Head of Awards, Localisation and Partnerships

ROLE PURPOSE:

  The Head of Awards, Localisation and Partnerships is responsible for delivering an efficient, effective, and high-quality award management function across the Kenya Country Office. The post holder will provide strategic leadership for award management throughout the award lifecycle, ensuring compliance with donor requirements, Save the Children policies, and organisational standards.

The role leads the management of all awards and partnerships within the Country Office, ensuring robust systems, processes, and controls are in place to support effective programme delivery, donor compliance, portfolio performance, and risk management. The Head of Awards, Localisation and Partnerships will establish and promote best-practice award management processes, working closely with the Programme Development and Quality (PDQ), Finance, Operations, and Programme teams to ensure the successful implementation and oversight of awards.

In addition, the role provides strategic leadership on localisation and partnership development, strengthening engagement with local actors and ensuring the Country Office's localisation commitments are embedded throughout programme design, implementation, and partnership management. The post holder will serve as the focal point for members and donors on award-related matters, fostering strong relationships and ensuring responsive, solution-oriented communication.

The Head of Awards, Localisation and Partnerships  is accountable for the performance of the award portfolio, monitoring risks and opportunities, driving timely corrective actions, and ensuring award management systems and processes are consistently applied across all departments. Through effective leadership, coordination, and stakeholder engagement, the role contributes to the achievement of programme objectives, sustainable partnerships, donor confidence, and the overall strategic growth of the Kenya Country Office.

SCOPE OF ROLE: 

Reports to:  Country Director 

Staff reporting to this post:  4 staff - Awards and Partership Coordinator, Awards and Finance Officer, Awards and Partnership Assistant and Awards and Partnership Intern..

Budget Responsibilities: None

Role Dimensions:  The Head of Awards, Localisation and Partnerships is responsible for managing a portfolio of high-, medium-, and low-risk awards within the Kenya Country Office, providing strong leadership and oversight, particularly for high-risk and complex awards. The role requires extensive internal and external coordination, stakeholder engagement, and strategic support across all aspects of award management, including award contracting, donor compliance, reporting, and portfolio performance management.

The post holder is accountable for ensuring compliance with Save the Children's Award Management Essential Standards and Award Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) across the Kenya portfolio. Acting as the central coordination point between PDQ, Finance, and Operations, the Awards Manager ensures effective award management throughout the entire award lifecycle. The role serves as the primary focal point for Members and donors, maintaining responsive, solution-oriented communication and fostering strong working relationships.

The Head of Awards, Localisation and Partnerships leads the partnership portfolio and locally led delivery modality, ensuring high-quality programs are delivered at scale through strategic and equitable partnerships. The role drives the operationalization of the localisation strategy across its seven dimensions and embeds partners throughout the full programme cycle, from design to implementation and learning, while strengthening systems, processes, and risk-sharing practices. The role is responsible for monitoring award performance, proactively identifying and escalating risks and issues, and ensuring timely implementation of mitigation measures. The position also ensures that award management systems, processes, and controls are effectively implemented and adhered to across all departments, with a particular focus on donor compliance, reporting quality, financial stewardship, and timely delivery of award obligations. Through strong coordination and leadership, the role contributes to maximizing funding opportunities, reducing compliance risks, and enhancing the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the Country Office portfolio.

Travel: Occasional 

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY : 

Portfolio Planning, Development, and Management:

• Coordinate the submission of all required information and documentation into AMS by relevant functions in a timely manner as new funding opportunities are identified.
• Review award agreements to identify potential risks and provide summaries of key risk areas.
• Participate in go/no-go decision-making processes with Members and the Senior Management Team (SMT), including opportunity and risk assessments.
• Develop funding optimization strategies in collaboration with the Finance team, including match plans, CAM, and other funding mechanisms.
• Support the Country Director (CD) and SPD Manager in strengthening engagement and relationship management with Members and donor representatives on award management and compliance matters.
• In collaboration with the PDQ team, provide strategic portfolio information to the SMT and Save the Children Members through a monthly portfolio analysis report, highlighting pipeline opportunities, active awards, awards under amendment, high-risk awards, and closed awards.

Award Management and AMS Management:

• Ensure all award lifecycle processes are completed through AMS workflows in a timely manner and that all relevant information is accurately maintained within the system and in hard-copy files where required.
• Liaise directly with Members to ensure timely issuance of workflows and fund summaries following award approval.
• Establish mechanisms for disseminating award information to ensure all key staff understand award requirements and expectations throughout the award lifecycle.
• Ensure kick-off meetings are conducted promptly for all new awards and that coding structures and budgets are effectively communicated to budget holders.
• Lead Member engagement and relationship management as the SCI focal point for awards, coordinating SCI/Member reviews and revisions of proposals, budgets, and agreements.
• Provide regular updates to the Finance Manager on new awards that impact Master Budget gap analysis and co-lead the maintenance of the CAM calculator.
• Lead the analysis of Budget versus Actual Expenditure (BVA) reports for monthly award review meetings. Work with budget holders to develop and implement corrective action plans and monitor progress against agreed actions.
• Coordinate monthly award review meetings and maintain a tracker of action points and outstanding issues.
• Provide guidance on budget coding and reallocations in collaboration with budget holders.
• Coordinate budget realignments, amendments, cost extensions, and no-cost extension requests to Members and donors in a timely manner.
• Work closely with Programme Operations to ensure timely award close-out meetings. Ensure all meetings are documented, minutes are filed in AMS, and follow-up actions are completed.
• Ensure AMS is accurately maintained, up to date, and provides a complete audit trail for all awards and sub-awards.
• Support Programme Managers in budget development, cost allocation, budget monitoring, phasing, and forecasting, ensuring that phased award budgets are uploaded into Agresso.

