Head of Awards, Localisation and Partnerships

The Head of Awards, Localisation and Partnerships at Save the Children's Kenya Country Office is a strategic leadership role focused on efficient and high-quality award management throughout the entire award lifecycle. This position ensures strict compliance with donor requirements, Save the Children policies, and organizational standards. The role involves leading the management of all awards and partnerships, establishing robust systems for effective program delivery, donor compliance, portfolio performance, and risk management. The Head will collaborate closely with Programme Development and Quality (PDQ), Finance, Operations, and Programme teams to oversee successful award implementation. Additionally, this role provides strategic leadership for localisation and partnership development, strengthening engagement with local actors and embedding localisation commitments in program design and partnership management. The post holder acts as the primary contact for members and donors on award-related matters, fostering strong relationships and ensuring responsive communication. They are accountable for the award portfolio's performance, monitoring risks, driving corrective actions, and ensuring consistent application of award management systems across all departments. The role reports to the Country Director and manages a team of four staff. It involves managing a diverse portfolio of awards, with a focus on high-risk and complex ones, and requires extensive internal and external coordination. The position ensures compliance with Save the Children’s Award Management Essential Standards and KPIs, serving as a central coordination point between PDQ, Finance, and Operations. The role also leads the partnership portfolio, promoting locally led delivery, operationalizing the localisation strategy, and embedding partners throughout the program cycle while strengthening systems and risk-sharing practices. Occasional travel is required.

1. Coordinate the timely submission of all required information and documentation into AMS as new funding opportunities are identified.
2. Review award agreements to identify potential risks and provide summaries of key risk areas.
3. Participate in go/no-go decision-making processes with Members and the Senior Management Team (SMT), including opportunity and risk assessments.
4. Develop funding optimization strategies in collaboration with the Finance team, including match plans and other funding mechanisms.
5. 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.
6. In collaboration with the PDQ team, provide strategic portfolio information to the SMT and Save the Children Members through a monthly portfolio analysis report.
7. 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.
8. Liaise directly with Members to ensure timely issuance of workflows and fund summaries following award approval.
9. Establish mechanisms for disseminating award information to ensure all key staff understand award requirements and expectations throughout the award lifecycle.
10. Ensure kick-off meetings are conducted promptly for all new awards and that coding structures and budgets are effectively communicated to budget holders.
11. Lead Member engagement and relationship management as the SCI focal point for awards, coordinating SCI/Member reviews and revisions of proposals, budgets, and agreements.
12. 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.
13. Lead the analysis of Budget versus Actual Expenditure (BVA) reports for monthly award review meetings, working with budget holders to develop and implement corrective action plans.
14. Coordinate monthly award review meetings and maintain a tracker of action points and outstanding issues.
15. Provide guidance on budget coding and reallocations in collaboration with budget holders.
16. Coordinate budget realignments, amendments, cost extensions, and no-cost extension requests to Members and donors in a timely manner.
17. Work closely with Programme Operations to ensure timely award close-out meetings, ensuring documentation and follow-up actions are completed.
18. Ensure AMS is accurately maintained, up to date, and provides a complete audit trail for all awards and sub-awards.
19. Support Programme Managers in budget development, cost allocation, budget monitoring, phasing, and forecasting, ensuring that phased award budgets are uploaded into Agresso.
20. Coordinate the award reporting process to ensure high-quality reports are submitted within agreed timelines.
21. Share the award reporting schedule with the Extended Senior Management Team on the first working day of each month.
22. Support the preparation of financial reports, with responsibility transitioning to Finance once appropriate staffing capacity is established.
23. Review all award reports prior to submission to Members and donors to ensure completeness, accuracy, and compliance.
24. Share Members’ qualitative feedback on reports with relevant stakeholders on a monthly basis.
25. Ensure donors and Members are informed of any significant award-related issues.
26. Manage contractual relationships with donors and Members through effective communication on reports, contracts, amendments, and audits.
27. Collaborate with relevant functions and Members to strengthen project staff capacity in quality reporting.
28. Ensure donor compliance requirements, including reporting deadlines, amendment procedures, audit requirements, and SCI award management policies, are clearly understood and adhered to.
29. Ensure potential compliance issues and amendment requests are promptly communicated to donors through the relevant Save the Children Member.
30. Develop business cases and support negotiations where donor waivers or derogation requests require detailed justification.
31. Collaborate with Member focal points to ensure all donor compliance requirements are captured in AMS before fund summary workflows are initiated.
32. 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.
33. Ensure partnership and localization priorities are fully integrated into country strategic planning, annual plans, and humanitarian response strategies.
34. Drive the operationalization of localization across its seven dimensions, identifying and addressing operational bottlenecks and influencing systems, processes, and decision-making.
35. Coordinate periodic self-assessments on partnerships and localization, ensuring action plans are developed, implemented, monitored, and reported to SMT.
36. Provide capacity-building and compliance support to both new and existing partners, working closely with Programme Operations to ensure partner performance meets donor expectations.
37. Conduct regular spot checks to ensure all partner documentation, including reports, is uploaded and maintained within AMS.
38. Lead and coordinate partner scoping, mapping, assessment, and selection processes in collaboration with PDQI and program teams (implementing the Equitable Partnership Management Cycle).
39. Ensure partners are actively engaged in programme design, proposal development, planning, and budgeting, including adequate resourcing of partner support and capacity strengthening.
40. 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.
41. Manage the performance of direct reports through effective application of SCI’s Performance Management System.
42. Address underperformance through clear documentation, performance improvement plans, and structured development work plans.
43. Foster a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and professional development within the team.

