VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT: CHILDREN HOME MANAGER
1 Position, Duty Station: Centre Location, Kilimanjaro, Moshi
About Amani Centre for Street Children
Amani Centre for Street Children (“Amani”) is a Tanzanian non-governmental organisation based in Moshi that has worked for over two decades to reduce the number of children living on the streets of Tanzania. Amani rescues vulnerable children, provides shelter, education, medical and psychosocial care, and works to reunite children safely with their families, while supporting those families to become self-sufficient. Amani operates licensed residential centres that support several hundred children each year through a holistic model built on integrity, unconditional care, excellence, and collaboration. To sustain and strengthen this work, Amani is seeking a qualified, experienced, and highly motivated Child Centre Manager to lead the day-to-day operation of one of its residential children's centres.
Job Purpose
Reporting to the Program Manager, the Children Home Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, management, and statutory compliance of an Amani residential children's centre and essential services. The post-holder ensures that every child in the centre's care receives safe, nurturing, and individualised care in line with the Law of the Child Act, 2009 (Cap. 13 R.E. 2019), the Children's Homes (Regulation) Act (Cap. 61 R.E. 2002), and Amani's own child safeguarding and care standards. The Children Home Manager leads, caregivers, Nurse, Cooks, Gadners, Maintanance officer and security officers and represent the organization in social welfare meetings and local community meetings.
Key Responsibilities
• Centre Leadership & Daily Operations: Provide overall day-to-day leadership and management of the residential centre, ensuring a safe, clean, structured, and nurturing environment for all children in care.
• Statutory Compliance & Licensing: Ensure the centre operates in full compliance with the Children's Homes (Regulation) Act and the Law of the Child Act and its Regulations, including maintaining a valid operating licence issued by the Commissioner for Social Welfare and renewing it before expiry.
• Child Safeguarding: Lead implementation of Amani's Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct at the centre, ensuring all staff, volunteers, and visitors are screened, trained, and supervised, and that any concerns, incidents, or allegations are reported and handled promptly in line with Amani's reporting procedures and statutory obligations.
• Staff Supervision & Rostering:, supervise, mentor, and roster house parents, caregivers, night staff, and support staff, ensuring the centre is under the care and supervision of at least one senior staff member at all times, in line with the Children's Homes (Regulation) Act.
• Health, Nutrition & Welfare: Oversee children's health, hygiene, and nutrition, ensuring medical examinations, immunisations, and health records are maintained, and that any illness, injury, or death is reported to the relevant authorities within the statutory timeframe.
• Education & Development: Ensure every child's access to formal education, life-skills, recreation, and psychosocial support, and monitor individual educational and developmental progress.
• Records, Reporting & Statistics: Maintain complete, accurate, and confidential records for each child and staff member, and prepare timely monthly, quarterly, and annual statistical and narrative reports for the Executive Director, the Social Welfare Officer, and the Commissioner for Social Welfare, including the annual return due by 31 March each year.
• Budget & Resource Management: Manage the centre's operating budget, supplies, and assets responsibly, working with the Finance and Administration teams to ensure value for money and donor accountability.
• Stakeholder & Community Relations: Represent the centre before local government social welfare offices, police, health facilities, schools, donors, and the surrounding community, and support inspections or audits by government authorities.
• Emergency Response: Act as the first point of contact for emergencies at the centre, including medical emergencies, safeguarding incidents, and child absconding, ensuring prompt and appropriate response and notification.
• Quality Assurance: Monitor and continuously improve the quality of care provided against Amani's internal standards and national child-care guidelines, and support external evaluations, inspections, and licensing reviews.
Qualifications & Experience.
• Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Community Development, Psychology, Sociology, Child Development, Education, or a related field; a postgraduate qualification in social work, child protection, or management is an added advantage.
• Minimum 5 years' progressive experience working with vulnerable children, including at least 2-3 years in a supervisory or managerial role within a residential childcare institution, NGO, or donor-funded child protection programme.
• Sound knowledge of the Law of the Child Act, 2009 (Cap. 13 R.E. 2019) and its Regulations, the Children's Homes (Regulation) Act (Cap. 61 R.E. 2002), and national guidelines on alternative care and the National Costed Standards of Care for Most Vulnerable Children.
• Demonstrated experience in case management, child protection casework, and family tracing, reunification, or reintegration processes.