Reporting to Members and Donors:

• Coordinate the award reporting process to ensure high-quality reports are submitted within agreed timelines.
• Share the award reporting schedule with the Extended Senior Management Team on the first working day of each month.
• Support the preparation of financial reports, with responsibility transitioning to Finance once appropriate staffing capacity is established.
• Review all award reports prior to submission to Members and donors to ensure completeness, accuracy, and compliance.
• Share Members' qualitative feedback on reports with relevant stakeholders on a monthly basis.
• Ensure donors and Members are informed of any significant award-related issues.
• Manage contractual relationships with donors and Members through effective communication on reports, contracts, amendments, and audits.
• Collaborate with relevant functions and Members to strengthen project staff capacity in quality reporting.

Donor Compliance:

• Ensure donor compliance requirements, including reporting deadlines, amendment procedures, audit requirements, and SCI award management policies, are clearly understood and adhered to.
• Ensure potential compliance issues and amendment requests are promptly communicated to donors through the relevant Save the Children Member.
• Develop business cases and support negotiations where donor waivers or derogation requests require detailed justification.
• Collaborate with Member focal points to ensure all donor compliance requirements are captured in AMS before fund summary workflows are initiated.

Localisation:

• Lead the implementation of the Country Office Localization Strategy, in line with Save the Children’s Global Partnership Framework, Localization Policy, Grand Bargain commitments, and CHS standards.
• Ensure partnership and localization priorities are fully integrated into country strategic planning, annual plans, and humanitarian response strategies.
• Drive the operationalization of localization across its seven dimensions, identifying and addressing operational bottlenecks and influencing systems, processes, and decision-making.
• Coordinate periodic self-assessments on partnerships and localization, ensuring action plans are developed, implemented, monitored, and reported to SMT

Partnership Management:

• Provide capacity-building and compliance support to both new and existing partners, working closely with Programme Operations to ensure partner performance meets donor expectations.
• Conduct regular spot checks to ensure all partner documentation, including reports, is uploaded and maintained within AMS.
• Lead and coordinate partner scoping, mapping, assessment, and selection processes in collaboration with PDQI and program teams. ( implementing the Equitable Partnership Management Cycle)
• Ensure partners are actively engaged in programme design, proposal development, planning, and budgeting, including adequate resourcing of partner support and capacity strengthening.

Staff Management and Development:

• Strengthen the capacity of the Award Management Team in award lifecycle management and build the capacity of budget holders on their award management roles and responsibilities.
• Manage the performance of direct reports through effective application of SCI's Performance Management System.
• Address underperformance through clear documentation, performance improvement plans, and structured development work plans.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and professional development within the team.

BEHAVIOURS (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 their team to do the same
• widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

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; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

  
  

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor’s degree in International Development, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or a related field.
• Professional accounting qualification (CPA, ACCA, or equivalent) is highly desirable.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in award, grant, portfolio, or financial management, preferably within an international NGO or donor-funded environment, including at least 7 years in a senior leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-donor portfolios and leading cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality programme and award management outcomes.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

• Proven experience in staff management, supervision, coaching, and capacity building, particularly in award and grant management.
• Significant experience managing complex award portfolios and donor-funded programmes.
• Proven track record in grant and contract management, including sub-award administration and donor compliance.
• Strong knowledge of major institutional donor requirements and regulations, including but not limited to USAID, FCDO, ECHO, EU, UNICEF, WFP, and other bilateral and multilateral donors.
• Experience developing and implementing award management systems, processes, and controls across the award lifecycle.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and influence stakeholders in a complex, multicultural environment.
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, facilitation, and relationship management skills.
• Strong financial management skills, including budget development, forecasting, financial analysis, and budget monitoring.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail.
• Proven ability to identify, assess, and mitigate award-related risks.
• Strong planning, organizational, and coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines.
• Ability to remain flexible, adaptable, and responsive in a fast-paced and changing environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Advanced Excel, Word, Outlook, and financial management systems.
• Experience working collaboratively with Programme Development and Quality (PDQ), Operations, Partnerships, and Finance teams.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly to field offices and operate effectively in challenging environments when required.
• Highly developed cultural awareness and demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Strong commitment to Save the Children’s vision, mission, values, and child rights programming.
• Commitment to complying with all Save the Children policies, including Child Safeguarding, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), Health and Safety, Security,
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Code of Conduct requirements.

Desireable

• Experience using the Award Management System (AMS).
• Significant experience working with international NGOs in complex humanitarian and development settings.
• Experience in localisation, partnership development, and partner capacity strengthening.
• Experience managing strategic partnerships with local NGOs, community-based organizations, government institutions, and private-sector stakeholders.
• Understanding of Save the Children’s programme management framework and operational systems.
• Experience supporting resource mobilization, proposal development, and business development initiatives.
• Knowledge of Agresso/Unit4 ERP or similar financial management systems.
• Experience leading organizational change, process improvement, and portfolio optimization initiatives.

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.

Save the Children is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ and assign the best-qualified talent.

Female Candidates are encouraged to apply.

Disclaimer: 

Beware that there are individuals who may take and use SCI’s name in an attempt to solicit fees from interested job-seekers. We do not use recruiting persons or agencies to help us identify candidates for employment. If you’re contacted by a person promising you recruitment or placement at SCI for a charge, do not accept, and please get in touch with us at [email protected].

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.