1. Bachelor’s degree in International Development, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or a related field.
2. Professional accounting qualification (CPA, ACCA, or equivalent) is highly desirable.
3. Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in award, grant, portfolio, or financial management, preferably within an international NGO or donor-funded environment.
4. At least 7 years of experience in a senior leadership role.
5. Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-donor portfolios and leading cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality programme and award management outcomes.
6. Proven experience in staff management, supervision, coaching, and capacity building, particularly in award and grant management.
7. Significant experience managing complex award portfolios and donor-funded programmes.
8. Proven track record in grant and contract management, including sub-award administration and donor compliance.
9. Strong knowledge of major institutional donor requirements and regulations, including but not limited to USAID, FCDO, ECHO, EU, UNICEF, and WFP.
10. Experience developing and implementing award management systems, processes, and controls across the award lifecycle.
11. Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and influence stakeholders in a complex, multicultural environment.
12. Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, facilitation, and relationship management skills.
13. Strong financial management skills, including budget development, forecasting, financial analysis, and budget monitoring.
14. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail.
15. Proven ability to identify, assess, and mitigate award-related risks.
16. Strong planning, organizational, and coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines.
17. Ability to remain flexible, adaptable, and responsive in a fast-paced and changing environment.
18. Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Advanced Excel, Word, and Outlook, and financial management systems.
19. Experience working collaboratively with Programme Development and Quality (PDQ), Operations, Partnerships, and Finance teams.
20. Willingness and ability to travel regularly to field offices and operate effectively in challenging environments when required.
21. Highly developed cultural awareness and demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
22. Strong commitment to Save the Children’s vision, mission, values, and child rights programming.
23. 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.
24. Desirable: Experience using the Award Management System (AMS).
25. Desirable: Significant experience working with international NGOs in complex humanitarian and development settings.
26. Desirable: Experience in localisation, partnership development, and partner capacity strengthening.
27. Desirable: Experience managing strategic partnerships with local NGOs, community-based organizations, government institutions, and private-sector stakeholders.
28. Desirable: Understanding of Save the Children’s programme management framework and operational systems.
29. Desirable: Experience supporting resource mobilization, proposal development, and business development initiatives.
30. Desirable: Knowledge of Agresso/Unit4 ERP or similar financial management systems.
31. Desirable: Experience leading organizational change, process improvement, and portfolio optimization initiatives.