Senior Program Lead

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

Skills Required:

• Social / Science / Project / Management / Development