ABOUT THE ROLE
This Baby Friendly Deputy Programme Director (for Education) has responsibility for delivering Baby Friendly’s education strategy, including the university accreditation programme, all short courses, Perinatal Mental Health and the Qualification programme. The post holder also supports the Programme Director to deliver the advocacy objectives, including deputising when required and acting as a spokesperson for Baby Friendly with public service partners, media, supporters, political stakeholders, and other leaders. Working closely with the Deputy Programme Director for Standards, the Deputy Executive Director for Education ensures the effective delivery of all assessments and courses, including the line management, training and support of Professional Leads, Senior Professional Officers and Professional Officers.
What we will expect you to achieve
• Working with other key roles to maintain and progress the University Standards Programme, ensuring that this remains rigorous, consistent, up to date and relevant, and that it has the greatest possible reach within universities to deliver the best possible outcomes for pre-registration infant feeding education of relevant health professionals.
• Working with other key roles to Lead the Qualification Programme, including overseeing the qualification board and the selection, marking and moderating process, with the aim of delivering a credible, high quality infant feeding specialist qualification for health or other relevant professionals.
• Oversee the Baby Friendly short courses, including rigorous quality control of teaching, content, and delivery (on-line and in-person) so that these courses meet the needs of those tasked with implementing the Baby Friendly standards within UK public services.
• Working with the Deputy Director of Standards to quality assure all the accreditation processes, so that the education programme supports and maintains the standards which remain consistent, rigorous, and relevant to UK public services.
• Successfully maintain and develop relationships with key supporters working in public services, including ensuring that the NIFN meets the needs of infant feeding specialists while remaining relevant, up to date and a voice for infant feeding at a national level.
• Model and promote a positive, engaging, and inclusive working culture, by motivating and supporting individuals, encouraging collaboration and integration across the Baby Friendly team and the wider organisation.
• Line manage Senior Professional Officers and Professional Officers, including carrying out regular 1-2-1s, appraisals, training, and support, while nurturing a safe and open working culture where wellbeing is at the centre of what we do.
• Support the Programme Director to deliver an effective advocacy strategy aimed at national and local government, key public service leaders and other influencers as required.
• Support the Programme Director and work with the senior BFI team to ensure BFI remains current and responsive to changing circumstances by identifying key opportunities for programme growth and strategies to manage challenges.
• Deputise for the Programme Director as a representative and spokesperson for Baby Friendly, including at relevant conferences, with the media, in meetings with policy makers, civil servants, public service leaders, relevant NGOs and others as required.
BEHAVIOURS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
This section contains the essential behaviours, experience, knowledge and
skills needed in order to be effective and successful in this role. All criteria in this section are essential.
Effective Behaviours
Creating and innovating
• Contributes ideas, approaches and insights that enable innovation.
• Builds a network of relevant individuals inside and outside UNICEF UK to gain alternative perspectives that improve performance.
• Scans the external environment for trends, insights, ideas and best practice that could benefit UNICEF UK’s work.
• Empowers people to innovate and welcomes new ideas that are focused on the delivery of strategic priorities.
Efficiency and effectiveness
• Manage conflicting priorities to ensure that objectives are achieved and deadlines met.
• Systematically plans projects to maximise performance and cost-effectiveness.
• Anticipates risks and puts plans in place to minimise their impact.
• Responds flexibly to unforeseen events such as emergency responses to ensure that effectiveness is not compromised.
• Evaluates work, learns from results and adjusts strategies to provide the best results for children.
• Suggests simplifications to overly complex ways of working to improve results.
Positive relationships
• Nurtures professional relationships with colleagues at all levels, and with external contacts and partners to support the achievement of objectives.
Supporter driven and mission aligned
• Is committed to children and their rights and motivated to work towards achieving a world that is fit for every child.
Relevant experience
• Leadership and management experience in a relevant field e.g., university, maternity, health visiting, neonatal, or public health.
• Experience of leading education programmes aimed at health professionals.
• Significant experience of working for, or with, relevant public services, including in-depth knowledge and understanding of the structures, culture and significant issues facing these services.
Specific knowledge and skills
• In-depth knowledge of infant feeding and the Baby Friendly standards including their application into public services.
• Ability to critique medical and social research and disseminate findings to a variety of audiences.
• Ability to engage, empathise with and motivate infant feeding teams working in UK public services.
