Job Details

TITLE: Deputy Director Operations (National)

LOCATION: Damascus, Aleppo, Raqqa
 

CHILD SAFEGUARDING: 
Level 3:  the role 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: 
The Deputy Director Operations will be deployed to provide oversight, mentoring support and capacity building for Field Managers. The post holder may also be deployed to the field to manage a large field base or area if there is a field leadership gap. In this role the post holder will support and ensure that ensure SCI standards and processes are followed at governorate level in relation to safeguarding, PSEA, internal controls and compliance, inclusive team building, investing in female talent, agency coordination and representation at field level, security, logistics and awards management procedures. The post holder will play a key role in building capacity, mentoring, coaching and, where necessary performance managing to ensure safe quality rapid scale up of programmes supporting children. 
 

SCOPE OF ROLE: 
Reports to: Director of Program Operations
Staff directly reporting to this post : 5

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

• Line manage Field Managers, ensuring learning and development plans are in place and required capacity building activities identified
• Ensure program implementation at the field level proceeds on time, on budget, and with a focus on quality programming
• Regularly visit field locations to work with Field Managers face to face on key challenges and support needs (security permitting)
• Represent field management at the Damascus level in key processes in support of project cycle management
• Ensure set up of Field Office risk committees and support Director Program Operations to implement mitigations identified in SRAs (as well as supporting regular SRA updates in coordination with function heads)
• Working with Field Managers to develop field level master budgets and contribute to Save the Children’s overall response strategy.
• Working closely with NBD, support in ensuring proposals developed have adequate field support costs and are realistic to the realities on the ground. 
• Support on recruitment and ensure that programme/projects are adequately staffed 
• Develop and implement effective safety and security procedures for multiple offices within the field base or area, ensuring that these are updated and revised at regular intervals and that new programmes are built around security considerations. 
• Support Field Managers navigate logistics processes to procure, store and distribute stock, supplies and services for the timely delivery of project objectives within the field base or area
• Develop and implement participatory assessment to contribute to programme planning and MEAL processes
• Manage and motivate field base staff to perform highly in their respective roles and responsibilities. This will include strengthening gender-sensitive staff wellbeing practices
• Ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct.
• Identify learning and training opportunities for Save the Children staff and partners and work as a mentor and role model for less experienced staff. 
• Lead staff capacity building on humanitarian principles and coordinate key field-level capacity building initiatives to enable them to ensure safe/quality/ scale up.

Representation & Advocacy & Organisational Learning:

• Mentor field teams to ensure that Save the Children's work is well coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government, and take a leadership role within Interagency Coordination forums, ensuring the specific needs of children are being addressed.
• Where appropriate to identify opportunities and material to contribute to communications and media work

General:

• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
• Ensure the security, health and well-being of staff and that staff management and other processes and policies and systems reflect SCA’s principles of equity and fairness.

COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLE:
 

1. Delivering results

Takes personal responsibility and holds others accountable for delivering our ambitious goals for children, continually improving their own performance or that of the team/ organisation.
Level required: skilled / accomplished (dependant on scale and complexity of emergency)
 

1. Problem Solving and Decision-Making

Takes effective, considered and timely decisions by gathering and evaluating relevant information from within or outside the organisation.
Level required: Level required: Skilled / Accomplished (dependant on scale and complexity of emergency)
 

1. Innovating and Adapting

Develops and implements innovative solutions to adapt and succeed in ever-changing and uncertain global and working environments.
Level required: Skilled / Accomplished (dependant on scale and complexity of emergency)
 

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
 
Essential

• Significant management experience working in an emergency response contexts or fragile states
• Previous experience capacity building/ mentoring/ coaching
• Solid understanding of humanitarian principles and Field Office Management.
• Previous first phase emergency response experience is essential
• Education to MSc/MA/MEng level in a relevant subject or equivalent field experience
• Significant previous experience of managing a team
• Previous experience of project management, including multi sector programmes 
• Budget management experience including institutional donors           
• Security management experience in insecure environments
• Field level representation with key stakeholders and co-ordination with other NGOs/UN
• Demonstrable experience of MEAL and beneficiary accountability
• Excellent communication skills
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• A high level of written and spoken English 
• The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.
• Commitment to the aims and principles of SC. In particular, a good understanding of the SC mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support

Desirable 

• Multi site management experience
• ECHO,FCDO, BHA programme management experience
• National level representation with key stakeholders and co-ordination with other NGOs/UN
• Media trained