ROLE PURPOSE:

Darfur is a high-risk, volatile conflict zone, marked by ongoing inter-communal violence, contested control of territory, frequent attacks on civilians and displacement camps, restrictions on access, and infrastructure challenges. Humanitarian needs are acute, with overlapping crises of conflict, displacement, food insecurity/famine, health, WASH breakdown, protection risks, and climatic shocks. 

The region experiences repeated forced displacement, mass movements, and returns, often under duress, and populations live in camps, collective sites, or host communities. Logistics is complex: remote, rugged terrain, limited roads, seasonal impassability, supply chain bottlenecks. The role must navigate multiple actors: government authorities (federal, state, local), non-state armed actors, customary authorities, community leadership, NGOs, UN clusters, donors, and local institutions. Given this context, the Area Director must exercise strong strategic leadership, adaptability, security awareness, high-level stakeholder engagement, and ensure quality, accountable programming under extremely trying circumstances.

In details, the Area Director (AD) oversees and leads all aspects of Save the Children’s work in the assigned geographical area (region/district cluster), ensuring high-quality, impactful, accountable programmes for children and communities. The role ensures strong alignment between area-level implementation and country/global strategies, while managing risk, representing the organization externally, and promoting capacity strengthening of staff and partners. 

The Area Director in Darfur is a member of the CO ESMT and of the Area SMT and he/she will supervise all the different SC office in Darfur area. 

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

1. Strategy, Planning & Programme Leadership

• Lead development of the Darfur area strategy and annual operational plans, including multi-year planning, in alignment with overall country strategic plan, humanitarian response plan (HRP), donor priorities, and nexus (humanitarian-development) approaches.
• Conduct and maintain a robust contextual analysis (political, security, conflict dynamics, humanitarian access, macroeconomic, climate) for Darfur, ensuring periodic updates and scenario planning.
• Ensure programmes are conflict-sensitive, do-no-harm, protection-centred, inclusive (gender, disability, marginalized groups), and sensitive to local dynamics and community feedback.
• Oversee programme design and quality assurance for all sectors in Darfur (e.g. education in emergencies, child protection, nutrition, health, WASH, livelihoods, cash and voucher assistance, shelter) and ensure integrated programming where feasible.
• Provide technical review and oversight for proposals, concept notes, donor submissions, sub-grants, and new funding streams (e.g. pooled funds, crisis modifiers, humanitarian bridging funds).
• Identify funding opportunities specific to Darfur (e.g. regional donors, crisis funds, thematic windows) and lead efforts to expand the programme footprint or scale-up interventions in under-served areas.
• Ensure adaptive management: use monitoring, evidence, lessons learned, and rapid assessments to adjust implementation in response to changing circumstances (e.g. displacement, conflict flare-ups, seasonal variations

2. Programme Implementation, Monitoring & Accountability

• Establish and supervise implementation of detailed workplans, outputs, indicators, milestones, and budgets for Darfur programmes.
• Monitor progress, review performance regularly (e.g. monthly, quarterly), detect bottlenecks, and lead corrective action and contingency planning.
• Ensure robust MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Learning) systems are in place (e.g. community feedback mechanisms, complaints and response systems, real-time monitoring, post-distribution monitoring).
• Oversee baseline, midline, and endline evaluations for major interventions, and ensure documentation of best practices, case studies, lessons learned, and knowledge products.
• Ensure accountability to affected populations, including child- and gender-sensitive participation and feedback, and ensure safeguarding, protection, and reporting mechanisms are functioning.
• Promote cross-learning among area offices and support internal learning initiatives across Darfur and country.

3. Financial, Administrative & Asset Oversight

• Hold financial responsibility for the Darfur portfolio: approve expenditures, monitor budget vs actual, ensure budget controls, compliance with donor rules and internal policies.
• Ensure timely, accurate and compliant financial reporting to HQ, donors, and country office.
• Oversee Darfur-level logistics, procurement, fleet, asset management, infrastructure (field offices, guest houses, storage), and inventory control, ensuring that systems are secure and efficient even under access constraints.
• Ensure contingency and emergency stockpiles are maintained (prepositioning of supplies, buffer stocks) given risk of supply chain disruption.
• Liaise with country office support functions (HR, procurement, admin, IT) to ensure Darfur operations receive necessary support and compliance.
• Manage authorization levels, ensure segregation of duties, and enforce internal control, audit compliance, donor audit preparedness, and risk mitigation.

4. People Leadership & Capacity Building

• Directly manage a senior Darfur management team (e.g. Field Coordinators, Programme Managers, MEAL, Logistics leads) and oversee larger indirect reports across field offices.
• Set clear performance objectives and KPIs for direct and indirect reports; conduct regular performance reviews, coaching, mentoring, and development discussions.
• Identify capacity gaps and training needs among staff, and facilitate capacity-building (technical, project management, security, leadership).
• Promote staff well-being, psychological support, staff rotation, safety culture, retention, and duty of care especially in challenging field conditions.
• Develop succession plans and cultivate strong national staff leadership potential to strengthen localization.
• Lead regular coordination meetings, promote teamwork, and ensure effective communication across field offices and with the country office.

