Director of Programme Development and Quality

The Director of Programme Development and Quality (DPDQ) is a senior leader responsible for leading the design, coordination and delivery of the Country Office Impact Model, ensuring high quality, evidence-based, innovative programmes for children. The role includes strategic leadership in programme development, quality assurance, emergency response, and partnership engagement to achieve Save the Children's global Breakthroughs.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, operationalisation and periodic review of the Country Office Impact Model, aligned with CSP and Theory of Change.
• Drive cross-functional accountability for impact across PDQ, Operations, ACCM, Partnerships and NBD.
• Lead the development/updating of the Child Rights Situation Analysis and Country Strategy Plan (CSP) aligned with global strategy and child rights principles.
• Ensure quality sectoral and cross-sectoral emergency and humanitarian response and play a key role in crisis management leadership.
• Lead strategic engagement with donors and partners, including proposal design and budget alignment.
• Ensure high quality, multi-sectoral programming in development and humanitarian contexts, including monitoring and advancing programme quality.
• Build and lead a team of programme technical experts and ensure effective coordination with global and regional advisors.
• Oversee monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) systems to support adaptive programming and innovation.
• Lead strategic partnerships and localisation ambition, positioning SCI as a partner of choice for national/local actors.
• Manage staffing, mentorship, and development of the Programme Development and Quality team.
• Represent Save the Children with government authorities, donors, partners, civil society, and other stakeholders.

Requirements

• Master’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree, and experience in relevant social science (especially in Child Development or Community Development), human rights, development studies, NGO management or equivalent fields.
• Fluency in Arabic and English, both written and oral – excellence in English writing is essential.
• A minimum of ten years of progressively senior management experience in development or humanitarian agencies, including significant experience leading teams, programmes, and organizational operations.
• Preferred: three years of international experience (working outside of one’s country of origin).
• Experience supporting multiple Country Offices or exposure to regional and global operations is desirable but not mandatory if candidate demonstrates strong ability to operate effectively within an international organization and collaborate across diverse cultural and geographic contexts.
• Experience in one or more of Save the Children's thematic sectors: education, child protection, child rights governance, health and nutrition, child poverty, climate, evidence and learning, emergencies.
• Understanding of advocacy, policy, and government systems, and particular experience with child rights programming, including UNCRC.
• Strong skills and proven experience in leading strategic planning, change management and programme management processes; also from the knowledge and learning perspective.
• Strong skills and proven experience in new programme development, project design and proposal writing with corporate, foundations and institutional donors.
• Credibility to lobby, influence and represent Save the Children at all levels.
• Experience in developing and managing monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning systems.
• Excellent listening, inter-personal, communication and networking skills; proven experience and effectiveness working across functional teams and in a matrixed structure; and an ability to work with diverse populations.
• Skills in training, capability building, coaching, mentorship, problem solving, and project cycle management.
• High level of self-awareness and willingness to take feedback for growth and self-development.
• Proven experience as a team player and leader in an international organisation.

Skills

• Child Development
• Community Development
• Human Rights
• Development Studies
• NGO program management
• Programme Management
• Strategic Planning
• Change Management
• Project Design
• Proposal Writing
• Donor Relations
• Advocacy
• Policy Analysis
• Child Rights Programming
• UNCRC Knowledge
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Accountability Systems
• Learning Systems Development
• Training and Capacity Building
• Coaching and Mentoring
• Project Cycle Management
• Emergency Response
• Partnership Engagement
• Intercultural Collaboration
• Team Leadership
• International Operations Coordination

Languages

Arabic, English