The IRC has been active in CAR since 2006 and has been implementing emergency response programs since early 2007. The IRC has three field offices in the north – Bocaranga, Kaga Bandoro, and in the south-east – Zemio, in addition to a central office in Bangui. Since 2007, it has built close relationships with local communities, community leaders, local authorities, and other local and international actors. Today, the IRC is one of the leading humanitarian actors implementing programs in health, women & child protection, and economic recovery & development. The IRC has demonstrated its ability to successfully implement health and protection programming, improving beneficiaries’ access to healthcare and providing survivors of violence with safe, confidential services to help them recover and reintegrate into their communities.
Scope of Work:
Reporting to the Regional Vice President, the Country Director will provide the strategic vision and leadership for the country program. S/he is responsible for ensuring the design and delivery of quality programs, donor and government relations, fundraising and budget management, security and operations management, and developing a motivated and professional team. S/he will work closely with, and receive support from regional and headquarters program technical units; measurement unit; safety and security unit; regional finance and operations staff.
The IRC Country Director is responsible for overall leadership and supervisory management of IRC personnel, programs, and operations in the country, including stewardship of resources, staff safety and security, program quality and accountability, and performance management
The Country Director is IRC’s principal representative to the Central Africa government officials, donors, international organizations, CAR civil society, other NGOs and the media. The Country Director leads country program staff in developing and implementing the Strategic Action Plan and in pursuing the outcomes and objectives identified in IRC’s global strategy.
The Country Director directly supervises the Senior Management Team in a country program of approximately 250 staff.
Responsibilities
1. Leadership and Representation
• Lead the country program by maintaining open and professional relations with colleagues, promoting a strong team spirit, oversight and resources to enable staff to perform, and model and promote the IRC values.
• Develop and implement strategies that result in strong representation with: government ministries at various levels; UN OCHA; donors including OFDA, DFID, SIDA, ECHO, UNICEF and other international organizations; international and local NGOs; and networks such as the CCO (Comite de Coordination pour les ONGIs).
• Develop and maintain a high level of understanding of donor priorities and planned funding streams.
• Initiate and sustain strong, mutually beneficial and authentic partnerships with local organizations.
• Seek out and pursue opportunities to raise the profile of the work of IRC and its partners, as well as the lives and the needs of the people IRC seeks to serve.
• Play a leadership role in efforts to improve humanitarian coordination.
• Lead country program collaboration with colleagues to deliver regional programming and advocacy.
• Ensure leadership and management processes enable the IRC to effectively adapt to contextual changes and fully make use of opportunities to expand humanitarian access and assistance.
2. Strategic Direction, Quality, and Growth
• Ensure the strategic vision and direction of the country program is aligned with global strategy to serve people with responsive, high-quality and accountable programming, and secure the resources necessary for realization.
• Ensure the strategy action plan is of quality, implemented and guides decision-making.
• Ensure quality through consistent use throughout the country program of: rigorous assessment, design, and proposal development and review processes; comprehensive monitoring & evaluation, accountability and learning systems; staff development investments; and partner organization capacity strengthening.
• Ensure the SMT delivers the leadership, management structures, staffing skills and approaches, and operational systems required to ensure a coherent ‘one IRC’ approach to achieve regional objectives.
3. Safety and Security Management
• Take primary responsibility for overall management for the country program.
• Oversee the management of all security issues, including appropriate response to emergency situations as they arise.
• Maintain a culture of safety throughout the country program, including trainings and briefings that prepare all country program staff for security incident prevention and response.
• Keep security, evacuation and contingency plans current and accessible to country program staff.
• Maintain close coordination and communication with the Regional Safety and Security Advisor on relevant concerns and evolving issues that could adversely affect IRC staff or operations.
4. Human Resource Management, Staff Development & Retention
• Working closely with the HR Coordinator, Deputy Director- Operations and the Regional HR Director and the HR Unit at HQ, develop a positive work environment for all staff supported by a professional level human resource management function.
