Innovation and Learning Senior Specialist

Country/Region: Uganda, Country Office

Location: Kampala

Organization: Save the Children International

Eligibility: This position is strictly open to nationals only.

Join us to lead sustainable change for children:

• Be part of a GLOBAL and DIVERSE technical community
• Get EXPOSURE in many different contexts
• Test and scale up INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
• Influence policies that affect MILLIONS OF CHILDREN

OVERVIEW

Are you passionate about being an advocate for children? Do you want to use your expertise to bring about lasting change for children and be a part of an inspiring, dynamic global movement?

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.

Sounds interesting? Read more below

THE ROLE

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

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.

To be a strong supporter and advocate for children in this role you will need to have:

• 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
• 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.

Application Information:

Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document. Please also include details of your salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found at: https://hcri.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_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.

Application closes on September 15th, 2026, at midnight Ugandan Time

Save the Children is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ and assign the best qualified talent, persons with disabilities and female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Disclaimer: Save the Children International does not charge any kind of fee at whichever stage of the recruitment process and does not act through recruitment agents.

OUR DIVERSITY BELIEF

Save the Children International is committed to create a truly inclusive, effective and representative organisational culture, encouraging equity and diversity among its employees and eliminating unlawful discrimination. We want our people to be truly representative of all sections of society. Having a diverse profile of employees, different age groups, backgrounds, cultures, & disabilities etc. We are guided by our values in everything we do, and recognise that being a diverse and inclusive employer helps us fulfil our responsibility to make a difference for children around the world.

The Organization
We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard. We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

· No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
· All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
· Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children.We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

Application Information:
Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found at www.savethechildren.net/jobs We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.