Director Program Development and Quality (PDQ)

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Save the Children is the world’s leading independent organization for children. Our Vision is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. In Zambia, Save the Children works in the following Thematic areas: Education, Health& Nutrition, Child Protection, Child Rights Governance and Child Poverty; including Humanitarian response. Save the Children wishes to invite qualified individuals to apply for the following position:

Position: Director Program Development and Quality (PDQ)
Duty Station: Lusaka
Role Purpose:
As a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) in Zambia, the Director of Program Development and Quality (PDQ) is responsible for driving cross-functional engagement in the development and delivery of the Country Strategy Plan (CSP), developing annual plans and reporting on results. S/he is responsible for ensuring development and delivery of high quality, evidence-based, innovative programs for children, in all contexts, that contribute to Save the Children’s global Breakthroughs: Learn, Survive, Be Protected. The Director of PDQ ensures that a robust monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) system is in place, that the country office engages in the collection and use of evidence and that is shared across the global organization, and that reliable data is used for decision-making.

The incumbent will be reporting to the Country Director

Staff directly reporting to this post: MEAL Manager, Communications Manager and Program Development Manager and Technical Specialists.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Strategy, Planning and Reporting

• Lead the development/updating of the Child Rights Situation Analysis, including analysis of country context and taking into account child rights principles and gender issues, ensuring participation and buy-in from all relevant staff, partners and other stakeholders as necessary.
• Develop/update and drive forward the Country Strategy Plan (CSP) with senior management and the country office team, ensuring alignment with the global strategy, Ambition 2030.
• Provide leadership on monitoring of progress against the CSP, and completion of accurate, on-time Country Annual Report of outcomes and impact for children, aligned with the Global Results Framework.
• Facilitate the development and pursuit of thematic and cross-cutting strategic priorities in line with the CSP, including gender equality, to guide current and future SC programming and advocacy work, including Humanitarian Strategies.

Program Design & Development

• Based on tracking provided by the Awards Management team, review and position for opportunities that will drive the CSP.
• In consultation with the Country Director and Members, ensure technical engagement with donors to pre-position and prepare for opportunities, and engage in strategic positioning work directly as appropriate.

Program Quality and Program Technical Excellence

• Ensure the country program delivers high quality, multi-sectoral programming and advocacy in both development and humanitarian contexts (as appropriate).
• Monitor and advance technical and operational quality of programmes, including conducting regular field visits to provide feedback on quality benchmarks, soliciting inputs for design of new programs and collecting ideas for innovation.
• Build and lead a team of program technical experts needed to successfully deliver against the CSP. Ensure effective working relationships with SC global, Member and regional technical advisors, procuring technical support as needed to support program and advocacy efforts, including during Emergencies.
• Ensure that program technical experts engage in larger communities of practice within and external to Save the Children, 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

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Learning (MEAL) and Knowledge management

• Oversee a monitoring system that provides timely and accurate project results by embedding MEAL across program implementation. This requires ensuring effective collaboration across MEAL staff, Technical Specialists, Technical Advisors and program implementation teams to develop logframes, indicators, implementation plans, quality benchmarks, monitoring and evaluation frameworks and related tools.
• Lead programme quality improvements by monitoring and improving Programme KPI performance, including resourcing and conducting high-quality evaluations to demonstrate outcomes and impact and ensuring that accountability mechanisms are in place for all projects so that identified actions are resolved, with critical issues escalated to the senior leadership team.

Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media

• Ensure development of an advocacy strategy and annual plans linked to the CSP, with clear Campaign deliverables, for the Country Office.
• Represent Save the Children as part of advocacy and networking with government authorities, donors, partners, civil society actors, children and other stakeholders to build relationships to facilitate achievement of CSP strategic goals and success of our projects for children
  Partnership
• Play a leading role in identifying nurturing and strengthening strategic partnerships with local and international civil society organizations, NGOs, governments etc., in advancing the country and global strategy to inspire our three breakthroughs for the most deprived and marginalized children.

Staff Management, Mentorship, and Development

• Ensure appropriate staffing of Program Development and Quality team, and engagement of additional technical support when needed to deliver quality project design and delivery.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree (Master’s preferred), and experience in relevant social science (especially in Child Development or Community Development), human rights, development studies, NGO management or equivalent fields.
• A minimum of seven years of progressive senior management and/ or development experience, including experience designing and implementing programs for children.
• Experience in one or more of Save the Children’s thematic sectors: education, child protection, child rights governance, health and nutrition, child poverty, emergencies.
• Understanding of advocacy, policy, and government systems in the host country, and particular experience with child rights programming, including UNCRC.
• Strong skills and proven experience in leading strategic planning, change management and program management processes; also from the knowledge and learning perspective.
• Strong skills and proven experience in new program development, project design and proposal writing with corporate, foundations and/or institutional donors.
• Credibility to lobby, influence and represent Save the Children at all levels.
• Experience in developing and managing monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning systems.
• Excellent listening, inter-personal, communication and networking skills; proven experience and effectiveness working across functional teams and in a matrixed structure; and an ability to work with diverse populations.
• Skills in training, capability building, coaching, mentorship, problem solving, and project cycle management.
• High level of self-awareness and willingness to take feedback for growth and self-development.
• Proven experience as a team player and leader in an international organization.

The post holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

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.

How to Apply: 

Please click on the apply button and follow the link.

PLEASE DO NOT ATTACH COPIES OF YOUR CERTIFICATES
The closing date for receipt of applications is 13th October 2020. Only short listed candidates will be notified.
Save the Children reserves the right to re advertise if suitable applicants are not found.