• Provide leadership support for the successful implementation of and adherence to the Organization Global and National HR Operating Policies and Procedures.
• Model the “IRC Way” – Global Standards for Professional Conduct, through demonstrable realization of values: Integrity; Accountability; Service and Equality
• Champion the IRC’s approach to Gender Equality, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion and Safeguarding, ensuring that all staff and clients are protected and respected.
5. Stewardship and Operational Management
• Drive operational excellence to achieve optimal efficiency and cost-effectiveness in all functions and operations of the country program.
• Understand and mitigate risks (financial, operational, programmatic, reputational etc.) for the IRC in CAR.
• Oversee the deployment and utilization of financial and operational policies, procedures, and systems to deliver compliance with IRC and donor requirements.
• Ensure responsiveness and appropriate levels of in-person and remote support to all offices, especially in the areas of HR, finance and supply chain.
• Maintain effective and coordinated budget monitoring processes for grant funds and discretionary funds.
• Seek opportunities to introduce efficiencies and eliminate redundancies in existing business processes.
6. Communications
• Model and encourage active practice of the principles of the “IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct” throughout the CAR country program.
• Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that encourages open, honest and productive communication among IRC staff and with partner organizations.
• Maintain open communications with regional management staff, regional technical advisors, and HQ departmental staff.
Key Working Relationships
• Internal: Great Lakes Regional VP; Great Lakes regional team; other Great Lakes Country Directors; HQ departmental staff, as appropriate.
External: Partner organizations, host country government officials, public and private donor agencies, international and national NGOs, UN agencies, foreign governments
Job Requirements
You will have strong leadership abilities and interpersonal skills, and be able to deploy strong communications effectively, both internally and externally. You should enjoy developing networks to build partnerships and diversify program resources.
• Graduate degree in a relevant field or equivalent work experience .
• At least ten years of progressively responsible international work experience, including in a leadership role at the Country Director level of multi-site, multi-sectoral operations in a complex operating environment
• Prior experience working within organizational structures in transition.
• Experience working in conflict/post-conflict or disaster response situation.
• Professional fluency in written and spoken English and French.
Demonstrated Managerial/Leadership Competencies:
• Commitment to improving outcomes for populations affected by conflict and crisis.
• Experience building personal networks at a senior level, resulting in securing new opportunities for the organization.
• Demonstrated successful leadership and management experience with a multi-disciplinary, diverse and inclusive team in cross-cultural settings, including active mentoring and coaching.
• Effective in developing high-potential staff to achieve career growth and maximum contribution.
• Confirmed experience delivering suitable levels of oversight of a portfolio consisting of a variety of complex, high-value donor-funded projects.
• Opportunity-awareness. A successful innovative approach to unpredictable programming, operational, and funding contexts.
• Ability to represent program context, constraints, and successes to media, government, and other senior audiences.
Demonstrated Technical Skills:
• Experience managing security in a complex and rapidly changing security context.
• Confirmed ability to negotiate and work with partner organizations. Experience with organizational capacity strengthening and partnership building is helpful.
• Strong budget, internal control/compliance and fiscal oversight capacities.
• Extensive representation and fundraising success, including prior experience with European, US and international donors.
• Established capacity to handle stressful situations in a healthy, constructive manner.
• Ability to respond to multiple priorities in a timely manner, producing high-quality outcomes.
• Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Working knowledge of file sharing protocols such as Box, etc., an advantage.
• IRC experience desirable
Working Environment
• This post is unaccompanied and includes: vacation leave, home leave, R&R, Health coverage, pension, housing, water, electricity, internet connectivity, and other generous benefits.
• IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
Professional Standards :The IRC and IRC workers adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.
Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Equality: IRC acknowledges and honors the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.
IRC particularly welcomes applications from CAR nationals, diaspora or those with lived experience from the region. IRC is also committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
CVs to be submitted in English.
More Information
- Job City Bangui
