Job Details

TITLE:  Senior Child Protection Specialist – Head of Protect Team  

TEAM/PROGRAMME: Programme Development & Quality (PDQ)
LOCATION: Port Sudan, with frequent field visits

GRADE: 2 
CONTRACT LENGTH: 12 Months 

CHILD SAFEGUARDING: (select only one)Level 2: either the post holder will have access to personal data about children and/or young people as part of their work; or the post holder will be working in a ‘regulated’ position (accountant, barrister, solicitor, legal executive); therefore, a police check will be required (at ‘standard’ level in the UK or equivalent in other countries). 

ROLE PURPOSE: The Senior Child Protection Specialist will use their in-depth contextual understanding, technical expertise, and relationship building skills to define and deliver our strategic ambition for Child Protection in Sudan working for both Emergencies and Development. The role will lead strategy development and the technical design and implementation of high-quality programmes that deliver change for children through ensuring full spectrum programming. The role supports national advocacy and influencing, while driving strategic partnerships for new business development. It supports the design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation systems to demonstrate impact, while sharing learning across our programmes, teams and partners. The role will work closely with operations colleagues and with partners in Sudan, building their capacity and building ownership and agency of local organisations. This role includes a focus on external representation on priority issues including ending all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of children in all settings, and the strengthening of an effective and sustainable child protection system. 

SCOPE OF ROLE: Reports to: Head of Technical Team (PDQ)Staff reporting to this post: 

• Gender Technical Specialist 
• Case management-FTR lead 

 Budget Responsibilities: NoneRole Dimensions: The role is expected to foster relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders including Save the Children members, the Country Office Programme Development & Quality team, advocacy colleagues, Regional Advisors, technical counterparts in other organisation, donors, academia etc. The role is also expected to engage with internal technical working groups and communities of practice. Context: Humanitarian & DevelopmentScope: SudanPrimary Technical area: Child ProtectionPrimary Sub technical area: Prevention and Response to Violence against children Secondary Sub technical area: Child Protection Systems 

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY: Strategy & Technical Leadership 

• Provide overall technical thought leadership and strategic direction for child Protection and Child protection program  in country.
• Work closely with other thematic advisors (nutrition, WASH, MHPSS, protection, education, cash, gender) on developing and implementing knowledge and best practice for integrated programming to ensure child protection outcomes and gains throughout the child lifecycle.
• Stay abreast of technical developments and trends in the child protection cluster, disseminating information to team members, utilize and contextualise global guidance, evidence, materials and tools for child Protection.

 Resource Mobilization & Programme Design 

• Work closely with New Business Development colleagues and Members to serve as the technical lead on key strategic child protection funding opportunities, including but not limited to scoping, capture planning, positioning, information gathering, partnership brokering etc.
• Provide technical leadership on program design to fashion a coherent, high-impact approach, including: formulating effective technical strategies; promoting thematically integrated programming in a way that increases overall impact of child protection programs; incorporating best practices, evidence-based solutions and innovation for child protection and protection program; ensure that gender, disability and resilience considerations are reflected; ensure that a child rights based approach is reflected with a strong focus on child participation; and promote a systems strengthening approach as the overarching framework, that supports working in collaboration and partnership with governments and local partners and working towards impact, scale and sustainability.
• Travel to the field to participate in design workshops, assessments, team writing assignments, and other proposal processes as needed/requested.
• Participate in proposal after action reviews, ensuring that lessons learned are incorporated into subsequent efforts.

 Technical Assistance to Programme Implementation & Quality Assurance 

• Maintain an overview of all country office Child Protection strategies and programmes in the country, and facilitate collaboration between Save the Children Members, and regional to strengthen the quality of development portfolios, emergency preparedness and humanitarian response. 
• Provide technical assistance to field counterparts to ensure that thematic programme components are technically sound and implementation methods are consistent with national and global strategies and guidelines and acknowledged best practices. 
• Support the design and operationalisation of Save the Children’s quality benchmarks and key performance indicators, working with field teams to contextualise theory and guidance to reach the most deprived and marginalised.
• Respond to requests for technical assistance/support from field Ops teams and provide flexible and demand-drive TE support, and where possible/appropriate facilitate access to Save the Children’s Technical Expertise systems (e.g. Global Humanitarian Surge Platform; TE Request platform; Emergency Health Unit etc)
• Provide direction and support to the design, testing, and evaluation of innovation solutions to advance the impact of child protection programming.
• Undertake field visits to project sites to work with technical and program implementation teams to understand impacts, operational challenges, and continuously identify opportunities for improvement to program quality and impact.
• Promote and monitor integrated programming in a way that increases overall impact of child ‎protection programmes at the community level.‎
• Work with Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) teams to carry out gender and ‎power analysis, and conduct quality monitoring against international standards through ‎participatory methodologies that promote gender equality and social justice (including child-‎friendly and gender sensitive/transformative methodologies);‎

