Role purpose

The Programme Operations and Awards Manager will be a member of the Senior Management Team in providing oversight to all programme implementation and budget management in the Senegal Country Programme, helping to ensure the implementation of safe, quality programming that is on time, in line with Save the Children International (SCI) and donor compliance, and within budget; and to ensure quality reporting. The Programme Operations and Awards Manager will be responsible for the overall supervision of the awards management in terms of contracts, compliance, member relationship, partnership, reporting.

Scope of role:

• Reports to: Country Director
• Number of direct reports: 9 PM and COP (can vary based on program portfolio)
• Indirect or Matrix Management Reports: RO Operations Manager
• Budget Responsibilities: TBD

Key areas of accountability

• Senior Management Team member
• Ensure an active participation to the SMT, in terms of strategic contribution, overview of the operation and awards management, sharing issues, solutions and lessons learnt.
• Support the development and performance of the Operation and Award team
• Carry out orientations and staff trainings for operation and award management procedures, donor requirements etc… for Save the Children staff and partner organisations.
• Build relationships across the Country Office, the Region and the Centre and escalate issues as required
• Provide direct line management to programme managers and COP, ensuring that all new staff inductions and develop to perform (D2P) processes are completed, including all mandatory course requirements.
• Provide direct and regular on the job mentoring and coaching, to applicable field managers, state program leads and operations coordinator, to demonstrate increased skills and confidence for their respective work areas, and work more efficiently with better prioritization of work.
• Oversight and Management of Programme Operations
• Coordinate adherence to robust project management methodology and standardised ways of working, including through capacity building of Program Leads in work-planning and program management, and holding them accountable for key deliverables
• In collaboration with the technical teams and other functions, provide oversight of programme implementation across the country programme, ensuring the delivery of high quality and safe programming that is on time and within resources and donor/SCI requirements.
• Lead and facilitate the implementation of SCI’s standard Project Management Methodology (PMM) by ensuring all program leads have all updated operation and awards management tools in place: a clear and updated Detailed Implementation Plan (DIP), updated Procurement Plan, IPTT, Quality Benchmarks, accountability mechanisms, etc,
• Support budget holders for individual projects and awards, ensuring accurate forecasting and effective budget management and monitoring to ensure that all programme budgets and resources are effectively and efficiently managed, monitored, and utilized, with minimal variances. This includes regular BVA reviews, transaction reviews, variance explanations, accurate phasing, and on-time implementation.
• Ensure programme leads manage their procurement efficiently: including respect of timeline to raise Procurement Requests (PRs), understanding of ProSave, clear monitoring of their procurements, reception of goods and services, and manage stocks effectively and in line with SCI requirements, through Total Inventory Management (TIM), and with all required and accurate documentation.
• Ensure all programme leads work closely with the Monitoring Evaluation Accountability Learning (MEAL) teams to maintain accurate and consistent data collection and monitoring tools and procedures, that contribute to reports, reviews, and learning.
• Ensure all programme leads work closely with the MEAL and Child Safeguarding teams to ensure that all programmes are safe for children, minimize risk, and regularly maintain and integrate information on SCI accountability mechanism.
• Work closely with the technical, MEAL, and awards teams to ensure that all programmes produce accurate, timely, and quality reports and other documents within SCI and donor requirement; with key lessons learnt, capitalization of the program and documentation archives.
• Ensure all programme leads maintain positive, mutually accountable, and productive relationships with all implementing partners.
• Together with the technical teams, support all programme leads to actively explore and pursue opportunities for cross-sector and cross-project collaboration and integration.
• Ensure all programme leads have a clear communication plan, support visibility of the program in alignment with SCI branding and donor requirements,
• Ensure all programme leads work closely with the advocacy team to maintain positive and productive relationships with the relevant government agencies, civil society networks, and other key stakeholder in their areas, ensuring participation, joint monitoring, and regular communication as feasible.
• Ensure all programme leads, and support functions (as relevant) fully understand and comply with all of Save the Children’s policies, procedures, and requirements.
• Schedule periodic field operations support and monitoring visits to the relevant field locations, designed to observe program delivery, ensure accountability to beneficiaries, monitor controls and adherence to systems, spotlight progress and achievements, and inform learning.

