UVIWATA secured its registration in late 2025 and has recently established its operations. UVIWADA itself has an emergent programme of work in Dar es Salaam, thereby providing a model for UVIWATA operations in other regions. The UVIWATA Head of Programmes provides technical and management leadership and coordination to strengthen both the national and regional mandates of UVIWATA’s childcare programming, with particular Focus on Dar es Salaam direct programming support. While the role is contracted by

UVIWATA and reports directly to the Chairman, there will also be a technical line management report to Children in Crossfire during the early stages of role implementation, given UVIWATA’s emergent status as an institution. The role ensures strong tripartite liaison between UVIWATA, UVIWADA, and CiC as part of institutional incubation, high-quality programmes implementation, consolidation, and growth of daycare membership base and mutual value proposition; effective sectoral representation and childcare policy engagement; and roll-out of strong operational systems and decentralised coordination. The position ultimately supports an emergent Secretariat executive team to provide leadership of programming, delivering improved quality standards and expanded access to childcare services, particularly in high-density, low-income communities of rapidly expanding urban settings across Tanzania.

Major responsibilities

1. Lead Coordination of UVIWATA and UVIWADA in the strategic tripartite partnership with CiC

2. Technical Leadership of UVIWATA membership engagement and childcare programmes at national and subnational levels

3. Support promotion of the Childcare as a Business strategy

4. National Childcare sectoral-level engagement and representation

5. Contribute to strengthening UVIWATA’s institutional capacity and systems at national and subnational levels.

Specific Responsibilities

1. Lead coordination of UVIWATA and UVIWADA strategic tripartite partnership with CiC:

• Provide lead liaison between UVIWATA and UVIWADA Secretariats and CiC

programmes team on a day-to-day implementation and tripartite partnership programme basis;

• Prepare monthly reports on programme implementation and Secretariats role to support programme and finance accountabilities;

• Engage effectively with UVIWATA leadership to administer any CiC funding of UVIWATA activities and support the accountable reporting of spend;

• Actively participate in Dar Urban childcare programme meetings with CiC to ensure mutual understanding and shared responsibilities;

• Actively represent the CiC-UVIWATA institutional partnership in different forums, including consistent messaging and mutual objectives;

• Carry lead accountability of the UVIWATA Secretariat for programme milestones as agreed with CiC and respective programme donor(s), including across Dar programming;

• Report at technical line management level to the CiC Senior Programmes Manager, while maintaining close liaison with UVIWATA leadership on programming and institutional development objectives on day-to-day working basis;

• Undertake any other duties to support the mutual objectives of the programme and strategic partnership between UVIWATA and CiC as and when required.

2. Technical Leadership of UVIWATA membership engagement and childcare programmes at national and subnational levels

• Provide overall technical leadership for UVIWATA programmes design, implementation, monitoring, and quality assurance.

• Lead the structured onboarding of daycare members across national and Dar es Salaam associations and deliver on a charter of mutual responsibilities to realise the value of daycare membership.

• Support the development and management of a daycare members database to be managed through a digital strategy hosted by UVIWATA website.

• Develop and deliver capacity-building sessions, including tiered trainings and workshops, to strengthen the skills of daycare centre members and their workforce.

• Conduct field supportive supervision of member daycare centers in collaboration with UVIWATA subnational representatives and local government.

• Facilitate communities of practice and targeted support of the daycare ecosystem in Dar es Salaam in collaboration with Children in Crossfire and other partners, such as Montessori Community of Tanzania.

• Promote the dissemination and effective use of national daycare curriculum products for different age groups across member daycare centres.

• Support Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) processes for UVIWATA operations, including close liaison with CiC MEL department during programming incubation across national and subnational levels.

• Provide technical line management support of the UVIWADA programming team

including Secretary and Assistant Secretary, including mentoring, supervision and professional development.

3. Support Promotion of Childcare as a Business Strategy

• Closely engage with CiC to pilot and evolve key interventions to implement the Childcare as a Business strategy, particularly with regard to MSME daycare business development initiatives within an urban informal market.

• Support the pilot of a revolving loan fund within the project cohort of member daycare.

• Identify and initiate/nurture partnerships with different market actors to leverage capital, technology and complementary value chains for supporting MSME daycare business and childcare quality.

