save the children
international programs
role profile
TITLE: Food Security & Livelihoods ManagerTEAM PROGRAMME:
Programme Development and Quality / LOCATION:
Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine (with travels to other locations)
GRADE: TBC / CONTRACT LENGTH:
6 months
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 programs; or are visiting country programs; ore because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.
ROLE PURPOSE:
The Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) Manager will take overall responsibility for the quality and implementation of Save the Children’s FSL work in Ukraine. Providing leadership to the identification, design and implementation of FSL programming at district and community levels, the Manager will ensure that relevant operational and technical inputs are provided in a timely and adapted manner so that the highest impact and relevance of work are achieved. Through mentoring and capacity building of the national sector deputy and FSL team, the Manager will ensure that practical implementation plans are in place for all projects, and that these plans are maintained and regularly updated. The post holder will be proactive in leading detailed assessments and external engagement at Cluster level, as well as with other humanitarian actors and government stakeholders. The Manager will also produce timely inputs to proposal development, and ensure that financial and programmatic reporting demands and deadlines are met. The role requires maintenance of an excellent situational awareness of the shifting food security and livelihoods context, contribution to programme and overall response strategy and planning processes, and maintenance of links with Save the Children International global technical expertise.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to: Programme Development and Quality (PDQ) Director
Staff reporting to this post: 4 -6 (Indirect)
Staff Types: FSL Coordinator, FSL Officers, Cash Transfers Officer
Budget Responsibilities: Programme Budget Holder (0.5 – 1.5 Million USD), Authorisation and control of project expenditures as per scheme of delegation
Other Reporting and Coordination Responsibilities: Representational focal point and reporting lead for the FSL sector.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Programme Support
· Prepare and oversee programme implementation to ensure timely delivery of project activities, including identification of project areas and priority needs.
· Assume indirect (technical) management of the FSL team, with a strong focus on coaching, mentoring and capacity building to develop technical and operational expertise.
· Exercise willingness and capacity to alter the degree of involvement in direct implementation based project and team needs, and in line with the developing capacities of FSL field staff.
· Proactively identify areas for delegation of increased responsibilities to field staff, especially the sector deputy, as well as areas for more active involvement by the FSL Manager.
· Work with the FSL sector deputy and project officers to identify programme procurement and material movement needs and put in place a sensible phased procurement plan.
· Working closely with the HR team, identity FSL staffing needs and ensure rapid recruitment, induction and training of new staff.
· Support the formation and effective operation of the new FSL team and contribute to a positive working environment
Technical Leadership and Strategy
· Provide technical expertise and knowledge to ensure that food security and livelihoods interventions, including cash transfers, voucher programming, and in kind food basket distribution meets appropriate minimum and technical quality standards.
· Coordinate and/or lead relevant assessments including the household economy approach, emergency market assessments, and rapid nutritional assessment.
· Create and refine operational planning and supportive budgets, and develop future FSL programme strategy in close coordination with the FSL Coordinator and Project Officers.
· Working closely with the PDQ and other sector Managers, support fundraising, including development of high quality concept notes and proposals, and country level donor engagement.
· Identify and support opportunities for cross-sector and integrated programming.
· Maintain financial and field level relationships to ensure the effectiveness of the in-country cash transfer mechanisms used for cash programming.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)
· In consultation with the MEAL team, maintain an M&E plan which links to programme development and reporting requirements and ensure capacity building of field staff to carry out the work.
· Lead analysis of field assessment and monitoring data, ensuring that lessons learnt are documented and integrated into ongoing programming.
· In collaboration with Save the Children International FSL colleagues, maintain links to networks of technical expertise for sharing learning, experiences and evidence relevant to increasing impact.
· Ensure relevant progress and donor reporting (narrative and financial) are delivered on time.
Capacity Building
· Lead the identification and facilitation of capacity building measures for Save the Children staff and partners in relation to food security and livelihoods work.
· Provide leadership, coaching and mentoring to staff under indirect management, ensuring that they have clear objectives and receive meaningful feedback on their performance and development.
· Contribute to situational analysis for identifying livelihoods protection and recovery needs, with due consideration for cross cutting issues and child rights development within all interventions.
· Ensure staff and partner organization compliance with Child Safeguarding Policy, Whistleblowing Policy, Code of Conduct, Policy on Fraud and Anti-Corruption, and Safety and Security Policy.
Collaboration and Representation
· Along with other staff members, represent Save the Children in coordination among donors, government authorities, relevant cluster and working groups and other stakeholders at national level. Support the FSL sector deputy to undertake representation at field level.
· Work with other sector managers, staff and partners to incorporate FSL considerations in their programme activities, and to incorporate other programme considerations in FSL activities.
· Assist with development and implementation of an effective FSL advocacy strategy at national and field levels, including clear internal and external messaging and dissemination of information.
· Develop and maintain, together with the partnerships team, collaborative and effective partnerships with NGOs/CSOs and government partners.
· Ensure, together with field management, that agreements and MoU’s are in place with government, non-government, and local civil society stakeholders to enable timely project execution.
Administrative and Financial Support
· Responsible for overseeing the sound management and development of human, financial and material resources related to the FSL sector.
· Ensure that administrative processes relating to the running of the sector run smoothly, and that issues are resolved with engagement of the FSL team and field management.
· Responsible for FSL sector budget management, financial reporting and forecasting (with engagement of the FSL sector deputy).
· Willingness to perform such other duties and responsibilities as may be required and agreed with between the post-holder and senior management.
BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice):
Accountability:
· Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently and for achieving and modelling Save the Children values.
· Holds the team and partners accountable to delivering on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing coaching and development to improve performance, and stepping in appropriately if results are not achieved.
· Creates a managerial environment in-country to lead, enable and maintain our culture or child safeguarding.
Ambition:
· Sets ambitious and challenging goals for self and team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages/demonstrates to the team how 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, 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 and experiment with new ways of doing things.
Integrity:
· Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of personal and professional integrity.
· Always acts in the best interests of children.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Essential
· Relevant degree in social science, economics, geography, business or public sector management or similar discipline relevant to urban/rural livelihoods and food security.
· Substantial experience of humanitarian programme management, including contributing to sector strategies and fundraising (proposal preparation).
· Knowledge of the household economy approach to food security and livelihoods, or experience working with other forms of socio-economic and market assessment and analysis
· Demonstrated experience managing complex operations in a humanitarian or development context.
· Strong technical expertise in emergency response work in the field of food security and livelihoods, including both cash transfer programming and in-kind food distribution.
· Understanding of monitoring, evaluation and accountability tools and processes; evidence of successfully establishing and implementing these at sector level.
· Demonstrated experience managing partnerships with local and international NGOs, CSOs and government agencies.
· Capacity to provide both technical and operational leadership, and strong mentoring and capacity building experience in a wide variety of settings.
· Strong skills related to participatory research methods, socio-economic analysis, computer literacy (Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint).
· Excellent organizational, communication and interpersonal skills, strong negotiator with prior experience of external representation at national level.
· Ability to define own schedule of work and to remain effective under minimal supervision.
· Financial management and budget holder experience.
· Able to travel extensively to the field, under sometimes difficult and occasionally unsecure circumstances.
Desirable
· Master’s degree or equivalent in relevant field.
· Experience implementing emergency cash transfer programming under inflationary risks.
· Experience managing in-kind food distribution projects, preferably through WFP funding.
· Prior leadership of market assessments, through a methodology such as EMMA or RAM.
· Prior field deployment experience with Save the Children or in similar complex emergency contexts.
· Knowledge of Russian/Ukrainian language.
Date of issue: February 2015 Author : Stuart Kent