Deputy Country Director - Program Operations, Ukraine Response

The Deputy Country Director - Program Operations is a senior leadership role responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and successful implementation of programming in Ukraine. The role includes management of sub offices, emergency preparedness and response, and deputizing for the Country Director as needed.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to leadership of the Ukraine Country Office and implementation of the country strategy and annual plans.
• Promote an organisational culture reflecting Save the Children’s values, accountability, high performance, learning, collaboration and innovation.
• Develop a coherent, financially sustainable operating model aligning programme ambitions, staffing, field presence and funding.
• Maintain effective relationships with government authorities, donors, Save the Children Members, national and international NGOs and other partners.
• Lead programme implementation through Area Directors and operational managers ensuring delivery meets country strategy objectives, technical standards, award requirements and budgets.
• Ensure proposals are operationally feasible, fully costed and supported by realistic implementation, staffing, procurement and monitoring plans.
• Serve as overall budget holder for delegated programming; support budget holders and review expenditure, commitments, forecasts and funding gaps with Finance.
• Lead regular award and portfolio reviews and follow up on corrective actions.
• Lead operational implementation of localisation with Awards and Partnerships function, increasing partner-led delivery and shared decision-making.
• Ensure fair and effective partnership management including due diligence, agreements, payments, support costs, risk management and partner participation.
• Ensure programmes respond to children and communities with safe participation, feedback mechanisms, inclusion and safeguarding standards.
• Ensure accurate and timely programme and donor reporting, compliance with award conditions and effective award start-up, amendment and close-out.
• Oversee area and field operations through approved management structure, reviewing costs, staffing, funding coverage and delivery risks, and plan transitions or changes in footprint.
• Oversee Supply Chain function ensuring systems meet standards, donor requirements and programme needs.
• Integrate procurement and logistics plans with programme work plans, budgets and cash forecasts including emergency readiness and rapid scale-up.
• Ensure transparent procurement, segregation of duties, supplier due diligence, value for money and quality assurance.
• Ensure effective inventory, warehousing, fleet, distribution and fixed asset controls.
• Provide proportionate supply chain support to partners with agreed procurement roles and capacity support.
• Lead country, area and field emergency preparedness and response planning with clear triggers, responsibilities, contingency resources and partner mobilisation.
• Coordinate timely and appropriate responses to displacement, evacuations, attacks on infrastructure, winter disruption and changing access.
• Maintain and exercise business continuity plans for critical functions, staffing, delegation, communications, utilities and payment continuity.
• Ensure access and delivery plans reflect current risks, duty of care, movement procedures and staff communication requirements.
• Ensure staff and partners understand emergency roles and coordinate emergency surge support and learning.
• Ensure appropriate staffing and clear accountabilities within Programme Operations with effective coordination across functions.
• Lead and coach direct reports; define expectations, provide support and review performance regularly.
• Manage organisational change, recruitment and handovers fairly and transparently with attention to staff wellbeing and duty of care.
• Ensure all staff understand and perform emergency roles and follow security, safeguarding and conduct procedures.
• Manage performance through clear objectives, ongoing feedback, periodic reviews, coaching, mentoring, recognition and improvement plans.

Requirements

• Previous Country Director, Deputy Country Director or equivalent senior leadership experience in a medium to large international NGO country programme.
• Substantial leadership and field operations experience managing emergency and development programmes in conflict-affected settings, including decentralised and matrix structures.
• Robust programme cycle management experience, including award management, financial and budgetary control and grants from major institutional donors.
• Proven experience of localisation and equitable partnerships, including work with local NGOs, public institutions or other national service providers, capacity sharing and shared risk management.
• A strong understanding of the Country Office’s sectoral priorities, particularly education, child protection and integrated support to vulnerable children and families.
• Substantial experience overseeing supply chain, procurement and operational systems.
• Significant knowledge of humanitarian systems, coordination, donor requirements and accountability frameworks, including experience relevant to ECHO, Danida, Sida, NORAD or pooled funds.
• Experience of emergency preparedness, business continuity, humanitarian access and remote management, and of connecting emergency response with recovery and longer-term engagement.
• Ability to analyse information, assess risks and options, plan strategically and lead organisational change and cross-functional teams.
• Experience managing and developing diverse teams, with strong interpersonal, negotiation, communication and presentation skills.
• Commitment to Save the Children’s aims, values, safeguarding standards and rights-based approaches, with the credibility to build effective relationships at all levels.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Master’s degree in a related field or a relevant project management qualification (desired).
• Experience in Ukraine or a comparable protracted crisis, familiarity with public service reform and the humanitarian–development nexus, and Ukrainian or local language skills (desired).

Skills

• Country Programme Leadership
• Field Operations Support
• Emergency Programme Management
• Development Programme Management
• Programme Cycle Management
• Award Management
• Financial Control
• Budget Control
• Grants Management
• Localisation
• Equitable Partnership
• Capacity Sharing
• Risk Management
• Sectoral Programme Knowledge
• Education Program Management
• Child Protection
• Central Support Services
• Supply Chain Management
• Procurement Management
• Operational systems management
• UN Humanitarian System Knowledge
• Humanitarian Coordination
• Donor Compliance
• Accountability Frameworks
• Emergency Preparedness
• Business Continuity
• Humanitarian Access
• Remote Management
• Strategic Planning
• Organisational Change Leadership
• Cross-Functional Team Management
• Team Management
• Negotiation
• Presentation Skills
• Safeguarding Standards
• Rights-Based Approaches

Languages

English