Program Manager at Save the Children Nigeria

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Program Manager

Job Identification: 6952
Location: Ogoja, Cross River
Job Schedule Full time
Contract Length: 1 Year
Job Category: Programme Operations
Team / Programme: WASH & education

Child Safeguarding

• Level 3:  The role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programmes; or are visiting country programmes; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

Role Purpose

• The Programme Manager will be assigned to Ogoja Field Office, with the overall responsibility for the integrated WASH and Education program in Ogoja, Cross River State; Kwande, Benue State, Akwa Ibom and Taraba State.
• In addition to directly managing the program in this area, the Program Manager will be expected to input into programme planning, have oversight of programme implementation, budget management, reporting, recruitment and procurement.
• The Program Manager will manage and oversee the team to deliver quality projects, including:
  • Timely activity implementation according to plan and routine monitoring against agreed indicators,
  • High quality progress and final reports for external and internal use and
  • Strong budget oversight: monthly forecasting and spending according to plan; quarterly revisions, as needed; and budget (spending) reporting as well as building the capacity of the team.

Scope of Role

• Reports to: Field Manager, with technical communication lines to the WASH and Education Specialist.
• Staff reporting to this post: WASH Coordinator, and Education Coordinator others as assigned. 
• Other key working contacts:  CP Manager, Education Manager and Support Services (Supply Chain, Finance, HR), MEAL, PDQ, Awards among others.

Key Areas of Accountability
Programme Management: 

• Overall responsible for the timely implementation of WASH and Education project activities, under this award, ensuring that services are delivered on time, on budget and in compliance with donor regulations.
• Ensure the programme is implemented in ways responsive to communities, partners and children in line with SC’s principles, values and strategic plan and compliant with SC’s procedures.
• Ensure award/grant kick off and management tools, including implementation plans, MEAL plans, procurement plans and distribution schedules of programme inputs are tracked and updated regularly. 
• Manage program budget, including phased budgets, monthly budget forecasting and quarterly budget revisions for all grants. 
• Ensure proper and effective use of program resources, ensuring that all resources/assets in project are managed in line with SC and Donor policy.
• Monitor program progress against both programmatic and budgetary targets and collaborate with the Technical Advisors/Specialists to adjust programme design as necessary. 
• Prepare timely and high-quality programme and donor reports on project activities in compliance with internal SC requirements and any relevant external donor requirements. 
• Close coordination with Child Protection and Education teams on cross cutting needs and issues.
• Needs Analysis, Program Design and Implementation:
• Support Technical Advisors and Specialists in the development of project and donor proposals in close coordinator with other sectors.
• Contribute to contingency and emergency preparedness plans and where possible, integrate contingency planning for WASH and Education in all program planning and proposal design.
• Support responses to new emergencies.
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Accountability
• Support MEAL to collect appropriate, timely and accurate data against agreed indicators to enable both internal and external reporting.
• Work with MEAL team to identify and incorporate project suitable accountability mechanisms.
• Staff Management, Mentorship, and Development 
• Ensure appropriate staffing within the WASH team and ensure that staff understand and are able to perform their roles.
• Establish performance management of staff 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.
• Support, mentor and develop the WASH team to develop leadership, management and technical capacity.

Coordination:

• Regularly coordinate and collaborate with other program managers and program teams to strengthen programmatic synergies and impact for children.
• Ensure that Save the Children's WASH and Education work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government, and take a leadership role within Interagency Coordination forums, ensuring the specific needs of children are being addressed. 
• Take steps to document lessons learned for wider dissemination.
• Represent SC and maintain good working relationships among the international and local NGO community, among community leadership structures and community-based organizations, and with visiting donor and third-party monitoring teams and other key contacts. Keep abreast of NGO, government, and donor initiatives relevant to SC’s work.
• Represent SC and the program in donor meetings or applicable sector coordination mechanisms as required.
• Encourage teamwork, openness, and honesty among staff and between SC and its partners.
• General
• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
• Other duties as assigned by line manager. 

Requirements

• Master's Degree or higher in WASH Engineering, Civil or Structural Engineering, a related field, working experience in Program Management.

Essential:

• Expertise in Project management and of managing WASH /Public Health programmes in an NGO for at least 7 years. 
• Knowledge on partnership and grant/ award.  
• Leadership qualities, motivational skills, mentoring ability; proven experience overseeing and developing a team.
• Experience of program cycle management, and experience in a complex and matrix-managed organisation
• Knowledge of effective financial and budgetary controls; proven ability to manage budgets.
• Solid experience writing comprehensive, high quality narrative reports for donors and other external constituencies; experience supporting national staff colleagues to engage in reporting by systematically collecting and compiling correct, meaningful information/data, etc. 
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills 
• Fluency in written and spoken English required. 
• Experience living and working in a complex, high risk (dangerous) environment; demonstrated ability to live/work and maintain personal wellness and productivity in such an environment.
• Ability and readiness to work as part of surge team during an emergency (required); commitment to humanitarian response principles and accountability frameworks, especially in working with very vulnerable populations.  
• Self-motivated with the ability to work autonomously in a highly stressful and challenging environment.
• Proven knowledge of KOBO software for KAP baseline Survey, MS office applications and IT literacy and capacity to learn and use other packages.
• Commitment to the aims and principles of Save the Children.  In particular, a good understanding of the Save the Children mandates and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin all aspects of the job.   Commitment to Save the Children Child Safeguarding policy.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of local language skills 
• Experience or knowledge of working and living in relevant regions/contexts.
• Previous experience in INGOs, UN etc.

Behaviours (Values in Practice):
Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.
• Holds the team and 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 their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same.
• 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 sees it as a source of competitive strength.
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
• Willing to take disciplined risks.
• Initiative and innovation to address obstacles.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity.

Application Closing Date
18th April, 2024; 15:33