Country Director

TITLE: Country Director

TEAM/PROGRAMME: West & Central Africa Regional Senior Leadership Team

LOCATION: Monrovia, Liberia

GRADE: International Tier II

CONTRACT LENGTH: Open-ended

CHILD SAFEGUARDING: 

Level 3:  the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

The post holder responsibilities on child safeguarding includes: 

• Overall accountability in ensuring that children are protected from any form of violence, mistreatment, abuse both in private and professional life
• Promote child protection and “do no harm” with staffs, partners, ministries, communities, families and other stakeholders
• Ensure that working with children will not put them at risk 
• Behave and act in line with SCI policies and standards on child safeguarding including reporting
• Ensure that partners and all other stakeholders understand and apply SCI child safeguarding policy and code of conduct. 

ROLE PURPOSE: 

As a member of the West & Central Africa Senior Leadership Team, you will have shared accountability for Save the Children’s international development and emergency programming in the region of approximately USD 225 million through an organisation of 2,532 people. To achieve our ambitious goals and breakthroughs for children, the leadership team will, in collaboration with Save the Children Members and in conjunction with the other regional organisations, aim to drive growth of the donor landscape to $2.7 billion this year.

The Country Director will lead the transformation of the country office to a new operating model, whilst also delivering Save the Children’s strategy within the country through:

• Delivering quality programmes, including advocacy, for children; 
• Developing the Country portfolio; and
• Serving Members and their donors

SCOPE OF ROLE: 

Reports to: Regional Director

Staff directly reporting to this post: 10, including the Director of Finance and Support Services, Business Development Manager, Education Technical Advisor, Head of MEAL, HR Manager, Audit and Compliance Coordinator, Awards Manager, Safeguarding Coordinator, ACCM Coordinator, and the Safety and Security Lead

Role Dimension: Save the Children has been actively working in Liberia since 1991. We currently have operations in 8 counties, including Grand Gedeh, Rivercess, Bong, Grand Bassa, Nimba, River Gee, Lofa, and Montserrado. Our sectors of focus include education, nutrition, food security and livelihoods (including climate resilience programming), WASH, and gender. With a staff of about 95, we implement both directly and in collaboration with communities, the Government of Liberia, and partners, including those in the private sector. The Liberia country office has a relatively diversified portfolio of approximately $7 million annually. We are a small country office with big aspirations, and a dedicated core team. Liberia is resource constrained with a small donor presence, necessitating a pro-active approach to business development that also involves thinking outside the box. 

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY : 

As a member of the Regional Senior Leadership Team, contribute to strategic development and delivery of international programming, in both humanitarian and development contexts, in line with the Save the Children mandate, strategy and theory of change.

Strategic Leadership 

• Provide vision and direction for the Liberia country programme 
• Effectively build and lead a high performing SMT to deliver against strategy and to model behaviours and values expected of staff 
• Accountable for the leadership and management of staff and programme in Liberia
• Develop the Country Strategy and ensure ongoing review progress against key country and organisational level objectives, indicators and targets
• Ensuring  that the focus of the organisation remains on the rights and needs of children 
• Contribute to regional and global knowledge and learning 

Human Resource Management 

• Ensure that Save the Children attracts and retains high calibre staff 
• Pro-actively develop and coach staff to optimise their potential in pursuit of Save the Children’s objectives
• Implementation of HR policies and procedures at country level, in line with HR policies, procedures and guidelines and local labour law
• Ensure consistent implementation of strong performance management systems throughout the country team
• Foster a collegial, supportive and respectful culture within the Mali team

Programme Development and Management 

• Ensure programme interventions are in line with technical best practice, SC common approaches, and emerging national policies as well as with country and strategic objectives, strategies, policies and approaches.
• Ensure that effective monitoring and evaluation systems are implemented in line with policies, systems and guidelines.
• Preparing for and implementing rapid and effective responses to major emergencies affecting children, including building relationships with key humanitarian and development decision-makers  and partners in-country  
• Delivering programmes and advocacy in line with the country strategy, operational plans, budgets and Member requirements that result in significant impact for children

Financial and Admin Management 

• Ensure effective financial budgeting and management systems, processes and controls are in place and are fully compliant with operating standards and local legal requirements
• Ensure effective Save the Children and donor compliant procurement and asset management systems, processes and controls are in place 
• Ensure that partner organisations are assessed in relation to financial management and governance standards and are supported to address capacity weaknesses

Audit and Corporate Governance compliance 

• Ensure compliance with all host government requirements in relation to registration, taxation, labour law, auditing, fraud etc.
• Ensure follow-up on recommendations arising out of audits of operations and take appropriate actions where necessary

Institutional Funding 

• Ensure full compliance with Members and donors requirements in relation to awards secured for the country programme
• Network actively and play a lead role in management level dialogue with members, donors and other INGOs on accessing and managing awards 
• Maintain and grow the funding base for the country program and liaise with the bilateral and multilateral donor community in Liberia.

Security Management

• Develop, establish and manage Mali programme security plans and procedures in line with policies, systems and guidelines
• Maintain, document and communicate up to date analyses of the changing security context
• Ensure all staff adhere to security guidelines

Representation, Communications and Advocacy 

• Develop and maintain good relations with Members and their donors
• Represent Save the Children’s interests in Liberia including Government Institutions, UN agencies, donor delegations, international & local NGOs
• Ensure the timely provision of internal and external communications material as required

Safeguarding and data protection 

• Ensure the implementation of SCI policies and standards on Safeguarding
• Ensure the implementation of Data protection policy and action plan 
• Promote a safer environment for staff 
• Facilitate and /or support investigations when needed

Other

• Any other duties as assigned by the Regional Director

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity and gender, sees it as a source of competitive strength

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Experienced leader who has held senior positions in complex/high profile/ multinational organisations 
• Experience of working with large, complex donors (USAID, USDA, SIDA, EU, GPE, World Bank, foundations, etc.) to secure and/or manage new large-scale and/or competitive funding
• Understanding of key trends in international and humanitarian development
• Experience of working or implementing in a volatile and complex context
• Experience on access negociation approaches, conflict sensitivity and aid diversion prevention
• Demonstrable ability to recruit, lead and develop high calibre specialist senior staff with a range of backgrounds and expertise
• Strong track record in building high performance teams and future successors/leaders
• Ability to manage and motivate self and others to respond to a significant and complex crisis situation in extraordinary circumstances, requiring swift action and rapid changes in priorities
• Innovative approach to solving a range of highly complex issues and galvanising buy-in to the solutions at all levels
• Experience and knowledge of context and actors in WCA region.
• Fluency speaking and writing in English 
• Commitment to the Save the Children vision, principles, mission and values 
• Experience on humanitarian programs and ability to work in a volatile environment preferred 

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities 

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

Female applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.