Head of Data and Analytics at Save the Children

ROLE PURPOSE: 
Save the Children as a movement generates huge volumes of data that is used for multiple purposes. There are many systems and tools across the organisation that are used to generate, store and communicate data and information as well as pockets of capabilities and process that is focused on driving continuous improvement. As we move into our next strategy period and we are facing an ever increasing need to support the most marginalised and deprived children through our breakthroughs, the need to enable better prioritisation and decision making becomes ever more clearer. Alongside this, for many of our priorities for the next period, our chances of success are greatly increased through effective and efficient use of our data driven consistently across our movement. Through an aligned and forward looking data and analytics strategy and an effective and responsive approach to managing data and analytics supply and demand we aim to reduce administrative burden on our core operations, ensure we make the best use of data and associated tooling we already have available, improving the quality of data we hold on our operations and outcomes to enable better decision making and enable a continuous focus on driving efficiencies and continuous improvement. 

The role of the Head of Data and Analytics will be to initiate and deliver on our Data and Analytics priorities for Save the Children to include ensuring we have a clear strategy and path to reach our defined outcomes. Initially the key focus will be to establish and mobilise the project team and setup the required governance to manage the required transformation priorities as well as ensure there is a robust process to effectively assess and prioritise data and analytics needs across the organisation and match these with available business and IT capabilities to meet needs in line with priorities and resource availability. Once we have the initial team and governance in place we then need to ensure a focus on scope definition to include understanding our current state, required future state and what needs to happen to close the gap between the two. The Head of Data and Analytics will in parallel need to manage the definition and implementation of the data and analytics demand and supply process and manage the implementation of the agreed interventions as well as the ongoing process through the life of the transformation, transitioning to Business as Usual and beyond under the guidance of the SCI CIO and associated governance

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY: 

1. Drive the delivery of the project and associated operational processes including initial setup of the team, defining the vision and principles and putting in place the required governance
2. Ensure Data and Analytics is a movement wide initiative involving stakeholders from across the Members and SCI and wider external parties where relevant and agreed with the relevant governance
3. Ensure alignment and consideration with the 2022-24 strategy process that is currently underway including feeding into this process as required
4. Ensure the Project resource requirements are understood and the required team is established including both internal and external capacity and expertise 
5. Ensure reference groups are put in place to ensure the required input is received from functional SMEs from both SCI and Members 
6. Ensure financial and non-financial benefits are defined up front including the mechanism to measure the benefits and this is used to track effectiveness of Data and Analytics initiatives delivered across the movement. This is critical to enable us to continually monitor and improve and to enable effective decision making
7. Effectively manage the Project Team resources to ensure they understand their responsibilities, are held to account for delivery and their work is in line with the wider objectives and strategic alignment across the movement
8. Oversee the completion of the required analysis, providing hands on analytical support as required and ensuring review and sign off of the completed analysis in support of the Project Team and associated governance
9. Ensure the relevant SMEs required to complete the analysis are understood and made available to the Project Team
10. Ensure impacts of the project and associated operational processes including impact on the wider portfolio, change impact and financial impacts are understood and included within the current state and future state documents as well as operational process definitions
11. Ensure project controls including risks, issues and dependencies are documented and reported in line with the Portfolio Management Office requirements and any critical issues are escalated quickly through the agreed channels
12. Create and manage a plan for the project to include the day to day running of the project as well as the core components of the role – team setup and onboarding, governance setup and ongoing management, current future state definition to include requirements and scope definition, demand and supply process and ongoing scaling, capability development and shared services where relevant
13. Support the CTO to lead the governance process ensure sufficient time is available for review and sign off from the relevant leaders that are agreed up front
14. Ensure the budget is defined and managed as part of the Project
15. Oversee the set up and maintain the repository of documentation 
16. Implement best practices and procedures in project management (in line with SCA agreed methodology and associated processes) and contribute to wider lessons learned and improvements so we continue to drive a continuous improvement agenda

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (SCI Values in Practice) 

• DELIVERING RESULTS:
  1. Maintains a broad strategic perspective at the same time as an awareness of the detail of a situation
  2. Establishes clear and compelling objectives with teams and individuals and monitors progress and performance
  3. Creates and applies measures and metrics to track performance
  4. Holds others accountable for achieving results and challenges underperformance
  5. Demonstrates financial awareness and a concern for cost effectiveness
• DEVELOPING SELF AND OTHERS:
  1. Gives regular positive and constructive feedback to others
  2. Identifies clear development needs and development
  3. Plans through regular constructive reviews of their own performance (and their team’s where appropriate)
  4. Creates space for others to learn and provides challenging and stretching tasks and assignments when people are ready for them
  5. Coaches others to learn from their experiences on the job and to use the resources available to them
• APPLYING TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE:
  1. Makes decisions based on professional expertise and experience without deferring unnecessarily to others
  2. Shares knowledge and best practice on technical solutions so that others can make best use of that expertise
  3. Actively seeks new ways to develop the application of technical and professional standards within the team
• WORKING EFFECTIVELY WITH OTHERS:
  1. Enables people from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives to contribute to positive outcomes
  2. Breaks down silo working and challenges behaviours that are not collaborative
  3. Knows when to follow and lend leadership to strengthen other leaders
  4. Recognises when trust is broken and seeks to resolve conflict and re-establish trust
• PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING
  1. Gathers the right information and uses critical thinking to make effective and timely decisions
  2. Stays with a problem or challenge until a solution is reached or is no longer reasonably attainable
  3. Knows when to involve others in a decision
  4. Demonstrates awareness of the wider external influences that impact on decision making
  5. Simplifies processes and procedures wherever possible 

QUALIFICATIONS  

1. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
2. Understanding of a structured Project methodology (e.g. PRINCE2) or accredited Project Management training (APM or PMI) including experience leading a project using such a methodology

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

1. Hands on delivery experience working in the area of Data and Analytics for a complex organisation
2. Experience working in a leadership role for a global Data and Analytics transformation including managing the operational process to understand and scope demand, prioritise via governance and match to available supply of capabilities and technologies where relevant
3. Experience leading global teams to implement a transformation agenda
4. Demonstrable experience and in-depth knowledge of programme and project practices and standards 
5. A proven ability to deliver projects on time / on budget, using project management processes and tools including risk management, benefits management, financial management and quality assurance 
6. Proven experience of using and leading change management activities including change impact 
7. A proven ability to apply excellent analytical and problem solving skills, and to work collaboratively to deliver of effective solutions to project related issues. This will include taking on hands on analysis activities to support the wider team as required
8. Experience leading business development including defining business need and objectives, determining options and effort required and translating this into a proposal to be submitted for consideration with the relevant governance bodies
9. Highly developed organisational awareness and ability to understand any sensitivities within a complex multi-stakeholder structure; and think creatively and strategically to overcome obstacles to cooperation and progress
10. Team leadership capabilities to support and guide team members and ensure they are clear on their responsibilities and are held to account for their delivery
11. Strong business requirements collection, and process/workflow analysis skills
12. Excellent communication skills (written & oral English), including the ability to communicate and influence at all levels of the organisation
13. Able to demonstrate instances of initiative that have delivered organisational benefits
14. Cultural awareness and experience of delivering solutions internationally`

Desirable:

1. Non-profit sector knowledge/experience
2. Proficiency in a second core language of Save the Children (French, Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic
3. Experience working on Organisational Design Initiatives including setup of a new function in a global organisation

Equal Opportunities 

1. The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Health and Safety

1. The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

1. We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Additional job responsibilities

1. The job duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the post holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience. Some degree of international travel maybe required.

NOTE: APPLICATION CLOSES 3RD MARCH 2022