Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Field Manager
Job ID: 20000330
Location: Damaturu, Yobe
Employee Status: Fixed Term
The Role
- The Field Manager will be responsible for the day-to-day management of Save the Children’s Programme in Yobe State. This includes responsibility for ensuring integrated, high quality program delivery and a safe and effective presence of Save the Children in Yobe, oversight and ultimate responsibility for the timely delivery of projects, currently across all sectors: Child Protection, Nutrition, FSL, WASH and Education; as well as maintain effective relationships with all other key players in the area (NGO, UN, and governmental) to ensure effective coordination of activities and ability to implement.
- S/he is also responsible for the efficient and effective operation of support services – Logistics, Security, Finance and Human Resources/Administration. In coordination with the, Country Director, Director for Program Operations, Humanitarian Director and other senior staff, s/he has overall responsibility for safety of staff and security of staff and operations in the field site. S/he is responsible for team leadership, human resources management, oversight of all programs, and management of SC facilities and assets in the locality.
- 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
- Reports to: Deputy Director Humanitarian Operations
- Staff directly reporting to this post: 6
- Direct: EU Resilience Programme Manager, Safety & Security Coordinator, Supply Chain Coordinator, Finance Coordinator, HR & Admin Officer
- Indirect: MEAL Coordinator
- Budget Responsibilities: Yes
Key Areas of Accountability
Oversees Save the Children’s programs and operations in Yobe:
- Manages the financial, administrative, logistics, IT, and other operational aspects in the field site.
- Supervises Program Managers based in the field office, providing managerial guidance and support, and ensuring effective communication and coordination among programmes, including ensuring integration where appropriate.
- Ensures effective performance and coherence of the staff team through holding regular meetings and implementing regular training, support, and performance evaluation of staff.
- With support from Human Resources in Abuja, ensures sufficient staffing to perform all programmatic and operational responsibilities.
- Participates in developing the program strategy for Save the Children in Nigeria and in setting policies relevant to field operations.
- Ensures compliance with donor requirements. Supports development of proposals and reports for donors and others. Facilitates donor and other visits as requested.
- Ensures effective representation and coordination with local government, communities, and NGO partners.
- Maintains effective implementation of security guidelines and reporting.
Leadership and overall management:
- Ensure vision, mission and values of Save the Children are clearly and properly understood and upheld by all staff in Yobe.
- Maintain Save the Children’s organizational and operational policies and procedures in the Yobe Field Office. This includes Code of Conduct, Child Safeguarding Policy, Fraud Policy, the Minimum Standards of Humanitarian Relief, etc.
- Responsible for the overall management and supervision of programme, finance, logistics, HR, and administration functions in Yobe Office.
- Maintain awareness on legal cultural/traditional issues and ensure these are considered in the implementation of the programme if required and relevant.
- Monitor the operating context, identifying changes to the context, identifying constraints and challenges and taking relevant actions in consultation with the Humanitarian Director, and Programmes Staff.
Management of Programme Implementation:
- Facilitate and coordinate implementation of planned activities, providing support to ensure high quality of implementation.
- Bear ultimate responsibility for ensuring planned activities are implemented according to the operational plans and budget.
- Ensure an integrated approach to programme implementation in order to maximize resource utilization and synergy.
- Ensure that all activities are in compliance with Save the Children’s and donor requirements, regulations and policies; and as per the approved plan/proposal.
- Facilitate and coordinate with Deputy Director Humanitarian Operations, Director of Program Development and Quality to ensure technical support and capacity development of programme staff in Yobe.
- Work closely with Programme Advisors to ensure teams receive the necessary support to deliver quality programmes.
Monitoring, Reporting and Learning:
- Work closely with Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning advisors to build field staff capacity.
- Ensure monitoring systems and procedures as well as documentation and information management systems are being utilized properly and projects are regularly monitored in Yobe.
- Responsible for the enforcement of reporting requirements and procedures for grants and timely submission of reports to Humanitarian Director, thematic Program Advisors, Director of Program Operations, Director of Program Design and Quality, Director of Finance for all projects implemented in Yobe State.
- Facilitate and coordinate the preparation and provision of information and data to Learning and Development Unit for quarterly and annual reports of the country programme.
