Cash and Markets Technical Advisor – Youth empowerment

Cash and Markets Technical Advisor – Youth empowerment

The Opportunity

The Cash and Markets Technical Advisor – Youth empowerment will use his/her in-depth contextual understanding, technical expertise, and relationship building skills to define and deliver our strategic ambition for Cash & Market-based Programming with specific focus on youth empowerment and economic recovery in the Syria Response office. The role will lead strategy development and the technical design and implementation of high-quality programmes that deliver change for children in both emergency and early recovery contexts. It supports the design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation systems to demonstrate impact, while sharing learning across our programmes, teams and partners.

This position will play a key role in strengthening SRO’s markets based Youth Empowerment programmes (with a focus on Cash Plus approaches), primarily through hands on technical assistance, strategic and programmatic support, coordination, advocacy, fund-raising and capacity building (training / mentoring /coaching).

The role will work closely with operations colleagues and with partners within the Syria response office, building their capacity and building ownership and agency of local organisations. The adviser will also be responsible for maintaining working relationships internally and externally with donors, regional and centre child poverty teams and the members.

This position will report to the Director of Programme Development and Quality and will work closely with all relevant sector technical specialists (Health and Nutrition, Education, CP, MH-PSS and WASH) and Area and Field Managers to support building innovative, integrated practice, including the development of Cash Plus and multi-sector market based assistance programmes. The post holder will work closely with colleagues in finance and logistics as well to ensure that decision making in CTPs maximises household and community recovery for children and their families in affected areas.

SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to: Programme Development & Quality Director
Staff reporting to this post: no direct reports but dotted lines to the CASH specialists at AO level
Budget Responsibilities: None
Role Dimensions: The role is expected to foster relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders including Save the Children members, operational and advocacy colleagues, Regional Advisors, technical counterparts in other organisation, donors etc. The role is also expected to engage with internal technical working groups, in particular with the Cash & Market Humanitarian Technical WG, and communities of practice.
Context: Humanitarian and early recovery
Scope: Syria Response Office
Primary Technical area: Cash & Voucher Assistance
Primary Sub technical area: Market-based programming for child outcomes
Secondary Technical area: Youth employability
LOCATION: Amman, Jordan with frequent travel to Syria Area Offices (up to 50-60% of time)

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
A. Technical Leadership:
* Provide technical leadership for Cash & Market-based Programming for the SRO, and set the strategic approach in relation to the wider country strategy
* Build capacity of specialist and partners in key technical approaches related to Cash & Market-based Programming across all child outcomes as well as on youth empowerment
* Lead and collaborate with others to further develop and support the operationalisation of CVA programme (with focus on ‘Cash Plus’ approaches), with explicit linkages to other thematic and cross thematic steers (Education, CP, GBV, Health and Nutrition, WASH)

B. Ensuring Programme Quality (Design, Implementation & MEAL):
* Work closely with new business development colleagues to identify and pursue funding opportunities; engage with technical partners, donors and colleagues across Save the Children
* Lead the technical scoping, planning, and design and proposal writing during new programme development, and ensure that we design and deliver high quality Cash & Market-based programmes for children, building on global best practice. Ensure that gender, disability and resilience considerations are reflected in our programme design and implementation.
* Work with Child Rights Governance colleagues to ensure that a rights based approach is reflected in our programme design and implementation (in line with our child rights programming approach), with a strong focus on child participation
* Promote a Systems Strengthening approach as the overarching framework, that supports working in collaboration and partnership with governments, local partners and working towards impact, scale and sustainability.
* Provide oversight and guidance to the programme implementation teams to ensure that thematic programme components are technically sound, implementation methods are consistent with national and global strategies, acknowledged good practice (e.g. Save the Children Common Approaches); and are likely to achieve scale, as well as equitable and sustainable results.
* Promote and monitor integrated programming in a way that increases overall impact of Cash & Market-based programmes at the community level.
* Work with Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) teams as well as with the relevant thematic Technical Advisors (i.e. WaSH, Nutrition, Health, Education, Child Protection, and FSL) to conduct quality monitoring against international standards on MEAL for programmes integrating CVA, through participatory methodologies (including child-friendly and disability inclusive methodologies);
* Contribute towards the creation of an organisational learning culture that promotes the use of data, evidence and analysis and understands its link to quality and accountable programming;
* Undertake field visits to project sites; work with implementation teams to understand impacts, operational challenges, and continuously identify opportunities for learning and improvement.
* Contribute to organisational learning on Cash & Market-based Programming when applied to and integrated with WaSH, Nutrition, Health, Education, Child Protection, and FSL interventions, ensuring that learning from our programmes is shared across the Country Office, our partners, and the national/subnational Cash Working Group, as well as with colleagues in the wider regional and global Cash & Market community in Save the Children.
* Participate in the development of emergency preparedness plans, in CVA and market-specific assessments (including gender analysis and disability situation analysis, using SC assessment processes and tools), as well as in the design and delivery of emergency response and recovery strategies. Ensure synergies across thematic and functional teams, data and programme design.
* Monitor trends in order to ensure early action; and lead technical design and implementation and technical coordination of humanitarian responses

