Job Details

This role is open to applications from all SCI internal staff. At-Risk staff, and recent leavers, will be prioritised. Please check the role profile for specific location, time zone and language requirements.  
This recruitment will follow a business-as-usual recruitment process. 

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for a Head, Award Management Business Partnering (MENAEE) to join our global team.
Team and Job Purpose
Team purpose
To provide comprehensive award management and donor compliance support to countries globally, ensuring efficient operations, adherence to donor requirements, and management of risks, while fostering collaboration and learning across teams to enhance processes and practices based on real-world data and insights. Leads with practical business partnering support in sub-award management.
Role purpose
To lead business partnering in award management and donor compliance for a designated region, including sub-award management, ensuring comprehensive support to countries and effective sub-award management, facilitating efficient operations, adherence to donor requirements, and risk management. This role exists to drive timely problem solving and decision making in the AMDC space, foster collaboration and learning across contexts/offices and across functions, drive the application of processes and practices based on real-world data and insights, while supporting the Director of Award Management and Donor Compliance as required. The position holder will also be prepared to work beyond normal hours in response to humanitarian emergencies. The position holder will also provide technical leadership on a particular topic in the AMDC space e.g. audits, close outs, CAM, particular donors, to be defined with the AM Business Partnering team and Director.
Job Title: Head, Award Management Business Partnering (MENAEE)
Reports To: Director, Award Management and Donor Compliance
Work Pattern: Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available 
Contract Length: Permanent
Grade: M4
Location: Any approved Save the Children International office location.
Time Zone (that the role holder must be available to work in): Alignment with MENAEE and willing to flex to cover span of countries when required (GMT 3; or GMT +3.5 or more)
Right to Work: The successful candidate must possess the unrestricted right to work in their current or preferred location for the duration of employment. 
Language Requirements: English
International Travel Requirements: up to 40%
People Management Responsibility: Number of people managed in total: 1
Manager of a team: Yes
Team Manager (manager of multiple teams): No
Principal Accountabilities

• Oversee and manage the delivery and performance of the MENAEE award portfolio, ensuring proactive risk management and accurate, timely reporting to relevant senior leaders. Supports the SCI Led Funding Senior Specialist(reporting to the Head, AMBP, Africa)  to oversee the global SCI Led funding portfolio as it relates to MENAEE.
• Evaluate and monitor business partnering activities to ensure alignment with the needs of countries, serving as the lead point of contact for the MENAEE region for escalations and oversight.
   
• Facilitate global learning exchange and training delivery, fostering a platform for knowledge sharing and capacity building across countries, and ensuring resources are accessible equitably. Support country office recruitment and onboarding of award management staff, connecting to other team members (e.g. Senior Specialists, Specialists, Officers) as required for ongoing induction/training.
• Lead on specific donor and agreement types, or lifecycle management activities, to capture best practices and drive continuous improvement
• Promote and integrate Save the Children’s values, including diversity, equity, and inclusion, into all business partnering activities to ensure a respectful and inclusive working environment.
• Direct resources within the Business Partnering team to solve problems and enable right-first-time delivery, engaging other teams as needed to ensure donor compliance and award delivery.

Experience and Skills 
Essential

1. Fluent in English, with the ability to communicate in professional settings. 
2. Leadership and Team Building - Ability to inspire and build effective teams within a diverse and international environment. Substantial experience working with NGOs with increasing responsibilities in award management as part of a country/ regional senior leadership team overseeing complex portfolio, ideally in the MENAEE region for contextual knowledge. Excellent strategic planning and management skills and in leading cross-functional teams and managing complex projects in multicultural environments.
3. Business Partnering – Deep understanding of business operations and strategies with strong skills in managing relationships and partnering effectively with various functions, country offices and stakeholders. 
4. Donor Compliance and Award Management – Extensive experience in leading the full award management lifecycle including sub-award management in humanitarian or development context, from contract negotiation to close out. Providing technical advice on AM topics as Head/Lead of function while ensuring compliance. Significant skills in leading technical initiatives and providing guidance on requirements of major institutional donors, including budgeting, cost eligibility, compliance management, reporting, audits, close outs etc.
5. Risk Management - Strong skills in identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks within award and donor compliance frameworks. Ability to develop and implement risk management strategies to ensure compliance and operational efficiency.
6. Communication and Problem Solving - Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to convey complex information succinctly. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a proactive approach to identifying and addressing issues.
7. Cultural Competency and Inclusivity - Ability to demonstrate cultural competency and foster an inclusive environment, respecting diverse perspectives and backgrounds. Experience in the MENAEE region.
8. Considerable Experience in Risk Management - Tested experience in implementing and managing risk assessment and mitigation strategies within the context of award management.
9. Initiative-taking and convening power - Demonstrates initiative and proactively addresses challenges with ability to bring colleagues together and steer others in the right direction. Ability to make calls/take decisions on a way forward to creatively and effectively solve complex issues.   