5. Risk Management, Security & Compliance

• Maintain continuous security and risk assessment for the Darfur area: monitor conflict trends, internal threats, external threats, and travel security.
• Lead or oversee development and updating of Darfur-specific security SOPs, Standard Operating Procedures, evacuation plans, movement protocols, ICT security, and crisis response plans.
• Ensure all staff adhere to rules and policies on security, child safeguarding, code of conduct, anti-fraud/anti-corruption, and incident reporting procedures.
• Escalate significant security, compliance, safeguarding or reputational risks immediately to country leadership, and lead incident management response.
• Ensure that programmes and operations are informed by risk analyses and mitigate negative consequences (e.g. inadvertent exposure, beneficiary security).
• Ensure compliance with local regulations, permits, access approvals, and coordination with authorities, including in hard-to-reach areas.

6. External Representation & Partnerships

• Represent Save the Children across Darfur with local authorities (state and federal), non-state actors, security actors, UN agencies, NGOs, clusters, community leaders, customary authorities, and donors.
• Engage actively in Darfur-level humanitarian coordination forums, cluster meetings, inter-agency task forces, sector coordination, and advocacy platforms.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with local civil society, community-based organizations, credible local NGOs, traditional leadership, and CBOs.
• Lead stakeholder mapping and manage relationships to secure access, negotiate safe passage, advocate for humanitarian space, and influence local policies and priorities.
• Advocate for children’s rights and protection, using evidence, impact data, and field stories to influence government and donors at Darfur level.
• Promote Save the Children’s visibility, transparency, and credibility in Darfur, ensuring accountability to communities and stakeholders.

7. Learning, Innovation & Reporting

• Foster a culture of innovation, adaptive programming, and continuous learning in Darfur operations, encouraging pilot approaches, new modalities (e.g. cash, digital, remote management) where feasible.

Ensure documentation and dissemination of success stories, lessons learned, operational learning briefs, and communications products to country, HQ, donors, and external audiences

• Participate actively in internal coordination with country office functions (Programs, MEAL, Security, Advocacy, Finance) and promote integration of learning from Darfur into country strategy.
• Oversee preparation and submission of regular Darfur-level reports (narrative, technical, financial) to the country office, donors, HQ, and key stakeholders.
• Support donor visits, field missions, and learning exchanges, ensuring that findings and feedback are documented and acted upon.

8. Other 

       -    Tasks as assigned by line manager.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Advanced university degree (Master’s preferred) in International Development, Humanitarian Studies, Social Sciences, Management, or related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in humanitarian and/or development programming, with at least 5 years in senior leadership or field management roles in complex, insecure, or conflict-affected environments.
• Proven track record of managing large-scale, multi-sector portfolios (e.g. Education, Child Protection, Health, Nutrition, WASH, Livelihoods, and Cash & Voucher Assistance).
• Strong financial and operational management skills, including experience with budget oversight, donor compliance, audits, and risk management.
• Demonstrated leadership of large, multi-disciplinary teams across multiple field offices, with the ability to inspire, mentor, and build capacity.
• Deep understanding of the humanitarian principles, cluster system, and access negotiation in complex emergencies, particularly in Sudan or similar contexts.
• Strong experience in security management and risk mitigation in volatile operational settings.
• Excellent representational, coordination, and diplomatic skills, with experience engaging government authorities, UN agencies, donors, and local partners.
• Strong analytical, planning, and problem-solving abilities; able to make effective decisions under pressure.
• Excellent written and spoken English; working proficiency in Arabic is a strong advantage.
• High commitment to child rights, gender equality, diversity, and inclusion, and alignment with Save the Children’s mission and values

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability: 

• Holds self and team accountable for achieving ambitious goals and high performance, in line with Save the Children’s values.
• Demonstrates responsibility and ownership of decisions, resources, and outcomes.
• Ensures transparency and compliance across financial, operational, and programmatic activities.
• Empowers teams by delegating responsibility, providing coaching and clear expectations, and applying consequences when results are not achieved.
• Promotes an organizational culture of integrity, accountability, and ethical conduct, especially in complex and high-risk environments.

Ambition: 

• Sets bold and achievable goals for the Darfur programme portfolio, inspiring staff and partners to achieve measurable impact for children.
• Leads strategic planning and anticipates future challenges and opportunities in the Darfur context.
• Drives innovation and resilience in programming and operations amid adversity, conflict, and resource constraints.
• Champions localization, national staff leadership, and sustainable long-term impact.

Collaboration

• Builds and maintains strong, trust-based relationships with team members, other departments, partners, authorities, and communities.
• Promotes teamwork, inclusion, and a positive working culture across dispersed and remote locations.
• Values diversity as a source of strength; ensures respect for all staff, partners, and beneficiaries regardless of background, gender, or identity.
• Encourages open communication, constructive feedback, and cross-functional coordination.

Creativity

• Identifies and promotes innovative solutions to operational and programmatic challenges, including alternative delivery models and remote management approaches.
• Encourages teams to pilot new ideas, document learning, and adapt quickly to contextual changes.
• Fosters a culture of continuous improvement, learning, and problem-solving.
• Advocates for flexible, adaptive programming and innovative partnership modalities suitable for Darfur’s access and security constraints.

Integrity

• Demonstrates honesty, fairness, and consistency in all actions and decisions.
• Upholds Save the Children’s Code of Conduct, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Fraud, and Anti-Bribery policies.
• Acts as a role model for ethical leadership, ensuring compliance and reinforcing organizational values at all times.
• Promotes a zero-tolerance culture towards misconduct, safeguarding breaches, and corruption.