Strategy, Programme Development and Programme Quality
* Lead the research phase of programme design, including needs assessments and stakeholder consultations.
* In collaboration with other TAs, lead the development and support implementation of the multi-sector Youth and Adolescent Programme (with focus on vocational and life skills)
* Support the Partnerships Manager and the Programme Managers in engaging suitable implementing partners
* Lead on the drafting of programme concepts and programme design documents, including design of cash programmes as means of achieving other sectoral outcomes (Protection, Education, etc.).

Quality Assurance, MEAL and Reporting:
* Follow up on the development of an effective Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning system and quality assurance tools to guide implementation including programme level indicators and quality checklists.
* Support effective monitoring of programme delivery at the outcome level through analysis of data and support to mid-term and final evaluations.
* Review procurement plans and Budgeted Versus Actuals for technical specifications/compliance where necessary
* Review written reports to donors, ensuring they are technical sound, donor compliant and of the highest quality.

Capacity Building:
* Develop learning needs assessment and capacity building plans for both SC and partner staff, linking capacity building initiatives to wider opportunities identified via coordination and networks.
* Coach and mentor Relevant Team / national level counterparts and link in to wider organisational talent development mechanisms.
* Oversee development (and in some cases the delivery) of technical training material.
* Support other technical advisors to understand and contextualise cash & market guidance for their thematic area to inform SRO strategic direction and programming in CVA for child outcomes

Representation & Advocacy & Organisational Learning:
* Help shape broader cash transfer/market sector strategies through influence of and leadership within inter-agency coordination forums, ensuring the specific needs of children are being addressed.
* In collaboration with New Business Development, contribute to strategic partnerships; identify partners and donors to strengthen CVA portfolio across the SRO and maintain an overview of CVA best practices and coordination mechanisms
* Play a key role in shaping sector relevant communications and media priorities and product in line with thematic priorities.
* Ensure effective collaboration with other Technical Advisors and Program Teams, to maximise outcomes

General:
* Demonstrate leadership in relation to Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Significant international experience (at least 5+ years) in cash and markets programming including in Low and Middle Income Countries and the MENA region (desirable)

Essential

* Education to MSc/MA level in Development studies, Economics, Finance, International Relations, or similar.
* At least 5 years’ experience of working internationally in Cash & Voucher Assistance and Economic Recovery in emergency and development settings, for a broad range of institutional donors and sectors
* Experience with various cash and voucher modalities, including digital, mobile, card, paper voucher, and cash in envelopes
* Management experience of operational aspects of cash and voucher interventions including experience in the introduction of internal controls systems to support cash and vouchers delivery in the areas of financial management, logistics, security and programme delivery
* Experience of child and adolescent focused livelihood programming in humanitarian and/or early recovery settings
* Experience designing and implementing youth empowerment programmes and economic recovery programmes
* Sound and mature understanding of rights-based approaches to development and participatory concepts and practical experience in similar context.
* Experience of representation and ability to represent Save the Children effectively in external forums.
* Ability to write clear and well-argued assessments, project reports and successful funding proposals for donors including ECHO, OFDA, SIDA, etc.
* Strong influencing skills and experience in advocacy
* Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
* The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.
* Commitment to and understanding of child rights, the aims and principles of Save the Children, and humanitarian standards such as the Sphere Charter and the Code of Conduct. In particular, a good understanding of the Save the Children mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support
Desirable
* Language skills in Arabic
* Previous experience with Life skills for success and other SCI (or similar) common approaches
* Experience or knowledge of working and living in the Middle East Region

The Organisation
We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:
* No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
* All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
* Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.
Application Information:
Please attach a copy of your CV and cover letter with your application, and include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found at www.savethechildren.net/careers

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our global anti-harassment policy.
We encourage qualified women and persons with disabilities to apply.