Position Title: Senior Program Lead
Employer: Save the Children
Employment: Full-Time | Contract
Place of Work: Addis Ababa - Ethiopia
Posted date: 1 hour ago
Deadline: March, 31/2026 (12 days left)
Role Purpose:
The Senior Program Lead provides overall leadership and strategic direction for the humanitarian program, focusing on area-based ABA/multi-sector emergency assistance in the Wag Himra Zone and other contested areas. This includes managing a consortium of partners, serving as the overall budget holder, ensuring coordination among stakeholders, and achieving project objectives aligned with donor expectations and organizational goals.
Scope of Role:
- Reports to: Director of Program Operations
- Staff reporting: Finance Manager, Senior ABA Coordinator, Senior Information Manager, MEAL Advisor
- Budget responsibility: Overall program budget of ~$3.2 million
Key Areas of Accountability:
1. Strategic Leadership & Program Oversight
- Provide strategic vision and leadership for the program, aligned with humanitarian needs and organizational priorities.
- Oversee program planning, implementation, and evaluation to ensure timely, high-quality service delivery.
- Lead area-level needs assessments, service mapping, and gap analysis for Wag Himra response strategy.
- Facilitate coordination among consortium partners and develop/revise the Area-Based Response Strategy and implementation roadmap.
2. Consortium Management
- Lead consortium governance structure, including steering committee and coordination platforms.
- Ensure partners comply with agreements, work plans, and donor obligations.
- Review and approve partner work plans, budgets, and technical deliverables.
- Resolve conflicts among partners and consolidate partner reports for donor submissions.
- Oversee partner capacity strengthening and technical support as needed.
3. Budget Management
- Act as main budget holder ensuring compliance with donor and organizational policies.
- Lead annual budget development, financial forecasts, and amendments.
- Monitor financial performance and report to donors and stakeholders.
- Endorse modifications, reallocations, and strategic shifts as needed.
4. Coordination & Partnership Management
- Maintain relationships with local authorities, community leaders, and administrations.
- Represent program in national-level coordination meetings and advocate for affected populations.
- Facilitate collaboration and joint planning among partners.
5. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEAL)
- Integrate MEAL frameworks into program activities.
- Promote learning and continuous improvement.
- Oversee data collection, analysis, and reporting for impact assessment and quality assurance.
6. Community Engagement & Accountability
- Ensure community participation in the design, implementation, and evaluation of ABA activities.
- Establish feedback mechanisms to address community concerns and inform program design.
7. Safeguarding & Compliance
- Ensure compliance with child safeguarding policies.
- Implement risk management strategies to mitigate potential program risks.
8. Team Management
- Provide leadership, mentoring, and capacity building for program staff.
- Conduct performance reviews and support professional development opportunities.
Behaviours (Values in Practice):
- Accountability – Deliver results and uphold organizational values.
- Ambition – Set challenging goals and motivate team members.
- Collaboration – Build effective relationships with internal and external partners.
- Creativity – Encourage innovative solutions and take calculated risks.
- Integrity – Demonstrate honesty and transparency.
Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in social studies, humanitarian studies, international development, Project Management, or related fields.
Experience & Skills:
- Minimum 10 years in humanitarian program management, with at least 5 years in leadership.
- Proven experience managing multi-sectoral programs in emergency contexts, particularly ABA frameworks.
- Strong understanding of humanitarian principles, coordination mechanisms, and donor requirements.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Experience in budget management and financial reporting.
- Desirable: Familiarity with the Ethiopian context, experience working with consortia, and capacity building/training of staff and partners.
Additional Responsibilities:
Role holder may carry out additional duties within reason, covering emerging assignments in humanitarian program operations.
Equal Opportunities:
All duties must comply with SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.
Health and Safety:
All duties must comply with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.
Required Skills:
- Strategic Leadership
- Consortium Management
- Budget Management
- Coordination & Partnership
- Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning
- Community Engagement
- Team Leadership
- Risk & Compliance Management