Emergency Response

• Serve as the country office lead / focal point in all emergency response planning and disaster risk reduction: planning, strategies, and activities; including external meetings as relevant.
• Serve as the immediate lead in initial emergency responses, alerts, and assessments; and support field offices to implement emergency responses in a timely manner as relevant.
• Award Management leadership, portfolio management and strategy
• Ensure award management systems and processes are successfully implemented, and key controls are in place to support effective portfolio management and compliance with donor requirements.
• Ensure regular award monitoring across the country office and facilitate regular meetings with key stakeholders to ensure individual award performance is being tracked effectively, and that risks and issues are being recognised and action taken.
• Ensure a clear follow-up of KPI performance related to operation and awards and trouble-shoot issues affecting program delivery at field level, drawing on support from relevant departments within the country office.

Compliance (systems, processes, donor)

• Coordinate the processes for donor reporting to ensure that reports are high quality, delivered on time and supported by auditable records.
• Maintain effective communications with Save the Children members regarding donor related issues.
• Lead Award Kick off meetings to ensure that all award information is shared effectively with relevant staff, including field offices and partners
• Lead Close out process and work with members to ensure awards are closed out on time
• Coordinate with auditors as necessary
• Clear understanding of SCI processes and key donor requirements, and support teams across CO to ensure all opportunities, proposals, contracts and amendments follow SCI processes
• Ensure that all appropriate donor formats are available in-country and staff have a clear understanding of donor requirements/expectations throughout the award cycle.
• Ensure potential issues and amendment requests are flagged promptly to the SMT, then to donors via the relevant member. Prepare donor waiver/derogation requests.
• Ensure all Award Management System (AMS) records are an accurate reflection of current award status at all times, and have all required documentation attached.
• Ensure all partners and sub-award agreements undergo legal vetting, are input into and approved through AMS, and work with relevant staff to ensure relevant donor requirements are understood by implementing partners (this may include capacity building).

General

• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
• 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.

Competencies for this role

Leading and inspiring others

Demonstrates leadership in all our work, embodies our values and articulates a compelling vision to inspire others to achieve our goals for children.

Delivering results

Takes personal responsibility and holds others accountable for delivering our ambitious goals for children, continually improving own performance or that of the team/ organisation

Problem solving and decision making

Takes effective, considered and timely decisions by gathering and evaluating relevant information from within or outside the organisation.

Communicating with impact

Communicates clearly and confidently with others to engage and influence; promotes dialogue and ensures timely and appropriate messages, building confidence and trust with others.

Qualifications and experience

• Master’s degree in Management, Sociology/Development studies or related areas.
• A minimum of 7 years of management experience in an NGO or similar environment in leadership roles, including significant field operations experience running development programmes or emergency response programmes.

Essential Criteria

• Proven track record of in-country award portfolio management and knowledge of major donors’ compliance requirements (EU, USAID, AFD, etc.)
• Strong team management and capacity-building skills and experience. Demonstrated ability to build and manage an effective team, mentoring, and coaching skills with at least three years of direct management experience, and/or expertise with remote operational/logistical/financial management.
• Familiar with effective financial and budgetary controls, management and understanding; managing grants from a diverse range of donors, and coaching others on systems and procedures
• Ability to plan, prioritize, and organise a substantial workload, for self and others, that includes complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities in development contexts
• Solid project management skills with a proven history of delivering results
• Ability to analyse information, evaluate options and to think and plan strategically
• Excellent problem-solving capacities; ability to collaborate with others to find solutions
• Excellent French and English communication skills both oral and writing.
• Strong computer skills in Word, Excel, and Power Point.
• Good analytical skills; ability to solve problems creatively, understand underlying causes, and proactively identify and pursue innovative solutions (in consultation with others).
• Consistently demonstrates positive role modelling and adherence to Save the Children’s values, principles, and aims. Consistently willing to learn, grow, and accept feedback.
• Cultural awareness and ability to build relationships quickly with a wide variety of people
• Patient, flexible, able to improvise and communicate clearly and effectively under pressure
• Excellent planning, management and coordination skills, with the ability to organise a workload comprised of varying and changing tasks and responsibilities

Desirable

Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours as needed; and willing to travel as needed to other locations, sometimes at short notice.

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 abuse.

Health and Safety

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

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.

Application Information

Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date Curriculum Vitae as a single document. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations.

We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Save the Children has zero tolerance for child abuse

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply

Applicants are advised that Save the Children International does not require any payment or expense during the entire recruitment process. Any request in this direction should be immediately reported as contrary to the values and practices of our organization.

How to apply :

To apply to this position, please send you Curriculum Vitae and motivation in the link before the deadline.

Closing Date: Dec 5, 2022