• Demonstrated experience supervising residential care staff (house parents/caregivers), rostering, and managing a 24-hour care operation.
• Working knowledge of the Employment and Labour Relations Act (Cap. 366 R.E. 2019) and OSHA requirements as they apply to a residential care workplace.
• Proficiency in record-keeping, basic reporting, and standard office software (MS Office/Google Workspace).
• Minimum age of 18 years and Tanzanian citizenship (or a valid work and residence permit for non-citizens), in accordance with the Employment and Labour Relations Act (Cap. 366 R.E. 2019).
• A valid Police Clearance Certificate (Hati ya Polisi ya Tabia Njema) confirming no criminal record, and willingness to undergo enhanced reference, background, and vetting checks before and throughout appointment, given the frequent and unsupervised access to children this role involves.
• A medical certificate confirming good health and freedom from infectious or communicable disease, as required of all staff in a licensed children's home under the Children's Homes (Regulation) Act, and willingness to undergo periodic medical checks thereafter.
• Willingness to sign and strictly abide by Amani's Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct at all times, including mandatory reporting of any safeguarding concern.
• Willingness to reside on-site or within close proximity to the centre, and to work flexible hours including evenings, weekends, and public holidays, and be on-call for emergencies, given the 24-hour nature of residential childcare.
• Fluency in Kiswahili and working proficiency in English, both spoken and written.
• Registration or membership with a relevant professional body (e.g., an association of social workers in Tanzania) is an added advantage.
• Valid driving licence is an added advantage.
Key Skills & Attributes
• Genuine compassion for vulnerable children, combined with firm, fair, and trauma-informed leadership.
• Strong knowledge of child development, child protection principles, and positive, non-violent approaches to discipline and behaviour management.
• Strong leadership and people-management skills, able to build, motivate, and hold accountable a diverse residential care team.
• Excellent case management, problem-solving, and crisis-management skills, with the ability to remain calm and decisive under pressure.
• High level of integrity, confidentiality, and sound judgement in handling sensitive child and staff information.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, able to build trust with children, families, staff, government officials, and community members.
• Strong organisational and administrative skills, able to manage competing priorities in a 24-hour care environment.
• Ability to manage disagreements among children or staff calmly.
• Proactive, solutions-oriented, and able to work independently while keeping the Program Manager informed of key risks and decisions.
• Cultural sensitivity and a strong commitment to gender equality, inclusion, and the rights and dignity of every child.
Legal & Regulatory Context.
This is a highly regulated role. Amani's residential centres operate under a licence granted by the Commissioner for Social Welfare pursuant to the Children's Homes (Regulation) Act (Cap. 61 R.E. 2002), and the Children Homen Manager is directly accountable for maintaining that licence and for the centre's compliance with the Law of the Child Act, 2009 (Cap. 13 R.E. 2019) and its Regulations, the Employment and Labour Relations Act (Cap. 366 R.E. 2019), OSHA requirements, and the NGO Act (Cap. 56 R.E. 2019) as they apply to Amani's registration and governance. Because this role involves direct, regular, and often unsupervised contact with children, appointment is conditional on satisfactory police clearance, reference checks, and background vetting, and is subject to ongoing monitoring throughout employment.
Child Safeguarding Commitment
Amani Centre for Street Children is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. This position involves regular, often unsupervised contact with children in a residential care setting and is therefore subject to Amani's rigorous recruitment and selection procedures, including mandatory reference checks, police clearance, and a satisfactory background/vetting process. Amani has zero tolerance for any form of abuse, exploitation, or neglect of children by its staff, representatives, or partners.
Equal Opportunity Statement.
Amani Centre for Street Children is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity within its workforce. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to gender, disability, tribe, religion, or marital status. Qualified women and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates who meet the above requirements should submit the following documents in a single PDF file:
• A cover letter clearly stating suitability for the role;
• A detailed and up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (CV);
• Certified copies of academic and professional certificates;
• Names and contact details (telephone and email) of three (3) referees which must be current or former employers.
Applications should be sent by email to: jobs@amanikids.org, with the subject line “Application for Children Home Manager – Moshi”.
Application Deadline: 15 October 2026, 17:00 hrs (East Africa Time). Applications received after this date will not be considered.
Remuneration: Competitive salary and benefits package, commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview. Amani does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, or job offer). Any request for payment should be reported immediately and treated as fraudulent.
