Programme Manager - Health & Nutrition - Kenya

Team / Programme:Location:  Mandera
 

Grade:  TBC  (Competitive Package)    

Post Type: National
 

Child Safeguarding: Level 3 - the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people

Role Purpose: To ensure Save the Children’s combined health and nutrition programme in Mandera is successfully implemented in line with approved donor agreements, budget and Save the Children strategic objectives.  

To ensure all nutrition and health programming is of a consistently high quality and appropriate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are in place to monitor the impact of our work for children.

Scope of Role:

Reports to: Area Programme Manager

Dimensions: Save the Children has been operational in Kenya since 1984, providing support to children through developmental and humanitarian relief programmes delivered both directly and through local partners. 

Current programming focuses on Child Protection, Child rights governance, Education, Health, HIV/AIDS, Livelihoods, Nutrition and WASH. 

Save the Children has an operational presence in Dadaab Refugee Camp, Eldoret, Habaswein, Mandera, Meru and Wajir. Currently we have a staff complement of approximately 270 and expenditure of approximately US$ 30 million in 2012.

Staff directly reporting to this post: None

Key Areas of Accountability:
 

To ensure the nutrition and health programme in Mandera are implemented according to the approved donor agreements. Specifically achieve the following:

• Acutely malnourished children, pregnant women and lactating mothers in the district are appropriated treated through SFP, OTP and SC services.
• The capacity of CHW’s in the district to identify and refer sick and malnourished and sick children and women is improved.
• Access to and the availability of essential preventative and curative primary health care services in your district is increased
• The target community in your district demonstrates improved knowledge, attitude and practices in key health and nutrition practices

Develop and regularly update a detailed implementation plan guiding all health and nutrition programme implementation and ensure this is used by the whole project team to monitor project progress towards completion.
 

Prepare narrative and financial reports for donor(s) and Save the Children as required, ensuring these are of a high quality and submitted to the Area Programme Manager for review in a timely manner. This will involve compilation of information from a range of project staff and MoH partners.
 

Put systems in place to ensure information required to monitor progress and impact indicators is collected, compiled and analyzed appropriately.  Ensure all SC monthly and donor monitoring requirements are complied with.
 

As a sub-budget holder for various grants, be fully aware of the grant compliance regulations of the donors relevant to your project. The post holder will work with the Area Manager to review and revise budgets; authorizing and monitoring expenditure in line with the budget and donor guidelines, SCUK grant management and financial guidelines.
 

To directly line manage the Health and Nutrition Coordinators by ensuring that they have clear work plans and objectives and, at a minimum, receive quarterly supervisions and annual reviews.
 

To have overall management responsibility for the nutrition and health team.  Lead and motivate the team to ensure effective project implementation. At a minimum ensure there are monthly team meetings.
 

To monitor and support all project staff in implementing nutrition and health projects. In particular this includes ensuring their appropriate induction, training and follow-up needs of all project staff are identified and planned for with the Area Programme Manager and Human Resource staff. Key areas to consider include; grants management systems, logistics and security guidelines, programme management, monitoring and evaluation procedures and guidelines.
 

Regularly undertake liaison and advocacy with Government partners and officials in your district on project activities and related health/nutrition issues.  Facilitate visits to field sites for donor representatives and other external visitors as required.  Be able to clearly explain project activities and objectives, related policy issues and the project’s contribution to wider Save the Children goals and objectives.
 

Work with Area Programme Manager and Save the Children Technical Advisors to identify the technical support needs of the project and ensure this support is provided by the Nutrition and Health Advisors and Director of Programme Quality and Development based in Nairobi.
 

As a key member of field Senior Management Team, actively participate in monthly Area Management and other team Meetings held in the field office.
 

Skills 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 others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically

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

Qualifications and Experience

Person Specification

Essential

• Degree in Medicine or Nutrition or Public Health. A masters degree in Public Health will be an added advantage
• At least 3 years relevant project management experience in an international NGO or similar organization.
• Several years progressively responsible project and personnel management experience
• Good technical knowledge of policy and practice in the field of health and/or nutrition  
• A good understanding of development issues and the policy context in the Pastoral areas and Kenya generally.
• Proven team and personnel management experience
• Proven analytical and strategic planning skills
• Experience of managing projects or programmes
• Experience in monitoring budgets
• Computer literate in word processing and excel packages
• An understanding of child rights and their protection and fulfilment in the development context

Desirable

• Masters or higher level qualification in relevant technical specialism
• Knowledge of the area and region where the post is located

Working Contacts  

External 
 

The Programme Manager – Health & Nutrition will work closely with representatives from other agencies, NGOs and other line ministries.

Internal
 

On a day to day basis, the Programme Manager – Health & Nutrition will work closely with the Area Programme Manager, Technical Advisors, project team and field support team (Finance, logistician and HR/Admin).

Date of issue: 19th December, 2012  

The application period is now open and will close on Monday 31st December 2012 at 4.30 p.m.

To apply for a position, please send a short cover letter and CV to Kenya.jobapplications@savethechildren.org  indicating the position applied for in the subject line.