Head of Awards, Localisation and Partnerships

The Head of Awards, Localisation and Partnerships leads the award management function across the Kenya Country Office, ensuring compliance with donor requirements and organizational standards. The role provides strategic leadership on award lifecycle management, localisation, and partnership development to support effective programme delivery and donor compliance.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for award management throughout the award lifecycle ensuring compliance with donor requirements, Save the Children policies, and organisational standards.
• Lead the management of all awards and partnerships within the Kenya Country Office ensuring robust systems, processes, and controls.
• Establish and promote best-practice award management processes working closely with Programme Development and Quality (PDQ), Finance, Operations, and Programme teams.
• Serve as the focal point for members and donors on award-related matters fostering strong relationships and ensuring responsive communication.
• Monitor award portfolio performance, risks and opportunities, driving timely corrective actions.
• Coordinate submission of all required information and documentation into AMS by relevant functions.
• Review award agreements to identify potential risks and provide summaries of key risk areas.
• Participate in go/no-go decision-making processes with Members and Senior Management Team (SMT).
• Develop funding optimization strategies in collaboration with Finance team.
• Support Country Director and SPD Manager in engagement and relationship management with Members and donors.
• Provide strategic portfolio information to SMT and Save the Children Members through monthly portfolio analysis reports.
• Ensure all award lifecycle processes are completed through AMS workflows timely and accurately.
• Liaise with Members to ensure timely issuance of workflows and fund summaries.
• Disseminate award information to key staff to ensure understanding of award requirements.
• Conduct kick-off meetings for new awards and communicate coding structures and budgets.
• Lead Member engagement and relationship management as SCI focal point for awards.
• Provide regular updates to Finance Manager on new awards impacting budget analysis.
• Lead analysis of Budget versus Actual Expenditure (BVA) reports and coordinate monthly award review meetings.
• Provide guidance on budget coding and reallocations and coordinate budget realignments and amendments.
• Ensure timely award close-out meetings and documentation.
• Support Programme Managers in budget development, cost allocation, monitoring, phasing, and forecasting.
• Coordinate award reporting process ensuring high-quality reports within timelines.
• Review all award reports prior to submission to Members and donors.
• Manage contractual relationships with donors and Members through effective communication.
• Ensure donor compliance requirements are understood and adhered to.
• Develop business cases and support negotiations for donor waivers or derogations.
• Lead implementation of Country Office Localization Strategy and operationalize localization across seven dimensions.
• Coordinate periodic self-assessments on partnerships and localization and ensure action plans are implemented.
• Provide capacity-building and compliance support to partners.
• Conduct regular spot checks on partner documentation in AMS.
• Lead partner scoping, mapping, assessment, and selection processes.
• Ensure partners are engaged in programme design, proposal development, planning, and budgeting.
• Strengthen capacity of Award Management Team and budget holders.
• Manage performance of direct reports through SCI's Performance Management System.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and professional development within the team.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in International Development, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or a related field.
• Professional accounting qualification (CPA, ACCA, or equivalent) is highly desirable.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in award, grant, portfolio, or financial management, preferably within an international NGO or donor-funded environment.
• At least 7 years in a senior leadership role.
• Proven experience in staff management, supervision, coaching, and capacity building, particularly in award and grant management.
• Significant experience managing complex award portfolios and donor-funded programmes.
• Proven track record in grant and contract management, including sub-award administration and donor compliance.
• Strong knowledge of major institutional donor requirements and regulations, including USAID, FCDO, ECHO, EU, UNICEF, WFP, and other bilateral and multilateral donors.
• Experience developing and implementing award management systems, processes, and controls across the award lifecycle.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and influence stakeholders in a complex, multicultural environment.
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, facilitation, and relationship management skills.
• Strong financial management skills, including budget development, forecasting, financial analysis, and budget monitoring.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail.
• Proven ability to identify, assess, and mitigate award-related risks.
• Strong planning, organizational, and coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines.
• Ability to remain flexible, adaptable, and responsive in a fast-paced and changing environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Advanced Excel, Word, Outlook, and financial management systems.
• Experience working collaboratively with Programme Development and Quality (PDQ), Operations, Partnerships, and Finance teams.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly to field offices and operate effectively in challenging environments when required.
• Highly developed cultural awareness and demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Strong commitment to Save the Children’s vision, mission, values, and child rights programming.
• Commitment to complying with all Save the Children policies, including Child Safeguarding, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), Health and Safety, Security, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Code of Conduct requirements.
• Experience using the Award Management System (AMS) is desirable.
• Significant experience working with international NGOs in complex humanitarian and development settings is desirable.
• Experience in localisation, partnership development, and partner capacity strengthening is desirable.
• Experience managing strategic partnerships with local NGOs, community-based organizations, government institutions, and private-sector stakeholders is desirable.
• Understanding of Save the Children’s programme management framework and operational systems is desirable.
• Experience supporting resource mobilization, proposal development, and business development initiatives is desirable.
• Knowledge of Agresso/Unit4 ERP or similar financial management systems is desirable.
• Experience leading organizational change, process improvement, and portfolio optimization initiatives is desirable.

Skills

• Award Management
• Grant Management
• Portfolio Management
• Finance Management
• Budget Development
• Budget Forecasting
• Financial Analysis
• Budget Monitoring
• Donor Compliance
• Sub-award Administration
• Staff Management
• Capacity Building
• Leadership
• Donor Rules and Regulations
• Award Management Systems
• MS Excel
• MS Word
• Microsoft Outlook
• Financial Management Systems
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Negotiation
• Facilitation
• Risk Management
• Planning Coordination
• Cultural Awareness
• Partnership Development
• Partner Capacity Building
• Resource Mobilization
• Proposal Development
• Business Development
• Organizational Change Management
• Process Improvement
• Portfolio Optimization
• Agresso ERP
• UNIT4 ERP

Languages

English