Country Director Somalia and Kenya (RI)

[Admin]

Reports to: Regional Director for East Africa

About RI: Relief International (RI) is a leading global change organization and home to teams of humanitarian activist-professionals committed to transforming adversity into renewal for the world’s most vulnerable populations. By partnering with beneficiaries and communities on the front-lines, RI innovatively bridges the gap between immediate relief and long-term community development.

Summary of Responsibilities:

The Country Director (CD) is responsible for overall management and development of Relief International’s (RI) country program in Sudan, ensuring that programming meets stated objectives, is in line with RI’s philosophy and strategy and meets the needs of beneficiaries. The CD is also responsible for spotting and pursuing new program opportunities and identifying gaps in services.

Responsibilities:

Program Representation • Identify and participate in key forums and meetings for the NGO sector where a strategic benefit for the organization exists and to advance RI in setting agendas and contributing visibly to interagency strategies. • Maintain and advance existing and establish new donor relationships to ensure RI’s programs are understood, promoted, and recognized. • Negotiate contracts and agreements with donors ensuring both programmatic and financial requirements in conjunction with other RI policies and procedures. • Identify, and where necessary, initiate and maintain program partnerships with external agencies (community based organizations, ministries, for example).

Program Management • Working with and overseeing national and expatriate staffs, manage project implementation for all active project agreements, including work plan development and monitoring, timeline management, allocation of resources and ensuring that appropriate controls are maintained at all levels to RI policies and procedures. • Ensure that staff members are effective, efficient, and contribute the necessary work within their job descriptions to ensure their program deliverables are met and RI operations maintained to required standards. • Ensure that the hiring, promotion, firing and determination of compensation levels of staffs in accordance with local laws and practices. • Assess national personnel requirements for all projects and programs in conjunction with HQ Desk. • Provide indoctrination briefings to all incoming staffs covering RI goals and objectives, country and program background, vision and future plans, policies and procedures, and security (or delegate these topics to suitable senior manager). • Conduct routine staff evaluations on performance per budget terms and HR policies and procedures, consistent with local labor requirements. • Ensure all programs are completed within time, on budget and delivering fully on objectives / targets; where required, provide timely reporting on changes in course required to meet or adjust project deliverables in coordination with HQ and donor reporting / agreement requirements. • Ensure that field staffs are providing routine and accurate monitoring and communications to the country office via structured project monitoring strategies and site visits (security permitting). • Provide routine reporting and communications as established with the HQ desk manager and in support of all required donor reporting. • Ensure overall audit compliance, financial transparency through supervision and direction of financial and administrative staff. • Budget preparation and monitoring in coordination with the regional finance staffs and the HQ Desk. • Ensure that the national office and sub-offices maintain complete, up to date and accurate financial records and that records are adequately reported and stored. • Ensure equitable allocation of shared national office operating costs to the various projects and donors. • Ensure the timely preparation and accuracy of financial reports by working with financial accounting staff as required by RI and donors. • Ensure the continued safety of all personnel and establish and implement emergency security evacuation plans as appropriate. • Serve as country security focal point or designate someone for that position in coordination with the HQ Desk and Global Security Coordinator. • Make security policy and recommendations based on all available information, in coordination with the HQ Desk and Global Security Coordinator. • Ensure security guidelines are up to date and fully implemented, per RI Global Security Standards.
• Regularly report to HQ regarding safety and security, per RI protocols and procedures. • Provide program reports and regular situation reports that are timely, meet information requirements, and professionally written as needed by RI HQ and as required by donors. • Maintain a suitable image for RI in the region and protect RI’s interest and assets. • Initiate RI’s response to disasters and emergencies when appropriate. • Facilitate donor and internal visits to project sites as appropriate. • Act as the communication link between HQ and the field. Direct all communications up or down, as appropriate. • Maintain organizational consistency through maintenance of strong, positive relations with field teams and HQ.

Country/Regional Office Maintenance • Maintain the sound function of RI operations in Somalia and Kenya; includes oversight for proper maintenance of the RI office and guest apartment systems, leases, transportation systems, operational supports, and support staffs. • Ensure that local requirement for INGOs with respect to government registration and relations are maintained to required operational and administrative standards. • Ensure that RI working and living spaces are compliant to RI operational and code of conduct standards.

Program Development • Coordinate effectively and in partnership with the Regional Program Development Manager and HQ Desk to ensure strong information sharing on opportunities, identified program areas, and to support overall RI development goals. • Develop, in cooperation with other key staff, short, medium and long-range strategic plans maintaining program focus in areas congruent with RI’s program objectives. • Maintain effective communications with donors by tracking trends and anticipating the likelihood of funding opportunities. • Spot and aggressively pursue in coordination with the RI HQ new opportunities for program growth; facilitate associated assessments. • Routinely assess other implementing organization’s activities using all available means to identify gap areas and overlap.
• Ensure that existing and new donor relationships are positive. • Maintain effective communications with RI’s HQ, regarding program development, funding agreements and staffing.

Minimal Requirements:

• Higher education degree from an accredited institution of higher education in a relevant field of study • Minimum of 10 years of field program experience including at least 5 years of senior management experience • Strong verbal and written skills as well as ability to multi-task effectively • Experience living overseas and ability to adapt and work comfortably in culturally unfamiliar environments • (Country/Region) language ability is a plus • Outstanding interpersonal skills, particularly when dealing with national staff and multi-cultural teams • Solid programmatic, financial, and organizational planning skill • Proven initiative and resourcefulness • Excellent oral communication skills and writing ability • Knowledge of USAID, ECHO, EC and DFID grantee regulations • Demonstrated record in collaborating with local governments, rural communities, other NGOs, and United Nations organizations

How to apply:
For consideration please submit all of the following: a detailed CV, cover letter, salary history, and a list of 3 previous supervisors (including email address, mailing address, and telephone number) to http://ch.tbe.taleo.net/CH07/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=RI&cws=4&rid=316 . Subject line must include: Country Director Somalia and Kenya.