Head of Survival – Soudan du Sud

Contexte

Health and Nutrition with integrated WASH

Team and Programme

Programme Quality and Impact (PQI)

Location

Juba, South Sudan Country Office, with frequent travel to field locations

Grade: 2

Contract Length: Fixed term, 12 months. Open to national and international applicants.

Child Safeguarding

Level 3: The post holder will have contact with children and/or young people frequently (for example, once a week or more) or intensively (for example, four days in one month or more, or overnight) because they work in country programmes.

Role Purpose

The Head of Survival provides strategic and technical leadership for Save the Children’s Health and Nutrition portfolio in South Sudan, including complementary Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) interventions. The post holder’s primary accountability is to ensure that Health and Nutrition programmes are technically sound, safe, evidence-based and responsive to the needs of children, women, adolescents and communities, while providing strategic leadership for the development and sustainability of the Survival portfolio.

Based in the Programme Quality and Impact (PQI) team, the role leads thematic strategy, programme design, technical quality assurance, resource mobilisation, learning and sector representation across humanitarian and development programmes.

Working closely with Operations, technical specialists, government and partners, the role strengthens the quality and resilience of health and nutrition systems and ensures WASH is effectively integrated to support infection prevention, safe service delivery and better health and nutrition outcomes.

The Head of Survival provides technical direction and oversight, working through appropriately qualified technical specialists where specialist expertise is required. The role leads through supportive supervision, collaboration and influence across the country programme, while Operations and project teams retain responsibility for day-to-day implementation and grant management. In a humanitarian emergency, the post holder may be required to work outside the normal role profile and vary working hours to support the response.

Scope of Role

Reports to: Director of Programme Quality and Impact (DoPQI).

Staff reporting to this post: Provides technical leadership for Health and Nutrition and strategic oversight of WASH integration within Survival programming; specialist WASH technical design and engineering assurance remain with appropriately qualified WASH technical staff.

Role dimensions: Countrywide thematic leadership across the Survival portfolio and contribution to the Extended Senior Leadership Team (ESLT).

Key internal stakeholders: Country leadership; Operations and field teams; Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL); Business Development; Awards; Finance; Supply Chain; Advocacy; Safeguarding; other thematic leads; and Save the Children member, regional and global technical colleagues.

External representation: Ministry of Health and relevant WASH authorities; state and county authorities; civil society and national partners; donors; the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Food Programme (WFP); and relevant clusters and technical working groups.

Budget responsibilities: No routine programme budget holding. Provides technical input to budgets, resourcing and value-for-money reviews; exercises financial authority only where formally delegated.

