Country Head – Angola

Job title: Country Head – Angola

Location: Luanda, Angola (regular travel required)

Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience

Contract: Full-time, Permanent

Reports to: Regional Director Africa

Job Purpose: The Country Head is responsible for bringing together the Angola programme’s senior leadership team under a defined programme strategy, providing a clear direction of travel, and enforcing a culture of accountability. They are responsible for the welfare of programme staff and assets, ensuring compliance with internal and national regulations, and with donor contracts.  As the senior HALO representative in programme, the Country Head leads the management of productive relations with local authorities and partners.

About The HALO Trust

HALO is the leading global NGO addressing the impact and drivers of conflict, with projects in 30 countries and territories, and over 11,000 staff. Most of our staff are local employees and include a growing number of women. Our primary duty is to serve people affected by conflict, clearing landmines and the explosive remnants of war that threaten lives and livelihoods long after fighting has finished. We make land safe where war has ended, while also assisting those affected by active conflict and endemic violence. HALO addresses human suffering caused by armed violence in some of the world’s most fragile places, securing weapons and ammunition and working with both state and community actors to reduce the prevalence of armed violence.

HALO has been working in Angola since 1994 and now employs over 1,400 staff (47% women) working in demining, explosive ordnance risk education, and conservation. There are over 70 different types of landmines in Angola from an estimated 41 years of minelaying during the war for independence and civil war which persisted from 1961 to 2002. The programme currently has twenty ongoing contracts from a diverse set of institutional, private, and corporate donors. As a signatory of the Ottawa Treaty, HALO supports the Government of Angola in reaching its treaty obligations. To date, HALO has cleared over 100,000 mines and made over 25km2 of land safe for use across the country.

This is a great opportunity to lead a dynamic and expanding team to deliver impactful projects. The Country Head will lead the strategy of the programme and have the autonomy to progress the programme through internal change and thematic expansion.

About the role:

HALO is seeking a dynamic and solution-oriented Country Head to lead the strategic direction of the programme in accordance with HALO’s organisational mission and goals. The Country Head will lead a senior leadership team of six mid-level managers who work across mine action operational delivery, environmental project delivery, human resources, finance, strategy, support services and a Chief of Staff. They will work in partnership with the Regional Director, Deputy Regional Director, and other HQ functional leads. The Country Head will serve as the legal and primary HALO representative in Angola and be accountable for the programme’s staff and assets, the execution of donor projects and relations with local authorities and partners.

The Country Director is responsible for leading the strategic direction of the programme, including the design, review, and implementation of the programme’s strategy in accordance with HALO’s organisational objectives and charitable purpose. This includes establishing long-term strategic goals for the programme and developing the capacity and strength of the existing team. The Angola programme has projects spanning across two of HALO’s three strategic goals and is especially focused on the expansion of activities surrounding women’s empowerment and inclusivity, and the linkages between conflict, conservation and mine action. The successful candidate to this role will be a strategic thinker, who can demonstrate previous experience successfully building capacity to achieve strategic objectives.

The Angola programme currently has twenty ongoing contracts from a variety of governmental, private, and commercial donors with an annual turnover of circa $16 million. The Country Head will oversee and lead the two programmatic Heads responsible for execution and delivery donor projects: Head of Mine Action, and Head of Environment. The Country Head will ensure that the other senior managers provide the necessary support to the programmatic Heads to ensure they have the resources, capacity and support required to operate in an effective and compliant manner. The successful candidate will need to have exceptional liaison skills as they work closely with the Head of Strategy to maintain and foster critical stakeholder relationships in Angola, specifically with the Government of Angola as the programmes’ largest donor. The Country Head will also need exceptional organisational and financial acumen as they are accountable for the programme’s financial and legal compliance with internal and national policies and legislation.

