Senior Team Lead

SENIOR TEAM LEAD – District Health Support in Sierra Leone

Crown Agents is planning to bid for the FCDO funded District Health Support in Sierra Leone Programme.

The programme’s intended impact will be to build on the gains from FCDO’s current health programme in Sierra Leone to deliver sustainable improvement in health outcomes, particularly for mothers, new-born’s, children, and adolescents. Based on the learning of the Saving Lives II programme, FCDO will be focusing their support in six districts. The objective of the new programme will be to strengthen and establish sustainable delivery structures within the district heath systems, and in turn support delivery of key activities and services. It will aim to do this by increasing uptake of quality and equitable health services by target groups within a more resilient and equitable health system, through:

• Strengthening health delivery structure at the district and community through improved management at the district level for improved service availability financing, and delivery, more and better trained health workers, and efficient procurement and accessibility of free healthcare commodities
• Enhanced delivery of quality, equitable and accessible health services, with clear sustainability plans developed
• Operationalisation of practical and impactful management structures and processes
• Strengthened community engagement for increased accountability and demand for RMNCAH services

About the Role:

The Team Lead will lead Crown Agents’ team and consortium partner organisations and be the primary representative of the project to all key stakeholders, government officials, and donors at coordination fora and other related meetings. The Team Lead is expected to maintain strong relationships with the FCDO and other networks in the sector as well as communicate effectively and distribute information about programme achievements and lessons learned to a range of different audiences.

The Team Lead will be responsible for providing overall vision, leadership, and guidance of the project and will hold ultimate responsibility for programme delivery and results. She/he will have the overall responsibility for the oversight and delivery of outputs and results of the programme, overall project management and technical operations and will ensure that the programme is implemented as per the contract and in compliance with the FCDO agreement, regulations, and internationally recognised quality standards. She/he will also oversee management of partners and provide financial, and operations support that optimises resources through sound budgets, consistent financial tracking, and timely submission of reports to the donor. She/he will establish appropriate monitoring mechanisms to ensure that activity progress and specific implementation concerns are regularly and promptly reported and that project objectives are met.

The Team Leader will provide overall operational, administrative, financial, and personnel management for HSS, specific duties and responsibilities include:

Essential Job Functions: Duties and Responsibilities

Management and Leadership

• Lead the HSS programme team to achieve quality oversight and support successful delivery of health programmes in the six districts.
• Working closely with Crown Agents global health and in-country teams, to ensure technical quality and provide oversight in relation to the delivery of all programme activities and deliverables
• Lead responsibilities for strategic planning and project troubleshooting
• Lead responsibilities for the programme’s central engagement and district and community outreach, including engagement with key stakeholders in National, Regional and District health offices.
• Act as the primary representative for Crown Agents and the DHS programme in Sierra Leone
• Ensure full adherence to contractual Terms of Reference, manage proposed scope variation by the client and flag to Crown Agents as needed
• Ensure quality of programme delivery through mentoring the team and through providing feedback on their performance as well as areas for improvement.

Financial

With support from the Head of Finance (DF):

• Ensure project financial practices are in compliance with Crown Agents and FCDO contractual rules and regulations
• Monitor the in-country programme budget and IP expenditure
• With the DF support the preparations of annual audited documents
• Ensure that financial reporting is accurate and completed on time.

Operational

With substantial support from the HoF and Operations Lead:

• Ensure project management practices are in compliance with Crown Agents and FCDO contractual rules and regulations
• Provide operational management of the programme, ensuring all activities are implemented within agreed timelines and achieve expected results, in line with the performance framework and standard operational policies and procedures, during the inception and implementation phase.
• Oversee technical direction, working in close collaboration with programme technical specialists.
• Oversee development, review, and monitoring of annual workplans, programme strategy, knowledge management, and sustainability efforts to ensure achievement of programme outcomes and goals.
• Provide quality assurance of technical outputs.
• Direct and collaborate with consortium partners on overall programme strategy
• Ensure subcontractors are properly managed for the delivery of results in the field
• Oversee all short-term technical assistance required by the programme
• Ensure that a Programme Security Plan and SOPs are developed and kept up to date.
• Ensure adherence to duty of care obligations.
• Ensure lessons learned are shared across the districts.
• Represent the programme in national and regional fora, including technical conferences and policy briefings, and share information about programme achievements and lessons learned within the organisation and wider development community.

Stakeholder coordination

• Establish and maintain effective engagement and dialogue with governments and other programme stakeholders across all programme countries.
• Establish and maintain effective, trust-based relationships and dialogue with key programme representatives from FCDO.
• Manage consortium partnerships and maintain collaborative partner relations, ensuring that all partners are aware of programme expectations and are actively involved in achieving their objectives.

Candidate’s Profile

This is a senior position which requires outstanding leadership, strategic thinking, and organisational, team-building and representational skills. We are looking for the following skills, experience, and attributes from the Team Lead:

• At least 12 years’ experience in leading the management of large and/or complex donor funded programmes, and managing a diverse team of professionals and consortium partners
• Advanced degree (or equivalent experience) in Public Health, International Development, or related field
• Strong understanding of complex development programmes in developing countries
• Extensive experience working in similar contexts including in Sierra Leone
• Recent experience implementing similar health programmes in Sierra Leone preferred
• Strong understanding and proven experience of working with different donors and familiarity with their policies and requirements,
• Ideally prior experience in managing large FCDO programmes
• Demonstrated success across the whole range of project management responsibilities including strategic program planning; work planning and budgeting; financial, administrative, contractual management and oversight
• Experience and ability to provide leadership and direction in harnessing the multi-disciplinary skills of the technical personnel and consortium partners
• Experience and ability to work with, and build effective partnerships between, a broad range of stakeholder groups including government, civil society, private sector, multi-laterals, and other donors
• Deep and practical knowledge of health management structures and processes at the district level
• Prior experience in operating effectively within complex and high-risk environments and managing the needs of multiple stakeholders
• Excellent interpersonal and intercultural skills with demonstrated ability to lead and work effectively in team situations, as well as mentor junior and mid-level project staff
• Sierra Leonean nationals are encouraged to apply

About us:

Crown Agents is a high impact social enterprise passionate about transforming the future for millions of people. Since our creation in 1833 we have worked across the globe to improve public services and drive economic growth. Our expertise is finding new solutions to difficult problems for clients in the areas of health, governance, economic growth, humanitarian action, and supply chain services. We work with and train leaders at local, national, and international level to achieve lasting change drawing on our insight and experience.

Crown Agents is an equal opportunity employer and offers a competitive salary and employee benefits. We support a work-life balance and an individual’s desire to learn beyond the experience gained at work through both personal and professional development and growth opportunities.

Crown Agents is committed to diversity and will always promote diversity for all candidates as well as a business culture that reflects that belief. Crown Agents will treat everyone equally irrespective of race, religion, colour, sex, age, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation, and places an obligation upon all staff to respect and act in accordance with the policy. Crown Agents shall not discriminate unlawfully when deciding which candidates are selected for interview, or in any terms of employment, and will ensure that each candidate is assessed only in accordance with their merits, qualifications, and abilities to perform the role. Crown Agents is committed to being an organisation enhanced by diversity and encourages applications from anyone who shares our values and commitment to improving the lives of communities affected by poverty or conflict.

Please note that the JD is high level and indicative only at this stage and may be subject to change once the Terms of Reference for the programme is released and as the opportunity develops.

Availability of position is contingent upon award to Crown Agents, and selection of final applicant is subject to FCDO approval.