Head of Technical Unit

The Opportunity – Head of Technical Unit

Post location: Country Office Role, duty station can be based in either Gaza or Ramallah.

Contract Duration and Level of Effort:1 year

ROLE

PURPOSE:

The Head of Technical Unit (HTU) will work closely with the Director Programme Development and Quality in assuming the overall responsibility for the direction and coordination of the PDQ department. Specifically, the HTU oversees the Thematic Advisors and supports the PDQ Director in the development and implementation of a robust Country Strategic Plan and a programme design system fit for its realization.

The role also takes responsibility for ensuring program quality across the country program and the generation of evidence for program improvement. The HTU works with thematic Advisors to develop evidence-based strategies, programs and projects and to strengthen program integration. In addition, the Head of Technical Unit takes a leading role in operationalizing an effective link between PDQ and ACCM to ensure the two departments are mutually reinforcing to amplify Save the Children’s impact.

The Head of Technical Unit is also expected to deputize for the PDQ Director.

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:Director of Programme Development and Quality.

Staff reporting to this post:Technical Advisors for:
Child Protection, Child Rights Governance and Gender, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, Child Poverty (FSL/ Cash), Climate Resilience, Education, Health and Nutrition, and WASH.

Budget Responsibilities:None.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

As a Head of Technical:

• Support the development and monitoring of the Country Strategy, Country Annual Plans and reports and ensure progress review against key country and organisational level objectives, indicators and targets.
• Position Save the Children as a thought-leader by actively promoting the knowledge and learning generated by the CO’s programmes and advocacy.
• Ensure the technical team complies with all Save the Children Management Operating Standards, Standard Operating Procedures and Child Safeguarding and anti-harassment policies.
• Support the development of an organisational culture that reflects our values, promotes accountability and high performance, encourages a team culture of learning, creativity and innovation.

Program Design and Quality:

• Ensure that the country office has high quality, cost-effective and evidence based multi-sector programs reflecting SC’s global initiatives and theory of change and promote the integration of SCI Common Approaches in program design.
• Ensure all thematic strategies include key global indicators to guide programme development, and holistic needs of children and communities are considered.
• Play a leading role in designing innovative and high impact programmes/projects and proposals, including:
  • Engaging with technical experts to ensure high quality, evidence-based designs that draw on needs assessments, learning from past programs and child safeguarding principles;
  • If needed, ensure relevant technical support and backstopping by global teams is secured if and as needed to complement the capacities of country teams
  • Promote the sectoral integration in proposal design efforts
  • Ensure that relevant thematic needs assessments are in place or conducted for the purpose of quality proposal design
  • Ensure partners are identified and appropriately engaged in program design, linking with Operations and Awards teams as need be for assessments, especially to strengthen gender sensitivity at design stage;
  • Ensure the inclusion of Child Participation and community engagement in proposal design, and later on during implementation.
  • Ensuring the project budget will enable the project to be delivered as designed.
• Ensure that relevant technical and other teams receive regular timely and quality programme inputs to help guide their strategies and promote effective cross-thematic collaboration.
• Ensure discussion on innovation and T4D, policy making and bringing in external stakeholders to foster innovation.
• Ensure…