Project Director

The role

In response to the 17th Ebola virus disease outbreak in Eastern DRC, Save the Children and the International Rescue Committee are partnering as a consortium, together with AJEDEC, a national organisation, to deliver the Kinga Maisha multi-sectoral program in Ituri province over a period of 12 months. Funded by the US Government, the project will deliver integrated health, nutrition, IPC/WASH, protection and coordination interventions across 13 health zones including the set up and management of Observational Care Centres for children who are contacts and whose caregivers are either confirmed with Ebola or deceased.

Reporting to the Field Manager in Ituri, the Kinga Maisha Project Director has responsibility for:

1. Providing leadership, strategic direction and management of the Consortium including governance mechanisms, harmonisation of approaches, compliance and reporting.
2. Managing the delivery of all Save the Children components of the project across health, nutrition, IPC, WASH, RCCE and protection and ensuring that delivery is safe, on time, within budget, compliant and to a high technical and quality standard.
3. In coordination with the Ituri Field Manager and other colleagues in the DRC country office, representing the Consortium and Save the Children across response coordination mechanisms, ensuring that the Consortium continues to align with the national response plan and that it is well positioned and visible within the response architecture.
4. Collaborating effectively with colleagues, especially support and technical teams in Bunia and within Save the Children’s coordination team in DRC as well as with technical leads globally.
5. Ensuring effective integration and harmonisation of Kinga Maisha interventions with other ongoing Save the Children projects and emergency response initiatives in Ituri, promoting coherence of approaches, efficient use of resources and sustained community acceptance through conflict-sensitive approaches.
6. Overseeing complementary projects as required.

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.

Qualifications and experience

Consortium and Award Leadership:

Extensive experience leading complex, multi-partner humanitarian awards, ideally U.S. Government (DoS, BHA or similar) funded, including consortium governance, sub-award management, and full donor compliance and reporting.

Public Health Emergency Programming:

Demonstrated technical and operational leadership of Ebola or other high-consequence infectious disease outbreak responses, spanning IPC/WASH, health, nutrition, RCCE and protection programming.

Programme and Financial Management:

Proven ability to hold overall budget responsibility for a large award, manage risk, and drive quality, evidence-based programming across multiple sectors and implementation sites.

Collaboration, Alignment and Teamwork:

Proven experience aligning with multiple humanitarian projects within the same operational area while maintaining community acceptance, stakeholder engagement and strong coordination across sectors and partners.

Proven track record of collaboration and effectiveness within the context of a complex and diverse team, requiring diplomacy and the ability to achieve results both through direct management and influencing others.

Coordination, Networking and Representation:

Strong track record engaging government authorities, UN agencies, and humanitarian partners to strengthen coordination and position the organisation as a trusted actor in an outbreak response.

Team Leadership and Capacity Building:

Proven experience building and leading multidisciplinary, multi-agency teams, with a strong track record of capacity building, mentoring and developing national staff.

Knowledge and/or experience of DRC context (desirable):

Strong understanding of the operational dynamics, humanitarian architecture, security constraints and community engagement requirements in Eastern DRC, particularly in outbreak-prone environments, Ability to problem solve and continue to achieve results in a rapidly evolving context.

Contract length:

12 months

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 realise 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.

Application Information:

Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations.

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

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply

Applicants are advised that Save the Children International does not require any payment or expense during the entire recruitment process. Any request in this direction should be immediately reported as contrary to the values and practices of our organization.