Country Director - South Sudan

Are you a proven leader of complex humanitarian programming in conflict affected contexts? Do you have experience in at least two of the following  sectors; protection of displaced populations, emergency response, mine action, food security & livelihoods, and armed violence reduction. Then apply for this exciting opportunity to join a progressive organization in a top leadership role and to help shape the future of humanitarian programming in South Sudan and globally.

Background
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is an independent, non-governmental organization that is founded on the basis of humanitarian principles and a rights-based approach to secure the protection of refugees and internally displaced persons, and to promote long-term solutions to the problems of forced displacement. DRC and its specialist human security unit, the Danish Demining Group (DDG), have worked in South Sudan since 2005; initially concentrating on providing safe and supportive conditions for refugees returning from neighboring countries after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed. 

Until 2010, DRC and DDG worked independently, but in recent years there has been a process of convergence and collaboration, partly intended to produce cost efficiencies but more importantly to harness the strengths of both DRC and DDG towards integrated programs which address the rights to security, protection, basic needs and development through a single agency approach. Since July 2012, DRC and DDG have a joint operation in South Sudan, implementing humanitarian assistance, recovery and rehabilitation programs in the sectors of emergencies, mine action, food security & livelihoods, community driven development and armed violence reduction. 

In 2012, DRC DDG expanded it programming through the response in Upper Nile and Unity states to the influx of refugees into South Sudan. DRC DDG has then scaled up its activities further during the present crisis in South Sudan by taking a leading role in three UNMISS Protection Of Civilian (POC) sites in the same states. 

Country Context 
The Republic of South Sudan was born on 9 July 2011, becoming the world’s 193rd country and marking the conclusion of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) period that ended Sudan’s protracted civil war.  South Sudan seceded with major issues unresolved, including border demarcation, wealth-sharing, and the fate of the disputed territory of Abyei.  In 2012 and 2013, conflict in Sudan’s South Kordofan and Blue Nile States has forced almost 200,000 refugees to flee into South Sudan.  Inside South Sudan, the government took important steps to accelerate the process of state-building.  However, the effects of decades of civil war continued to impede the pace of development, and government capacity to deliver basic services remains limited. 

In December 2013, South Sudan was thrown back into civil war when political disagreements turned into violence. Nine months into the crisis, some 1.4 million persons are displaced by violence inside South Sudan. The states of Upper Nile and Unity, where DRC has most activities, are among the worst affected. Around 100,000 persons are currently sheltering in Protection of Civilian (POC) sites within the compounds of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).


Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Program and Portfolio Development

• Lead the implementation and further annual development of the joint 2015-17 DRC-DDG Strategic Program Document. 
• Manage the expansion of the joint DRC-DDG program in terms of both programming and portfolio size and diversification.
• Plan with the two Heads of Program (DRC and DDG) the practicalities of translating the country strategy into operations, including the prioritization of new geographical areas, types of interventions, and funding opportunities.
• Lead representation and fundraising efforts, and provide specific input and support to donor identification and discussions, proposal development, and program presentations.

Operations and Program Management

• Identify human and financial resource gaps. Support or lead the identification of resources and resources available. 
• Ensure adherence to DRC Programme and Operational Handbooks, policies and procedures; calling for additional support if/when needed.
• Support and oversee the monitoring and evaluation framework for collating outputs, outcomes, impact and lessons learned. Propose strategies, time frame and frequency for project data collection.
• Ensure the implementation of the Humanitarian Accountability Principles throughout the operation.
• Assess existing and further develop procedures for ensuring program quality and minimum standards compliance, including the implementation of recommendations from internal compliance and audit reports.
• Ensure sound financial management of all projects and the operation in general, including the oversight of shared operating costs and master budgets. 
• Ensure performance management and HR development of line-managed staff and that they, in turn, implement the same with their teams. 
• Ensure proper coordination of humanitarian efforts with other stakeholders in the country.
• Facilitate the efforts of the Senior Management Team, including its role in crisis management. 

Advocacy

• Attend all relevant fora/coordination meetings with the objective of strengthening DRC’s position in the country.
• Lead the development of regional communication and advocacy messages as relevant for DRC-DDG’s priorities and positions but particularly as related to the protection of refugee and IDPs.

Safety

• Take responsibility for the safety and security of staff and other assets in country.
• Ensure proper safety and security planning, including regular updating of security and evacuation plans and measures, and implementation of security and contingency plan and update of DRC’s Safety Level Systems.
• Ensure that all DRC security management protocols and procedures (Operations Handbook) are updated, made locally relevant, and applied consistently, including the tracking of MoSS. 
• Ensure that DRC-DDG is part of security networks with all possible stakeholders at the national and local levels and that appropriate information, regarding security in the areas of operation, is collected and assessed.

Reporting lines
The CD reports to the Head of Unit for Uganda, Sudan and South Sudan based in DRC’s headquarters in Copenhagen. The CD has a reporting line to DDG Head of Unit in Copenhagen for the DDG components of the program.

Your qualifications
As Country Director in South Sudan you must have a high degree of strategic and analytical thinking as well as experience in advocacy, fundraising, strategic planning, risk management and practical program implementation. Additionally you must have: 

• University degree in international relations, management, human rights, social science or related field; substantial experience can substitute but not vice versa;
• Minimum 10 years of professional work experience within international humanitarian/development work of which a substantial time needs to be in senior management positions;
• In-depth knowledge of and experience working with displacement issues of both internally displaced and refugees and related international standards/frameworks;
• Familiarity with humanitarian interventions in the sectors of relief aid, mine action, food security & livelihoods, and armed violence reduction.
• Extensive experience in above-listed Duties and Responsibilities; 
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective working relations with staff and other stakeholders;
• Excellent negotiation, advocacy and communication skills; 
• Fluency in written and spoken English;
• Knowledge of displacement issues and local context in South Sudan is a clear asset; 
• Ability to live and work in an insecure and changing environment. 

We encourage all qualified candidates to apply, irrespective of age, nationality, race, gender or age.

Conditions
Availability: 1 December 2014.
Duty station: Juba, South Sudan with frequent travel to other areas of the country. En-suite accommodation in the purpose-built DRC-DDG compound in Juba is provided. 
Contract: 12 months with the possibility of extension, subject to funding and performance. Salary and conditions in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to www.drc.dk under Vacancies. This position is offered at salary level A3 and attracts an R&R benefit in addition to five weeks of annual leave.

Further information
You are welcome to contact the Head of Unit, Scott Tind Simmons at scott.tind.simmons@drc.dk. For general information about the Danish Refugee Council and Danish Demining Group, please consult www.drc.dk and www.danishdemininggroup.dk 

Application and CV
Only motivated applications that address the stipulated duties and meet the required qualifications sent together with a CV will be considered. Please provide references, but do not attach any written recommendations until requested to do so.

Please submit your application and CV in English no later than 20 October 2014. CV-only applications will not be considered. Please note that applications are not to be sent to Mr. Tind Simmons. We only accept applications sent via our online recruitment system on www.drc.dk under Vacancies/Current vacancies. 

Applications sent directly to Mr. Tind Simmons will not be considered.

If you have applied for the ‘General call for Country Directors’ we advise you not to re-apply separately for this position; your application for the pool will be considered for this position as well. 

Problems with on-line application?
Please inform us via job@drc.dk, if you have questions to the application process or experience problems with your on-line application.