Location: Addis Ababa
Job Description
Summary
Save the Children is seeking a Technical Director for the anticipated five-year USAID-funded Empowered Communities Activity in Ethiopia. The purpose of this is to empower communities for better health and nutrition outcomes through community ownership of its own health and strengthened accountability systems.
The Technical Director will be essential member of the senior project consortium leadership team and reports directly to the Chief of Party and ensures high quality technical implementation of proven interventions that meet stated goals and reporting requirements. This role will assume the responsibilities of the COP in their absence. The Technical Director coordinates with USAID, key stakeholders, implementing partners and government representatives. This role also manages the technical implementation of key program activities throughout the targeted districts,and oversees the technical program managers and collaborates with all stakeholders and partners. The direction of this program will be led by this role in conjunction with the project team as well as the donor and government priorities. The position will be located in Addis Ababa.
This position is contingent upon donor approval and funding.
What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)
- In collaboration with the COP, ensure that technical program components are delivered according to the contractual requirement with the donor and government of Ethiopia, i.e., that all activities and deliverables are completed within the agreed timescale and budget, reports are submitted as per agreed schedules and any other requirements or criteria are fulfilled.
- Work with program staff and Save the Children technical team based in the country office to identify technical support needs of the program and ensure this support is provided.
- Design and regularly update detailed annual work plans and ensure these are used by the team appropriately to monitor progress towards completion and achievement of program objectives.
- Ensure all program work is of the highest technical quality and in line with national and global best practices for empower communities for better health and nutrition outcomes through community ownership of its own health and strengthened accountability systems.
- Ensure that programmatic reports for donors, government and Save the Children are prepared as required, ensuring these are of the highest quality and submitted in a timely manner to the donor. Be fully aware of the grant compliance regulations of Save the Children as well as USAID.
- Assist with the preparation and revision of a realistic budget, authorizing and monitoring expenditure in line with the budget, donor guidelines and Save the Children’s grant management and financial regulations.
- Guide partners in the preparation of annual plans for funding, commodities and human resources. Closely monitor burn rate and guide the managers to ensure the burn rate has been achieved according to the approved plan. Manage and motivate direct reports to achieve their work plan objectives based on technical expertise, and to contribute to the achievement of the overall program goals.
- In collaboration with the technical teams, establish systems and processes for the periodic review of implementation across the project implementing areas and facilitate necessary mid-course corrections.
- Maintain good working relationships with officials, government ministries, implementing partners and the international and local NGO community.
- Support and coordinate with the M&E team in monitoring implementation, analysis progress and use service statistics and other data for decision-making and improving program performance.
- Monitor country-level activities, identify challenges and develop appropriate reporting and results of project activities to the COP including progress and annual reports.
- Attend and actively participate in periodic program meetings and ensure a summary of progress and challenges are prepared and presented with follow-up actions as required.
Required Qualifications
- Minimum of master’s degree in public health, community development or management, health policy, governance or health promotion or other public health-related field of study or relevant areas of expertise; international development
- Minimum of seven years of technical experience and substantial and progressively responsible experience in managing health or nutrition programming of similar size with significant community capacity strengthening, or community health components. engagement or community health programming and other related fields in Ethiopia or similar context
- Familiarity with the evidence base, best practices and measurement of community engagement and empowerment, capacity strengthening and empowerment strategies as well as mobilization or demand creation strategies for health services.
- Significant experience of collaborating effectively with local institutions and community-based organizations, consortiums and platforms including designing and conducting capacity assessment and capacity strengthening, mentoring, supervision activities, etc.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively with government representatives across different sectoral ministries, private sector entities, local community organizations, donors and other stakeholders, particularly at the sub-national level.
- In-depth knowledge of USAID approaches and regulations required.
- Hands on experience in RMNACH programming preferred
- Strong staff management, budget and M&E skills and strengths in inspiring and enabling others through teamwork, training, and capacity building to realize organizational objectives.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English required and Amharic language skills desired.
- Familiarity with the political, social, and cultural context of Ethiopia preferred.
About Save the Children
No matter your role when you join Save the Children, each and every day you will challenge yourself to devote your skills, talent and expertise to changing the world for kids. It’s an ambitious goal, and a meaningful one no matter how you see yourself professionally: an accountant, a writer, a data analyst, a teacher, a driver, a designer, or any one of the hundreds of dozens of roles we’re looking to fill every day.
You see, Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.
Our work for children and their families requires that we commit—at every opportunity—to work together to identify and dismantle persistent systemic and structural racism, inequality, and any other forms of discrimination in this country and beyond. As an anti-racist organization, Save the Children will not tolerate discrimination in any form—in our employment practices, amongst our staff, in our leadership or toward the people we serve. We stand in solidarity with all people to fight for equal rights, justice, inclusion, and belonging.
We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Save the Children complies with all applicable laws.
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