions and organizations.
• Ability to frequently travel to the field sites and work in hardship, insecure remote and non-accompanied locations
• Substantial experience of developing working relations with government, UN agencies INGO partner’s community stakeholders and beneficiaries.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills and commitment to capacity building of staff with proven skills as a trainer/facilitator and mentor.
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles.
• Ability to be self-sufficient and resourceful.
• Computer skills e.g.  Word, Power Point and Excel.
• Language skills: Excellent English – writing and speaking

Desirable: 

• Technical expertise in at least one of the project sectors
• Knowledge and experience of cash transfer programming
• Prior experience in Yemen
• Oral and written communication skills in Arabic
• Familiarity with the political, social, and cultural context of Yemen
• Previously completed Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) – essential for Yemen. 

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.  

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom Save the Children is in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse. In addition, it is Save the Children’s policy to create and proactively maintain an environment that aims to prevent and deter any actions and omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertent, that place children at the risk of any kind of child abuse. All our representatives are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this commitment and obligation. Any violations of this policy will be treated as a serious issue.  

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Save the Children complies with all applicable laws.