INTERIM - COUNTRY DIRECTOR, MALAWI

Job Title: INTERIM - COUNTRY DIRECTOR, MALAWI

Reporting To: DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMES, SELF HELP AFRICA

Location: LILONGWE, MALAWI

Self Help Africa,is a leading international non-governmental organisation focused on nutrition, agriculture and agri-business as the engine of growth for smallholder farmers in Africa. We are seeking an interim Country Director for up to six months while we recruit for a permanent candidate The Interim Country Director will be responsible for maintaining momentum for the overall management and development of SHA’s programme in Malawi and for ensuring that SHA’s work is underpinned by innovation and advances in technology to contribute effectively and efficiently to meeting the needs of smallholder farmers in Malawi and the development of a thriving rural economy, in line with the mission of the organisation. The Interim Country Director has the key responsibility to liaise with current and potential new donors to position SHA Malawi as a key player in the nutrition, agriculture and agribusiness sectors and to explore opportunities for expanding our work into humanitarian efforts with rural communities.

2. Roles and Responsibilities

Programme Direction and Management

The Interim Country Director will provide a clear strategic vision, bringing sound analysis of processes of change and effectively operationalising the strategy ensuring staff, partners and other stakeholders feed into and support the strategy. They will maintain general oversight of the entire programme; ensuring good governance procedures are followed and that all issues are dealt with appropriately promoting a positive working atmosphere across the country team.

Specifically, this includes:

· Keeping up-to-date with relevant socio-economic and political developments and trends within Malawi and the NGO and development sectors and how these will impact on programme direction and effectiveness;

· Providing on-going review and development of overall country strategy, and of individual project objectives;

· Ensuring that all projects are monitored and evaluated, are in line with deadlines, are appropriate, necessary, cost effective, targeted, sustainable and in keeping with SHA’s philosophy and strategy.

· Ensuring positive working relationship with all partners (government, communities, NGOs, donors, etc.) ensuring partnership agreements are in place;

· Providing technical advice and support, where necessary, to project teams;

· Ensuring that an appropriate development programme which is balanced, well documented and effective in terms of costs and outputs is delivered.

· Working with our partners to drive forward and develop activities for policy, research and advocacy to support an enabling environment for smallholder farmers in Malawi.

Human Resource Management

Responsible for the motivation, management and development of all staff in the Malawi programme in line with SHA policy: this includes:

• Direct line management of senior staff;
• Accountability for the overall health, welfare and security of personnel;
• Recruitment of all senior staff ensuring a high level of competence in personnel recruited via good induction, contract extension / termination / promotion in conjunction with and liaising with HR management in Ireland/UK and following HR policy guidelines;
• Ensuring that there are procedures in place to support and encourage appropriate personal and professional development of staff;
• Ensuring that there is ongoing review/evaluation of staff performance;
• Ensuring adherence by all staff to SHA rules, regulations and policies.

Representation

The Country Director is the official representative of SHA in Malawi and is responsible for increasing the profile of the organisation. This includes:

• Building and maintaining effective relationships with Government Ministries nationally, regionally and at district level;
• Building and maintaining effective relationships with a range of partners from research organisations, universities, other NGOs, and donors;
• Building and maintaining effective relationships with a range of donor organisations and international NGOs based in Malawi;
• Creating opportunities to promote and disseminate lessons learned within SHA programmes to a wider audience (farmers, local government, research institutions, other NGOs, etc.);
• Creating opportunities for Media and PR coverage for the work of SHA.

Financial and Resource Management

Ensuring the responsible and efficient management of financial and other resources:

• Ultimate accountability for all financial matters and compliance with all financial controls as set down by the Chief Financial Officer at HO and local registration requirements;
• Working with HO to develop and implement effective information and resource management systems;
• Responsible for ensuring full-cost recovery of all project and staff support costs;
• Lead responsibility for increasing and overseeing in-country fundraising through the identification of opportunities in-country, the preparation of appropriate funding proposals and the management of donor relations.

Other

• You will be expected to undertake any other reasonable duties as assigned at the discretion of your line manager.

3. Required Qualifications, Skills and Competencies

Essential

a) A strong commitment to the aims, objectives and values of Self Help Africa;

b) High level of initiative, motivation, commitment and professionalism;

c) A minimum of 7 years senior management experience in a similar environment;

d) Appropriate degree level qualifications, preferably supplemented by relevant post-graduate qualifications;

e) Excellent verbal, analytical, organisational and written skills in English;

f) Proven ability to build relationships with donors and secure funding for programme work;

g) Experience in liaising with government officials and a variety of donors at senior level;

h) Ability to properly manage complex financial control and management systems;

i) Sound and up to date knowledge of development concepts, methodologies and techniques and the ability to critique them;

j) Commitment to international and humanitarian NGO codes, standards and practices.
Desirable

• Expertise in rural enterprise development – value chains, credit, co-operative/farmer association development, etc;
• A strong appreciation of how to lobbying and use media;
• A knowledge and experience of working in Malawi and/or elsewhere in the region.
  Competencies

a) Excellent communication, diplomacy, negotiation and relationship building skills.

b) The ability and resilience to cope with multiple internal and external demands together with proven experience in managing change in complex environments;

c) Ability to work with minimum supervision and take initiative;

d) Ability to provide effective management;

e) Ability to solve problems and take corrective action;

f) Strong interpersonal and inter-cultural communication skills;

g) Excellent staff management and personnel skills including a proven ability to develop the capacities of multi-disciplinary professional teams;
4. Key relationships

Internal

• Programmes Director
• Staff of SHA Malawi
• Programme Support Team
• Programme Quality Team
• Programme Funding Team
• Programme Finance Team
• Executive Director and Senior Management team
• Communications Team

External

• Donors/Supporters e.g. EC, DFID, Irish Aid etc.
• Civil Society Organisations in Malawi including National and International NGOs
• Private Sector
• Government ministries and local government staff

5. Area of Responsibility

Country Operations, Malawi
6. Obligations

It is expected that you will:

• Carry out these accountabilities within the operating and process frameworks that apply to the whole organisation.
• Work together with all your key stakeholders - line and functional - to ensure organisational objectives, mission and vision are met.
• Exemplify our Standards of Integrity, Purpose & Values.
• Be in a position to travel extensively

Self Help Africa is committed to equal employment opportunities.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please see link to Careers page on Self Help Africa website. Please submit completed application form to recruitment@selfhelpafrica.net by the closing date 16th December.