Country Director - Niger

CD NIGER - JOB DESCRIPTION

Contract Grade: D

Contract Length: 3 years

Date Needed By: ASAP

New Post or Replacement: Replacement

Accompanied / Unaccompanied: Accompanied

Exact Job Location: Niamey, Niger

Reports To: Regional Director in Dublin

Responsible For: All staff in country programme

Liaises With: Desk Officer and other technical advisors In HQ,   Government, Line Ministries, Donors & other stakeholders in Niger

Job Purpose:

The Country Director has overall responsibility for strategic planning, programmatic direction, and management oversight of all programmes and operations of Concern Worldwide in the country of assignment.  The Country Director will ensure effective and professional management of all aspects of the country programme, including humanitarian interventions, ensuring compliance with Concern’s organisational procedures, policies and values.

The main duties and responsibilities include Strategic Planning, Leadership, Programme Development and Management, Programme Quality  and Learning, Human Resource Management, Risk Management and Financial Accountability, Systems, Policies and Procedures, Representation  and Networking.

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

• To manage the Niger programme in line with organizational policies and procedures.
• Overall responsibility for strategic management of the programme, in particular preparing for and effectively responding to emergency humanitarian situations in Niger.
• Ongoing developing and management of the funding strategy for the country programme.
• Maintaining an awareness of the current economic, political and social situation within the country and the region.
• Overall responsibility for security management:  ensuring that the security situation is reviewed constantly, Security Management Plans (SMPs) are updated as necessary and that staff are aware of security procedures and comply with them.
• Representation of Concern in Niger, maintaining coordination and networking relationships with the government of Niger, donors and other development actors in the country; this includes ensuring Concern’s relationship and formal agreements with the government are maintained and updated as appropriate.
• Seeking useful areas of collaboration with other INGOs, networks, etc., in particular the Alliance 2015 group.
• Staff management and development, including in areas such as project design, proposal and report writing, monitoring and evaluation and other key areas.  Provide general management support to direct reports.
• Ensuring that support systems (IT, Finance, HR/Administration, Logistics and Transport) are in place and functioning in accordance with best practice and organizational policy and procedures in order to ensure transparency and accountability to government, donors and other relevant stakeholders.
• Overseeing the finance function within the country programme with overall responsibility for budgeting, reporting and monitoring of all income and expenditure.
• Overseeing the HR function within the country programme and ensuring that policies and procedures reflect global policies.
• Ensuring all internal and external reports are sent to Regional Desk at HQ in a timely fashion and adhering to high standards of quality.
• Maintaining good, regular and open communication with the Regional Director and Desk Officer for the Region.
• Contribute to organizational learning through liaison with other organizations and Concern fields and sharing lessons learned.
• Perform any other related duties as assigned by the Regional Director.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL

• Third Level Degree preferably in social science or development management or business management or related discipline.
• 5 years working experience in a senior position within a development organization preferably in international NGO with a sustainable development approach
• Proven experience of development and management of diverse and multi-sectoral programmes such a livelihood, health, education and HIV.
• Ability to work in emergency context as required
• Experience of managing a diverse team of senior staff including international staff
• Experienced in management of financial resources and overseeing human resources, administration and logistics function.
• Experience in building relations with donors and securing external donor funding.
• Good knowledge and experience of incorporating rights based, equality and advocacy approaches across development programmes
• Strong leadership skills and ability to manage change effectively
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with an ability/confidence to engage and represent Concern at public fora, media and donors.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, including fluency in written and spoken English and French
• Delegation, time management and prioritizing skills and coping with broad range of demands
• Highly developed listening and conflict resolution skills.
• Belief in people and respect for people, interpersonal skills
• Affinity with organisational values, mission and vision, commitment to humanitarian principles
• Willingness to travel frequently to rural field locations and spend periods of time away from the capital in which the CD position is based
• Strong understanding and commitment to the promotion of equality

DESIRABLE

• Post-graduate training in NGO management, organizational development, or other relevant discipline.
• Previous Concern experience.
• Experience in the Sahel

All applications should be submitted through our website at https://jobs.concern.net by the closing date.  CV’s should be no more than 4 pages in length.

Due to the urgency of this position and that it is re-advertised, the position maybe offered before the closing date.

Concern Worldwide is an Irish-based non-governmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.

Concern has a Staff Code of Conduct and a Programme Participant Protection Policy which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organization, and the standards of behaviour expected of them.  In this context staff have a responsibility to the organization to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment.   By signing the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct candidates acknowledge that they have understood the contents of both the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and the Programme Participant Protection Policy and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these two documents.

Concern receives a substantial amount of funding from external donors each year.  Increasingly donors are introducing requirements whereby future funding is conditional on Concern ensuring that the names of any new employee or volunteer do not appear on terrorism lists generated by the European Union (List of person, groups and entities to which Regulation (EC No. 2580/2001 applies), the US Government (Office of Foreign Assets Control list of specially designated Nationals and Blocked Persons) and the United Nations (Consolidated List).  Any offer of employment (either paid or voluntary) with Concern Worldwide will not be made pending a clearance check being conducted on the applicant.  For additional information please consult our web site or contact the Human Resource Division in our Head Office.

Concern Worldwide is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.