Head of Program Operations

ROLE PURPOSE:

The Head of Program Operations of East Area Office, in close coordination with Area Director, Technical Advisors, and partners provides strategic and operational leadership for multi-sector program delivery across six oblasts. The role ensures high-quality, timely, and accountable implementation of all activities, in line with Save the Children's strategy, policies, and standards. The position focuses on effective program management, identifying and supporting Program Managers with ongoing capacity development, and overseeing partner-led program implementation.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Program Management

• Manage all program implementation in the respective area, oversight of project implementation plans, ongoingly assess progress of implementation of activities against detailed implementation plan and budget.
• Provide quality and comprehensive inputs and Awards Review Meeting for capturing the progress and putting in place corrective measures and steering the implementation when and as required in consultation with Area Director and Awards.
• Take the lead in utilizing available SCI program management tools and practices for program operations budget and progress analysis and coordinating with.
• Facilitate coordination within the organization at programs and support levels in connection with all implemented programs at area level.
• With the support of the program development and quality team, including MEAL and Technical Advisors, contribute to the design of the programs related to EAO.
• Manage all programs in line Standard Operations Procedures and monitor their alignment with Save the Children policies and strategy, informing Area Director and relevant departments of deviations.
• In line with Area Director's delegation represent representation SCI, contribute or assign Program Managers and Project Coordinators in the discussions with coordination fora, local authorities etc. including in inter-agencies meetings and at Area and Oblast levels with government officials.
• Utilize and support Program Operations team with designated access to utilize PRIME and Awards Management System.
• Promote synergies and ensure the overall coherence and relevance of multi-sectoral response.
• Support MEAL and PDQ in capturing and retaining key lessons learned from the programmes.
• Ensure with the program managers that the thematic capacity of staff is adequate to steer the program implementation to the changing context and support the partners.
• Track budget spending of programmes and partners activities and propose informed catch-up actions for the deviations during and beyond award review meetings.
• Oversee the cash forecasting of programmatic lines and monitor against the master budget.
• Ensure area level trackers are regularly contributed and used for the decision-making including activity trackers (MEAL) partner PAAs (awards and partnership), funding gaps (Finance), etc.
• Support East projects to have clear indicators aligned with Save the Children global standards, useful and accurate baseline data and staff friendly reporting formats.
• Ensure area-level quality donor reporting (involves hands-on support and coaching to teams), evaluation (including impact evaluation), and documentation.
• Ensure country strategy and the annual country plans are implemented in the East.
• Maintain clear overview and understanding of the security, political and legal context.
• Support appropriate participation of staff in program management and decision-making as well as raise relevant issue to appropriate functions and AD in address those necessary issues at Operations, PDQ and Awards meetings and others.
• Support and advice on the partners' capacity assessment to partnership and development for building national civil society; act as a senior focal point in the area for partner engagement and problem-solving; with the Area Director, Awards, Partnership and other teams, consider local partnership processes and strategy and propose and implement improvements.
• Lead on tracking, considering and proposing PDQ and NBD in programmatic innovations and adaptions, including proposing programming for proposals based on ongoing awareness of needs.
• Contribute in development of concept papers and proposals with Programme Managers and Technical Advisors as requested, along with Area Director, act as primary area interface with New Business Development team.
• Close engagement with MEAL at area level to develop learning, monitor progress, monitor quality criteria, carry out needs assessment, etc., and to ensure that this leads to decision-making.

Staff Management, Mentorship and Development

• Ensure that Program Managers and Coordinators and in turn able to support their direct reports in understanding their roles and have the capacity to implement humanitarian programmes.
• Manage team, define expectations, provide leadership and technical support as needed, and evaluate direct reports regularly.
• Along with Area Director, conduct regular review of area-level organogram reviews to ensure appropriate staffing and actively support and engage in recruitment
• Ensure utilization of appropriate professional development opportunities for staff e.g. coaching, mentoring, training and other developmental opportunities and flag individual capacity development needs to HR as per SCI procedure.
• Actively develop staff under the Area Head of Program's line management, including carrying out succession planning for national staff into positions which are currently international.
• Manage the performance of direct reports through effective use of the Performance Management System including the establishment of clear, measurable objectives, on-going feedback, periodic reviews and fair and unbiased evaluations. Recognize outstanding performance and document performance that is less than satisfactory, with appropriate performance improvements/ work plans.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential

• At least 4 years/substantial experience working with a humanitarian/ development organization, including at least 2 years of management experience.
• University degree in related academic discipline or equivalent work experience.
• Skills and experience in project/programme implementation, monitoring, review and evaluation preferably from a child rights approach in accordance with the Child Rights Convention and international humanitarian rights standards.
• Substantial people and programme management experience with good interpersonal skills and ability to communicate at all levels.
• Solid experience in grant management, including budget holding and donor reporting.
• Substantial understanding or proven experience of security management issues.
• Ability to produce high quality reports in English.
• Representational, political awareness and advocacy skills.
• Ability to work with limited supervision from line manager.
• Experience of working with partners and a participatory approach.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Ukrainian.
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children's aims, values and principles.

Desirable

• Experience and understanding of SCI program management system will be an advantage.