Head of Program Development at Save the children

Job Description

ROLE PURPOSE
The Head of Program Development support the Director of Program Development Quality and Impact (DPDQII), and other country programme staff to grow Save the Children funding and partnerships at country level in order to resource the Country Strategic Plan.
To achieve the country’s programme ambitions in line with SC’s Global Breakthroughs, the Head of Program Development will be responsible for leading the proposal development process and ensuring the final product is responsive, competitive, and timely. S/he will be responsible for working with the Program Quality and Development (PDQII) and Operations team to coordinate the proposal design process and collaborating with the Finance team to integrate the proposal budget into the final submission to the donor. The Head of Program Development will also be responsible implementing donor engagement plans and continuous learning processes where applicable.
In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY
Fundraising strategy

In close coordination with the Program Quality and Development (PDQI) team, and Operations team, to implement fundraising plans for each of the Country Office’s five strategic goals for 2025-27 to assist in growing the Kenya portfolio in alignment with the Country Strategic Plan and child rights.
Supporting the monitoring system to track progress of the fundraising plans per strategic goal on quarterly basis and capture learnings for continuous improvement

Proposal Management

Leads the proposal development process in line with CO procedures for all funding opportunities with PDQI, Technical Specialists including MEAL, Operations (for field team inputs, logistics requirements, costings, etc.), Security, Awards Management, Finance, and HR (for staffing requirements).
Produce proposal development schedules and track timelines, ensuring and facilitating coordination amongst teams (i.e. PDQI, Operations, Finance, Supply Chain, HR, and Security).
Support the Finance team, PDQI, Operations, Supply Chain, and other necessary stakeholders to develop proposal budget.
Draft key sections of the proposals that are standard inputs – such as capability statements, country context, and programme experience, while drawing on the expertise of technical specialists, MEAL, Operations, Finance, HR and Security.
Strengthen CO capabilities to facilitate effective in-person and online proposal design workshops, and undertake design workshop facilitation when called on to do so, including developing work plans and lessons learned.
Represent Save the Children as a generalist, alongside PDQI, in proposal development meetings and discussions.

Donor engagement and capture planning

Work with the existing Program Development Specialist to develop proactive donor engagement strategies and plans for key donors in Kenya.
Work with PDQI and Operations teams to gather and assess donor, partner, and internal information relevant to upcoming major opportunities.
Develop proactive Member engagement strategies to improve Member fundraising for the Kenya Country Office

Continuous Learning & Knowledge Management

Ensure all donor opportunities and engagement are tracked and updated on the shared informational management systems.
Ensure that all appropriate donor and Save the Children resources, templates, and tools are available to relevant staff, as well as a clear understanding of donor requirements.
Maintains strong knowledge management systems (OneNet, SharePoint, Teams, etc.) to support intra-country office communication and continuous learning.
Ensure all proposals and related documents are saved and circulated and work with Awards and Operations teams to share programme results and lessons learned.

Humanitarian Response

Support effective and joined-up strategic resource mobilisation for Category 1&2 Emergencies within the country.
When possible, deploy immediately to support funding coordination in the first phase of major regional responses as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

Advanced university degree in a relevant area i.e. Development studies, international studies, social development or equivalent
Strong background in proposal development and coordination.
Minimum of 10 years experience in business development with 5 years in a senior management role.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Demonstrated experience in coordinating and facilitating the development of major proposals to institutional donors, multilateral agencies, corporate donors, and/or foundations.
Demonstrable understanding and experience on funding mechanisms for development work including a good grasp of innovative funding mechanisms.
INGO, NGO, or nonprofit experience and an excellent grasp of operational issues.
Experience in developing project or proposal budgets.
Proven ability to write persuasive, competitive, and compliant narrative proposals for institutional donors.
Demonstrated ability to solve complex issues through critical thinking, analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in.
A high degree of attention to detail and the ability to lead key tasks (eg. proposal development) to on-time completion under significant pressure.
Highly developed networking skills and ability to form productive working relationships with a wide range of internal colleagues and stakeholders (eg. programme, technical, awards, compliance, finance, program operations).
Good work ethics, personal organisational skills, including time management, and ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure.
Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills including communicating with impact, influencing, negotiation, and coaching.
A high degree of flexibility and adaptability in order to respond to changing needs. Ability and willingness to change work practices and hours in the event of major emergencies.
Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in a dynamic environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Experience in project and change management related to organisational development projects and cross-functional teams with a proven history of delivering results.
Fluency in English, both verbal and written, required.