• Engage in advocacy initiatives to facilitate an enabling environment for optimizing childcare as a business and demonstrate the market return for low-income households.

4. National Childcare Sectoral-level Engagement and Representation

• Provide technical lead to the UVIWATA leadership to establish and consolidate the national network of regional leadership and subnational associations that form the nationwide mandate of UVIWATA in representing the private daycare ecosystem;

• Represent UVIWATA in national childcare forums, working groups, and strategic meetings with government, civil society, market actors, and development partners.

• Provide technical guidance and positioning to align UVIWATA programmes with national childcare priorities and policy frameworks.

• Support UVIWATA’s participation in ECD task teams, committees, advocacy platforms, learning exchanges, and sector-wide initiatives.

• Coordinate meetings, policy dialogues, and advocacy engagements with government and non-state actors at national and sub-national levels to promote high-quality childcare services in private daycare of Dar es Salaam and beyond.

• Engage closely with the Government, CiC and other sector actors to support policy adaptation of reviewed standards, quality tiers and licensing pathways relative to the exponentially expanding informal urban daycare market.

• Document and follow up on key outcomes, disseminating action points internally to strengthen institutional learning.

• Support operational administration of pilot childcare subsidy and the strategic positioning of UVIWATA as institutional lead in subsequent subsidy scale-up.

5. Contribute to strengthening UVIWATA’s institutional capacity and systems at national and subnational levels

• Perform day-to-day management leadership of the UVIWATA Secretariat and closely collaborate with the UVIWATA Chairman and CiC in its strategic evolution.

• Provide line management of the UVIWATA Finance and Operations Manager role,n ensuring effective performance management and support.

• Consistently position institutional development processes to support the symbiotic growth and development across both UVIWATA national and UVIWADA subnational operations and optimize available resources.

• Support the symbiotic institutional growth of UVIWATA’s national and subnational operations by strengthening internal systems, policies, and procedures.

• Advise on strategic planning, governance and capacity-building initiatives for Secretariat staff and daycare members.

• Support the efficient structuring, operations and effective role performance across Regional secretariats that form nationwide UVIWATA membership coordination.

• Support the efficient structuring and roles implementation across decentralized levels of UVIWADA’s operations to effectively support daycare membership coordination in Dar es Salaam, and transferable practice for other UVIWATA subnational operations.

• Facilitate knowledge management, learning, and documentation processes to improve organisational efficiency.

• Promote best practices in programme management, operational systems, and staff development.

3.0 Child Protection and Safeguarding Statements

Child protection is a term used to describe the responsibilities and activities undertaken to prevent or to stop children from being abused or ill-treated. It is Children in Crossfire’s duty and responsibility to reduce the risks of abuse to the children with whom we have contact and keep them safe from harm. This UVIWATA Head of Programmes is considered to present a high-rating of safeguarding risk. As it will include regular field visits in daycare centres and communities, whereby you will be interacting directly with children and vulnerable adults. Hence, as Head of Programmes, you will be expected to read, participate in orientation and sign off on child protection and safeguarding policies. The consent forms for various uses, like pictures and case studies, and others, will be documented and submitted to Children in Crossfire and UVIWATA.

Personal Profile

• Educated to a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree level in a relevant discipline (such as social sciences, development studies, other), Master's level preferred.

• Minimum of 5 years’ work experience in leading the design and implementation of programmes targeting childcare and early childhood development.

• Strong understanding of the childcare and wider ECD (Early Childhood Development) landscape in Tanzania and familiarity with key stakeholders.

• Demonstrable experience in advancing the childcare agenda and maintaining a strong network across sector stakeholders.

• Strong understanding and experience of working with government systems both national and sub-national structures in Tanzania.

• Familiarity with member associations and related governance and operations would be a significant advantage.

• Demonstrable experience in leading staff teams and providing management leadership of programmes and/or organisations.

• Strong background in supporting monitoring, evaluation and learning processes in development programme context.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in Swahili and English, and demonstrable experience of taking the lead in donor reporting to a high standard.

• Good understanding of key principles of safeguarding and child protection, including demonstrated practice of these in a professional context.

• Committed to the aims and values espoused across a tripartite strategic partnership, including Children in Crossfire, and work as part of the team.

• Commitment to confidentiality and integrity.

• Communication Skills