Job Details

Job Description

Re Advertised

TITLE :  Program Development Manager

TEAM/PROGRAMME : SCI Zambia, Department of Programme Development and Quality

LOCATION : Lusaka, Zambia with some travel

GRADE : 2

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 country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE :

The Program Development Manager (PDM) is a middle-level position within the Country Office. In cooperation with Save the Children member countries and in collaboration with the country office Zambia, the PDM will identify and track donor opportunities, facilitate donor engagement, assist in the development of fundraising strategies, lead the new business and proposal decision, design and development process for all funding opportunities. The position requires innovative thinking and creativity to package our programme strategies in ways that attract the right donor support and grow out portfolio effectively.  S/He will write sections of proposals that speak to our overall capabilities, while coordinating the input of technical advisors, Operations and field office implementation staff, Supply Chain, Finance, HR and Security into proposals and budgets. Recognizing that many conversations with donors involve a review or update around current grants as well as discussions about new opportunities, the Program Development Manager will be expected to stay closely informed about the progress of all major institutional grants and able to speak to results in key reporting documents, including supporting on some review of large strategic reports. S/he will be located in Lusaka with frequent travel to the field. The role has an external orientation, but also works very closely with SC Members.

SCOPE OF ROLE :

Reports to : Director of Programme Development & Quality

Dimensions :  Save the Children works in the Child Protection, Education, Health and Nutrition and Child Rights Governance across the emergency and development spectrum, humanitarian response. The program has highly integrated multi-sectoral approaches to address some of the most complicated issues affecting children in Zambia, including child marriage, education quality, chronic and acute malnutrition and multi-dimensional poverty.

Number of direct reports :  None

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY :

General management

• As a member of the Zambia Country Programme, demonstrate behaviors that are consistent with Save the Children’s Mission, Vision and Values and ensure their broader application by staff across the programme.
• Contribute to a conducive and productive work environment typified by teamwork and collaboration.
• Contribute to the wider country programme agenda.
• Support the effective implementation the SCI Programme Quality Framework.
• Carry out the responsibilities of the role in a way that reflects Save the Children’s commitment to safeguarding children, in accordance with our Code of Conduct and Child Safeguarding Policy.
• Ensure a child rights approach with integrated child participation, resilience, protection, and gender strategies across all our thematic areas from design to implementation.
• Ensure the design and development of child focused emergency and development programs of a high quality that contribute to the Country Office’s strategies and plans, informed by child participation when and where possible.
• Ensure that the Zambia Country Office has a first class, multi-sectoral and dual mandate program reflecting all priority technical and sector aspects of the Save the Children global strategy and Theory of Change.
• Ensure excellent coordination and cooperation with incoming member, regional and center-based technical advisors as well as surge teams during emergencies.
• Provide inputs and support to the advocacy and communications teams to communicate and market our vision internally and externally.
• Contribute to providing technical assistance and capacity building for and with partners on proposal development and new business development as needed.

New Program Development

• Reporting to the Country Director, develop and submit a comprehensive Business Development Strategy and Process, in line with the Country Strategy, for SMT contributions and approval.
• Oversee the implementation and follow-up of Business Development Strategy and Process, reporting monthly to the Director of Program Development & Quality.
• Identify, research, and disseminate information on new funding opportunities from bilateral, multi-lateral, and other institutional donors. Use creative approaches to link SCI and Zambia programme ambitions to donor priorities, while also effectively contributing to SCI Zambia and Save the Children Members’ efforts to influence the strategies of donors.
• Support the cultivation of business relationships with external stakeholders and potential partners for large scale or strategic funding opportunities and help shape and contribute to strategies and ambitions for priming or subbing in joint ventures.
• Track upcoming funding opportunities and donor engagement strategy and processes, providing monthly updates to the SMT.
• Assist in developing the SCI Zambia funding strategy for thematic and cross-thematic programme strategies and ambitions, with a focus on cross-sectoral integration. These strategies should reflect our ambitions with an eye toward encouraging innovation and creative thinking to achieve more quality and immediate impact for children.
• Examine and evaluate innovative new partnerships and ensure that Save the Children maximizes its efforts to implement its Theory of Change.
• Explore and test potential private sector partnerships.
• Pro-actively seek donor intelligence on prospective new opportunities or partnerships.
• Ensure key contacts, required formats and donor strategies are kept up to date at the country office level.

Facilitate donor engagement.

• Lead the development and regular updating of the donor engagement strategy, in line with the funding strategy, to assist in growing the Zambia portfolio, consistent with the Country Strategy.
• Cultivate excellent working relationships with donor agencies at regional and country level as appropriate and in close collaboration with the CD.
• Participate in any donor visit to project(s) within the country office portfolio, as needed.
• Support regular donor check-in/update visits with major institutional donors in Zambia.
• Work with technical advisors and SMT colleagues to set ambitious targets for donor engagement and to influence donor strategies.
• Support the Director Program Development & Quality and other members of the SMT to represent SCI Zambia in relevant donor forums, workshops and conferences as needed.

Coordinate program design and proposal development

• Directly manage the development of high-value, complex proposals or bids, building on global, regional and national SCI Technical and Thematic expertise, ensuring the highest quality products are submitted to the member and the donor.
• Coordinate closely with Save the Children members to kick-off, plan and effectively carryout the proposal development process, supporting the coordination and implication of technical and awards staff in both offices, ensuring regular communication and updating of members throughout the process.
• Drive interdepartmental coordination for programme and proposal development, including ensuring the identification of a Technical Advisors lead and in close cooperation and inclusion of the operations, particularly the field office team implementation and technical teams, Supply Chain (procurement and other logistical needs), Security, Awards Management (risk management and compliance), Finance (activity and support costings, etc.), and HR (for staffing requirements).
• Ensure full internal review and sign-off as per the proposal development process.
• Participate in the drafting of key sections of the proposals, particularly the standard inputs – e.g. capacity and capability statements; country context and programme experience, while drawing on the expertise of technical advisors, operations, finance, HR and security.
• With the CD, MEAL and members, ensure that the SMT, Technical Advisors, Field Managers and field office technical staff receive regularly updated information on local, national and regional context analyses, recent and relevant research findings, assessments (HEAs, DHIS, partner research, etc.). This activity is closely linked with the data and knowledge management function of technical advisors, MEAL and Members.
• With country TAs, seek out and facilitate dialogue and input of technical advice from backstops or members to ensure that programmes benefit from Save the Children’s global expertise, while remaining relevant to the local context. Facilitate the engagement of consultants on large-scale proposals or when additional technical expertise is needed.
• With the Save the Children Member and in consultation with all departments, particularly Awards, Finance and Operations, produce and circulate a proposal development plans (PDPs) to closely track and communicate timelines and deadlines for all implicated departments and concerned individual team members. Ensure regular updating and communication around this PDP. Contribute to supporting proposal development teams to maintain and meet PDP deadlines.
• Represent Save the Children as a generalist, alongside technical experts, in consortium meetings regarding proposal development.
• Ensure that Programme Quality Framework and Theory of Change is addressed in all new proposals and that key elements of programme quality are included (e.g., child participation, child safeguarding, gender, resilience, evidence-based approaches, research, lessons learned from past and ongoing programs and projects, accountability mechanisms, risk assessments, advocacy and communications, and effective and sustainable partnerships, etc.).
• Coordinate and contribute to calculating Value for Money calculations in proposal development, as required by donors.

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.

QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Skilled in social sciences, development area with a relevant masters’ degree.
• Proven track record in producing winning bids, proposals, and reports for institutional donors, corporations and others.
• Proven ability to design high quality programs.
• Recommended 5-7 years’ experience in both an emergency and development contexts, preferably with solid experience in at least 2 priority sectors of Save the Children:  education, protection, child rights governance, health and nutrition or child poverty.
• Excellent coordination, organizational and interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate and negotiate clearly and effectively at all levels and pull together input from a diverse team.
• Excellent writing/editing, reporting, budget development and presentation/communication skills.
• Experience in presenting project information to donors and partners.
• Experience in coordinating development of large-scale or strategic proposals, including the development of multi-million-dollar project budgets.
• Proven representation skills.
• Cultural awareness mastering and ability to work in an international environment with people from many diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets.
• Experience in solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward.
• Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner.
• Ability and willingness to change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies.
• Fluency in English and French, both verbal and written, required.
  Commitment to Save the Children values, including willingness to abide by and enforce the Child Safeguarding policy.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

QUALIFIED APPLICANTS SHOULD ONLY ATTACH A COVER LETTER AND AN UPDATED CV.

The closing date for receipt of applications Monday 29th January 2024. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Save the Children reserves the right to re advertise if suitable applicants are not found.

Save the Children is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer that does not engage in any practices which discriminate against any person employed or seeking employment based on race, color, religion, gender, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status and we will never ask that you pay for anything as part of the selection process or thereafter.