Contract Length: Three years
Date Needed By: 1st October 2014
Status: Accompanied
Exact Job Location: Lilongwe
Reports To: Regional Director Central Africa Region (CAR) plus Haiti
Responsible For: Directly responsible for Assistant Country Director Programmes & Systems (ACDP) (ACDS), the Country Finance Controller (CFC), and ultimately all Concern programme staff in Malawi.
Liaises with: Regional Director, Desk officer, Technical Advisors, Dublin HQ Finance, Logs department and other support departments, Concern USA and Concern UK offices
The Country Director has overall responsibility for strategic planning, programmatic direction, and management oversight of all programmes and operations of Concern Worldwide in Malawi. S/he will ensure effective and professional management of all aspects of the country programme, 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 AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Leadership:
· Lead/Guide Senior Management Team meetings and lead a participative decision making process on policy and strategic direction.
· Ensure that work is planned and organised in a way to maximise potential of staff to meet organisational objectives in the most cost effective manner possible.
· Ensure staff capacity, organisational structures and partnership approaches are strong and able to effectively deliver strategic organisational goals
Programme Development and Management:
· Promote the development of programmatic strategies and operational systems that balance country, donor, and organisational priorities and capabilities.
· Engage with major organisational advocacy issues, providing support for and providing leadership for key strategic campaigns.
· Ensuring through leadership that organisational approaches such as mainstreaming, HIV, equality, partnership are effectively incorporated across development programmes.
· Lead on effective results based management and ensure monitoring and evaluation systems are implemented in line with Concern policies and tools to measure impact and efficiency
Programme Quality & Learning:
· Ensure programmes are designed and implemented in line with Concern Worldwide policies, quality standard and building on past learning.
· Enable an organisational culture supporting effective learning and sharing and continual improvement of programme quality
· Ensure that best practices are used to improve quality of projects and programmes and advocacy to deliver significant impact and sustainable change for the lives of extremely poor people.
· Lead the development and delivery of high quality and innovative strategies for information and communication management.
Human Resource Management:
· Ensure that there are competent and empowered human resources, in a fair, diverse and efficient workplace where respect for people and equality are valued and promoted within a programme of excellent people practices.
· Ensure that the Staff Performance and Development Review (PDR) system is undertaken for all staff. Monitor and review performance and, in particular, holding staff accountable for meeting the success criteria and delivering any improvement goals which have been identified; giving corrective feedback where required and taking decisive action in the case of poor performance.
· Ensure that staff are adequately trained and developed for their roles e.g. by analysing staff training needs, organising the delivery of training or coaching, coordinating the sharing of experience.
Risk Management & Financial Accountability:
· Ensure that there is optimal use of financial resources within the organisation; managed in a transparent and accountable manner consistent with Concern’s systems and procedures, delivering quality results and demonstrating value for money.
· Ensure effective financial management systems, processes and controls, compliant with good operating standards and the relevant legal requirements in-country and ensure that financial systems and schemes of delegation can be modified rapidly in the event of an emergency
· Support and guide the Internal Auditor to ensure effective financial management within Concern Malawi and its partner organisations. This includes ensuring overall transparency, accountability, and integrity throughout all of Concern’s activities.
Systems, Policies & Procedures:
· Support and guide the ACD Systems to ensure that effective and efficient administrative and logistical support are provided to the staff of Concern Worldwide.
· Maintain and develop an efficient administrative and logistical capacity within the programme.
· As necessary, establish a strong working relationship with in-Country Lawyer to protect the interest of the organisation.
· Establish and maintain an effective safety and security management system to meet agreed standards.
· Ensuring that Concern’s IT systems provide efficient and effective communication and data management for the organisation, linking with Concern Worldwide systems.
Representation & Networking:
· Communicate information regarding Concern and its programme at National level to Government, Donors and INGOs, alliances and networks across a range of fora.
· Engage appropriately with the media to ensure that Concern's values and vision and programmes are highlighted.
· Represent Concern Worldwide in strategic national and international meetings; sharing experiences based on programme work.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Education, Qualifications & Experience Required:
· Third Level Degree preferably in social science or development management or business management or related discipline.
· Minimum of 5 years overseas experience working with an international humanitarian /development NGO (or similar institution), with strong programme development, team management and financial management experience.
· Minimum of 3yrs experience at senior management level within an international NGO, with experience of and interest in working in insecure emergency contexts.
· Experience of leading and managing a diverse team of senior staff including international staff. Proven strong management ability, including ability to motivate and develop skills of others. Must be able to make sound management decisions in difficult situations and also be able to work in a participatory manner with colleagues.
· Proven experience in building relations with donors and securing external donor funding.
· Excellent communication, presentation, networking and interpersonal skills with an ability/confidence to engage and represent Concern at public fora, media and with donors.
· Fluency in written and spoken English.
· Experienced in management of financial resources and overseeing human resources, administration and logistics function.
· Knowledge of equality issues and advocacy skills. Strong understanding and commitment to the promotion of equality.
· Knowledge of results based management, excellent organisational and planning skills.
· Strong problem solving and analytical skills.
· Able to prioritise and handle a diverse and heavy workload.
· Ability to work under pressure often to strict deadlines.
· Cross cultural awareness and sensitivity.
· Affinity with organisational values, mission and vision, commitment to humanitarian principles.
· Highly developed listening and conflict resolution skills.
· Belief in and respect for people, interpersonal skills. Patience and a sense of humour.
· Willingness to travel frequently to rural field locations and spend periods of time away from the capital in which the CD position is based
DESIRABLE
Education, Qualifications & Experience Required:
· Post-graduate training in NGO management, organizational development, or other relevant discipline.
· Previous Concern experience.
How to apply:
All applications should be submitted through our website at https://jobs.concern.net by closing date.
CV’s should be no more than 4 pages in length.
Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short listed on a regular basis and we may offer posts 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.
