TITLE: Senior Programme Manager - ECHO

REPORTS TO: DCD Program Operations LOCATION: Kabul - CO

GRADE: NA LENGTH: Fix term

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3: The role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The Country Office is currently implementing multiple ECHO-funded projects with over 15M in funds.

The ECHO Program Manager provides overall leadership, strategic direction, coordination, and quality assurance for all ECHO-funded multi-partner projects operating across Afghanistan. The role ensures effective collaboration between SCI field offices, consortium members, SCI departments, and compliance with ECHO rules and regulations, delivery of program objectives, and accountability to affected populations. The manager is the primary focal point with ECHO, consortium partners, and relevant stakeholders, ensuring a unified and coherent approach to the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

The ECHO program manager will provide direct support to ensure ECHO grants remain on track and all communication flows seamlessly between the CO, project teams, Consortium members, stakeholders, and ECHO Kabul. He/She will be reporting to DCD Operation.

The ECHO Programme Manager/Lead is a member of the Extended Senior (Country) Management Team (ESMT).

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY/DELIVERABLES:

Consortium Coordination and over all ECHO Awards Leadership

• Provide oversight on all ECHO funded awards in the CO.

• Lead and facilitate the governance structure of the consortium (Steering Committee, Technical Working Groups, etc.).

• Ensure alignment and complementarity of consortium members’ activities to achieve agreed objectives and results.

• Serve as the focal point between ECHO, consortium members, and external stakeholders.

• Promote a spirit of collaboration, transparency, and accountability across the consortium.

• Monitor grant implementation progress, flag risks, and ensure alignment with donor requirements.

• Maintain strong relationships with partner organizations, ensuring open and transparent communication.

Program Management and Quality Assurance

• Provide oversight on all ECHO funded awards in the CO.

• Lead and facilitate the governance structure of the consortium (Steering Committee, Technical Working Groups, etc.).

• Ensure alignment and complementarity of consortium members’ activities to achieve agreed objectives and results.

• Serve as the focal point between ECHO, consortium members, and external stakeholders.

• Promote a spirit of collaboration, transparency, and accountability across the consortium.

• Monitor grant implementation progress, flag risks, and ensure alignment with donor requirements.

• Oversee implementation of the ECHO-funded action, ensuring compliance with donor requirements, project objectives, and humanitarian principles.

• Represent the organization in relevant donor and coordination forums linked to ECHO.

• Facilitate timely information flow, joint planning, and communication/coordination between ECHO, consortium members and project teams.

• Call and chair consortium Weekly/Monthly meetings and summarize the key taking points for strategic discussion and sharing with ECHO.

• Ensure mainstreaming of protection, gender, inclusion, and accountability across all consortium activities.

• Prepare and Review reports and ensure they meet donor and organizational requirements.

• Provide technical inputs to improve report quality and ensure accurate data representation.

• Overall lead in planning and management of the response as per guidance of Country Office and SMT;

• Conducting contextual analysis of the humanitarian environment and early warning indicators.

• Lead on implementation and update of Response projects in close coordination of relevant colleagues.

• In collaboration with the Heads of Offices involved in Emergency Response: design and recommend operations delivery mechanisms. Ensure effective and timely delivery of response activities.

• In collaboration with Heads of Offices: develop and follow up on detailed Implementation Plans and Phased Budgets for the response projects.

• Ensure monthly project performance reviews and BVA analysis is conducted for all emergency awards and shared with the DPO.

• Lead and support on the prepositioning of required supplies and services to ensure timely and quality implementation.

Compliance, Reporting, and Donor Relations

• Ensure compliance with ECHO contractual requirements, guidelines, and reporting standards.

• Consolidate technical and financial reports from partners into timely, high-quality submissions to ECHO.

• Act as primary contact with ECHO on programmatic, contractual, and coordination matters.

• Support audits, evaluations, and donor monitoring visits.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL)

• Monitor progress against the over all projects/Awards, consortium’s results framework, workplan, and budget.

• Coordinate harmonized approaches, tools, and methodologies (e.g., monitoring, assessments, reporting).

• Oversee development and implementation of a MEAL framework (All Awards).

• Ensure that data is collected, analyzed, and reported in a harmonized and timely manner.

• Promote adaptive management and continuous learning across SCI teams and partners.

• Ensure feedback and accountability mechanisms are in place and functional.

Representation and Advocacy

• Represent the SCI and consortium with humanitarian coordination bodies, donors, and government stakeholders as agreed by the Steering Committee.

• Advocate for the needs and priorities of target populations in line with the SCI and consortium’s mandate.

• Foster strategic partnerships and synergies with other humanitarian and development actors.

• Support and contribute to new ECHO opportunities with providing information and strategic oversight to NBD.

Team Management and Capacity Strengthening

• Supervise and mentor consortium coordination staff.

• Facilitate capacity sharing and joint learning initiatives among consortium members.

• Ensure effective knowledge management and documentation of lessons learned.

Any other business assigned by the line manager or organization.

Capacity Building:

• Build the capacity of the project and partner organization staff.

• Facilitate capacity sharing and joint learning initiatives amongst SCI and consortium members.

• Ensure effective knowledge management and documentation of lessons learned.

General:

• Comply with all relevant Save the Children policies and procedures with respect to child rights and protection, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies. · Make clear recommendations regarding proposed programme content, staffing, management and administration arrangements and budget with clear indications of funding and technical support sources. · Prepare preliminary recommendations regarding programme intervention.

SKILLS AND BEHAVIORS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.

• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same.

• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others.

• Future orientated, thinks strategically.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters.

• Values diversity sees it as a source of competitive strength.

• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.

• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

Honest, encourages openness and transparency.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:

• Master’s degree in development studies, Humanitarian Affairs, Social Sciences, or related field.

• Minimum 5–7 years’ experience in grant management, preferably with ECHO or other major institutional donors.

• Strong knowledge of ECHO guidelines, compliance, and proposal/report writing.

• Demonstrated skills in donor liaison, consortium coordination, and team capacity building.

• Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills.

• Ability to work under pressure and deliver quality outputs within tight deadlines

Essential

• Substantial experience working with an international and non-governmental organisation within an emergency environment.

• Skills and experience in project/programme implementation, monitoring, review 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.

• Solid experience in grant management, including budget holding and donor reporting.

• Substantial previous experience in security management.

• Ability to produce high quality reports.

• Representational, political awareness and advocacy skills.

• Ability to work with limited support from line manager.

• Fluency in written and spoken English languages and computer literate.

• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles.

Desirable.

• · Experience of first phase emergency response operations

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

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.

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.