 Research, Evidence & Learning  

• Contribute towards the creation of an organisational learning culture that promotes the use of ‎‎disaggregated data, evidence, and analysis (including gender and power analysis) and understands ‎‎its link to quality and accountable programming; Contribute to strengthening the use of equality-‎‎focused programme principles and good practice across themes and sectors.‎
• Lead or participate in maintaining updated CO capacity statements, strategic reports, program profiles, or other documentation useful in articulating Child protection approaches, impact, and achievements.
• Ensure evidence and learning from our Child Protection programmes are documented and shared across Country Office, field offices, as well as with colleagues in the wider regional and global protect team in Save the Children 
• Support uptake of evidence-based programming working with government, donors, and partners as part of building local and national child protection systems, and to inform advocacy on policies and programmes.

 Representation & Networking 

• Participate in national technical working groups for Child Protection on behalf of Save the Children, promoting innovation and collaboration, especially with UNICEF, UNFPA, other UN agencies, and peer organisations to facilitate learning and promote child rights programming.
• Lead formal and informal engagement with diverse, strategic partners based on shared, long-term vision.
• Develop and sustain relationships with technical counterparts at key Child Protection-related donors (with a particular emphasis on FCDO, ECHO, USAID/BHA, UN agencies)

 People Management & Capacity Building

• Provide support to field teams on the recruitment and on-boarding of protection technical staff.
• Identify and support capacity building of Protect team technical specialists, including skills mapping, provision of coaching and mentoring, facilitating face-to-face and online trainings, webinars etc, based on CO strategic priorities and needs.
• Support the identification and growth of top talent and connect to global professional development initiatives for technical experts.
• Provide direct line management support to the Case Management and FTR TS, and Gender TS, including undertake annual goal setting, conduct quarterly performance reviews, provide leadership and support as needed, ensure availability of and support appropriate professional development opportunities…etc.
• Support the development of an organisational culture that reflects our dual mandate values, promotes accountability and high performance, encourages a team culture of learning, creativity and innovation, and frees up our people to deliver outstanding results for children and excellent customer service for our members and donors.   

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)Accountability:

• holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.
• holds their team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in accordance with the context, 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 professional development and encourages their team to do the same
• widely shares Save the Children’s vision, and engages and motivates others
• future orientated, thinks strategically and on a national and global scale.

Collaboration:

• builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, technical advisors and working groups, 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; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

 The post holder must commit to work in an international agency that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion and fights racism, gender inequality and discrimination in all forms; and to model positive behaviours that demonstrate a commitment to equality and respect to all colleagues, partners and communities.  

QUALIFICATIONS   

• Master’s degree in social work, Child Protection or related field, or equivalent experience
• Social Work, Child Protection, Child Welfare or related qualification 

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• At least 5 years’ experience of leading the design and implementation of development programmes in Child Protection and/or human rights related fields 
• Understanding of the Child Protection sector in Sudan
• Familiar with child protection systems, social work with children and families, case management, positive parenting, community level child protection and integration of child protection with education and other sectors. Track record in successful business development/fundraising such as EU, DFID, SIDA, USAID. 
• Demonstrated program design, monitoring and evaluation skills, including designing pathways to sustainable impact at scale.   
• Experience of strategy development and planning 
• Experience of context, capacity and policy analysis, and influencing and advocacy at regional/international level in order to hold duty bearers to account to realise children’s rights. 
• Ability to perform at a senior policy level must be demonstrable, and good communication, advocacy and leadership skills are critical.  
• Skilled at networking, representation and partnership development in order promote learning, strengthen civil society and mobilise resources. 
• Able to generate and use data and evidence to innovate, deliver, learn and share what works and what doesn’t work for children
• Experience of promoting quality and impact through at least one cross-cutting area: gender equality and inclusion, adaptive and safer programming; child rights; disability; migration and displacement.
• Experience with child protection programmes in the region is desirable.
• Significant experience in training, capacity building, and mentoring.
• Fluent in English and high level of English writing skills.
• Arabic language skills are desirable.

KEY COMPETENCIES  Technical competencies:

• Promotes optimum levels of child development 
• Works to strengthen the components and linkages within the child protection system 
• Prevents violence abuse exploitation and neglect of children 
• Responds effectively and appropriately to violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect of children

 Generic Competencies 

• Being the Voice of Children: Promotes evidence-based policy and public engagement that includes the voices of children and their communities
• Advancing Equality & Inclusion: Displays a commitment to ensuring everything we do considers the most deprived and marginalised children
• Building & Strengthening Partnerships: Promotes working with diverse partners as critical to delivery
• Child Rights: Promotes the rights of children in own work and in work with colleagues and peers

Additional job responsibilitiesThe 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.

Safeguarding our Staff:The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy

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

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