Education and Qualifications 
Essential

• Relevant certifications and trainings in institutional donor requirements for some of the key donors within the Save the Children portfolio. e.g. USG Grants and Cooperative Agreements, 
• A relevant degree in International Development, Business Administration, Project Management, Finance or another field. 

Desirable

• Relevant professional certifications, for example in grants or contract management/commercial training (e.g. CFCM, CCCM), Project Management (e.g. PMD Pro, PRINCE2 Practitioner) or Financial Accounting (CIMA, ACCA)
• Training in donor regulations, sub-award management or risk management
• Arabic proficiency desirable but not essential
   

Competencies 

Cluster: LeadingCompetency: Leading and inspiring othersLevel: Leading EdgeBehavioural Indicator: Creates and engages others in a shared vision and strategy that will deliver more for children.Cluster: LeadingCompetency: Developing self and othersLevel: AccomplishedBehavioural Indicator: Coaches others to learn from their experiences and reach their full potential.Cluster: ThinkingCompetency: Problem solving and decision makingLevel: Leading EdgeBehavioural Indicator: Identifies and addresses root causes of long-term problems facing the organisation.Cluster: ThinkingCompetency: Innovating and adaptingLevel: AccomplishedBehavioural Indicator: Promotes a culture and work environment where new ideas take risks and learns from failures.Cluster: EngagingCompetency: NetworkingLevel: Leading EdgeBehavioural Indicator: Aligns and builds networks and alliances to reflect global shifts and opportunities.Cluster: EngagingCompetency: Working effectively with othersLevel: Leading EdgeBehavioural Indicator: Creates an environment which promotes diversity and does not tolerate discrimination.
 

 
Working at Save the Children International
Save the Children is the world's leading organisation for children, employing ~25,000 staff. We save children's lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Through our work in 116 countries, we put the most deprived and marginalised children first.
We know that great people make a great organisation, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.
The work here is challenging but is also immensely rewarding. At Save the Children, you will be in good company, working with talented, like-minded individuals who are determined to ensure that all children survive, learn, and are protected. Your contribution will help ensure children's voices are heard at the highest levels, and that we achieve our global strategy, Ambition for Children 2030, and reach every last child.
 
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Equal Opportunities
DEI is core to our vision, values and global strategy. Save the Children is committed to creating a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation, and one which will support us in our vision to ensure every child attains the right to survival, protection, development, and participation.
We are committed to equal employment opportunities, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality, disability, marital or civil partnership status, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, caring or parental responsibilities, age, or beliefs and religion. We are committed to diversifying our staff to better represent the communities we serve and actively welcome underrepresented groups to apply.
Reasonable adjustments will be made should any candidate invited to interview require this.
Application Information
Please attach a copy of your CV and cover letter with your application. A full copy of the role profile can be found here via the job listing. It is recommended that you save a copy of the role profile as it will no longer be available after the advert closes.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the job advert may be closed earlier than advertised subject to the volume of suitable applicants. Please submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.
Due to the high volume of applications we receive, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Candidates who are successfully shortlisted should expect to hear from us within 2 weeks of the advert deadline.
Our recruitment process:

1. Application review by our recruiting team based on your CV and cover letter
2. Two-stage competency-based interviews with the hiring team
3. Some recruitment may include an additional assessment or case study stage, or a third stage interview
4. If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment, followed by your contract subject to passing background checks

We need to keep children and adults safe so our selection process includes rigorous background checks and reflects our commitment to the protection of children and adults from abuse. All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our Code of Conduct and all policies and procedures relating to Anti-harassment, Health and Safety, Safeguarding, and DEI and Equal Opportunities.
Save the Children does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.