Project Director (WASH)

Summary

Save the Children is seeking a Project Director (Director) for an anticipated two-year USAID/BHA-funded, Multi-Year APS Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Studies Activity. The project will focus on enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of emergency WASH interventions in humanitarian crises, addressing key gaps in timeliness, targeting, and sustainability of water and sanitation services. It aims to improve outcomes for vulnerable populations affected by natural disasters and conflict.

The Director will serve as the main point of contact, provide overall technical strategy and direction for all project activities and staff, be responsible for global and institutional technical leadership, and ensure administrative, fiscal, and regulatory oversight of the project. The role will serve as the principal institutional liaison to USAID, and as needed, with USAID’s implementing partners, and other donors and stakeholders. At least 50% level of effort (LOE) is required for the Project Director position.

This is a Key Personnel position, subject to USAID approval. It is also subject to project award and funding.

This position will be based in Washington DC. Application deadline: Monday, October 28, 2024.

What You'll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

• Provide overall leadership, management, and strategic direction for the project to achieve the established goals and objectives.
• Oversee implementation, ensuring achievement of project results and deliverables in accordance with project work plan and budget.
• Provide technical oversight, ensuring technical quality, and alignment with donor technical guidelines and priorities.
• Recruit, support and manage project staff, including senior managers and technical experts, ensuring effective team coordination and performance. Motivate teams to deliver results by establishing a strong team dynamic, open communication, and leading by example. Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in internal operations, management, and program implementation.
• Manage operational, financial, and administrative priorities, and direct planning and budgeting processes. Create or adapt management systems in line with Save the Children standard operating procedures, ensuring adherence to donor policies and regulations, and relevant national policies and laws.
• Oversee the monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) process to ensure results-driven project implementation and adaptive management.
• Serve as the primary project liaison with external entities including donor, local government counterparts, partners, and other key stakeholders. Build and maintain productive working relationships.
• Submit high-quality, timely reports to the donor, capturing project outcomes, impact, and key performance indicators.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field such as public health, environmental science, engineering, or international development.
• 10 years of Significant leadership experience in each of the following areas research, technical expertise in humanitarian response (experience in WASH required), and project management of overall alignment, strategy, and execution across all partners and sub partners.
• Minimum of five (5) years of demonstrated leadership and senior managerial experience overseeing a team (or teams) of cross-cutting expertise in support staff and/or consultants.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with donors, host governments, development partners, the private sector, and community organizations.
• Experience overseeing M&E systems for donor-funded projects.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Ability to produce clear and concise reports, publications, briefs and other written materials related to the project.
• Commitment to child rights and to the aims and objectives of Save the Children.

About Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

Our work for children and their families requires that we commit—at every opportunity—to work together to identify and dismantle persistent systemic and structural racism, inequality, and any other forms of discrimination in this country and beyond. As an anti-racist organization, Save the Children will not tolerate discrimination in any form—in our employment practices, amongst our staff, in our leadership or toward the people we serve. We stand in solidarity with all people to fight for equal rights, justice, inclusion, and belonging.

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse.

Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.