Technical Director for Livelihoods & Agriculture and Project Integration/Resilience-Save the Children

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Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In Nepal and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children - every day and in times of crisis - transforming their lives and the future we share. Save the Children invites applications from the interested and eligible candidates, who are reliable, accountable, have the ability to deliver results with the highest level of integrity and who value diversity, for the following position(s):

Technical Director for Livelihoods & Agriculture and Project Integration/Resilience

GRADE: 1 
TEAM/PROGRAMME: Sabal
LOCATION: Kathmandu and 6 Project Districts
TYPE OF ROLE: Fixed Term / Full time Job
CHILD SAFEGUARDING: The responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people.  
ROLE PURPOSE: 
The goal of the Sabal program is to strengthen livelihoods, improve nutritional status, and increase the capacity of vulnerable households to mitigate, adapt to and recover from shocks and stresses in highly impoverished communities with high rates of malnutrition in six districts in the central and eastern mid-hills of Nepal.  
The Technical Director will function as the key person responsible for the technical program delivery of the Sabal consortium across the livelihoods and agriculture component in the six districts of Makawanpur, Udayapur, Sindhuli, Ramechhap, Khotang and Okhaldhunga.  The incumbent will provide high quality technical oversight, guidance and support on key program activities under the 5-year USAID-funded Sabal cooperative agreement.  The Technical Director has authority to work across all technical work streams, preparing assignments with technical managers and ensuring that the program is implemented effectively in order to achieve crosscutting synergies in the livelihoods component of the program.  The Technical Director will also provide technical guidance, and leadership where necessary, to undertake work related to the project learning agenda in coordination with the MEAL team and SCUS technical staff. 
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Strategic Planning (15%)
  • Provide technical guidance in the development of annual workplans, in line with Sabal and FFP strategies, to ensure alternative livelihoods, agriculture, nutrition, water, sanitation & hygiene, adaptation to climate change and disaster risk reductions are integrated in program delivery; 
  • Together with the Sabal senior management team, contribute to the development of the project’s PREP & DIP (annual work plans) and ensure that project documents and reports incorporate the latest technical approaches and interventions in food security, livelihood, and DRR/CCA; and,
  • Oversee the preparation of strategic planning documents including operation manuals, annual plans and other program documents as required for all three sub-purposes included in Sabal’s Theory of Change.
Program Implementation (20%)
  • Ensure all project technical activities are implemented at a high standard of quality and are consistent with program strategies and donor expectations, guiding and direct the Sabal SMT effectively and appropriately to make certain this takes place;
  • Provide direction in ensuring application of resilience framework in program planning and implementation and work as a focal person for resilience in Sabal;
  • Provide up-to-date, evidence-based technical guidance and support to the Sabal Management Team (SMT) in country, including being an active coordinating member of the SMT;
  • Coordinate program planning around sustainable livelihoods, including but not limited to markets linkage development, Climate smart and resilient agriculture, non-farm livelihoods and nutritional sensitive programming; and, 
  • Provide tools and guidance to build staff and local implementing partner capacity to execute the technical interventions and ensure technical quality of the training curricula, technical guidebooks and other materials developed by the program. Also, monitor the quality delivery of the training at different levels.
Program Quality (15%)
  • Ensure the technical quality of program interventions across all areas by coaching and building the technical capacity of the field teams to implement the Sabal activities effectively and efficiently;
  • Coordinate with  all concerned to  facilitate sound budgetary management of program activities and oversee the timely development of detailed implementation plans, in line with the Sabal strategies, to ensure the plans are manageable, in line with the expected outcomes;
  • Provide leadership in the development of timely, high quality donor and other reports in close coordination with the Sabal project team; and,
  • In coordination with technical leads and partners, ensure efficient planning and implementation of quality program activities including selection of appropriate short-term technical assistance and identification and support to operations research opportunities.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Accountability (20%)
  • Collaborate with the Monitoring & Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Advisor, Senior Manager and Coordinators to support timely, reliable, and precise, high-quality data collection and use for decision-making;
  • Meet with MEAL team regularly to analyse achievement, identifying reasons for why activities may be under or over target, and developing treatment plans to course correct or scale, in the case of successful interventions; and, 
  • Provide technical input on the Sabal end line survey as well as other identified research and studies. 
Strategic Partnerships and Coordination (10%)
  • Work closely with government counterparts in the Ministry of Agriculture Development, Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development, National Planning Commission, and other relevant GON bodies, and maintain regular dialogue with key focal persons within these organizations;
  • Supervise and provide overall technical and performance oversight of Sabal technical partners including LI-BIRD,  DEPROSC and CARE in addition to service providers, to ensure their timely and technically input to support sound program planning and quality implementation in a systematic way;  
  • Coordinate with and link closely to national stakeholders in particular with Ministry of Agriculture Development, Ministry of Livestock Services, and others agencies as designated by COP.
Learning, Innovation and Reporting (15%)
  • Promote program learning through sharing of technical information among the staff so that state-of-the-art approaches are applied consistently across all project interventions;
  • Promote program learning through regular sharing and discussion of progress, lessons learned and challenges among all staff to ensure approaches are applied consistently across all project interventions;
  • Oversee the technical quality of the program learning agenda; 
  • Provide regular support to Sabal activities in resilience, food security, livelihood and DRR/CCA platforms through meetings, conferences, workshops, and seminars, and through a range of reports, briefs, publications, and presentations;
  • Provide major contribution to development of the annual PREP, jointly with COP and SMT members;
  • Provide major contribution to preparation of all quarterly and annual results reports, jointly with COP and DCOPs; and, 
  • Encourage a team culture of learning, creativity and innovation.
Human Resource Management (5%)
  • Supervise Sabal technical staff to ensure timely, effective delivery of the livelihoods and DRR/CCA components of the program; and, 
  • Ensure that technical sector staff proactively build and maintain their technical skills and competencies.
SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)
Accountability: 
  • Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving results for children and upholding Save the Children’s 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 self and team, taking responsibility for own personal development and encouraging team to do the same.
  • Widely shares personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others.
  • Future oriented, thinks strategically and on a global scale.·         
  • Team work Good time management and stress management skills
  • Builds and maintains effective relationships, with own team, colleagues, members, donors and partners.
  • Values diversity and sees it as a competitive strength.
  • Personable and approachable.
Creativity:
  • Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
  • Willing to take disciplined risks.
Integrity:
  • Honest, encourages openness and transparency.
  • Always acts in the best interests of children.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:
Essential
  • Minimum of Master’s degree with 10 years of relevant experience with national and international experience in the field of public health, agriculture, livelihood & climate change or working on programs of similar scope and complexity or equivalent combination of education and experience, 
  • Demonstrated expertise in livelihood, agriculture and other relevant technical areas that include public health, water/ sanitation/ hygiene, household food production, behavior change communications, capacity building, applied research, strengthening public sector service delivery systems.
  • Experience of working with USAID projects in resilience, food security and livelihood.
  • Possess technical and program innovations, monitoring and evaluation as well as multi-sector approaches. 
  • Experience and demonstrated success in delivering technical assistance, and in working in collaboration with host country governments and partner organizations. 
  • Integrated rural development, agriculture and livestock sector program design and development, market business development, and integrated multi-sector program design.
  • S/he must have creative and analytical abilities and strong operations research skills. 
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills and substantial experience in monitoring and evaluation are also required. 
  • Excellent interpersonal communication and facilitation skills and extensive experience in human performance management. 
  • A track record of working with government and knowledge on understanding of linkages between sectors.
  • Demonstrated skills and proficiency in management, supervision, coordination and collaboration.
  • Proven innovating problem solving ability Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles.
  • Willingness to travel to field offices and work in difficult environment from time to time.