- Collate and produce monthly reports and weekly SITREPS.
- Ensure that all reports (i.e. logistics, HR and finance, donor as well as program) are of good quality and produced timely and sent to the appropriate authority at Abuja
Administration and Management of Support Functions:
- Ensure proper control and usage of Save the Children assets and funds in Yobe – providing direct oversight on finance, logistics, HR and admin functions
- Ensure the programmes in Yobe provide value for money
- Work closely with the logistics department to coordinate and follow-up on the procurement and delivery of goods and services for the programme and the programme offices.
- Provide the key communication link to the head office and other field offices to share learning, secure appropriate support and update them on progress of the work underway.
Budget Follow up and Ensuring Financial Compliance:
- Accountable for management and monitoring of assigned budget in his/her capacity as budget holder.
- Ensure the effective compliance of Save the Children and donor finance and grant procedures and requirements.
- Coordinates and facilitates the work of the finance team in Yobe office.
- Ensure the financial reporting and forecasting to the country office is accurately and efficiently carried out within the right timeframe.
- Work with the finance department and Finance Director to ensure accurate budget control for financial management at the field in line with project/grant proposals.
- Facilitate and coordinate the preparation of cash flows and budget phasing in of projects to be implemented in Yobe.
- Facilitate and coordinate budget revisions for projects/grants as required.
Human Resource Development and Management:
- Build a high performing team in Yobe who deliver results for children.
- Ensure staffing levels, management structures, and personnel processes are appropriate and effective to enable the smooth implementation of the programme, including appropriate recruitment and induction processes.
- In collaboration with the HR/Admin officer, guide and support staff in their development, planning succession, and taking prompt action to address issues of underperformance and other issues impacting on professional conduct or implementing duties and responsibilities.
- Ensure staff in Yobe receives regular support, supervision and performance appraisals in line with HR procedures and protocols.
- Ensure the Save the Children Child Safeguarding Policy is understood by all staff in Yobe that it is integrated into all aspects of the teams’ work.
- Representation of Save the Children in the field region:
- Represent Save the Children in Yobe, in relation to programme implementation and maintaining a strong link with community leaders, government, NGOs and UN organizations in the area.
- Establish and maintain contact with all key actors as relevant for the programme implementation – military, government, UN, NGOs and partners – and establish mechanisms for contacting local community organizations in line with key thematic areas of work and assess capacity/resources to respond.
- Advocate on the issues and rights of children in Yobe districts in order to improve policy and practices.
Safety and Security Management:
- Serve as the overall security focal point for the area of operation.
- With support from the safety and security officers, provide regular updates and analysis of the security situation of the Area of operation to the Deputy Director of Humanitarian Operations, Head of Safety and Security, National safety and Security Manager and the Country Director as appropriate.
- Assist the safety and security officers’ in the development of security procedures and protocols for the field and sub offices under the Area of Operation and ensure an understating and adherence of the same.
- Have an overview of the political and security context in field locations and how their changes may affect the programme’s work and ensure that this is communicated regularly to the Senior Management Team.
- With the Safety and Security Officers develop and implement effective safety and security procedures ensuring that these are updated and revised at regular intervals and that new programmes are built around security considerations.
- Take a lead role in monitoring the security situation in Yobe and update and implement Save the Children safety and security policies and procedures.
- Ensure security plans and guidelines and in place, are regularly reviewed and are upheld.
Qualifications and Experience
Essential:
- Degree in a related field, masters preferable
- Five years related experience
- Five years’ progressive non-profit work experience with international humanitarian programmes.
- A proven understanding of development issues in the country and region.
- Management and supervisory experience.
- Established excellence in written communication, including the preparation of complex documents to meet strict deadlines
- Strong personal communication skills, ability to facilitate liaison between different sectors.
- Good financial, budget and grant management skills
- Able to work and travel in difficult conditions
- Able to work with diverse team members
- Good training skills, with a proven ability to build capacity of others in report writing.
- Solid Knowledge of donor funded projects (EU, USAID, DFID, GAC, OFDA etc.)
Desirable:
- Experience in Northeast Nigeria or similar conflict context
Competences and Behaviours (Our 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.
