The Opportunity - Director – Middle Income Country Unit (Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia) [1]
As a member of the Asia Regional Senior Leadership team, you will have shared accountability for Save the Children’s international development and emergency programming in the region of a portfolio of roughly $250 million (2021) through an organization of over 4,000 people.
The MICU Director drives the adaption of SC business models in select Middle Income Countries in Asia as those countries undergo a rapid economic and social transformation; s/he ensures the organization is set to deliver lasting impact for the most vulnerable children now and in the future.
S/he provides close oversight, support, and coaching of the National Directors of Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The MICU Director supervises country operations, ensuring that the COs implement high-quality programs to achieve our ambitious goals and breakthroughs for children, while also meeting organizational performance standards (KPIs). He/she works closely with COs to develop and implement country strategic plans, including the definition and transitioning to new business models to enable the long-term sustainability of SCI’s presence in each country. For Thailand and the SCT Foundation, he/she serves as SCIs legal representative ensuring that SCI is compliant with RTG laws and regulations and that our duty of care is fulfilled for the international staff based in-country. He/she also engages and supports the SCT Board and leadership in its efforts to become a high-performing local foundation that fulfills all legal agreements between SCI and SCT. He/she also seeks to leverage expertise and experiences across the four countries, encouraging mutual learning, support, and collaboration Total budget for these four countries is approximately $30m with about 460 staff.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY :
As a member of the Regional Senior Leadership Team, the MICU Director contributes to strategic development and delivery of international programming, in both humanitarian and development contexts, in line with the Save the Children mandate, strategy, and theory of change.
Strategic Leadership
- Is accountable for ensuring that country programs in Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Cambodia have clearly articulated 2030 visions underpinned by ambitious, locally relevant strategic directions.
- Effectively builds and guides high performing SMTs to deliver against strategy and to model behaviors and values expected of staff
- Accountable for the leadership/management of staff and programs.
- Working with the four COs, develops CSPs, and ensures that each CO completes progress reviews against key country and organizational level objectives, indicators, and targets.
- Sees that the focus of the organization remains on the rights and needs of children
- Develops a robust management information system to track CO performance (RMP, NBD, Budgets, Top 20, CSG, KPIs, etc)
- Identifies opportunities for mutual learning, support, and collaboration across all 4 countries in key functional areas
New Business Models
- Provides governance, leadership, and management support to the SC Thailand Foundation.
- Supports the design and implementation of various studies to identify appropriate business models for the future
- Supports the COs in developing business cases/plans and investment proposals/presentations to SCI, Members, and donors
- Supports the change management process of COs undergoing transition, including continuing support to entities (i.e. SCT Foundation) post ‘go live’
- Serves as a regional resource for localization and new business models in close collaboration with other global/member/regional initiatives
- Facilitates documentation and learning from ARO’s experiences with localization and new business models
Programme Development and Management
- Ensures that programs are strategic and effectively responding to the changing development context of the middle-income countries; are consistent with technical best practice, SC common approaches, and emerging national policies; as well as aligned with country strategic objectives.
- Sees that COs are prepared for and implement rapid and effective responses to major emergencies affecting children, including building relationships with key humanitarian and development decision-makers and partners in-country
- Supports CO programs and advocacy in line with the country strategy, operational plans, budgets, and Member requirements that result in significant impact for children
- Analyzes program portfolios to ensure that SCI is effectively and efficiently delivering interventions that support our global breakthroughs.
Human Resource Management
- Working with CD/NDs, ensures that Save the Children attracts and retains high caliber staff
- Pro-actively develops and coaches CO SMT leadership to optimize their potential in pursuit of Save the Children’s objectives
- Works with COs to conduct organizational reviews to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of country operations
- Supports COs in the implementation of HR policies and procedures at the country level, in line with HR policies, procedures and guidelines, and local labor law. Serves as the first point of contact for HR matters.
- Ensures consistent implementation of performance management systems by the country teams
- Fosters a collegial, supportive and respectful culture within country teams
- Analyzes employee opinion surveys and monitors CO action plans to address gaps
- Sees that Safeguarding and Anti-Fraud management are sufficiently embedded in the CO and reflected in more active reporting
Resource Mobilization
- Works closely with COs to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the international and domestic fundraising landscape, including the legal environment for domestic resources.
- Sees that each CO has a robust information system to track funding opportunities, win/loss, etc.
- Develops mechanisms such that all COs are able to resource business development and proposal writers as needed
- Assists COs to maintain, diversify and grow the funding base for the country programs, supports the donor engagement plan as needed, and supports the ND to liaise with members, bilateral and multilateral donor community.
Financial and Admin Management
- Overseas the finance function and serves as legal representative for SCI sub-regional hub in Thailand
- Monitors financial budgeting and management systems, processes, and controls ensuring that COs are fully compliant with operating standards and local legal requirements
Audit and Corporate Governance compliance
- Reviews with the CO compliance with all host government requirements in relation to registration, taxation, labor law, auditing, fraud, etc.
- Ensures follow-up on recommendations arising out of audits of operations and take appropriate actions where necessary
- Contribute to ARO risk management process with the risks specific to the sub-regional hub
- Provides inputs and analysis of CO’s risk management plans and verifies that mitigating actions are followed through.
- Monitors compliance with all legal agreements between SCI and SC Thailand Foundation
Security Management
- Ensures that there is are security protocols in place for the sub-regional office in Thailand.
- Reviews CO security plans and procedures in line with policies, systems, and guidelines
- Analyzes the changing security context in each country and ensures that appropriate security plans and protocols are in place and updated.
- Ensures all staff adhere to security guidelines
Representation, Communications, and Advocacy:
- Supports the CO to develops and maintain good relations with Members and their donors
- Represents Save the Children’s interests including Government Institutions, UN agencies, donor delegations, international & local NGOs as needed
- Ensures the timely provision of internal and external communications material as required
EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
- English as the 1st language is priority
- At least 15 years experience as a leader who has held senior positions in complex/high profile/ multinational organizations
- Experience in working with large, complex donors (USAID, EU, DFID, etc.) to secure and/or manage new large-scale and/or competitive funding
- Understanding of key trends in international and humanitarian development
- Demonstrable ability to recruit, lead and develop high caliber specialist senior staff with a range of backgrounds and expertise
- Strong track record in building high-performance teams and future successors/leaders
- Ability to manage and motivate self and others to respond to a significant and complex crisis situation in extraordinary circumstances, requiring swift action and rapid changes in priorities
- Innovative approach to solving a range of highly complex issues and galvanizing buy-in to the solutions at all levels
- Experience and knowledge of context and actors in Asia, particularly the Mekong countries.
- Fluency and speaking and writing in English
- Commitment to the Save the Children vision, principles, mission, and values
- Experience on humanitarian programs and ability to work in a volatile environment preferred.
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 send us your cover letter and up-to-date CV (as a single document) via email: [email protected] [2].
Closing Date for Application: 12th April 2022
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.