Senior Program Manager

The Opportunity - Senior Program Manager

To provide overall leadership in management and implementation of assigned program(s), including representation to assigned partners and or thematic working areas. The Senior Program Manager ensures that every project reaches identified project beneficiaries and achieves agreed objectives.

To assist the Director of Program Implementation in set-up, strengthen, and maintaining relationship with partner’s management positions. To provide trainings and coaching to program staff to ensure program staff are having proper skills to work effectively.  

To serve as a member of ESMT, representing assigned program(s), providing support to SMT in management decision making and in following up the implementation.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Director of Program Implementation (DPI)

Staff reporting to this post: Up to 8 staffs include (Senior) Project Managers; and others as required

Budget Responsibilities: Up 7 million USD annually.

Role Dimensions:

• Internal: Coordinates with Director Strategic, Program Quality and Impact (SPQI), Technical Advisors, MEAL team, ACCM team, Supply Chain team, Awards team, Finance team, HR team, Manager of Field Offices, and other Program Managers.
• External: Donors and SC members, partners, networks.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Contributions to Country Office Operation as an ESMT Members:

• Ensure all team member have clear understanding and comply with systems, policies and procedures at SC.
• Take lead to organise ESMT and other meetings (at least one every year).
• Cascade decisions and other information from ESMT to staffs and share with ESMT emerging issues.
• Ensure all CO priorities are well understood and implemented by the whole program(s) team.
• Engage and ensure take part in leading the learning agenda of the country office.
• Implement risk prevention actions. Monitor and alert ESMT emerging risks and implement risk mitigation activities.
• Provide inputs and ideas for need assessment, child right situational analysis.
• Provide inputs for Country Annual Plan, Country Strategic Plan and reports.
• Provide supports to and or involve in emergency both during assessment stage and implementation of emergency response.

Program and project management

Play a key roles of program management. The Senior Program Manager to oversight assigned programs. The SPM ensures that every project:

• Has proper sub-grant agreements signed.
• Ensure that SC internal approval process are followed and grant management requirements (e.g. kick-off meeting, donor requirements) are complied with during projects implementation
• Timely and quality preparation and adjustment of work plans, budget, and procurement plans, with engagement of internal and external stakeholders. All these plans should be posted timely into systems (PRIME) and shared with other teams.
• Implement activities as project design. Ensure every project under the programs meet monthly and quarterly operations and quality KPIs.
• Quarterly review operational, finance, and safeguarding risks and issues, and take actions as needed.  
• Be responsible in ensuring quality in the delivery of project activities and ensure MEAL system is in place within projects and themes
• In coordination with (Senior) Project Manager(s), identify any emerging issues affecting project implementation and determine solutions in consultations with DPI and other related Managers.
• Work with related technical Advisors (Education, Health and Nutrition, Child Protection, Child Right Governance, Child Poverty, DRR&CC, Construction, and others) to ensure timely technical supports to project implementation.
• Review and verify project reports for internal approval and for submitting to SC Members, donors, and government when required. Work with Awards Manager/ Award team to address any issue related to reporting to members and or donors.

Research, Evaluation, Accountability, Leaning and Monitoring (REALM)

• Ensure timely and accuracy update of all project on PRIME (Project Reporting, Information Management and Evidence System).
• Work with MEAL staffs to ensure every project has quality MEAL plan and implement it accordingly; project evidences, including data used for reporting and discussion.
• Ensure regular project review and update, and bring lessons learned to share and discuss among the assigned program(s) and with other teams, and with ESMT.
• Ensure that the accountability system is set-up and operated in every project.
• Ensure that feedback from people and group (beneficiaries) and project stakeholders are regularly collected and addressed accordingly.
• Ensure knowledge management as guidance by SCI at the assigned program(s).

Program and Project Development                                     

• Actively provide inputs and ideas, including lessons learned, for project concepts, and proposal.
• Ensure proper selection of project locations and partners for approval by SMT.
• Ensure project budget drafted and finalised as per proposal development stages.
• Act as thematic lead when needed.

