Country Director at Save the Children Nigeria

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: Country Director

Job Identification: 1685
Location: Abuja
Job Schedule: Full time
Grade: International Tier II
Team / Programme: West & Central Africa Regional Senior Leadership Team
Grade: International Tier II
Contract Length: Open Ended
Job Category: Programme Operations

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

Role Purpose

• As a member of the West & Central Africa Senior Leadership team, you will have shared accountability for Save the Children’s international development and emergency programming in the region of a portfolio of $248 million (2021) through an organization of over 2,500 people.
• To achieve our ambitious goals and breakthroughs for children, the leadership team will, in collaboration with Save the Children Members and in conjunction with the other regional organizations, aim to drive the growth of the donor landscape to $3 billion in the coming years.
• The Country Director will lead the transformation of the country office to a new operating model, whilst also delivering Save the Children’s strategy within the country through:
  • Delivering quality programs, including advocacy, for children; and
  • Serving Members and their donors
• 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: Regional Director
• Staff directly reporting to this post: 8 including 6 directors (Deputy Country Director of Program Operations, Directors of Program Development & Quality, Director of Finance, Director of HR & Admin, Director of Advocacy & Communications, Director of Awards) and 2 senior managers (Head Safety & Security, Head of Internal Audit & Control)
• Role Dimension: Save the Children has been actively working in Nigeria since 2001. We have 14 offices and sub offices in 13 States (Lagos, Adamawa,Cross River, Borno, Biu, Kogi, Oyo, Yobe, Jigawa, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Abuja) and presence through partners in a further 4 States (Kebbi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Kano).   
• Our program is implemented in various sectors including Food Security & Livelihoods, Nutrition, Education, and Protection, WASH with some Health programming also. With a full-spectrum approach to programming, we engage in both Humanitarian and longer term development work. The Nigeria Country Office employs over 550 staff and has an annual operating budget of approximately $60 million in FY23 most of which is focused on the humanitarian response in the North East involving cash/e-vouchers. We work directly with families and communities, foster the participation of children and partner with local organizations, UN bodies, International NGOs and the Nigerian government to deliver results for children.

Key Areas of Accountabilities

• As a member of the Regional Senior Leadership Team, contribute to strategic development and delivery of international programming, in both humanitarian and development contexts, in line with the Save the Children mandate, strategy and theory of change.

Strategic Leadership:

• Provide vision and direction for the Nigeria country program 
• Effectively build and lead a high-performing SMT to deliver against strategy and to model behaviors and values expected of staff 
• Accountable for the leadership and management of staff and programme in Nigeria
• Develop the Country Strategy and ensure ongoing review progress against key country and organizational level objectives, indicators and targets
• Ensuring  that the focus of the organization remains on the rights and needs of children 
• Contribute to regional and global knowledge and learning 

Human Resource Management:

• Ensure that Save the Children attracts and retains high calibre staff 
• Pro-actively develop and coach staff to optimise their potential in pursuit of Save the Children’s objectives
• Implementation of HR policies and procedures at the country level, in line with HR policies, procedures and guidelines and local labour law
• Ensure consistent implementation of strong performance management systems throughout the country team
• Foster a collegial, supportive and respectful culture within the DRC team

Programme Development and Management:

• Ensure program interventions are in line with technical best practices, SC common approaches, and emerging national policies as well as with country and strategic objectives, strategies, policies and approaches
• Ensure that effective monitoring and evaluation systems are implemented in line with policies, systems and guidelines
• Preparing for and implementing rapid and effective responses to major emergencies affecting children, including building relationships with key humanitarian and development decision-makers  and partners in-country  
• Delivering programmes and advocacy in line with the country strategy, operational plans, budgets and Member requirements that result in significant impact for children

Financial and Admin Management:

• Ensure effective financial budgeting and management systems, processes and controls are in place and are fully compliant with operating standards and local legal requirements
• Ensure effective Save the Children and donor-compliant procurement and asset management systems, processes and controls are in place 
• Ensure that partner organizations are assessed in relation to financial management and governance standards and are supported to address capacity weaknesses

Key Areas of Accountabilities

• As a member of the Regional Senior Leadership Team, contribute to strategic development and delivery of international programming, in both humanitarian and development contexts, in line with the Save the Children mandate, strategy and theory of change.

