Country Director Sudan

Females are highly encouraged to apply. 

NRC is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to diversity without distinction to age, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, and physical ability.

What we are looking for:

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organisation’s core values: dedication, innovation, inclusivity and accountability. These attitudes and believes shall guide our actions and relationships.

Context:

Since conflict erupted in Sudan in April 2023 the country has endured a comprehensive collapse. And with no meaningful prospects for peace in sight, it sits on the precipice of unprecedented crisis, fragmentation, and state failure. Sudan is now the world’s largest displacement crisis in the world, with over 10.7 million people internally displaced, and over 2 million fleeing across its borders. Sudan is also the word’s largest hunger crisis. About 25.6 million people – over half the population in Sudan – face acute hunger, including more than 755,000 people on the brink of famine. 

NRC’s programme has grown in response, becoming one of the two largest in the region. It has a budget of $72 million and employs 333 staff managed from three Area Offices that covers operations across all the States in Sudan

As well as delivering humanitarian response and seeking new routes to greater impact, NRC’s Sudan programme has built a strong reputation for humanitarian analysis and advocacy and seeks to continue to strengthen these efforts over the coming years, in partnerships with local and global actors.

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organisation’s core values: dedication, innovation, inclusivity, and accountability. These attitudes and believes shall guide our actions and relationships.

What you will do:

1. Role and responsibilities:

The purpose of the Country Director position is the overall responsibility for the country operation.

Key objectives for this role include:

Generic responsibilities:

1. National representation and coordination.
2. Development and execution of country strategy.
3. All in-country activities, personnel, and the Country Management Group (CMG).

Specific responsibilities:

• Development of the process for and delivery of a new Country Strategy, with revisions built in on an annual basis.
• Constant evolution of the country programme to leverage new opportunities and address constraints to realise maximum impact, in line with the Regional and Global strategies.

Please download the detailed job description to learn more about the position. As the above responsibilities are just a snapshot from the Job description.

What you will bring:

1. Competencies:

1. Professional competencies:

Generic professional competencies for this position: 

1. Minimum five years’ experience from working as a Senior Manager/Country Director in humanitarian/recovery context.
2. Experience from working in complex and volatile contexts.
3. Documented/proven results related to the position’s responsibilities.
4. Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile.
5. Fluency in English, both written and verbal.

Context/skills, knowledge and experience: 

• Knowledge of Sudan, the East Africa region or a similar context is desirable.
• Strong understanding of the humanitarian sector and an ambition to improve and reform it for greater accountability and impact.
• Strong understanding and appreciation of the role of advocacy and broader influencing in bringing about change and impact at scale.
• Ability to lead and build teams to succeed through high degrees of self-sufficiency and remote support.
• Strong budget management experience with proven record of delivering programmes on time and on budget in compliance with minimum NRC and donor requirements and ensuring that necessary systems are in place.
• Proven experience in overseeing all operational activities including finance, logistics, human resources, office administration, ICT, etc.
• Experience of influencing key decision makers, including government and donors, in a complex environment.
• Experience of leading security in complex environment, including in times of crisis.
• Proven delivery through remote management of teams divided by geographic and political boundaries.
• Experience of promoting innovation in difficult operating environments.
• Competence in Arabic is desirable.

2. Behavioural competencies:

These are personal qualities that influence how successful people are in their job. NRC’s Competency Framework states 12 behavioral competencies, the following are essential for this position:

• Strategic thinking
• Handling insecure environments
• Empowering and building trust
• Influencing
• Communicating with impact and respect
• Initiating action and change

What we offer

• Duty station: Port Sudan, Sudan
• Salary/benefits: grade 12 on NRC’s salary scale.
• Duration of Contract: 2 years with possibility of extension subject to good performance and funding.
• Travel: 40%
• NRC is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to diversity without distinction to age, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, and physical ability.
• We think outside the box, encourage ideas, and give responsibility to all employees at all levels. You will have many opportunities to be heard and take the initiative.

Find out more about the benefits of working for NRC

Important information about the application process

• Internal candidates only: To apply as an internal candidate, log in with your official email or click on Opportunity MarketPlace.
• When creating your profile, include your full name as given on your passport. Complete all the system-required fields for experience, employment history and education. Incompletely filled applications will not be considered.
• Submit your application and CV in English, taking care to attach your latest CV.
• Applications that do not meet the minimum standards in terms of experience or qualifications will generally not be considered. Unsolicited applications not related to this specific job advertisement will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We receive many applicants for each vacant position. Recruitment will be done on a rolling basis so please send your application at the earliest opportunity.
• This position is open for all nationalities.
• If you have any questions about this role, please email ESA Recruitment esa.recruitment@nrc.nowith the job title as the subject line.

Why NRC?

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. Our 15,000 staff work in crises across 40 countries, providing life-saving and long-term assistance to millions of people every year.

Watch this short video to see NRC in action.

We are looking for people who are passionate about helping refugees and people forced to flee. Are you one of those people? If you are, NRC offers you the opportunity to:

• Do demanding and professional work, often in challenging contexts.
• Join a work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility.
• Be part of a welcoming and supportive community committed to human dignity.

Learn more about NRC

Learn more about Sudan