Staff Management

• Make sure that each staff has clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities and there is synergy among members of the team. Make sure that all JDs of team member are up to date.
• Make sure that staff understand roles and responsibilities in cross-functional processes.
• Ensure and update a staffing plan the whole team, and each staff has a clear development plan. Work together with line managed staff to identify clear performance objectives and capacity building plan. Support and motivate staff to achieve their performance objectives and with support from HR team undertake the periodic performance review
• When needed, provide direct coaching or mentoring to project staff in the implementation of project activities and facilitate their technical capacity building.
• Work with HR to complete recruitment, and staff management including talent development, promotion, job change, job grading, disciplinary and other HR procedures in-line with organization policies.

Financial Management

• Working effectively day-to-day with the Finance Manager to ensure effectiveness as well as compliance of all projects.
• Make financially approval as per SOD.
• Ensure timely and quality project budget of new project, verify and submit for final approval.
• Ensure timely and quality of budget phasing and monthly forecast by every project.
• Oversight to ensure that projects expenses, by SC project teams and partners, are in accordance to SCI and donor’s policies and procedure.
• Ensure financial project reports submitted timely with good quality.
• Ensure that SCI finance and procurement policies and procedures are strictly followed by project staff and implementing partners. Report to Director of Finance and ICT any suspected violation of SCI finance and procurement policies and procedure for proper investigation.

Representation, Partnership and Networking

• Working with (Senior) Project Manager to strengthen project ownership by every project partner, follow SCI’s localisation agenda.
• Establish and maintain network with INGOS, CSOs and donors working on related program(s).
• Establish coordination and maintain strong relationship with national, provincial, and direct project implementing partners for smooth program(s) and project implementation.
• Ensure up to date partner assessment for every project. Implement activities to support partners’ capacity.  
• Ensure that government laws, policies and procedures are complied with during project implementation. (e.g. MoU, project approval from local authority)
• When assigned by SMT, represent SC Vietnam in relevant meetings and events, both locally and internationally and within SCI.
• Contribute to, with ACCM and TAs, increase and maintain the visibility of SC Vietnam in related sector(s). 

BEHAVIOURS (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 their team to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

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

QUALIFICATIONS

• At least a master’s degree in development, management, or related field.
• Good at partnership.
• Good at project management and project implementation with partners.
• Good at staff management and leading the team for common objectives.
• Good at child – centred programming.
• Good at finance management.
• Good at risks management.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:

Essential

• Minimum of 10-year experience working with an INGO environment, including experience directing and implementing programs, with at least five years in similar positions.
• Relationship building and partnership development skills.
• Excellent people management and interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated ability to respond effectively to challenges, and work effectively in a cross-culture environment.
• Good project cycle management skills, including project reporting.
• Good understanding of challenges facing vulnerable children and communities in Vietnam.
• Demonstrated experience in and understanding at least one of related thematic areas (education, health and nutrition, child protection, child right governance, child poverty, DRR&CC).
• Excellent communication skills both verbally and in written form in English and Vietnamese.
• Commitment to humanitarian principles/accountability frameworks, especially for work with vulnerable populations.
• Ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds, to motivate and inspire teamwork.
• Ability to analyze information, evaluate options and to think strategically.
• Commitment to and understanding of SCI aims, values and principles including rights-based approaches.
• Ability to learn and adapt with SCI ways of working.

Desirable

• Flexibility and a sense of humour – ability to work, live and thrive in challenging circumstances.
• Have a very high level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness.
• Be both self-confident and humble.
• Experience of working with ministries, local government and partners.
• Experience of working in an emergency setting and/or commitment to build that capacity.
• Thrive in a fast-paced and fun environment.

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.

Level 3:  the post 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 country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

The Organisation

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 children’s rights and 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 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.

Application Information

Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document and use format. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found at:

Hanoi - Senior Programme Manager - National Only - SCI Career Site Careers (oraclecloud.com)

Location: 70-72 Ba Trieu, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Closing Date:  12 June 2024

If you have any issues with applying via our system, please send an email explaining your troubles to [email protected]

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.

All employees are expected to carry out their duties by our global anti-harassment policy.