KREASI Head of Program (Learning, Impact, Ecosystem, and Policy)

Save the Children Indonesia; Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta; On-site; USD 50,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dynamic Head of Program for an innovative initiative aimed at transforming education in Indonesia. This role offers the opportunity to lead a significant program focused on improving literacy, numeracy, and character education for children across multiple provinces. The successful candidate will drive strategic planning, program development, and stakeholder engagement, ensuring alignment with national education goals. This position is perfect for a visionary leader passionate about making a meaningful impact in the lives of children, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years in education with expertise in strategic planning and program design.
• Proven experience in managing complex projects and diverse teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the KREASI program team, providing strategic oversight and leadership.
• Manage daily operations and ensure meaningful child participation.

Skills

Strategic Planning

Program Design

Project Management

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)

Financial Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Communication Skills

Knowledge of Inclusive Education

Education

Master's Degree in Education or related field

Bachelor's Degree in Education or related field

Job description

Background Program

Kolaborasi untuk Edukasi Anak Indonesia (KREASI), or Collaboration for the Education of Indonesian Children, is a program aimed at accelerating improvements in literacy, numeracy, and character education for preschool and primary school students in 8 districts across 4 provinces in Indonesia. Targeting 560 schools, this 4-year program is funded by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) through its Multiplier Grant. KREASI is implemented by Save the Children, appointed as the Grant Agent with the endorsement of the Mitra Pendidikan Indonesia/Local Education Group (MPI/LEG), a consortium of 17 international and local education organizations. Working in collaboration with seven national partners, KREASI represents an exciting opportunity to further Indonesia’s national education goals, given its alignment with the Merdeka Belajar initiative, emphasizing personalized, holistic, and sustainable education.

Role Purpose

The KREASI Head of Program will lead the overall Program team at the national level, providing strategic oversight and leadership for the KREASI program, including Learning, Impact, Ecosystem, and Policy. This will be achieved through a programming model and technical guidance, ensuring all program activities are on track in terms of delivery time, quality, and performance according to set parameters.

The Head of Program will ensure smooth coordination with the Head of Operations, who manages regional managers and district coordinators, as well as all Local Implementing Partners. The role reports directly to the Deputy Chief of Party and supports communication and coordination with GPE Indonesia Co-Chairs and Local Education Group (LEG) members.

Key Areas of Accountability

Strategic Vision and Leadership

• Lead the design and development of KREASI’s strategy, ensuring relevance to the external environment and the needs of all children, especially the marginalized.
• Provide strategic direction for program design and development in Indonesia, focusing on education and child protection in basic education and early childhood care, working with ministries and partners.
• Foster an organizational culture that reflects our dual mandate, promotes accountability, high performance, learning, creativity, and innovation.
• Share insights and lessons learned with internal teams and external stakeholders, including GPE LEG members.

Program Management

• Manage the daily operations of the program portfolio, including pilots and innovations, in coordination with the Head of Operations.
• Ensure meaningful child participation in all supervision activities.
• Report monthly on program progress, successes, and challenges to the Deputy Chief of Party.

Program Development and Implementation

• Coordinate program design and development to achieve strategic goals aligned with the Country Strategic Plan 2025-2027.
• Support designing cost-effective, innovative, and high-quality programs for deprived children.
• Integrate Child Safeguarding into all program activities, including risk assessments and mitigation measures.
• Lead the selection of external collaborators and ensure stakeholder engagement for sustainability and scale-up.

Financial Management

• Collaborate on annual budgets and projections with finance teams.
• Ensure efficient use of resources and monitor expenditures against the budget.
• Serve as the budget holder for the program, overseeing financial controls and tracking.

Transformational Change

• Promote continuous learning and accountability among staff and partners.
• Implement performance measurement processes and foster a high-performance culture.

Staff Management and Development

• Manage the program team, set expectations, provide leadership, and evaluate performance.
• Support professional development and capacity building.

Experience and Skills

• Minimum 10 years in education, with expertise in strategic planning, program design, project management, and M&E.
• Proven experience in managing complex projects and diverse teams.
• Strong financial acumen and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience working with government, NGOs, and civil society on education and child protection issues.
• Knowledge of inclusive education, gender, climate change, and innovative program design.
• Excellent communication skills in Indonesian and English.
• Commitment to Save the Children’s values and principles, including rights-based approaches.

Equal Opportunities

• The role requires adherence to SCI’s Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies.