Field Managers at Save the Children Nigeria

Save the Children is a leading international organization helping children in need around the world. First established in the UK in 1919, separate national organizations have been set up in more than twenty-eight countries, sharing the aim of improving the lives of children through education, health care and economic opportunities, as well as emergency aid in cases of natural disasters, war and conflict.

In Nigeria, Save the Children has been working since 2001. The early focus was on getting children actively involved in shaping the decisions that affect their lives. Today, Save the Children is working in seven federal states - Zamfara, Yobe, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Bauchi and Kaduna - focusing on providing basic healthcare and protecting children.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Field Manager

Job ID: #1191296
Location: Gombe

Job Description

• The Field Manager will be responsible for the day to day management of Save the Children’s Programme in Gombe.
• This includes responsibility for ensuring integrated, high quality program delivery and a safe and effective presence of Save the Children in Gombe, oversight and ultimate responsibility for the timely delivery of projects, currently across all sectors: Child Protection, Health, including WASH and Education; as well as maintains effective relationships with all other key players in the area (NGO, UN, and governmental) to ensure effective coordination of activities and ability to implement.
• S/he is also responsible for the efficient and effective operation of support services - Logistics, Security, Finance and Human Resources/administration.
• In coordination with the, Country Director, Director for Program Operations, Humanitarian Program Manager and other senior staff, s/he has overall responsibility for safety of staff and security of staff and operations in the field site.
• S/he is responsible for team leadership, human resources management, oversight of all programs, and management of SC facilities and assets in the locality.

Key Areas of Accountability
Oversees Save the Children’s programs and operations in Borno:

• Manages the financial, administrative, logistics, IT, and other operational aspects in the field site.
• Supervises Sectoral Program Managers and or Technical Advisors based in the field site, providing managerial guidance and support, and ensuring effective communication and coordination among programmes, including ensuring integration where appropriate.
• Ensures effective performance and coherence of the staff team through holding regular meetings and implementing regular training, support, and performance evaluation of staff.
• With support from Human Resources in Abuja, ensures sufficient staffing to perform all programmatic and operational responsibilities.
• Participates in developing the program strategy for Save the Children in Nigeria and in setting policies relevant to field operations.
• Ensures compliance with donor requirements, including FSL, ECHO, DFID and U.S. government regulations for USG-sourced funding. Supports development of proposals and reports for donors and others. Facilitates donor and other visits as requested.
• Ensures effective representation and coordination with local government, communities, and NGO partners.
• Maintains effective implementation of security guidelines and reporting.
• Manage FSLs and other related budgets and grants.

Leadership and overall management:

• Ensure vision, mission and values of Save the Children are clearly and properly understood and upheld by all staff in Gombe.
• Maintain Save the Children’s organizational and operational policies and procedures in the Gombe Field Office. This includes Code of Conduct, Child Safeguarding Policy, Fraud Policy, the Minimum Standards of Humanitarian Relief, etc.
• Responsible for the overall management and supervision of programme, finance, logistics, HR, and administration functions in Gombe Office.
• Maintain awareness on legal cultural/traditional issues and ensure these are considered in the implementation of the programme if required and relevant.
• Monitor the operating context, identifying changes to the context, identifying constraints and challenges and taking relevant actions in consultation with the Deputy Director of Operations, and Programmes Staff.

Management of Programme Implementation:

• Facilitate and coordinate implementation of planned activities, providing support to ensure high quality of implementation.
• Bear ultimate responsibility for ensuring the planned activities are implemented according to the operational plans and budget.
• Ensure an integrated approach to programme implementation in order to maximize resource utilization and synergy.
• Ensure that all activities are in compliance with Save the Children’s and donor requirements, regulations and policies; and as per the approved plan/proposal.
• Facilitate and coordinate with Deputy Director of Programme Operations, Humanitarian Program Manager, Director of Program Development and Quality to ensure technical support and capacity development of programme staff in Gombe.
• Work closely with Programme Advisors to ensure teams receive the necessary support to deliver quality programmes.

