Chief of Party - Damascus (National)

TITLE: Chief of Party - Damascus
TEAM/PROGRAMME: Programme Operation Team  LOCATION: Amman
GRADE: TBD

CONTRACT LENGTH:

12 months, with possibility of extension

CHILD SAFEGUARDING: 

Level 3:  the post 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 with country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE: 

Save the Children is the primary Grant Agent for the Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and the Global Partnership for Education’s (GPE) Pool Funds in Syria; with overall responsibility for the delivery of the two programs through direct and indirect (working with partners) implementation modalities, in the whole of Syria including budget responsibility and matrix management of the implementation.

In this role, the Chief of Party will be responsible for high-level representation within the Donor Partners Group and the ECW/GPE Joint Steering Committee, as well as with the wider donor community supporting Education in Syria. The Chief of Party will liaise closely with the partners to ensure the Multi-Year Response Plan (MYRP) is implemented in coordination with relevant education actors. The Chief of Party will provide leadership and overall fund management to the two grant-making projects and will oversee sub-award processes, reporting, and coordination of activities undertaken to support partners in education. 

Furthermore, the Chief of Party will have also an important role in donor engagement as well as in ensuring that all relevant stakeholders remain abreast of the educational needs, challenges, and opportunities in Syria.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Coordination and representation 

• High-level representation with donors, UN agencies, and coordination mechanisms; 
• Remain updated and engaged with the education sector across Syria, including challenges, needs and opportunities;
• Lead the quarterly Joint steering committee meetings, as well as coordinate EDF (Equivalent of LEG) for Syria under GPE;
• Provide timely and well-reasoned improvements to overall governance structures of and between the funds; 
• Ensure appropriate communication and liaison with the partners in respect of project implementation;
• Co-lead the mid-term and periodic reviews of the ECW and GPE programmes, including MYRP;
• Support fundraising efforts to increase MYRP funding levels

Programme, Partnership, and award management

• Initiate and lead the partner review and selection process for sub-awardees in accordance with best practices and established guidelines. 
• Provide effective financial management of ECW and GPE funds, through the monitoring of the SCI and partners’ expenditure in line with SCI financial and accounting policies.
• Lead and coordinate the development of high-quality, timely donor reporting in collaboration with the partners. 
• Monitor the progress of contractual agreements and contracts with implementing agencies for each project.
• Adequate supervision for timely and accurate data collection and analysis to inform the joint reports to be submitted to ECW and GPE.
• Monitor and oversee partner performance to meet program objectives as determined by the MYRP;
• Coordinate regular progress meetings with implementing agencies, peer agencies, anddonors;  

Human Resources Management and Administration

• Lead and provide support and oversight to the SCI Program Management Unit, including the MEAL Coordinator, Finance Officer and Awards Officer. 
• Lead on/or input in to staff performance reviews;
• Ensure that all staff understand and are able to perform their roles;
• Ensure clear roles and responsibilities between different support departments and the PMU;
• Lead on the recruitment of relevant staff for the PMU; 

Reports to: Deputy Country Director 

Staff reporting to this post: 2 staff

Budget Responsibilities: 6 million per year

Role Dimensions: Overall management of the PMU and leadership and oversight of the sub-award and partnerships process

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

• Program Management. 
• Coordination and Donor liaison.
• Financial Management. 
• Contract Administration. 
• Project Monitoring and Evaluation.

QUALIFICATIONS 

Minimum of 5 years of sector coordination and/or award management experience in an NGO environment, including significant representation and donor engagement experience.

Essential: 

• Robust experience in humanitarian, development, and emergency program cycle management, and with experience working within a complex and matrix organization structure; 
• Exemplary partnership development and management skills, including fostering strong collaboration and learning between partners; 
• Experience in the design, implementation, and reporting on education in emergency (EiE) programmes; 
• Substantial experience and knowledge of effective financial and budgetary control and securing and managing grants from major institutional donors, including the UN and World Bank; 
• Significant knowledge of international humanitarian systems, institutions, and donors, and of procedures, accountability frameworks, and best practices in emergency management; 
• Ability to analyze information, evaluate options, and to think and plan strategically;
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills;
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic; 
• Ability and willingness to change work practices and hours, and work with incoming teams in the event of major emergencies; 
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles including rights-based approaches. 

Desirable

• Experience in fund management/grant-making within similar pooled fund structures; 
• Deep understanding of the education sector and needs in the Syria context from previous program roles; 
• Previous experience of working with consortium modalities; 

The Organization
We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard. We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:
· No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
· All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
· Violence against children is no longer tolerated
We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children.We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.
Application Information:
Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found at www.savethechildren.net/jobs We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.