Country Director

About the role: This is a 2 year, replacement role with unaccompanied terms based in Kabul, with significant travel to North East Afghanistan (Taloqan, Faizabad & Kunduz) at salary Band 7 €61,613 – €68,459.

You will report to the Regional Director and will line manage the Country Management Team and work closely with the Desk Officer, Emergency Directorate, Human Resources, Finance, Strategy Advocacy & Learning (SAL), UN, Donors, International Organizations, Civil Society, Partner NGO’s & the Government.

Start date: July 2024

Your purpose: You will have overall responsibility for the management of the Concern country programme. You will also ensure the country programme is in line with Concern Worldwide policies, procedures and meets Core Humanitarian standards. You will lead the Country Management Team (CMT) and represent the organisation with authorities, donors and other international organisations.

You will be responsible for:

Leadership

• Develop and implement a coherent country programme that contributes to achieving Concern’s global strategy and objectives in particular addressing emergency needs of refugees and IDP’s.
• Provide leadership in the overall effective planning and direction of Concern’s programme and operations at country level.
• Build strong and committed team of national and international staff adhering to Concern policies and procedures and applying key principles of transparency, accountability, good stewardship and participation.
• Create and maintain shared vision, amongst all Concern staff, of Concern’s programme aims and objectives and their role in achieving these.
• Lead and support in strengthening coordination and collaboration within teams and across all teams, maintain and ensure constructive communications, contribute to a positive working environment.

Security Management

• Take overall responsibility for the security and safety of Concern personnel and resources.
• Be responsible for participatory development and implementation of the Country Security Management Plan and Standard Operating Procedures.
• Liaise with necessary external bodies to keep abreast of current affairs in order to maintain an awareness of economic, political, humanitarian and security developments.
• Ensure a functioning Security Focal Group (SFG) and keep up to date with security incidents at central and field locations.
• Work with the SFG to ensure the development and maintenance of effective security systems for Concern employees, programmes and property including the regular revision and implementation of the Security Management Plan.
• Report any security threats and incidents to the Regional Director.

Programme Development and Management

• Lead the strategic development and implementation of programmes in line with Concern organisational strategic plan and following the Concern Project Cycle Management policy including proposal writing and sourcing funding.
• Ensure effective coordination of technical inputs (e.g. Head Office advisors) in designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating programmes.
• Take lead in ensuring targets of the country level funding strategy are met, and establish productive working relationships with donors and be responsible for undertaking country level negotiations related to securing funding, programming contracts, and reports.
• Develop partnerships with local NGOs through the application of Concern assessment tools
• Manage the country programme effectively including allocation of resources and ensuring that appropriate monitoring and controls are established and maintained at all levels by working with programme and systems managers, staff and where relevant partners.
• Provide adequate leadership and support to programme managers in setting up high quality standards and implementation of programmes to include equality, prevention of GBV and DRR.
• Ensure that all programmes are implemented and completed according to programme documents including agreed plans and budget, and in compliance with donors and internal policies.
• Maintain effective communication and liaise with Concern Head office in Dublin and ensure that high standard internal and donor reports are produced and submitted in timely manner and in line with relevant targets and objectives.

People Management

• Line manage senior management staff (Country Management Team – CMT) and be responsible for the overall management and development of national and international staff.
• Manage and support country programme team ensuring that there is clearly defined structure and job descriptions for all staff.
• Ensure that regular staff Performance and Development Review (PDR) system is established and maintained and that PDRs are adequately undertaken at all levels.
• Develop, review, and effectively implement all Human Resources related procedures in accordance with Concern policies and procedures and in line with the national labour laws.
• Establish and maintain regular, participative and documented forums and meetings for all key staff to discuss policy, strategic, operational and management issues, coordinate planning and implementation of activities, and ensure information sharing.

Budget and Financial Management

• Responsible for overall financial management including participatory budget preparation, revision and monitoring and timely submission of Budgets and reports to HQ.
• Ensure that the Concern organisational financial guidelines and procedures are adhered to.
• Develop and implement work and expenditure plans and ensure that the country programmes are implemented within agreed and approved budget through undertaking regular budget monitoring of expenditure against budget.
• Ensure that internal and donor financial reports are submitted in timely manner and up to high quality standard.

Representation and networking

• Represent Concern in and establish/maintain coordination and networking relationships with the government, local authorities, donors and other national and international humanitarian actors including Alliance 2015 members in the country.
• Ensure compliance with Concern’s statutory obligations in relation to registration compliance, including submission of mandatory reports to the authorities.
• Ensure that relationship and formal agreements with the government are established, maintained and updated as appropriate.
• Represent Concern at various coordination forums.
• Promote the humanitarian principles of Concern in external settings, ensuring that the organisation’s neutrality, impartiality and independence is well communicated and consistently presented, and that we are perceived as an independent humanitarian organisation addressing the needs of the most vulnerable.

Policies and procedures

• Ensure that support systems are in place and functioning in accordance with best practices in order to ensure transparency and accountability to programme participants, donors, government, and other relevant stakeholder.
• Promote and ensure compliance with the requirements of Concern’s Code of Conduct and its associated policies and implementation of the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), along with Concern’s community-based complaints and response mechanism (CRM) to ensure maximum protection of and accountability to programme beneficiaries.

Accountability

• promote and ensure compliance with the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) commitments and quality criteria
• ensure that all staff are familiar with the principles underpinning accountability, safeguarding and Concern’s Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM) and ensure that information about Concern’s commitments on accountability and safeguarding are disseminated among programme participants and communities
• ensure that the CRM is functional, effectively implemented and accessible in all programmes’ locations, enabling safe reporting of both programmatic and sensitive complaints, including safeguarding concerns
• ensure that complaints are welcomed, managed and responded to in a timely, fair and appropriate manner; ensure that sensitive complaints, including safeguarding concerns, are handled with utmost confidentiality and that the safety of the complainants and those affected is prioritised at all stages.

Other

• As a commitment to our humanitarian mandate the Country Director will be responsible for the implementation of any new emergency response.
• The programme is in a dynamic context that requires continuous contextual analysis and adaptation of the strategic planning frameworks.

Your skills and experience will include:

Essential:

This position demands a dynamic individual with a demonstrated ability to achieve results in a demanding and fast-paced environment.

• Advance Degree preferably in social science or development management or business management or related discipline.
• At least 5 years’ overseas experience in management and coordination of humanitarian interventions and emergency response with at least 3 years’ experience in a senior management position.
• Experience in insecure and complex contexts and environments.
• Strong leadership skills and ability to manage change effectively.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills in English
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with an ability/confidence to engage and represent Concern at public forums, media and donors.
• Strong coordination and conflict resolution skills.
• Cross cultural awareness and sensitivity.
• Ability to work under pressure and to strict deadlines.
• Good coaching, motivational, facilitation and capacity-building skills.
• Dynamic and willing to take initiatives to complete assigned task, and work independently.
• Delegation, time management and prioritizing skills and coping with broad range of demands.
• Willingness to travel regularly to the project sites.
• Ability to work with Microsoft Office software, specifically Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Desirable:

• Previous work experience in Afghanistan
• Affinity with organisational values, mission and vision, commitment to humanitarian principles
• Familiarity with UN coordination mechanisms
• Experience of managing major donor grants such as ECHO, EU, USAID/BHA, UN Agencies and Irish Aid