Humanitarian Programme Officer

Save the Children International (SCI) · INGO

Programme & Project Management
Humanitarian & Emergency
Madagascar
Professional · Full time

Closes in 3 days — 2 Sept 2026

TITLE: Humanitarian Programme Officer
DEPARTMENT: Operations	LOCATION: based in Ambovombe
GRADE: 4A	CONTRACT LENGTH: 03 months subject to availability of funds.
CHILD SAFEGUARDING: Level 3: the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs;or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff
ROLE PURPOSE: The Humanitarian Programme Officer is responsible for supporting the planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of anticipatory action, emergency preparedness, and humanitarian response programmes in the Grand Sud of Madagascar. The role contributes to ensuring that emergency interventions are delivered in a timely, effective, and accountable manner, in line with Save the Children's policies and procedures, donor requirements, humanitarian principles, and international standards. The post holder will support the implementation of forecast-based and anticipatory actions designed to reduce the impact of predictable humanitarian shocks, particularly those associated with forecasted El Niño events, drought, food insecurity, water scarcity, disease outbreaks, floods, cyclones, and other climate-related hazards. Working closely with technical teams, partners, government authorities, and communities, the the Humanitarian Programme Officer will help ensure that vulnerable children and families receive timely assistance before, during, and after emergencies. With the support of the Humanitarian Programme Coordinator (based in Antananarivo), the role will contribute to strengthening emergency preparedness and response capacity by supporting early warning monitoring, contingency planning, risk analysis, needs assessments, field-level coordination, and programme monitoring activities. The Humanitarian Programme Officer will play a key role in tracking programme progress, ensuring quality implementation, facilitating accountability to affected populations, and documenting lessons learned to improve future humanitarian interventions. In anticipation of El Niño-related impacts, the post holder will support the delivery of preparedness and early action activities aimed at mitigating risks to food security, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), child protection, education, and livelihoods. This includes assisting with project implementation, monitoring triggers for anticipatory action, coordinating field activities, and supporting timely reporting on programme achievements, challenges, and emerging humanitarian needs. Working collaboratively with the Humanitarian Programme Coordinator, MEAL, Operations, Finance, Security, and technical specialists, the Humanitarian Programme Officer will contribute to high-quality, evidence-based programming that strengthens community resilience, protects children, and supports Save the Children's humanitarian and climate adaptation objectives in Madagascar.
SCOPE OF ROLE: Role Dimensions: The position holders will liase with both internal and external stakeholders to achieve SCI humanitarian ambition in Madagacar.
KEYS AREAS OF RESPONSABILITY 1. Humanitarian Programme Operations and Implementation Support the planning, coordination, and implementation of anticipatory action and emergency response projects. Ensure programme activities are delivered on time, within budget, and in accordance with approved project plans and donor commitments. Monitor project progress against work plans, indicators, and targets, identifying risks and proposing corrective actions when necessary. Conduct regular field visits to monitor programme quality, provide technical support, and ensure adherence to agreed standards. Coordinate closely with logistics, procurement, finance, and administration teams to facilitate efficient programme delivery. Ensure all activities comply with Save the Children policies and procedures, donor regulations, and relevant national requirements. 2. Programme Quality and Accountability Support the integration of quality programming approaches throughout project implementation. Collaborate with the MEAL team to ensure monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning systems are effectively implemented. Promote accountability to affected populations through accessible and responsive feedback and complaints mechanisms. Ensure beneficiary feedback and lessons learned are incorporated into programme improvement and future project design. Contribute to maintaining humanitarian programming in accordance with the Sphere Humanitarian Standards and the Red Cross Code of Conduct. 3. Safety, Security, and Risk Management Ensure programme activities are implemented in line with organizational safety and security policies. Work closely with the Country Security focal point and field teams to monitor contextual developments and security risks. Support adherence to security procedures during field operations and project implementation. Report security incidents, operational challenges, and emerging risks in a timely manner. 4. Reporting and Documentation With the support of the Humanitarian Programme Coordinator, prepare high-quality and timely project reports, situation reports (SitReps), updates, and other required documentation. Support donor reporting processes and ensure compliance with internal and external reporting requirements. Maintain accurate project records, beneficiary data, activity documentation, and means of verification (PRIME) Contribute to documenting best practices, lessons learned, and success stories. 5. Coordination and Representation Participate in coordination meetings with local authorities, partners, clusters, and other humanitarian stakeholders as required. Foster effective collaboration with government counterparts, community leaders, and implementing partners. Represent the organization professionally and in line with humanitarian principles and organizational values. 6. Capacity Building and Team Support Support capacity-building initiatives for staff, volunteers, and partners involved in project implementation. Provide on-the-job coaching and technical support to field teams. Promote knowledge sharing and continuous learning across programme teams.
BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice) Accountability: holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved. Ambition: sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale. Collaboration: builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters values a broad definition of diversity and sees it as a source of organisational strength approachable, good listener, easy to talk to. Creativity: develops and encourages new and innovative solutions willing to take disciplined risks. Integrity: honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity
QUALIFICATIONS Education to MSc/MA/MEng level in a relevant subject or equivalent field experience
EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS Essential Strong language skills in French and English Extensive experience of working internationally in humanitarian programmes Previous experience of managing programme teams in large-scale first phase emergency response is essential Previous experience of managing a large multi-sector, multi-national team Previous experience of programme management across multiple locations Experience of managing multi-donor, multi-site programmes (including ECHO, DFID, WFP, and BHA) as well as other awards, including transitional phase types of award that contribute to the nexus of humanitarian and development work. Security management experience across a large and complex programme. Commitment to, thorough understanding of, and able to train staff in participation and accountability approaches Demonstrated ability to contributing to setting up monitoring & evaluation systems in large complex programmes. Demonstrated ability to set up learning and development processes for a large team Proven ability of mentoring and coaching Experience of senior level representation Experience in developing and negotiating successful partnerships with institutional donors Ability to write clear and well-argued assessment and project reports Excellent communication skills Proven ability to influence change at an operational and strategic level Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of tolerance, respect of diversity, patience, tact and diplomacy The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances. Commitment to the aims and principles of SC. In particular, a good understanding of the SC mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support