Monitoring, Reporting and Learning:

• Work closely with Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning advisors to build field staff capacity.
• Ensure monitoring systems and procedures as well as documentation and information management systems are being utilized properly and projects are regularly monitored in Gombe.
• Responsible for the enforcement of reporting requirements and procedures for grants and timely submission of reports to Humanitarian Program Managers, thematic Program Advisors, Deputy Director of Program Operations, Director of Program Operations, Director of Program Design and Quality, Director of Finance for all projects implemented in Gombe.
• Facilitate and coordinate the preparation and provision of information and data to Learning and Development Unit for quarterly and annual reports of the country programme.
• Collate and produce monthly reports and weekly SITREPS.
• Ensure that all reports (i.e. logistics, HR and finance, donor as well as program) are of good quality and produced timely and sent to the appropriate authority at Abuja

Administration and Management of Support Functions:

• Ensure proper control and usage of Save the Children assets and funds in Gombe - providing direct oversight on finance, logistics, HR and admin functions
• Ensure the programmes in Gombe provide value for money
• Work closely with the logistics department to coordinate and follow-up on the procurement and delivery of goods and services for the programme and the programme offices.
• Provide the key communication link to the head office and other field offices to share learning, secure appropriate support and update them on progress of the work underway.

Budget Follow up and Ensuring Financial Compliance:

• Accountable for management and monitoring of assigned budget in his/her capacity as budget holder.
• Ensure the effective compliance of Save the Children and donor finance and grant procedures and requirements.
• Coordinates and facilitates the work of the finance team in Gombe office.
• Ensure the financial reporting and forecasting to the country office is accurately and efficiently carried out within the right timeframe.
• Work with the finance department and Finance Director to ensure accurate budget control for financial management at the field in line with project/grant proposals.
• Facilitate and coordinate the preparation of cash flows and budget phasing in of projects to be implemented in Gombe.
• Facilitate and coordinate budget revisions for projects/grants as required.

Human Resource Development and Management:

• Build a high performing team in Gombe who deliver results for children.
• Ensure staffing levels, management structures, and personnel processes are appropriate and effective to enable the smooth implementation of the programme, including appropriate recruitment and induction processes.
• In collaboration with the HR/Admin officer, guide and support staff in their development, planning succession, and taking prompt action to address issues of under performance and other issues impacting on professional conduct or implementing duties and responsibilities.
• Ensure staff in Gombe receives regular support, supervision and performance appraisals in line with HR procedures and protocols.
• Ensure the Save the Children Child Safeguarding Policy is understood by all staff in Maiduguri that it is integrated into all aspects of the teams’ work.

Representation of Save the Children in the field region:

• Represent Save the Children in Gombe, in relation to programme implementation and maintaining a strong link with community leaders, government, NGOs and UN organizations in the area.
• Establish and maintain contact with all key actors as relevant for the programme implementation - military, government, UN, NGOs, partners - and establish mechanisms for contacting local community organizations in line with key thematic areas of work and assess capacity/resources to respond.
• Advocate on the issues and rights of children in Gombe districts in order to improve policy and practices.

Safety and Security Management:

• Serve as the overall security focal point for the Area of Operation.
• With support from the Safety and welfare officers, provide regular updates and analysis of the security situation of the Area of operation to the Deputy Director of Programme Operations, Head of Safety and Security, National safety and Security Manager and the Country Director as appropriate.
• Assist the Safety and Welfare officers’ in the development of security procedures and protocols for the field and sub offices under the Area of Operation and ensure an understating and adherence of the same.
• Have an overview of the political and security context in field locations and how their changes may affect the programme’s work and ensure that this is communicated regularly to the Senior Management Team.
• With the Safety and Security Officers develop and implement effective safety and security procedures ensuring that these are updated and revised at regular intervals and that new programmes are built around security considerations.
• Take a lead role in monitoring the security situation in Gombe and update and implement Save the Children safety and security policies and procedures.
• Ensure security plans and guidelines and in place, are regularly reviewed and are upheld.

Qualification and Experience

• Degree in a related field, masters preferable
• Three years related experience
• Three years progressive non-profit work experience with international humanitarian programmes.
• A proven understanding of development issues in the country and region.
• Management and supervisory experience.
• Established excellence in written communication, including the preparation of complex documents to meet strict deadlines
• Strong personal communication skills, ability to facilitate liaison between different sectors.
• Good financial, budget and grant management skills
• Able to work and travel in difficult conditions
• Able to work with diverse team members
• Good training skills, with a proven ability to build capacity of others in report writing.
• Solid Knowledge of donor funded projects (ECHO, USAID, DFID, etc.)

Desirable:

• Must be from the North East. (Particularly Gombe or Bauchi)

Application Closing Date
12th October, 2015.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their C.V and qualifying statements to: [email protected] explaining why you are suitable for the position you are applying for. State position clearly in the subject field as applications without appropriate subject will be disqualified.

Note: Also, applications received after the above closing date will not be considered.