We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realize the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard. 

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

•            No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday

•            All children learn from a quality basic education and that,

•            Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization 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 workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

SCI - Afghanistan

 Save the Children has been working in Afghanistan since 1976. Our way of working close to people and on their own terms has enabled us to deliver lasting change to tens of thousands of children in the country. The UN Convention of the Rights of the Child is the basis of our work.

We are helping children get a better education, we make it possible for more boys and girls to attend school, we help children protect themselves and influence their own conditions. We work with families, communities and health workers in homes, clinics and hospitals to promote basic health in order to save lives of children and mothers

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 Country Office is currently implementing multiple ECHO-funded projects with over 15M in funds.

The ECHO Program Manager provides overall leadership, strategic direction, coordination, and quality assurance for all ECHO-funded multi-partner projects operating across Afghanistan. The role ensures effective collaboration between SCI field offices, consortium members, SCI departments, and compliance with ECHO rules and regulations, delivery of program objectives, and accountability to affected populations. The manager is the primary focal point with ECHO, consortium partners, and relevant stakeholders, ensuring a unified and coherent approach to the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

The ECHO program manager will provide direct support to ensure ECHO grants remain on track and all communication flows seamlessly between the CO, project teams, Consortium members, stakeholders, and ECHO Kabul. He/She will be reporting to DCD Operation.

The ECHO Programme Manager/Lead is a member of the Extended Senior (Country) Management Team (ESMT).

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY/DELIVERABLES:

Consortium Coordination and over all ECHO Awards Leadership

• Provide oversight on all ECHO funded awards in the CO.
• Lead and facilitate the governance structure of the consortium (Steering Committee, Technical Working Groups, etc.).
• Ensure alignment and complementarity of consortium members’ activities to achieve agreed objectives and results.
• Serve as the focal point between ECHO, consortium members, and external stakeholders.
• Promote a spirit of collaboration, transparency, and accountability across the consortium.
• Monitor grant implementation progress, flag risks, and ensure alignment with donor requirements.
• Maintain strong relationships with partner organizations, ensuring open and transparent communication.

Program Management and Quality Assurance

• Provide oversight on all ECHO funded awards in the CO.
• Lead and facilitate the governance structure of the consortium (Steering Committee, Technical Working Groups, etc.).
• Ensure alignment and complementarity of consortium members’ activities to achieve agreed objectives and results.
• Serve as the focal point between ECHO, consortium members, and external stakeholders.
• Promote a spirit of collaboration, transparency, and accountability across the consortium.
• Monitor grant implementation progress, flag risks, and ensure alignment with donor requirements.
• Oversee implementation of the ECHO-funded action, ensuring compliance with donor requirements, project objectives, and humanitarian principles.
• Represent the organization in relevant donor and coordination forums linked to ECHO.
• Facilitate timely information flow, joint planning, and communication/coordination between ECHO, consortium members and project teams.
• Call and chair consortium Weekly/Monthly meetings and summarize the key taking points for strategic discussion and sharing with ECHO.
• Ensure mainstreaming of protection, gender, inclusion, and accountability across all consortium activities.
• Prepare and Review reports and ensure they meet donor and organizational requirements.
• Provide technical inputs to improve report quality and ensure accurate data representation.
• Overall lead in planning and management of the response as per guidance of Country Office and SMT;
• Conducting contextual analysis of the humanitarian environment and early warning indicators.
• Lead on implementation and update of Response projects in close coordination of relevant colleagues.
• In collaboration with the Heads of Offices involved in Emergency Response: design and recommend operations delivery mechanisms. Ensure effective and timely delivery of response activities.
• In collaboration with Heads of Offices: develop and follow up on detailed Implementation Plans and Phased Budgets for the response projects.
• Ensure monthly project performance reviews and BVA analysis is conducted for all emergency awards and shared with the DPO.
• Lead and support on the prepositioning of required supplies and services to ensure timely and quality implementation.