Missions et responsabilités

• Thematic Strategy and Thought Leadership : Lead the implementation and review of the country Survival strategy and technical priorities, aligning Health and Nutrition programming and relevant WASH components with the Country Strategic Plan, national priorities and Save the Children’s thematic approaches. Use needs assessments, service coverage, programme evidence and community perspectives to identify priorities for children and women, including people affected by displacement, disability, poverty and limited access to services. Guide teams in applying and contextualising relevant organisational approaches, technical standards and guidance, ensuring emergency interventions support recovery, resilient service delivery and, where appropriate, longer-term systems strengthening. Convene technical learning across the portfolio and draw on regional, global and member expertise to translate emerging evidence into practical improvements in programme design and delivery.
• Programme Quality and Technical Leadership : Set and monitor technical quality benchmarks for the Survival portfolio. Conduct regular field support visits and joint reviews with Operations, MEAL and partners; agree corrective actions, follow up delivery and escalate unresolved quality or safety risks. Health: Provide technical direction for integrated primary and community health services, including maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, reproductive health, immunisation, prevention and management of common childhood illnesses, and functioning referral pathways. Nutrition: Lead technical quality across prevention and treatment of malnutrition, including community screening and referral, management of acute malnutrition, infant and young child feeding, and maternal and adolescent nutrition, in accordance with applicable national protocols. WASH: Oversee the quality and integration of WASH components that support Health and Nutrition outcomes, particularly safe water, sanitation, hand hygiene, infection prevention and control, and healthcare waste management in supported facilities and communities. Engage WASH specialists for technical design and engineering assurance. Provide strategic oversight of clinical governance and patient safety, working through appropriately qualified clinical technical leads, and ensure systems are in place for supportive supervision, adherence to clinical standards, incident reporting and learning, quality improvement and escalation of significant patient-safety risks. Work with pharmacy, nutrition, Supply Chain and Operations colleagues on technical specifications, forecasting, storage, appropriate use and availability of medicines, vaccines, nutrition supplies and other essential commodities; identify and escalate stock-out and quality risks. Promote integrated programming with Child Protection, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), Education, and food security and livelihoods teams, using coordinated referrals and community engagement to address barriers to survival and wellbeing.
• Programme Evidence and Impact : Work with MEAL and programme teams to establish sound theories of change, results frameworks, indicators, baselines, targets and quality benchmarks for Health, Nutrition and relevant WASH interventions. Provide technical oversight of Survival indicators and work with MEAL and programme teams to ensure IPTTs and other performance monitoring systems are accurate, timely and appropriately disaggregated. Lead technical interpretation of programme performance, service quality and community feedback; use regular portfolio reviews to identify gaps, adapt interventions and track whether agreed improvements are achieved. Shape assessments, evaluations and operational research with MEAL and technical partners, ensuring appropriate ethical processes. Capture learning and review technical content in donor reports, impact products and policy briefs so findings inform programming and advocacy.
• External Representation Policy and Advocacy : Build and maintain strong relationships with the Ministry of Health, relevant WASH authorities, donors, United Nations agencies, civil society, academic institutions and other health and nutrition actors. Represent Save the Children in Health and Nutrition clusters, sector forums and technical working groups, and in relevant WASH coordination through designated colleagues. Contribute technical evidence to joint analysis, planning and national policy discussions. Work with Advocacy colleagues and partners to advance equitable access to quality health and nutrition services, sustainable financing, an effective health workforce and removal of barriers faced by marginalised children and women. Translate programme evidence and community priorities into clear policy positions and engagement plans, and contribute to Save the Children’s relevant national, regional and global advocacy initiatives.
• Programme Development and Resource Mobilisation : Lead technical contribution to positioning and development of the Survival funding pipeline with Business Development, Operations, Awards and member offices; identify opportunities that fit strategic priorities and demonstrated needs. Lead the technical design and review of concept notes and proposals, ensuring coherent intervention logic, achievable results, sound staffing and supply requirements, appropriate partnerships and realistic costed implementation arrangements. Cultivate technical relationships with donors and prospective partners, contribute to consortium design and engage in donor discussions, briefings and visits to demonstrate programme quality and impact. Provide technical input to budgets, revisions and grant reviews, linking resource requirements to quality standards, coverage and outcomes, and addressing technical gaps that could affect delivery or donor commitments.
• Humanitarian Preparedness and Response : Lead the technical Health and Nutrition contribution to contingency planning, anticipatory action and emergency preparedness, including relevant WASH measures for floods, disease outbreaks, displacement and acute food and nutrition crises. Support rapid assessments, response design and technical surge arrangements with Operations and emergency teams; prioritise continuity of essential services, safe referrals and appropriate integrated assistance for affected populations. Coordinate technical engagement with government and humanitarian mechanisms during emergencies. Support readiness of staff, partners, supplies and referral systems, and use response reviews to strengthen future preparedness.
• Partnerships Localisation and Systems Strengthening : Build equitable partnerships with national and local organisations and government counterparts, involving them in strategy, programme design, technical decisions, learning and representation. Support partner assessments and jointly agreed capacity strengthening plans, with practical mentoring, supportive supervision and follow-up on technical quality, safeguarding and accountability commitments. Strengthen local service systems, workforce capacity, referral networks and community ownership. Build sustainability and responsible transition arrangements into programme design and support greater national leadership of the Survival portfolio.
• Management and Capacity Building : As a member of the ESLT, contribute to country office leadership, strategic planning, cross-sector collaboration and decisions that strengthen programme quality and impact. Lead, coach and manage direct reports through clear objectives, regular feedback, performance reviews and development plans; build an inclusive working environment and address performance or conduct concerns promptly. Assess technical capacity needs across staff and partners and coordinate practical training, mentoring and supportive supervision with Operations and technical specialists, including development of national staff and succession planning. Contribute to technical recruitment and performance reviews, and manage consultants and short-term technical assignments with clear deliverables and quality checks. Mobilise specialist support when needs exceed the expertise available in-country.
• Safeguarding Accountability and Inclusion : Embed child safeguarding, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, gender equality, disability inclusion and conflict sensitivity throughout programme design, delivery, monitoring and partnerships. Work with MEAL and Safeguarding colleagues to ensure safe, accessible feedback and complaints channels for children and communities, including confidential referral of sensitive concerns and timely action through established procedures. Promote meaningful participation of children, adolescents, women and affected communities in programme decisions, and ensure services protect dignity, privacy and equitable access.

Profil recherché

• Diplôme : Master’s degree or equivalent in Public Health, Nutrition, Global Health, Medicine or a closely related field, with a relevant first degree or professional qualification in health or nutrition.
• Expérience : At least seven years of progressive experience in managing and leading health and nutrition programmes in humanitarian and development contexts, with significant experience in strategic leadership and technical oversight.
• Compétences clés : Demonstrated expertise in integrated primary health care, nutrition (prevention and treatment of acute malnutrition), and public health programming. Strong understanding of WASH integration in health and nutrition outcomes. Proven experience in resource mobilisation, proposal development, and donor relations. Strong representation, advocacy, and networking skills with government authorities, UN agencies, and donors. Excellent leadership, capacity building, and people management skills. Strong commitment to child safeguarding, gender equality, and inclusion.

Conditions et avantages

Job Identification : 17681

Job Category : Programme, Development and Quality

Posting Date : 09/16/2026, 06:38 AM

Job Schedule : Full time

Locations CO – Juba

Contract Length : Fixed term, 12 months. Open to national and international applicants.

Dossier de candidature

• CV mis à jour
• Lettre de motivation

Comment postuler

Procédure : Postuler en ligne via la plateforme de recrutement de Save the Children en cliquant sur le lien de l’offre.

Adresse / Lien : Postuler maintenant

Date limite : 10/02/2026, 05:00 PM (02 Oct 2026)

Référence : Job Identification : 17681