Background information about the job or company

The Innovation and Learning Specialist will use their in-depth contextual understanding, technical expertise, and relationship building skills to define and deliver U-RIL’s strategy. He/she will lead strategy development and the technical design and implementation of high-quality programmes, approaches and activities. He /She will support national advocacy and influencing, while driving strategic partnerships for new business development. He/she will work closely with operations colleagues and with partners in Uganda building their capacity and building ownership and agency of local organisations. This role includes a focus on external representation on priority issues as defined by the Uganda Country Strategic Plan and U-RIL strategy.

Responsibilities or duties

Strategic Leadership and Advocacy

• Ensure the overall coherence of U-RIL programming and operations, and alignment to the RIL Global Strategy, U-RIL strategic documents/focus and Save the Children strategy
• Maintain strong working relationship with the RIL Central Support Unit (CSU), and ensure a two-way dialogue that captures learning from U-RIL programming in Uganda, while contributing to overall RIL strategy development
• Collaborate with the U-RIL Operations Team and PDQ Team to conceptualize the design of U-RIL activities, projects and programmes, ensuring the development of cohesive programming aligned with U-RIL’s global priorities and core functions.
• Design an Innovation Scaling Strategy for U-RIL, including exploring options for scaling of innovations within and externally to SCI and RIL founding members, and support the RIL Operations team to deliver against the strategy.
• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with representatives from RIL founding members, facilitate regular high-level meetings between founding members in Uganda, and identify opportunities for collaboration.
• Identify opportunities to create uptake of innovations and learnings or leverage synergies between U-RIL programming and the programming of other RIL founding members in Uganda.
• Leverage existing networks and identify opportunities to create new networks with in-country stakeholders to market RIL core functions and services to stakeholders internally externally
• Lead engagement with national and regional innovation and social impact networks or platforms
• Collaborate with Save the Children’s Global Chief Innovation Hub and explore opportunities to explore uptake of global innovations in Uganda and other country offices.
• Provide mentorship, coaching and technical support to the U-RIL Operations Team and Save the Children teams to mainstream innovation and learning in programming, understand innovation and learning principles, and U-RIL’s operational model, and to support the identification and leveraging of integration opportunities between SCI and U-RIL programming
• Provide guidance to the U-RIL Operations Team to ensure that RIL’s core functions and ethical standards related to safeguarding, Core Humanitarian Standards and Humanitarian Innovation Ethics guide implementation
• In collaboration with the U-RIL Operations Team and PDQ Director represent U-RIL in technical fora, including relevant working groups.
• Provide inputs into global RIL strategies, products and programming in collaboration with the RIL CSU and SCI representatives to the Executive Committee
• Provide input and support RIL Pop-up activities in the East and Southern Africa region.
• Analyse donor priorities and positions on issues related to innovation and learning and identify potential funding opportunities
• In collaboration with the PDQ Director develop/maintain contacts with technical counterparts at potential donors, partners and key technical agencies
• Explore synergies and collaborate with the SCI Global Innovation Team, including Kumwe Hub, CUBIC, LIFT Labs, and RIL Central Support Unit to identify and position U-RIL and SCI for potential funding opportunities and mechanisms.
• Collaborate with Business Development to develop high quality, donor responsive proposals and lead the development of technical inputs, including proposal writing and budget development.
• Lead/support the formation of partnerships with strategic stakeholders including the Government of Uganda and potential partners.
• Develop and maintain a thorough understanding of donor priorities and relevant Government of Uganda and regional policies/frameworks.

Programme Quality and Technical Leadership

Programme Development and Resource Mobilisation.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning.

• Collaborate with the Head of MEAL and U-RIL Operations Team to ensure the development of robust MEAL Frameworks for U-RIL projects.
• Collaborate with the Head of MEAL to support learning activities that leverage evidence and methodologies from U-RIL projects and other stakeholders
• Conduct reviews of assessments, reports and other written documents as necessary to ensure quality documents.
• Support the exploration of child-centred innovation approaches to be embedded in SCI programming.

Qualifications or requirements

Education Level

• At least a Post-graduate degree in Political Science, Social Sciences, International Development, Administration, Management or other relevant subject

Experience needed

• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in sexual reproductive health and family planning program management, technical assistance, or advocacy.
• At Least 10-year+ work experience in the field of international development and humanitarian assistance, including significant field-based roles
• Experience of creating and managing networks, brokering relationships and partnerships
• Strong understanding of the humanitarian system (programming, policies, funding, coordination, etc.)
• A demonstrated interest and experience in innovation programming
• Ability to provide advice on a variety of themes and sectors (experience delivering programming in market-driven livelihoods, engagement of private sector, digital solutions, innovation scale-up, etc. is an added advantage)
• Highly developed interpersonal and English communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
• Strong analytical skills and strategic planning abilities
• Computer literacy and excellent knowledge management skills are a must
• Ability to proactively identify issues and problem-solving skills to address these
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Excellent time management and planning capacity
• Partnership-development skills and ability to present programmes to a wide range of audiences
• Experience of leading the preparation successful funding (narrative and budget) proposals
• Previous experience of project management and project cycle management, including project design, implementation and evaluation
• In-depth conceptual understanding of the Grand Bargain and the Localization agenda
• Past experience leading or managing programming with significant innovation and learning components
• Understanding of digital tools and concepts of digital public goods
• Knowledge of human/user centered design / design thinking principles
• Experience navigating different perspectives and building consensus while staying true to own vision.