Compliance, Reporting, and Donor Relations

• Ensure compliance with ECHO contractual requirements, guidelines, and reporting standards.
• Consolidate technical and financial reports from partners into timely, high-quality submissions to ECHO.
• Act as primary contact with ECHO on programmatic, contractual, and coordination matters.
• Support audits, evaluations, and donor monitoring visits.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL)

• Monitor progress against the over all projects/Awards, consortium’s results framework, workplan, and budget.
• Coordinate harmonized approaches, tools, and methodologies (e.g., monitoring, assessments, reporting).
• Oversee development and implementation of a MEAL framework (All Awards).
• Ensure that data is collected, analyzed, and reported in a harmonized and timely manner.
• Promote adaptive management and continuous learning across SCI teams and partners.
• Ensure feedback and accountability mechanisms are in place and functional.

Representation and Advocacy

• Represent the SCI and consortium with humanitarian coordination bodies, donors, and government stakeholders as agreed by the Steering Committee.
• Advocate for the needs and priorities of target populations in line with the SCI and consortium’s mandate.
• Foster strategic partnerships and synergies with other humanitarian and development actors.
• Support and contribute to new ECHO opportunities with providing information and strategic oversight to NBD.

Team Management and Capacity Strengthening

• Supervise and mentor consortium coordination staff.
• Facilitate capacity sharing and joint learning initiatives among consortium members.
• Ensure effective knowledge management and documentation of lessons learned.

Any other business assigned by the line manager or organization.

Capacity Building:

• Build the capacity of the project and partner organization staff.
• Facilitate capacity sharing and joint learning initiatives amongst SCI and consortium members.
• Ensure effective knowledge management and documentation of lessons learned.

General:

• Comply with all relevant Save the Children policies and procedures with respect to child rights and protection, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies. · Make clear recommendations regarding proposed programme content, staffing, management and administration arrangements and budget with clear indications of funding and technical support sources. · Prepare preliminary recommendations regarding programme intervention.

SKILLS AND BEHAVIORS (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.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:

• Master’s degree in development studies, Humanitarian Affairs, Social Sciences, or related field.
• Minimum 5–7 years’ experience in grant management, preferably with ECHO or other major institutional donors.
• Strong knowledge of ECHO guidelines, compliance, and proposal/report writing.
• Demonstrated skills in donor liaison, consortium coordination, and team capacity building.
• Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and deliver quality outputs within tight deadlines

Essential

• • • • Substantial experience working with an international and non-governmental organisation within an emergency environment.
      • Skills and experience in project/programme implementation, monitoring, review and evaluation preferably from a child rights approach in accordance with the CRC and international humanitarian rights standards.
      • Substantial people and programme management experience with good interpersonal skills and ability to communicate at all levels.
      • Solid experience in grant management, including budget holding and donor reporting.
      • Substantial previous experience in security management.
      • Ability to produce high quality reports.
      • Representational, political awareness and advocacy skills.
      • Ability to work with limited support from line manager.
      • Fluency in written and spoken English languages and computer literate.
      • Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles.

Desirable.

• · Experience of first phase emergency response operations

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.

Qualified applicants are highly encouraged to apply for the position by filling in the online application form. In addition to the online application form, they can also attach their CV and cover letter in the online system. Please note that only the applications received through the online portal will be considered for this position.

Applicants can login to the online application system by copying and pasting the following link intro their web browser. Returning users will need to enter their username and password, first time users will need to create a user account.

It is recommended that you save your username and password for future job applications through the online system.

Link:https://hcri.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/jobs/preview/14339/?amp;locationId=300000000345568&locationLevel=country&mode=location&lastSelectedFacet=LOCATIONS&selectedLocationsFacet=300000000341839

Save the Children International (SCI) is committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion as core to our vision and values. We provide equitable employment opportunities and aim to increase the representation of women, people with disabilities, and individuals from minority groups to effectively meet the diverse needs of the children and communities we serve.

At SCI, we value the authentic selves of everyone, including you! If you have any access needs or require support due to a disability or other reasons, please let us know at the time of your application. We are here to assist you and ensure an accessible and inclusive recruitment experience.

Please note: SCI does not request any fees during any stage of the recruitment process.

We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.