Director of Programme Quality and Impact

Programme & Policy

Overview

Provide strategic direction and oversight for child-centered programmes.

You have:

• Master’s Degree in relevant social science, human rights, development studies, NGO management or equivalent fields
• A minimum of seven years of progressive senior management and/or development experience in a corporate or an NGO environment, including experience directing and implementing programs for children
• Experience in more than one of Save the Children's thematic sectors: education, child protection, child rights governance, health and nutrition, child poverty, emergencies
• Experience managing teams for resource mobilization and submitting proposals in excess of US$10 million
• Experience working with high-level government agencies and academics on issues related to children
• Strong skills and proven experience in new program development, project design, and donor proposal design with corporate, foundations and institutional donors
• Strong skills and proven experience in leading strategic planning, change management and program management processes; also from the knowledge and learning perspective
• Developing and managing monitoring, evaluation and learning systems
• Excellent listening, inter-personal, communication and networking skills; and an ability to work with diversified populations
• High level of self-awareness and willingness to take criticism as an opportunity for growth and self-development

The Organization 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 workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

Application Information: Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found at www.savethechildren.net/jobs We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

JOB TITLE: Director of Programme Quality and Impact (PQI) TEAM/PROGRAMME:

Senior Leadership Team, South Sudan

LOCATION: Juba, South Sudan with regular travel to field sites GRADE: Tier 3 CONTRACT LENGTH: Fixed 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; ore because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE:

As a key member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), the Director of Programme Quality and Impact (PQI) provides strategic direction, leadership, and oversight to ensure that Save the Children South Sudan delivers high-quality, evidence-based, child-centred programmes that achieve lasting impact for children.

The Director is accountable for the overall programme quality framework, including technical excellence, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL), research and evidence generation, and innovation. The role ensures coherence, rigour, and learning across all thematic areas and humanitarian–development nexus programming.

As a senior leader, the Director plays a pivotal role in fostering collaboration and accountability across functions, strengthening team coherence within the SLT, and developing national leadership capacity. The PQI Director models Save the Children’s values and behaviours, builds a culture of evidence and learning, and ensures that strategic decisions are grounded in data, analysis, and child rights principles.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Country Director

Staff directly reporting to this post: Head of MEAL, Heads of Technical Areas (Survival, Protection, Learning)

Role Dimensions: The Director of Programme Quality and Impact is a strategic leader driving programme excellence, evidence generation, and systemic change for children in South Sudan. As a key member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), the PQI Director ensures that programme quality, measurement, innovation, and influence are embedded across the country office.

This is a strategic and integrative leadership role, responsible for ensuring programme coherence, accountability, and excellence across all Save the Children South Sudan programmes. The PQI Director champions cross-functional collaboration, ensuring that design, delivery, and measurement are seamlessly connected from concept to impact..

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

1. Strategic Leadership and Organisational Coherence

• Serve as a core member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), contributing to country strategy, planning, and decision-making.
• Promote cross-departmental collaboration to ensure that programme design, delivery, and operations are aligned for maximum efficiency and impact.
• Ensure that evidence, quality data, and learning inform all strategic and operational decisions at country and field levels.
• Champion integration across humanitarian and development portfolios, ensuring the country office delivers coherent, child-centred programming.
• Provide strategic input into risk management, country performance, and cost-effectiveness initiatives.

2. Leadership, Team Management, and Culture

• Lead and inspire a multi-disciplinary team of technical specialists, MEAL professionals, and advisors, ensuring clear goals, accountability, and professional development.
• Provide coaching, mentorship, and career growth opportunities, with deliberate investment in developing national technical leadership.
• Build a culture of high performance, learning, and collaboration, encouraging teams to share knowledge, innovate, and hold each other accountable for results.
• Model inclusive and empowering leadership consistent with Save the Children’s values and culture, promoting wellbeing, diversity, and integrity.
• Foster collaboration between PQI, Operations, and Programme Development teams to ensure seamless project cycle management and joint accountability for results.

3. Programme Quality and Technical Excellence

• Lead the implementation of the Programme Quality Framework, ensuring all programmes meet internal and donor quality standards.
• Provide strategic and technical oversight across thematic sectors — Health/Nutrition, Education, Child Protection, and Child Rights Governance.
• Ensure that programmes are child-centred, rights-based, gender-sensitive, climate-resilient, and conflict-aware.
• Drive integration of Save the Children’s Common Approaches and global evidence into programme design and delivery.
• Oversee the review and quality assurance of project designs, baselines, and evaluations to ensure technical rigour and alignment with strategic priorities.

4. Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL)

• Provide leadership for the country office’s MEAL system, ensuring data integrity, timeliness, and strategic use.
• Institutionalise learning loops to promote adaptive programming and evidence-driven decision-making.
• Ensure robust accountability mechanisms for children and communities, including feedback and complaint systems that inform programme improvements.
• Lead evaluations, research, and impact studies that advance the evidence base for child rights and inform advocacy and policy dialogue.
• Promote a culture where monitoring and learning are seen as tools for empowerment and improvement, not compliance.

5. Knowledge Management, Learning, and Innovation

• Foster a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement across teams.
• Ensure systematic documentation, analysis, and dissemination of learning and best practices.
• Encourage innovation and piloting of new models, ensuring successful ones are adapted, scaled, and shared internally and externally.

• Promote cross-country learning and collaboration within the Save the Children movement and with external actors.

  SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS

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

  QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master’s Degree in relevant social science, human rights, development studies, NGO management or equivalent fields

• A minimum of seven years of progressive senior management and/ or development experience in a corporate or an NGO environment, including experience directing and implementing programs for children
• Experience in more than one of Save the Children's thematic sectors: education, child protection, child rights governance, health and nutrition, child poverty, emergencies
• Basic understanding of advocacy, policy, and government systems in the host country
• Experience managing teams for resource mobilisation and submitting proposals in excess of US$10 million
• Credibility to lobby, influence and represent Save the Children at all levels
• Experience working with high level government agencies and academics on issues related to children
• Strong skills and proven experience in new program development, project design, and donor proposal design with corporate, foundations and institutional donors
• Strong skills and proven experience in leading strategic planning, change management and program management processes; also from the knowledge and learning perspective
• Developing and managing monitoring, evaluation and learning systems
• Excellent listening, inter-personal, communication and networking skills; and an ability to work with diversified populations
• Skills such as training, capacity building, coaching, mentorship, problem solving, and understanding of project cycle management and coordination
• High level of self-awareness and willingness to take criticism as an opportunity for growth and self-development
• Ability to research, write and represent well, manage time, multi-task and delegate tasks

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 5 months ago - Updated 5 months ago - Source: savethechildren.net