The successful candidate will need to be an inspiring leader, capable of managing the large and diverse workforce with a focus on empowerment, communication, and professional development. The Country Director will be needed to work on improving processes and procedures with a desire to lead on implementing impactful systematic change. This role requires a candidate with strong coordination capabilities, and a commitment to lead by example to maintain high professional standards.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the programme and foster a positive culture aligned with HALO’s values and standards, protecting, and enhancing the welfare of HALO’s staff and beneficiaries.
• Provide strategic input and support regarding the development of emerging programme opportunities and thematic growth inline with the programme and organisational strategies.
• Design and implement the programme’s long-term strategy and annual strategic goals.
• Develop the capacity and strength of the existing team, ensuring the correct staffing structure, capacity and skills are in place to achieve the programme’s strategic objectives and contractual commitments.
• Manage the senior leadership team to ensure compliance across all departments in the programme in accordance with HALO policies and procedures, national regulations and legislation, donor contracts and regulations.
• Ensure robust systems and reporting across the programme to enforce compliance through a thorough system of checks, monitoring, and accountability.
• Oversee and coordinate the senior leadership team to ensure budgetary and project contractual compliance.
• Manage the Head of Finance and regulate financial reporting to enforce monthly, annual and project cycle deadlines and internal and external regulatory requirements are met.
• Lead the in-country team, building morale, and providing empowerment, clear communication, and professional development.
• Provide leadership and line management to direct reports, including ensuring the setting of clear objectives, regular feedback, and development opportunities, and completing annual performance appraisals.
• Ensure the programme operates in accordance with national labour law and HALO’s HR regulations including safeguarding, health and safety, and security. Ensure total adoption and integration HR policies and systems, and lead on implementing impactful and responsive systematic change.
• Inspire, mentor, and manage across direct reports and the wider team, providing support to performance improvement or disciplinary processes for staff as required.
• Maintain a detailed understanding of the political, military, economic and security situation in the country to understand and evaluate risks as well as needs and opportunities.
• Review and assess existing and emerging risks in the country and provide or recommend appropriate mitigation measures (to include the Foreign Terrorist Organisation threat and sanctions).
• Ensure operational safety, emergency response and crisis management response and preparedness in coordination with the senior leadership team.
• Represent HALO with key stakeholders to maintain relationships with partners and donor representatives in country and raise HALO’s profile by building complementary partnerships and securing new funding opportunities.
• Review operational, financial, safeguarding, or other major incident investigation reports as required, ensuring timely and sufficient corrective actions are taken.
• Implement programme communications strategy and raise HALO’s profile through engagement with the media and with potential private donors and supporters.
• Report regularly and as required to HALO HQ and the Regional Director.
• Where appropriate, act as representative for the Regional Director / Deputy Regional Director.
• Carry out any other duties as required or directed in support of HALO’s mission.

**Please note that this role is based in Angola**

Essential:

• Significant senior leadership experience within the INGO/ Humanitarian sector.
• Significant senior leadership experience of full cycle project management including design, implementation, evaluation, and accountability with a track record of achieving results.
• Experience in managing compliance across project management, financial, labour law and other departmental functions.
• Experience in strategy building and implementation.
• Proven experience establishing and maintaining new stakeholder relationships.
• Financial management and compliance.
• Proven experience leading and managing teams, building capacity and creating an inclusive workplace.
• Experience assessing and managing risk as well as managing incidents and crises.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and an ability to foster a cooperative work environment.
• Clear written and verbal communication, including public speaking as an organisation’s representative.
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills and fluency in English.

Desirable:

• Portuguese language skills or a strong willingness to learn.
• Experience of working overseas in low-resource settings and within complex political environments.
• Experience working with a variety of donor types, such as government, private, corporate and foundations.
• Experience in safeguarding management.
• Experience implementing professional development strategies for staff.
• Experience in mine action, weapons and ammunition management, and other related aid & development activity.
• Experience working on projects relating to gender and women’s empowerment.

• Annual Leave:  49 days rising to 56 after two years in HALO.

• $350 per month Local Overseas Allowance
• Non-contributory life assurance.
• Private medical health cover.
• Pension contributions matched by HALO up to 5%.
• Emergency medical insurance when travelling overseas.

How to Apply

Please submit a CV (no more than 2 pages) and a cover letter (no more than 1 page) in English outlining how your experience matches the key skills and competencies required by midnight 10th May 2024 (UK time). We reserve the right to amend the closing date depending on the number of applications received.

In addition to confirming that you can meet the essential skills, competencies and HALO’s values, job offers are subject to two satisfactory references, a pre-employment medical and a criminal record check.

The HALO Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

The HALO Trust is committed to a culture that is both diverse and inclusive and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.

The HALO Trust is committed to ensuring that it provides a safe and trusted environment which safeguards and promotes the welfare and wellbeing of anyone who comes into contact with, or is part of, the Charity, with a zero-tolerance approach to behaviours which challenge this.