• Ensure the overall coherence of U-RIL programming and operations, and alignment to the RIL Global Strategy, U-RIL strategic documents/focus and Save the Children strategy
• Maintain strong working relationship with the RIL Central Support Unit (CSU), and ensure a two-way dialogue that captures learning from U-RIL programming in Uganda, while contributing to overall RIL strategy development
• Collaborate with the U-RIL Operations Team and PDQ Team to conceptualize the design of U-RIL activities, projects and programmes, ensuring the development of cohesive programming aligned with U-RIL’s global priorities and core functions.
• Design an Innovation Scaling Strategy for U-RIL, including exploring options for scaling of innovations within and externally to SCI and RIL founding members, and support the RIL Operations team to deliver against the strategy.
• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with representatives from RIL founding members, facilitate regular high-level meetings between founding members in Uganda, and identify opportunities for collaboration.
• Identify opportunities to create uptake of innovations and learnings or leverage synergies between U-RIL programming and the programming of other RIL founding members in Uganda.
• Leverage existing networks and identify opportunities to create new networks with in-country stakeholders to market RIL core functions and services to stakeholders internally externally
• Lead engagement with national and regional innovation and social impact networks or platforms
• Collaborate with Save the Children’s Global Chief Innovation Hub and explore opportunities to explore uptake of global innovations in Uganda and other country offices.
• Provide mentorship, coaching and technical support to the U-RIL Operations Team and Save the Children teams to mainstream innovation and learning in programming, understand innovation and learning principles, and U-RIL’s operational model, and to support the identification and leveraging of integration opportunities between SCI and U-RIL programming
• Provide guidance to the U-RIL Operations Team to ensure that RIL’s core functions and ethical standards related to safeguarding, Core Humanitarian Standards and Humanitarian Innovation Ethics guide implementation
• In collaboration with the U-RIL Operations Team and PDQ Director represent U-RIL in technical fora, including relevant working groups.
• Provide inputs into global RIL strategies, products and programming in collaboration with the RIL CSU and SCI representatives to the Executive Committee
• Provide input and support RIL Pop-up activities in the East and Southern Africa region.
• Analyse donor priorities and positions on issues related to innovation and learning and identify potential funding opportunities
• In collaboration with the PDQ Director develop/maintain contacts with technical counterparts at potential donors, partners and key technical agencies
• Explore synergies and collaborate with the SCI Global Innovation Team, including Kumwe Hub, CUBIC, LIFT Labs, and RIL Central Support Unit to identify and position U-RIL and SCI for potential funding opportunities and mechanisms.
• Collaborate with Business Development to develop high quality, donor responsive proposals and lead the development of technical inputs, including proposal writing and budget development.
• Lead/support the formation of partnerships with strategic stakeholders including the Government of Uganda and potential partners.
• Develop and maintain a thorough understanding of donor priorities and relevant Government of Uganda and regional policies/frameworks.
• Collaborate with the Head of MEAL and U-RIL Operations Team to ensure the development of robust MEAL Frameworks for U-RIL projects.
• Collaborate with the Head of MEAL to support learning activities that leverage evidence and methodologies from U-RIL projects and other stakeholders
• Conduct reviews of assessments, reports and other written documents as necessary to ensure quality documents.
• Support the exploration of child-centred innovation approaches to be embedded in SCI programming.

• Strong understanding of the humanitarian system (programming, policies, funding, coordination, etc.)
• A demonstrated interest and experience in innovation programming
• Ability to provide advice on a variety of themes and sectors (experience delivering programming in market-driven livelihoods, engagement of private sector, digital solutions, innovation scale-up, etc. is an added advantage)
• Highly developed interpersonal and English communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
• Strong analytical skills and strategic planning abilities
• Computer literacy and excellent knowledge management skills are a must
• Ability to proactively identify issues and problem-solving skills to address these
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Excellent time management and planning capacity
• Partnership-development skills and ability to present programmes to a wide range of audiences
• Experience of leading the preparation successful funding (narrative and budget) proposals
• Previous experience of project management and project cycle management, including project design, implementation and evaluation
• In-depth conceptual understanding of the Grand Bargain and the Localization agenda
• Past experience leading or managing programming with significant innovation and learning components
• Understanding of digital tools and concepts of digital public goods
• Knowledge of human/user centered design / design thinking principles
• Experience navigating different perspectives and building consensus while staying true to own vision.

• At least a Post-graduate degree in Political Science, Social Sciences, International Development, Administration, Management or other relevant subject
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in sexual reproductive health and family planning program management, technical assistance, or advocacy.
• At Least 10-year+ work experience in the field of international development and humanitarian assistance, including significant field-based roles
• Experience of creating and managing networks, brokering relationships and partnerships