The Opportunity
Chief of Party (Director), Education Consortium- Based in Bangkok, Thailand
As a multi-donor funded programme, the programme partners with selected complimentary education providers to strengthen their capacity to deliver and sustain good quality learning opportunities for children considered to be hard-to-reach in Myanmar. Applying a ‘systems-strengthening’ approach, the programme provides funding, coordination, technical assistance and research across different complementary education systems to promote continuous improvement of education services. The programme works with its partners, established education providers, to place an emphasis on developing the quality and inclusivity of education in Myanmar, including improved learning outcomes; and with a broader range of diverse stakeholders to address key barriers for the achievement of equitable education. In line with its current 2021-25 programme strategy, the overall aim for the programme is that children facing barriers to learning access education services that meet their learning and well-being needs.
The Chief of Party (CoP) will build strong relationships across development partners and ethnic, religious, and civil society leaders to embed understanding of political and conflict dynamics in the programme team and approach, to build trust between stakeholders and to advocate for positive change. The education consortium is built on strong partnerships with local partners to develop practical and innovative programmes, to support local leadership and to strengthen partner education systems. The successful candidate will need to be able to manage a complex organisation; promoting a culture of learning and being able to adapt to changes in the operating environment. The programme is supported by a Deputy Chief of Party, Programme Operations and Directors of Education, Partnership and Programme Support, Strategy Policy, Planning and Learning, and Evidence and Information Management. Experience in education programming will be a distinct advantage, but is not a pre-requisite. Experience of working in the Myanmar context is strongly preferred.
The CoP will be responsible for the effective and efficient implementation of the programme, including a budget of approximately $20 million/year and the management of a predominantly national team of 71 people. The CoP reports to the Steering Committee, which includes donor and fund manager representatives and is responsible for strategic oversight of the programme. The programme is hosted by Save the Children and funded to end in May 2028, with additional donor grants anticipated to be extended to at least 2029. To inform decision making, a strategy review is in progress and will set the future direction of the programme from 2025-2029.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy and Leadership
- Lead the overall strategic direction and implementation of the programme,; identifying opportunities, promoting growth and maintaining the position of the consortium as a leader in the field. This includes leading the process of strategic review and visioning to make recommendations to the Steering Committee on future direction.
- Accountable for the effective governance and management arrangements, leading regular meetings with the Steering Committee and ensuring they engage with and support the programme.
- Represent the consortium with existing and potential donors, raising the profile and securing additional funds for implementation against the existing strategy and support for the programme beyond the current strategic period (Phase 3)
- Lead the management team, including holding regular senior management meetings and engaging national staff and partners in programme strategy and decision making.
- Build a strong team culture, cooperative team dynamics and professional development opportunities to retain a highly motivated and skilled team.
- Promote a culture of national staff empowerment, including identifying and supporting pathways for national staff to take on increasingly senior roles.
- Ensure that the team is appropriately resourced and structured to effectively deliver the programme.
Facilitating Stakeholder Engagement and Transformational Change
- Build strong relations with ethnic, religious and civil society leaders and organisations, and other key stakeholders within the sector to build trust and promote collective action to address barriers to quality education in complementary systems.
- Lead the ongoing process of political economy and conflict analysis, ensuring that the programme is grounded in a sound understanding of political reality and conflict dynamics, actively engaging with context to support local stakeholders to work together for positive change, and ensuring that the programme is able to respond to changes in the operating environment.
- Engage directly in policy discussions and stakeholder dialogue, facilitating stakeholders to find common ground and find practical ways to overcome challenges.
- Represent the consortium within the education sector, building strong awareness of the programme and key issues on complementary education, and building collaborative relationships with other development partner programmes.
- Build strong networks with other education, governance and peace building organisations and experts, to ensure that the programme is able to access specialised support, and respond to emerging opportunities.
Programme Management
- Responsible for overall programme development, administration, and supervision of the programme.
- Lead collaborative programme planning and coordination across teams to ensure effective collaboration, programme approaches, activity planning and communication.
- Maintain oversight over core functions of the programme education systems strengthening approaches, partnership approaches, programme monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning, policy engagement and advocacy, communications, finance and grants management.
- Ensure staff adhere to the programme’s partnership values and principles, promoting a partnership approach that takes full advantage of the roles, knowledge, skills, reach, and experience that each partner and the programme offer each other and promotes partner influence in decision-making, supporting positive changes, and reinforcing sustainability beyond the programme.
- Ensure that key programme approaches – conflict sensitivity and peace building, innovation and learning, iterative adaptation, thinking and working politically, child safeguarding, gender equality, disability and social inclusion are integrated into the programme.
- Ensure that the programme has an appropriate operational platform and policy framework to operate, actively analysing and managing risks.
- Lead management recommendations for the programme’s strategic direction for presentation to the Steering Committee.
- Ensure programme teams and partners are implementing project activities according to the agreed annual operating plans to the extent possible within the context.
- Maintain oversight of performance and delivery and ensure timely quality reporting on performance to the Steering Committee.
- Ensure donor compliance requirements are met.
- Oversight of the programme budget, including budgetary planning and monitoring.
- Oversight of the risk management process.
- Oversight of strategic planning processes.
Qualifications, Experience and Skills
Essential
- At least 12 years’ senior leadership experience in the field of international development, at least five years of which should have been based in developing countries
- At least five years’ Chief of Party/ Team Leader / Director experience
- Master’s degree in education, international development, management or other relevant subject
- Demonstrated experience working in partnership with local organisations and supporting localisation / locally-led development
- Demonstrated experience in building relations, finding common ground and influencing different stakeholders including government, non-state actors, civil society and development partners
- Excellent leadership and management skills in a complex organisational setting with proven track record of people and team management and a proven ability to forge consensus and drive action.
- Ability to lead strategic development and experience in implementing systems strengthening approaches.
- Ability to effectively promote a learning culture within an organisation
- Experience managing large grants-based programmes
- Excellent interpersonal and communications skills
Desirable
- Experience of managing large education programmes
- Experience leading multi-donor funds
- Experience of working with the major institutional donors
- Experience working in Myanmar or elsewhere in South East Asia
- Knowledge of key issues and strategies in support of mother-tongue-based multi-lingual education (MTB-MLE) and the improvement of learning outcomes
- Experience with complementary education systems programming
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.
How to apply
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. A copy of the full role profile can be found at www.savethechildren.net/careers
Closing Date for Application: 12 November 2024
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 in accordance with our global anti-harassment policy.
