Summary
Date Posted: Saturday, September 23 2023, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:

ROLE PURPOSE:
The Technical Director – Program Implementation (TD) for the three-year USAID/BHA funded program called Uthabiti “Building Resilience through Market-Led Livelihoods Opportunities” has overall responsibility for providing leadership for the effective delivery of program activities in Lamwo and Isingiro districts of Uganda. As a member of the Uthabiti Consortium Senior Management Team (SMT), s/he is responsible for representing applicable implementation issues to the Chief of Party (CoP) and sharing in the responsibility for the direction, and oversight of Save the Children International’s (SCI) operations. The TD supervises the MEAL and award management components of the project and supports the operations team in fulfilling its full spectrum role at the country and field office levels.

The role will provide, steer, and support effective field operations management and program delivery in Lamwo and Isingiro. The TD will closely monitor key performance indicators for program delivery, as well as ensure that bottlenecks are addressed through the facilitation of collaborative work across functions.

The TD will work closely with the CoP and consortium partners in coordination and management and ensuring that the program is integrated and synergized while ensuring that program implementation is well aligned to the approved design, Save the Children program quality benchmarks, and contributes to Save the Children’s overall country and global outcomes and breakthroughs for children.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Program Management and Delivery:
• Responsible for coordination of program implementation both direct and indirect with other partners, for delivery of high-quality programming that is on time, on budget, in line with the objectives of the country strategic objectives, and in accordance with USAID/BHA requirements.
• Coordinate adherence to robust program management methodology and standardized ways of working, including through capacity building of the field coordinators and awards coordinator in work-planning and program management, and holding them accountable for key deliverables.
• Closely work with the awards coordinator to manage and support the program’s budget ensuring accurate forecasting and effective budget management and monitoring through monthly program reviews at the field and country office level.
• Ensure that key program documents are up to date, including procurement plans and HR plans, detailed implementation plans, phased budgets, and ensure the periodic review of the same.
• Closely monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and trouble-shoot issues affecting program delivery, drawing on support from Chief of Party and relevant departments within the country office.
• Responsible for early communication to the Chief of Party of any program issues that may require amendments, extensions, etc., and participation in the development, mitigation, and strategic planning to address these issues with the SMT, Save the Children United States, and USAID/BHA.
• Supervise the field technical coordinators and work closely with the MEAL team to prepare timely and high-quality donor reports and any other donor-required deliverables, in a manner to allow awards review, consolidation, and submission.
• Schedule periodic field operations support and monitoring visits to the program’s field locations, designed to observe program delivery, ensure accountability to participants, monitor controls and adherence to systems, spotlight progress and achievements, and inform learning.
• Lead field-based engagements with field and relevant country office staff to guarantee a joint understanding among team members of donor requirements, budget responsibilities, technical requirements, and other considerations.
• Coordinate with consortium partners to leverage their experience and alignment with the program objective and goals.
• Create and maintain good working relationships with USAID/BHA, consortium partners, and other relevant stakeholders.

Quality Program Implementation and Reporting:
• Ensure that the field office teams receive appropriate and timely support from the national technical managers and program quality teams for program design and strategy, MEAL, and advocacy.
• Ensure that the program is appropriately monitored, reviewed, and evaluated on a continuous basis according to organizational quality standards, and in coordination with the MEAL plan.
• Ensure appropriate systems for all aspects of the program cycle are in place ensuring uptake of lessons learned including but not limited to PRIME, Projects on Track, and the Award Management System.
• Support the implementation of MEAL protocols in line with best practices.
• Responsible for the delivery of high quality and timely reports for donors and internal purposes, as well as the development of relevant case studies, success stories, and other documentation.

Financial and Award Management:
• Participate in monthly award management reviews and ensure the monthly variance analysis report on each budget is submitted in a timely manner.
• Identify any budget and award management challenges such over or underspends and propose solutions to the Chief of Party as soon as issues are identified. Ensure that these are identified through the monthly awards review meetings and are immediately addressed.
• Ensure financial procedures and guidelines set out in SC financial manual and USAID/BHA requirements are followed by partners.
• Develop and manage partner performance ensuring alignment with USAID/BHA and SC fiduciary procedures.
• Ensure all program activities are in line with policies and regulations of local/national authorities.

Closely Collaborate with and support Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL):
• Support the MEAL team in delivery of MEAL deliverables.
• Ensure regular and timely reporting and reviews and flag any issues for management.
• Identify any risk, or suspected incident of child safeguarding, sexual exploitation and abuse, fraud etc., and report through the appropriate channels.

Staff Management, Mentorship, and Development:
• Manage, support, and mentor the technical implementation teams and ensure effective cross-function collaboration that aids timely and quality implementation of work plans and budgets, while ensuring organizational and USAID/BHA compliance.
• Work with field leads and HR to ensure that effective performance management systems are in place at field level and appropriate capacity building for field team is provided.
• Effective use of the Development to Perform system including the establishment of clear expectations, measurable objectives, on-going feedback, periodic reviews, and fair and unbiased regular evaluations for direct reports.
• Provide direct and regular on the job mentoring, coaching and line management to the Enterprise Development and Innovation Manager and field technical coordinators to demonstrate increased skills and confidence for their respective work areas and work more efficiently with better prioritization of work.

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (SCI Values in Practice):
Accountability:
• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.
• Holds 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 takes responsibility for their own personal development.
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others.
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:
• Builds and maintains effective relationships with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters.
• Values diversity and different people’s perspectives, sees it as a source of competitive strength.
• Approachable, a good listener, and easy to talk to.

Creativity:
• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
• Cuts away bureaucracy and encourages an entrepreneurial approach.
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:
• Honest, encourages openness and transparency, and builds trust and confidence.
• Displays consistent excellent judgment.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
Qualifications, Experience and Skills
Essential:
• A master’s degree in business management, agriculture, cooperative management, social enterprise, finance, renewable energy, economics or a related discipline with 10 years’ experience working within a complex NGO and matrix structure on program cycle management.
• Excellent project management skills, including finance and contract management, client, and stakeholder management, managing inputs from team members, consultants and partners, capability to use program management tools to deliver projects on time and budget to the satisfaction of the client.
• Minimum ten years work and management experience in market development and/or business support within INGOs, consultancy or private sectors, in East Africa and internationally, including significant experience in am implementing and managing large field-based program delivery at a similar management and cross-function level.
• In-depth understanding of at least two of the following: private sector development, approaches to inclusive market system development (such as M4P), enterprise assessment/support and commercial analysis.
• Experience with market development in at least two thematic areas (energy access, access to finance, agriculture and livelihoods, enterprise models, and top/bottom-of-the-pyramid delivery approaches).
• Experience in rural development, community engagement, social impact assessment, and participatory methods.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage an effective team with at least 7 years of direct management experience, and/or expertise with remote operational/logistical/financial management.
• Experience with effective financial and budgetary controls, management, and understanding managing grants from USAID.

Desirable:
• Clear understanding of core principles of good practice in development in areas such as gender and social inclusion; strategic partnerships and consortia building; local partner capacity development; participant and partner feedback; participatory approaches.
• Ability to plan, prioritize, and organize a substantial workload for self and others, that includes complex and diverse tasks and responsibilities in both development and emergency contexts.
• Ability to analyze information, evaluate options, and to think and plan strategically.
• Excellent interpersonal communication and presentation skills, as well as demonstrated credibility with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels of an organization.
• A high level of resilience and willingness to travel frequently to field locations


Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 120

Level of Education: Postgraduate Degree

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