Senior Program Manager

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Job Description

Save the Children is the country’s leading child rights organisation which works to improve the lives of children through programmes in education, child protection, health, livelihoods and disaster preparedness and response.

Save the Children Fiji is seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Program Manager to lead the delivery, growth, and quality of our programme portfolio across Fiji. Reporting to the CEO, this senior leadership role is responsible for providing strategic direction and operational oversight across programme implementation, donor compliance, safeguarding, humanitarian preparedness and response, monitoring, evaluation and learning, risk management, partner engagement, and staff development. The Senior Program Manager will work closely with staff, partners, donors, and government stakeholders to ensure programmes are effectively managed, deliver measurable results, and create lasting positive outcomes for children, families, and communities throughout Fiji.This is an opportunity for a dynamic leader who is passionate about children’s rights, committed to programme excellence, and motivated to strengthen the impact of one of the world’s leading child-focused organisations. The Senior Program Manager ensures programmes deliver measurable and sustainable outcomes for children, families and communities across Fiji.

Outcomes

Organisational Stakeholders
1. Programme Leadership and Delivery
Lead the planning, implementation, monitoring and review of Save the Children Fiji’s programme portfolio Ensure programmes align with organisational strategy, donor requirements, approved designs and community priorities. Establish and monitor clear programme outcomes, work plans, budgets, milestones and performance measures. Promote integrated approaches across child protection, education, humanitarian response and community development programmes.
2. Programme Development and Fundraising
Identify programme development and funding opportunities aligned with organisational priorities and support donor engagement and partnership development. Lead the preparation of concept notes, proposals, programme designs and donor submissions, using programme evidence to strengthen design.
3. Donor Compliance and Grant Management
Ensure grant compliance from contract commencement through to close-out. Review narrative and financial reports before submission to donors, and maintain accurate programme, grant and compliance records. Coordinate donor monitoring visits, audits, reviews and evaluations.
4. Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
Strengthen monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning across all programmes. Ensure projects have suitable results frameworks, indicators, data collection methods and reporting processes. Review programme data to assess progress, outcomes and areas requiring intervention. Support community feedback and complaints mechanisms.
5. Financial and Operational Management
Oversee programme budgets, expenditure, forecasts and financial performance. Ensure procurement, logistics, fleet and asset requirements support programme delivery. Promote cost control, value for money and responsible use of organisational resources
6. Risk Management and Quality Assurance
Identify and manage programme, financial, operational, reputational and safeguarding risks. Escalate serious risks, incidents and compliance concerns to the Chief Executive Officer. Support organisational readiness for emergencies and humanitarian responses.
7. Safeguarding and Child Protection
Promote a strong culture of child safeguarding across all programmes and partnerships. Ensure staff, volunteers, contractors and partners understand and follow safeguarding requirements. Integrate child protection, inclusion and child participation standards into programme design and delivery. Report and respond to safeguarding concerns according to approved procedures.
8. Humanitarian Response
Provide programme leadership during emergencies and humanitarian responses. Support emergency assessments, response planning, resource allocation and coordination. Coordinate with government agencies, humanitarian organisations, donors and community partners.
9. People Leadership and Capability Development
Lead, coach and support programme staff, conducting performance reviews and addressing gaps. Support workforce planning, succession planning and staff development. Promote accountability, collaboration, inclusion and staff wellbeing.
10. Stakeholder and Partner Management
Build productive relationships with government ministries, donors, community organisations, development partners and Save the Children members. Oversee partner selection, agreements, capacity assessments and performance reviews. Support partners to meet programme, financial, safeguarding and reporting requirements.
11. Reporting and Organisational Contribution
Provide regular programme performance reports to the Chief Executive Officer. Present programme results, risks, funding needs and recommendations to management and governance bodies. Contribute to organisational planning, policy development and operational decisions. Perform other duties reasonably related to the position.

Responsibilities - Critical Competencies

Competence	Description
Business
Resource Management	Deliver results through the efficient and effective allocation and use of supplies , equipment and people.
Information Analysis	Make informed decisions by collecting and interpreting data and information
Documentation	Communicate using formal business writing.
Communication	Exchange information through verbal communication
Customer
Relationship Building	Build beneficial relationships with suppliers and stakeholders.
Quality Focus	Deliver quality.
Organisational Values	Display the organisation's image and value standards.
People
Leadership	Utilise a leadership position to influence people and events and to increase performance.
Problem Solving	Develop practical solutions to a situation.
Professional
Technical Strength	Demonstrate knowledge of a specialist discipline.
Compliance	Comply with relevant laws and the policies and procedures of the organisation.
Financial Application	Apply financial principles and practices.

Qualifications

Qualification	Discipline	Notes
Preferred
Degree	Other related discipline, Development Studies, Social Sciences	Bachelor’s degree in Social Development, Social Sciences, Development Studies or a related discipline.
Desirable
Masters Degree	Other related discipline, Development Studies, Social Sciences	Master’s degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences or a related field.

Work Knowledge and Experience

1. At least five years of management experience within the development, NGO, donor or multilateral sector.
2. Strong experience in programme cycle management, including programme design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and close-out.
3. Demonstrated experience in donor compliance, grant management and donor reporting.
4. Sound financial management experience, including budgeting, forecasting and expenditure monitoring.
5. Proven experience leading, coaching and developing staff.
6. Experience managing programme risks and supporting quality assurance
7. Strong stakeholder engagement and partnership management experience.
8. Excellent written and spoken English.
9. Experience in child rights, child protection and child participation programming.
10. Experience managing humanitarian or emergency response programmes.
11. Experience working with government, donors and community-based partners in Fiji or the Pacific.
12. Fluency in Fijian and/or Hindi.

Requirements

Language Proficiency
Excellent command of English
Regulatory Compliance Requirements
Hold the legal right to work in Fiji.
Complete a satisfactory National Police Record Check.
Complete a satisfactory Working with Children Check
Complete reference and other required background checks.
Sign and comply with Save the Children Fiji’s Child Protection Policy and Code of Conduct.
Meet all other pre-employment requirements established by Save the Children Fiji.

Interactions

Interaction	Comments
Internal
Chief Executive Officer
Programme and project staff
Humanitarian response staff
Finance, Human Resources and Operations staff
Save the Children member organisations
External
Government Ministries
Donors and development partners
Community organisations and programme partners
Children, families and communities
Civil society and humanitarian organisations
Consultants, contractors and service providers

Attributes

Attribute	Definition
Behavioural Styles
Accountability and Integrity	Takes full responsibility for organisational outcomes, decisions, and ethical conduct while upholding the highest standards of transparency and child safeguarding.
Accountable	Assumes full responsibility for own actions and identifies with the success or failure of own part of the overall work/goal.
Integrity	Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
Interpersonal Styles
Influence and Advocacy	Influences stakeholders, policy makers, and partners to advance the rights and wellbeing of children.
Objective	Impartial and honest in dealings with others, eliminating own feelings and view to reach a balanced judgement.
Stakeholder Engagement	Builds strong partnerships with governments, donors, civil society organisations, and communities to strengthen programme outcomes.
Thinking Styles
Conscientious	Demonstrates a sense of right and wrong and a personal obligation to do the right thing.
Risk and Governance Awareness	Anticipates organisational, operational, and programme risks and ensures appropriate mitigation measures are implemented.
Well organised	Controls tasks in a well thought out and critical manner.

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