Job Description
FHI 360 is a nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. Our staff includes experts in Health, Education, Nutrition, Environment, Economic Development, Civil Society, Gender, Youth, Research and Technology, creating a unique mix of capabilities to address today's interrelated development challenges. FHI 360 serves more than 60 countries, all 50 U.S. states and all U.S. territories. We are currently seeking qualified candidates to fill the position below:
Position: Child Welfare & Protection Systems Strengthening Technical Director
Report to: Chief of Party (COP)
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Position Summary:
We are currently seeking qualified candidates for the position of Child Welfare and Protection Systems Strengthening Technical Director for an anticipated USAID-funded Activity USAID Caring for Vulnerable Children. The project will work to improve health and well-being outcomes for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) through utilizing services to improving HIV/AIDS care, health, nutrition, economic security, education, protection, and psychosocial well-being. The Child Welfare and Protection Systems Strengthening Technical Director will provide technical oversight to build the capacity of government, community-based structures, and other actors and processes that constitute child welfare and protection systems.
The position will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and will report to the Chief of Party. Recruitment is contingent upon successful award of the project and the selection of the final applicant is subject to USAID approval.
Key Responsibilities and Contributions:
· Be well informed of national and international child welfare and social protection and other related policies, strategies and regulations to ensure system strengthening adheres to such protocols and standards.
· Guide the integration of systems strengthening liaising with the key technical areas of HIV/AIDS, health, nutrition, education, protection, economic security, and psychosocial – and engaging both formal and informal systems in the integration.
· Produce tools and materials to strengthen the capacity of relevant stakeholders, capacity activities ranging from planning, implementation, financial management, institutional structures, consensus building, resource mobilization, awareness raising, communication and a range of other disciplines.
· Carry out ongoing capacity assessments using agreed upon tools and procedures to result in well-defined structures and functions and adequate capacities.
· Produce tools and materials designed to effectively measure capacity improvements, and engage all relevant stakeholders when designing materials to ensure ownership.
· Document and share best practices towards improving systems and structures and support in the scale up of best practices.
· Ensure system strengthening is based on multi-sector engagement to develop a networked system able to holistically respond to the needs of OVC and their families, in a sustainable and inclusive manner.
· Integrate public-private partnerships (PPP) as a central approach to system strengthening to result in a sustainable intervention, local resource mobilization being a critical pillar of PPP.
· Support relevant stakeholders in developing and/or utilizing existing management information systems and other technologies for data collection, analysis and decision making.
· Support in the utilization of high quality data as evidence for decision-making, planning and implementation.
· Engage in technical working groups and other multi-sector platforms to enhance communication of goals and objectives, obtain buy-in, enhance awareness and ensure collective engagement.
· Put in place MoUs and other inter-agency collaborative methodologies.
· Lead a team of expert technical staff responsible for day-to-day guidance and oversight of project activities in order to achieve project targets.
· Supervise and oversee a team of technical staff for the project and ensure clear roles and responsibilities and lines of communication are maintained amongst the team members.
· Monitor field activities and ensure timely completion of objectives.
· Produce and present papers at local, regional and international forums to share experiences and emerging best practices.
· Develop/produce contractual deliverables (quarterly, annual, field project evaluations, etc.) in conjunction with other key staff and external evaluators
· Keep abreast of global, regional and national developments in system strengthening focusing on the field of HIV / AIDS, child welfare and protection issues.
· Contribute to maintaining a strong relationship with government and relevant stakeholders (at national and district levels)
Minimum Requirements
Education/Experience:
· Advanced Degree or higher in social work, social sciences or a closely related field is required. Master’s Degree or higher is desirable.
· At least five (5) years of experience in designing, implementing and managing child welfare and protection systems strengthening initiatives in/for developing countries is required.
· Experience managing child welfare and protection services, strengthening systems and processes for ensuing the welfare and protection and children, and building the capacity of government, communities and other child welfare and protection actors is highly desirable.
· Experience with quality improvement or policy development is desirable.
· Demonstrated hands-on experience in building government, non-government and community capacity to address child welfare and protection systems strengthening issues
· Experience in training social workers on aspects related to systems strengthening
· Ability to liaise with government, non-government and donor partner senior officials
· Demonstrated in-depth understanding of the Ethiopia child welfare and social protection system
· Proven track record managing a project team composed of technical experts and fostering team work
· Familiarity with USAID or other US Government administrative, management and reporting procedures and systems
· Strong interpersonal skills, initiative, demonstrated team leadership and problem-solving abilities
· Strong oral and written communication and presentations skills in English, and strong skills in word processing and Excel spread sheets