Poland Response Director

Poland Response Director

ROLE PURPOSE:

Following the start of the conflict in Ukraine, millions of people have fled to neighbouring countries, including Poland which has now welcomed more than 3 million refugees. Save the Children International (SCI) has established a humanitarian response in Poland, which is now in the process of scaling up in collaboration with local civil society partners and local government municipalities in Krakow, Warsaw and other parts of the country. SCI is supporting programmes to deliver education, child protection and psychosocial support to those in need, including through cash and vouchers.

The Response Director will hold overall accountability for the humanitarian response in Poland and provide strategic direction to the programme. The post holder is responsible for identifying needs and resources and elaborating programme recommendations for the response in line with Save the Children national and global priorities. The post-holder will ensure that all relevant Save the Children policies and procedures with respect to child safeguarding, safety and security, code of conduct, equal opportunities and other relevant policies are in place. The Response Director is accountable for appropriate fiscal management of Poland response and ensuring strong management of risks, including key legal and regulatory risks. in collaboration with the Middle East and Eastern Europe Regional office SMT members. The post holder will be the primary Save the Children representative with local authorities, donor representatives, peer agencies and communities. Finally, the post holder will ensure that the SCI Poland team provide operational and systems support to the SCI teams supporting programme delivery with Save the Children teams in both Romania and Lithuania.

As a member of the Middle East & Eastern Europe Regional Leadership Team, they will have also shared accountability for Save the Children’s international development and emergency programming in the region of $350 million each year through an organisation of 2,000+ people. To achieve our ambitious goals and breakthroughs for children, the leadership team will, in collaboration with Save the Children Members and in conjunction with the other regional organisations, aim to drive strategy, compliance and quality across the region.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Assume overall management and high-level leadership of the response in Poland and ensure that the Poland team provide operational and systems support to the SC responses in Romania and Lithuania as required.

Poland program delivery and risk management:

• Assume overall leadership and management oversight of humanitarian response in Poland. Ensure robust operational structure for the humanitarian response in Poland.
• Lead on country level strategic planning, action plans, and monitoring to ensure an effective emergency response and feed into the wider regional refugee and migrant children strategic planning
• Oversee the implementation of Save the Children policies and procedures with respect to child rights and safeguarding, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies
• Have oversight over the development of annual master budgets for multiple sites, multiple sectors and take overall leadership on the implementation of annual budgets of over USD 30 million, keeping relevant stakeholders informed and ensuring any corrective actions are taken.
• Ensure optimal safety and security management procedures and practices are in place for the emergency response programme and continually monitor the safety and security situation, and, in collaboration and cooperation with the response Safety and Security team, ensure that staff safety and security procedures are adapted accordingly.
• Ensure system is in place to ensure strong accountability to beneficiaries
• Plan, identify and resource appropriate and effective structure & staffing needs for entire response (including ensuring that personnel policies are in accordance with national laws)
• Oversee the development & implementation of a staff wellbeing policy
• Instil a strong culture of Risk Management into the program.
• Ensure that strong Internal Controls are built into all stages of programme cycle

Representation, Media and Advocacy:

• Represent Save the Children’s Poland program on a national, regional and international level, with bilateral government agencies, UN organizations, other members of the humanitarian community and media.
• Help shape broader sector strategies through influence of and leadership within inter-agency coordination forums, ensuring the specific needs of children are being addressed
• Regularly undertake high level representation and advocacy with local partners and officials as well as donor representatives. Establish systems for communication with local partners, relevant line departments and community representations in the project area(s).
• Serve as primary media spokesperson for the program. Engage effectively with international media on priority issues affecting children in Poland
• Ensure that within changing context inside Poland that, red lines for SC operations are defined and adhered to
• Maintain strong and effective relationships with partners

Strategic Planning:

• Ensure that Poland program is sufficiently agile in order to adapt to contextual changes
• Engage with SC partners on a regular basis as part of ongoing strategy development, involve partners in process to bring in Polish voices

Regional aspects of the role:

• Continued overview of the external political, social, economic and humanitarian context both within Poland and the Middle East region
• Ensure that Poland CO is engaged in Durable Solutions planning with MEEE RO and surrounding country refugee programs.
• Ensure strong link between the programmatic and advocacy priorities of the response
• Ensure optimal safety and security management procedures and practices are in place for the programme and continually monitor the safety and security situation, adapting staff safety and security procedures accordingly.
• Ensure that all key operational and system support requirements for both SC Romania and Lithuania are met as per stated needs.
• Lead on the content of spikes in humanitarian responses. Define and request support needed from the country office, regional office, lead member headquarters and Save the Children International.
• Promote and ensure quality programming and best practice approaches and standards – including the Save the Children International & NGO Code of Conduct, Save the Children International core values and SPHERE standards
• Represent the principles and work of Save the Children International to donors, United Nations, NGOs and INGOs, government, media and other stakeholders when required;
• Comply with and promote all Save the Children International Global policies, in particular Child Safeguarding.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential:

• Representational, political awareness and advocacy skills; able to serve as strong internal and external spokesperson.
• Skills and experience in project/programme planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation preferably from a child rights approach in accordance with the CRC and international humanitarian rights standards.
• Substantial people and programme management experience with good interpersonal skills and ability to communicate at all levels.
• Substantial understanding or proven experience of security management issues.
• Ability to produce high quality reports.
• Experience of working with partners and a participatory approach
• Fluency in written and spoken English; Polish is preferred
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles