JOB DESCRIPTION

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Thematic Area Leadership and Strategic Planning

• Provide leadership and guidance for Child Survival technical team in driving the development and realisation of ambitious yet practical sector specific strategies and plans which are able to lead to the realisation of CSP goals.
• Leads on defining and revising the country office’s strategic plan with a focus on health and ending childhood morbidity and mortality (including due to malnutrition), based on evidence and ensuring integration of Save the Children’s theory of change, breakthroughs, common approaches and best practises in the strategy and programme delivery.
• Regularly and pro-actively analyses the health situation in the country and feeds this into the country office’s assessment and planning process to design and improve programmes.
• Actively participates in global and regional Save the Children discussions on Health programming, ensuring that country office strategies are aligned with the global initiatives and best practises or areas requiring further support are pro-actively shared.
• Articulate a vision for addressing public health and malnutrition challenges through integration of health, nutrition and WASH programmes
• Support research being conducted to inform programming, strategic direction, policy and advocacy with a technical lens and technical consistency.
• Keep abreast of national and global debates in policy and advocacy around health in order to apply to programming or advocacy.

Cluster representation and networking

• Pro-actively identify advocacy opportunities, case studies and research opportunities which link with wider organisational strategic objectives and turn these into action.
• Play a leadership role in shaping Child Survival communications and media priorities in line with thematic priorities
• Represent SCI at the Health cluster, as well as other working groups where appropriate, sharing ideas, updates and advocating for action where necessary
• Develop and maintain appropriate coordination mechanisms with relevant governmental and non-governmental stakeholders and Donors
• Participate in relevant working groups, task forces, seminars and related fora in the thematic area, and among donors, UN agencies, International NGOs, and national and sub-national government counterparts
• Represent Save the Children in a technical capacity for advocacy, communications or media purposes.
• Work closely with the heads of ACCM, PDQ and Operations Teams to develop policy research and advocacy strategy in Health in line with the Country Strategic Plan and global strategy of Save the Children

Programme Development and Innovation 

• Play a key role in designing, monitoring and reporting of the Child Survival elements of the Country Strategic Plan, in particular ensuring coordination and incorporation of all technical inputs
• Ensure technical standards exist for all Child Survival programming within emergency and early recovery contexts adhering to humanitarian standards.
• Proactively promote high quality Child Survival technical approaches within the country.
• Ensure minimum standards are maintained in accordance with the Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct and other applicable standards.
• Ensure oversight of Child Survival programme implementation to ensure high quality, timely delivery of programme activities, for example, monitoring against log frames.
• Work with Business Development to secure funding to maintain and/or expand the country office’s Health programmes as per the country strategic plan and the needs with a level of foresight and consideration of sustainability
• Supervise and lead on development of thematic strategy in Health including, public health, services in line with Save the Children’s Country Strategic Plan for Sudan
• Lead in developing and realising ambitious yet practical health plans as part of the Country Annual Plans
• Work together with PDQ and Operations teams to initiate and design high quality, cost-effective, innovative and sustainable project proposals and concept notes for the sector
• Proactively seek information on potential donor sources and share project opportunities in health with PDQ and operations teams linking to Country and Area strategies on Health
• Seek strategic linkages, wherever applicable, with other thematic areas of the Sudan programme i.e. child protection, education, child poverty, and child rights governance (CRG) for developing integrated programmes for difficult to reach children in Sudan
• Facilitate working groups to stimulate innovative ideas and test new approaches
• Develop and maintain contacts with current and potential donors, partners and key technical agencies, in coordination with the PDQ Director including supporting donor meetings and visits

Technical Assistance and Capacity Building 

• Develop Child Survival learning needs assessment and capacity building plans for both Save the Children and partner’s staff, linking capacity building initiatives to wider opportunities identified via coordination and networks. Oversee their implementation through regular reviews.
• Coach and mentor Save the Children WASH managers, coordinators, officers as well as their national level counterparts.
• Oversee development of technical training material that will improve the different components of WASH portfolio within Save the Children.
• Lead the development and implementation of relevant and sustainable capacity building strategy for area teams and partners on Health in coordination with the operations teams
• Serve as the lead technical resource in quality, innovative, creative and sustainable programming on Health focusing on maternal and child health (including SRH) and other health concerns including malnutrition specific to Sudan which impact children through providing technical guidance and inputs where relevant to the PDQ and operations teams, partners and ensuring quality technical donor reports working with Award and FOs
• Assist the PDQ team to enhance the capacity of operations teams (e.g. programme/project managers) in developing appropriate systems for documenting and storing relevant information/data needed for donor and member reporting.

Provide elaborations and as required directions and trainings to managers in operations teams involved in delivering projects focusing on appropriate approaches and methodologies;

• conceptual and practical frameworks; standards and tools for effective and quality delivery of Health programmes.

People Management, Mentoring and Development 

• Provide day-to-day direct line management of Child Survival technical staff, including manage and define expectations and priorities; delegation of roles, responsibilities and tasks; provide technical guidance and support to the team as needed.
• Lead, in coordination with HR, the recruitment of Child Survival technical staff to build high organisational technical competence to provide quality technical assistance that is fit for purpose in line with an evolving portfolio
• Undertake performance management, including setting of annual goals and quarterly deliverables, undertaking quarterly reviews, and provision of feedback to ensure delivery of results
• Support professional development of direct line reports as appropriate, including the identification of development opportunities, such as coaching/training/stretch assignments to build and maintain technical skills and competencies required for leading first class programmes
• Ensure that all technical staff in Health (direct reports and dotted supervision) understand and are able to adapt their roles in both emergency and development contexts
• Manage the Health technical (PDQ) team; define expectations, provide leadership and support as needed, and evaluate direct reports regularly
• Ensure the recruitment, training, and promotion of staff as appropriate; ensure availability of and support appropriate professional development opportunities for staff in Health
• Incorporate staff development strategies and Performance Management Systems into team building process.
• Manage the performance of all direct reports through effective use of the Performance Management System

Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluation  

• Oversee support program managers in the preparation of timely programme and donor reports on project activities in compliance with internal and external requirements.
• Lead Child Survival multi-sectorial technical assessments in coordination with other Save the Children thematic areas, as well as other external agencies. ensuring that assessments’ findings are documented and that all assessments include a specific child views and analysis of children’s needs.
• Work closely with the MEAL team to put in place Child Survival M & E plan (including WASH), ensuring this is linked to reporting requirements, and capacity build technical field staff in carrying out the work.
• Work closely with the MEAL Team and take a lead in ensuring that all Health projects and components have robust monitoring plans, baselines, reviews and evaluations in line with project designs and donor guidelines
• Technically assist the PDQ team in measuring achievement and progress towards program goals and results through the MEAL system
• Lead and work closely with the PDQ team to identify and lead strategic ground-breaking research in Health for development of innovative programmes and issue-based advocacy
• Facilitate appropriate dissemination of research findings and good practices documentations in the projects internally and externally to donors, governments, consortium partners and other key actors strategic for immediate and sustainable development of children in Sudan

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree in public health (MPH) with at least twelve  years of relevant experience in primary health care service delivery in the context of Humanitarian, development and emergencies
• Strong analytical and conceptual skills and the ability to think and plan strategically
• Strong skills and experience in all aspects of programme development, including programme/project monitoring, review & evaluation.
• Experience of working with local/national governments and capacity building of systems, partners and staff
• Ability to extensively travel for project monitoring and provide on-site technical support to field teams
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international and matrix management environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mind-sets
• Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in
• Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner
• Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies
• Fluency in English, both verbal and written, required
• Commitment to Save the Children values