Strategic Leadership: 

• Provide vision and direction for the Nigeria country programme 
• Effectively build and lead a high-performing SMT to deliver against strategy and to model behaviors and values expected of staff 
• Accountable for the leadership and management of staff and programme in Nigeria
• Develop the Country Strategy and ensure ongoing review progress against key country and organizational level objectives, indicators and targets
• Ensuring  that the focus of the organisation remains on the rights and needs of children 
• Contribute to regional and global knowledge and learning 

Human Resource Management: 

• Ensure that Save the Children attracts and retains high calibre staff 
• Pro-actively develop and coach staff to optimise their potential in pursuit of Save the Children’s objectives
• Implementation of HR policies and procedures at country level, in line with HR policies, procedures and guidelines and local labour law
• Ensure consistent implementation of strong performance management systems throughout the country team
• Foster a collegial, supportive and respectful culture within the DRC team

Programme Development and Management:

• Ensure programme interventions are in line with technical best practice, SC common approaches, and emerging national policies as well as with country and strategic objectives, strategies, policies and approaches
• Ensure that effective monitoring and evaluation systems are implemented in line with policies, systems and guidelines
• Preparing for and implementing rapid and effective responses to major emergencies affecting children, including building relationships with key humanitarian and development decision-makers  and partners in-country  
• Delivering programmes and advocacy in line with the country strategy, operational plans, budgets and Member requirements that result in significant impact for children

Financial and Admin Management:

• Ensure effective financial budgeting and management systems, processes and controls are in place and are fully compliant with operating standards and local legal requirements
• Ensure effective Save the Children and donor compliant procurement and asset management systems, processes and controls are in place 
• Ensure that partner organisations are assessed in relation to financial management and governance standards and are supported to address capacity weaknesses

Audit and Corporate Governance compliance: 

• Ensure compliance with all host government requirements in relation to registration, taxation, labour law, auditing, fraud etc.
• Ensure follow-up on recommendations arising out of audits of operations and take appropriate actions where necessary

Institutional Funding: 

• Ensure full compliance with Members' and donors requirements in relation to awards secured for the country program
• Network actively and play a lead role in management-level dialogue with members, donors and other INGOs on accessing and managing awards 
• Maintain and grow the funding base for the country program and liaise with the bilateral and multilateral donor community in Nigeria.

Security Management:

• Develop, establish and manage Nigeria program security plans and procedures in line with policies, systems and guidelines
• Maintain, document and communicate up-to-date analyses of the changing security context
• Ensure all staff adhere to security guidelines

Representation, Communications and Advocacy: 

• Develop and maintain good relations with Members and their donors
• Represent Save the Children’s interests in Nigeria including Government Institutions, UN agencies, donor delegations, international & local NGOs
• Ensure the timely provision of internal and external communications material as required

Other:

• Any other duties as assigned by the Regional Director

Qualifications 

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in a relevant field

Experience and Skills:

• Experienced leader who has held senior positions in complex / high-profile / multinational organizations 
• Experience of working with large, complex donors (USAID, EU, FCDO etc.) to secure and/or manage new large-scale and/or competitive funding
• Understanding of key trends in international and humanitarian development
• Demonstrable ability to recruit, lead and develop high-calibre specialist senior staff with a range of backgrounds and expertise
• Strong track record in building high-performance teams and future successors/leaders
• Ability to manage and motivate self and others to respond to a significant and complex crisis situation in extraordinary circumstances, requiring swift action and rapid changes in priorities
• Innovative approach to solving a range of highly complex issues and galvanizing buy-in to the solutions at all levels
• Experience and knowledge of context and actors in WCA region.
• Fluency and speaking and writing in both French and English 
• Commitment to the Save the Children vision, principles, mission and values
• Experience on humanitarian programs and ability to work in a volatile environment preferred. 

Behaviors (Values in Practice)
Accountability:

• 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
• 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 and gender, sees it as a source of competitive strength

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity.

Additional Job Responsibilities:

• The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities:

• The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

• We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Health and Safety:

• The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

Application Closing Date
1st July, 2023

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note: Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.