Team Leader, IECD Rwanda

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination and it’s girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 80 years and are now active in more than 70 countries. 

The Opportunity

Plan International seeks a dynamic leader and project strategist to fill the role of Team Leader for the anticipated DFID Improving Early Childhood Development (IECD) in Rwanda programme with an expected budget of approximately £14.7 million over 5 years.

The Programme will focus on the provision of parenting education to the parents of all 0-3 year old children in 16 of the 30 Districts in Rwanda, and this will be followed up with parenting education support as the children transition to the 4-6 years age group, with most vulnerable households identified for additional support. 

The Team Leader will have a central role in the implementation of the programme.  Based in Kigali, and on a fulltime basis, the Team leader will be responsible for overall leadership and technical oversight of the programme, making sure that it is DFID compliant, that the strategy adopted ensures the highest impact, and solves all major problems in the implementation of outputs and activities. This position is contingent upon award.

The Team Leader will lead and oversee all aspects of the programme, including directing strategic planning and decision making, providing technical guidance, managing the activities of sub-recipients, and supervising staff.  Serving as the key liaison with DFID, the Government of Rwanda, implementing partners, and other stakeholders, the Team Leader will also establish and maintain an integrated vision among different actors while ensuring adherence to all project objectives, performance requirements, and donor regulations.

Consideration for this pivotal role will be given to nutrition/education/Early Childhood Development professionals with 1) a clear understanding of community-centered development in Rwanda or a similar social context; 2) experience in DFID project management and administration policies, procedures, and reporting requirements; and 3) the ability to meet rigorous timelines, track results, effectively manage staff and multi-stakeholder relationships, and influence decision-making at the local and national level to create positive change.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall technical and managerial oversight and leadership for the project.
• Ensure efficient management of financial resources, including the review and approval of program budgets and monitoring expenditures.
• Supervise field operations, project administration, logistics and procurement.
• Oversee the delivery and monitoring of sub-grants.
• Supervise program monitoring, evaluation, and reporting and ensure quality control and timeliness of all deliverables as required by the grant and donors.
• Ensure full compliance with all DFID, Plan, and other fiduciary regulations.
• Serve as the principal liaison with the Government of Rwanda; DFID and other donors; the steering committee and project partners and stakeholders to ensure effective program implementation and build lasting relationships.

The Person

In order to succeed in the challenging and varied role, you will have extensive experience in the following areas:

• Possess at least a master’s degree in education, health or a related field;
• Strong knowledge of Early Childhood Development in Rwanda and/or the region;
• Experience managing a large child-focused program for an international NGO.
• Have demonstrable professional experience with increasing seniority in development and humanitarian programmes, including successfully managing large-scale, complex multi-year consortium led programmes, including DFID funded programmes
• Demonstrated knowledge of DFID project management, including DFID’s thinking and emerging priorities;
• Previous experience as a Team Leader in Rwanda and/or the region; 
• Demonstrated knowledge of gender and proficiency in managing development projects that mainstream gender.
• Demonstrated ability to implement projects with rigorous timelines and deliverables and to track program quality through donor-approved monitoring and evaluation systems.
• Ability to work under pressure, as part of a team or independently, and meet deadlines consistently.
• Experience collaborating with diverse stakeholders, such as local NGOs, government officials, donor representatives, and local and international staff.
• Ability to respond to requests on short notice and simultaneously plan and execute several activities.
• Proven experience hiring, training, and supervising teams of international and local staff.
• Proven leadership, interpersonal, and cross-cultural skills, with the ability to build and motivate diverse teams.
• Excellent command of English, with strong verbal and written communication skills;
• Good working knowledge of Kinyarwanda (both verbally and written) preferred;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
   

For a full job description, please click here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/olzk4jvhz6p5tsg/JD-Team%20Leader.docx?dl=0

Type of Role: 3 year fixed term contract. 

Location: Kigali, Rwanda

Salary: Competitive 

Reports to: Country Director

Closing Date: 21st July 2019. Please note that we will review applications on an ongoing basis and may start shortlisting before the closing date. 

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.

Please note that only applications and CVs written in English will be accepted.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Child Protection Policy.

As an international child centred community development organisation, Plan International is fully committed to promoting the realisation of children's rights including their right to protection from violence and abuse. That means we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. We must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk. 

Plan International operates an equal opportunities policy and actively encourages diversity, welcoming applications from all areas of the international community.