Country Director Ukraine

TITLE: Country Director Ukraine (International or National Staff)
TEAM/PROGRAMME:
Save the Children Middle East and Eastern Europe (MEEE) Region
LOCATION:
Sloviansk, Eastern Ukraine with 50% travel to Kiev and the impact area including Donbass GCA and NGCA
GRADE: TBC CONTRACT LENGTH:
12 months with possible extension
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:
Save the Children currently operates in 19 countries in Middle East & Eastern Europe (MEEE) with a current staff complement of approximately 3000 and current expenditure of approximately $200 million each year.
As a member of the MEEE Senior Leadership team, the Country Director (CD) in Ukraine will have shared accountability for the full-spectrum quality programming portfolio growth in Ukraine. The Country Office’s mandate mainly includes humanitarian, recovery and development programming in Donbas region of Ukraine. The Country Director will have primary responsibility for development and implementation of the country strategy (2019-2021). The CD is ultimately responsible for designing and implementing quality programmes, including advocacy, for children and serving Members and their donors. The CD will represent Save the Children in various humanitarian and donor coordination mechanisms, in close coordination with Save the Children Member organisations. The current programme portfolio is humanitarian and the budget is approximately $2 M. The role of the Country Director is to grow the program portfolio expanding it to recovery and development programming for the neediest children in Donbas and to ensure programs timely and quality implementation. This will be achieved setting up strong partnership with local civil society organizations and will require their capacitation as a precondition for sustainability and potential handover at the end of the strategy period.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to: Eastern Europe Director

Staff directly reporting to this post: Key senior staff within the Ukraine team
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Country Strategy and Leadership
* Lead on the country strategy and operational plans’ development. The CD ensures that the country strategy identifies and addresses significant issues facing children, and is developed in line with Save the Children’s overall strategy and the theory of change;
* Ensure the development of a 3-year advocacy and partnership strategy based on key short- and long-term humanitarian and development needs for children;
* Ensure growth of the country programme portfolio along with the quality of delivery to become the leading agency in responding to the needs of children;
* Ensure that the focus of the organisation remains on the rights and needs of children and deliver improved outcomes for children through implementation of high quality programs;
* Develop and maintain strong relations with Save the Children Member organisations and their donors;
* Engage Save the Children staff, partners and other stakeholders to create real shared ownership and collaboration.
* In partnership with the Eastern Europe team build the capacity of the country team in recovery and development programming and ensure application of evidence-based methodologies and approaches.

Representation, Coordination, Advocacy and Partnerships
* Regularly undertake high-level representation at a national, regional and international level with Government partners, media as well as donor representatives and NGO counterparts;
* Develop the capacity of senior national staff to ensure they can represent the agency in different forums and meetings;
* Identify opportunities and materials to contribute to effective communication and media to promote Save the Children programs;
* Establish effective networks with donors, civil society and government in country to increase the impact and sustainability of Save the Children’s work in Donbas region;
* Establish systems for communication with local Government partners, relevant line departments and community representations in the project area(s);
* Help shape broader sector strategies through influencing the inter-agency coordination forums, ensuring that the specific needs of children are being addressed;
* Ensure that partners’ and Save the Children’s work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and the Government;
* Collaborate with the colleagues in the region to deliver regional and sub-regional programmes and advocacy.

Strengthening Operations delivery and staff capacity
* Develop and maintain efficient and effective operating systems, and ensure compliance with all Save the Children KPIs, Humanitarian Principles and Essential Standards;
* Ensure strict compliance of programme activities with Save the Children and partners’ policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct including child safeguarding;
* Ensure optimal staff structure and well planned growth or decrease of operations due to change in funding streams;
* Create an environment of continuous learning, where staff are encouraged and supported to grow and develop and are willing to be held accountable for their commitments;
* Developing and coaching staff to optimise their potential in pursuit of Save the Children’s objectives;
* Identify national staff with high potential and develop succession plan for them to take over the roles of international staff;
* Role modelling and leading the way on Save the Children’s values and ways of working.

Fundraising
* Lead the team in responding to the new business opportunities; ensure development of high quality concept notes and proposals in line with the approved CSP;
* Ensure effective collaboration with members to preposition the CO for upcoming funding opportunities;
* Ensure donor landscape assessment and in coordination with members develop and implement donors engagement strategy and plans;
* Network with donors in the country and represent Save the Children at donor events.

Programme management and implementation
* Assume overall oversight of programs’ implementation in Ukraine;
* Ensure timely delivery of the projects and full compliance with donor rules and regulation;
* Ensure management oversight over programme implementation including timely delivery of programmatic activities within the agreed budget outputs, outcome and impact indicators;
* Ensure timely preparation of quality reports to donors and members in compliance with the internal requirements and relevant external donor requirements; ensure timely submission of requests for awards amendments;
* Have oversight over the development of 6-12 month master budgets and take overall leadership on the implementation of country office budgets;
* Regularly visit and monitor projects and provide timely feedback to the project teams;
* Oversee effective functioning of logistics systems to procure, store and distribute stock, supplies and services for the timely delivery of project objectives at country level;
* Ensure strong accountability to beneficiaries including establishment of feedback mechanisms.