Program Manager – Cash Assistance

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Organization: Save the Children International

Closing Date: March 05, 2026, 08:32 AM

Job Description

TITLE: Program Manager – Cash Assistance

DEPARTMENT/ TEAM /PROGRAM: Program Operations

AREA OFFICE/ LOCATION: Addis Ababa

CONTRACT LENGTH: 4 months

Reports to: Save the Children Humanitarian Head

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 2: either the post holder will have access to personal data about children and/or young people as part of their work; or the post holder will be working in a ‘regulated’ position (accountant, barrister, solicitor, legal executive); therefore a police check will be required (at ‘standard’ level in the UK or equivalent in other countries).

Risk and Compliance:

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Fraud, Bribery, and Corruption policy and code of conduct. The key responsibilities include understanding and complying with the SCI policies and procedures, not committing any act of fraud, bribery, or corruption, understanding risks in their area/role, and implementing mitigation measures, report any suspected fraud, bribery, or corruption immediately, declare conflicts of interest in accordance with internal procedures and complete mandatory training related to ethics and anti-fraud measures

Project Summary

WFP in collaboration with government stakeholders identified beneficiaries for humanitarian cash assistance for IDPs across various locations in Oromia and Amhara regions. Save the Children International has secured funding from WFP to assist the implementation of cash assistance program for IDPs (humanitarian beneficiaries) as part of shock responsive emergency response is prioritized.

The overall objective of the project is to support the response to critical humanitarian needs in through Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA). The project is part of the broader efforts to enhance social protection, and program will exploit complementarities with other social support networks.

The initial humanitarian cash assistance program is expected to cover 13-15 woredas in East and West Wellega, North Shewa, Buno Badele and North Shewa and Bale zones and Jimma Town in Oromia Region and Kobo town in North Wello zone in Amhara regions. The initial cash assistance program duration could be 3-4 months. The program could be expanded to more geographic locations subject to the humanitarian situations and availability of funds.

The cash assistance program pursues coordinated response in collaboration with WFP, realizing actual design and implementation of digital beneficiary registration (biographic including photos) and budgeting, enumerator recruitment and training, management of enumerators, work with WFP contracted financial service providers (FSPs), crown management and control, ensure delivery of cash to target beneficiaries, establish and managed beneficiary complaints and feedback mechanism, monitoring and reporting,

ROLE PURPOSE:

The cash assistance Program Manager will lead a team of program coordinators, officers, enumerators and be the operational link with the donor (WFP), EDRMC, Clusters at federal and regional levels for program design, implementation, monitoring, reporting including representation and timely information exchange for a short-term emergency cash assistance intervention in Oromia and Amhara regions.

S/he will be responsible for effectiveness and cost-efficiency of project activities and results achievement

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Report to: Save the Children Humanitarian Head

Collaboration: program operations team, and area managers, field office managers in South Area Office and North West area office

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Lead a team composed of field coordinator, officers including complaints and feedback mechanism (CFM), monitoring officer, enumerators, team leader and crowd control, up to 110 staff
Work in close collaboration with the donor (WFP) team based both in Addis and in project locations to participate, and incorporate into the program design and implement shock responsive cash assistance deliverables including cash feasibility assessment including staff safety and access, safeguarding risks and mitigation measures, etc and operationalize the program
Work closely with SCI functions including humanitarian program operations, NBD, PDQI, MEAL, Awards and partnerships, risk and compliance, human resources and finance
Lead the strategic development and implementation of Programs of shock responsive or humanitarian cash assistance through continuously improving programming methodologies and herniation techniques for enhanced Program delivery.
Takes leadership on the strategic, programmatic and technical elements of the cash assistance (CVA) and ensure projects are designed well, delivered on time and on budget, are appropriately monitored, evaluated and delivered ensuring compliance with internal and donor requirements
Oversee the implementation of monitoring and evaluation and learning systems in cash assistance Program, in line with Save the Children Program polices, standards and strategies
Ensure the cash assistance response is consistent with the country strategic plan and in line with the donor, government and cash working group strategy and guidelines.
Ensure the effective and professional management of donor relationships and grants and support the development of high quality design and implementation plan in collaboration with WFP cash delivery team
Provide ongoing mentoring, support and advice to team members and CFM team in collaboration with the WFP technical staff in cash assistance program
Key relationship holder with the donor, and ICCM partners in respective IDP locations
Ensure high quality reporting (both internal and external) with accurate, reliable information and that reports are prepared and submitted in a timely manner according to the reporting timelines.
Strengthen the multisector team’s technical capacity of the team for effective project management through identification of training needs and putting in place capacity building and mentoring strategies.

Ensure that all expenditure of the project is in line with activity and financial forecast and that all expenditure complies to Donor
With support from the coordinators, officers, CFM staff and SCI Country finance team, review monthly Award, assess spending rates and budget forecasts.
Ensure gender and other quality markers are mainstreamed in each step of the implementation (starting from planning, beneficiary selection, disaggregated data during reporting and in the continuous implementation)
Organize regular meetings for dissemination of information on the project and discussion of how to strengthen elements of the project through collaboration
Ensure visibility of the donor, SCI among humanitarian, donor and government partners throughout the project
Frequent travel to Program locations as required for trainings, monitoring and coordination with government stakeholders, and donor focal points and ICCM partners
Monitoring, Evaluation Accountability And Learning (MEAL)
Ensure that programming meets high standards in terms of design, monitoring and evaluation through WFP Project Cycle Management System, Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), accountability commitments, Program Quality Guidelines and PME Framework
Ensure that Program launch meetings, Program reviews evaluations are in line with the organization’s and donors’ requirements
Ensure that Program learning is captured through sound monitoring systems, with specific attention to MEAL CFM, and that it is used to improve implementation
Request technical advisors inputs as needed and ensure that the outcomes of technical advisor visits, evaluations and other recommendations are documented, tracked and implemented.
Develop the Accountability Framework and provide management and technical support to the MEAL CFM and MEAL Technical teams for both SCI and WFP.
Promote joint planning and monitoring with WFP and Programs and ensure integration and effective learning
Ensure that monitoring reports are documented and reports are in line with the SCI and donors’ requirements
Team management
Upholds SCI values at all times, demonstrate self-accountability while making decisions, managing resources, In line with the accountability framework depicted the project proposal, 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 taking appropriate measures to manage underperformance.
Representation and Networking
Engage with and support national and regional level networks relevant to increasing cash assistance learning and improve Program implementation;
Represent SCI/WFP at the ICCM coordination and collaboration and ECC at Ethiopia Cash Working Group Meetings and/or Work Streams, and other relevant coordination fora
Work with WFP to ensure that relationships and formal agreements with the government are maintained and updated as appropriate

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.

Integrity:

honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS

Master degree in development or other Project Management, social sciences or related fields. Experience: cash assistance program in humanitarian setting, preferable digital cash assistance programming

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Recommended 10 years of relevant progressive experience, out of which 5 years in managerial positions. experience in a humanitarian environment including significant field operations experience running both emergency & development programs is required Skills/Ability required:
Significant management experience working in emergency response or fragile state contexts.
Direct experience in implementing cash assistance Programs , market analysis and economic recovery.
Previous experience of managing highly technical teams in CVA implementation
Previous experience of working as Consortium manager would be preferable
Previous experience of project management
Experience of and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability
Demonstrated monitoring and evaluation skills
Ability to work both in an advisory and a hands on implementation capacity
Ability to speak and write Amharic and other local languages is preferable

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience. The program manager is expected to cover emerging assignments in the humanitarian program operations

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

Qualified female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.