Country Director At Danish Refugee Council

Danish Refugee Council, one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently looking for an experienced, highly- qualified and enthusiastic Country Director for Niger. As Country Director you will provide overall representation, management, and coordination of the country mission, while ensuring compliance to DRC’s Operations Handbook.

About the job

As Country Director you will be based in Niamey, but you will be expected to travel throughout the country to visit programmes and at the regional office for strategic reviews. Under the authority of the Regional Director, you are the person ultimately accountable in country for all aspects of DRC’s work. You are expected to lead and consolidate DRC programming and impact while overseeing the efficient use of resources. You will ensure that the organizational set up is adapted to the context of operations. You delegate specific duties as necessary while maintaining global oversight and accountability. Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

Representation
• Represent DRC to authorities, donors, partners, and in selected co-ordination forums
• Strengthen DRC’s position nationally and regionally
• Ensure that DRC maintains excellent and productive relations with all key stakeholders, especially beneficiaries, local authorities, the humanitarian community and donors
Direct managerial oversight and support
• Ensure that the Senior Management Team (SMT) have clear and realistic performance based management goals
• Overall management of the operation and direct manager for senior staff members. This includes coaching, ensuring co-ordination between managers, recruiting, and development of staff
• Frequent travel to the field offices for direct operational support and representation
• Ensure compliance with internal and external reporting requirements including procurement.

Fundraising and Advocacy
• As the majority of the fundraising is done locally, the Country Director will lead the process of applying for funding and broadening the funding basis in a challenging funding environment
• The Country Director will lead his/her team in writing concept papers, project proposals and budgets in line with the approved country strategy;

• Maintain high quality exchanges with the Regional Office team and mobilize the country team to participate to regional project and strategies.

• Lead in the team’s advocacy in all DRC key messages.

Security and Safety
• Be accountable for ensuring that DRC country programme is delivered in a safe and secure manner
• Provide overall accountability for security, including development of and ensuring adherence to security procedures, monitoring of the security situation, analyzing and provision of recommendations
Support Services
• Together with the Head of Support Services, provide overall budget monitoring, financial management and expenses control including compliance with minimum DRC and donor requirements and ensuring that necessary systems are in place
• Manage the resources allocated effectively and transparently by respecting and meeting all legal requirements in country
• Oversee finance and administrative services in the Programmes

• Support the implementation of ERP system and follow up
Human Resources
• Together with the HR team, provide leadership support to staff and promote best practices in human resources management
• Provide coaching and counselling advice to staff when necessary and lead initiatives to develop staff capacity
• Organise regular meetings with the senior management team and all staff for the purpose of exchanging information, coordination and learning
• Ensure that the country senior management team is effective, mutually supporting and sufficiently involved in decision making
Programme development
• Lead the development and update of the programme strategy, within DRC’s overall regional and global strategic frameworks
• Lead the development of the programme within the strategic objectives and not being constrained by the current limitations of existing programming
• Ensure that DRC standard regulations and operational procedures (Code of Conduct, DRC Management handbooks, HAP standards etc.) are followed

Accountability and Quality
• Be accountable for ensuring that programmes comply with the organisational quality and accountability commitments

• Guided by the Programme Handbook, continuously monitor and develop relevant accountability initiatives in the field as well as strengthening the effort to document the impact of activities and our presence

In addition to the above, the Country Director may be asked to carry out other duties requested by the Regional Director or the Head of Division.

About you

This position is a senior one, requiring a strong previous experience in a similar position. This position also requires strong ability in safety and safeguarding. To be successful in this role we expect you to have a minimum of 8 years’ relevant work experience in emergency contexts for a humanitarian agency or similar. Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required

• Master degree in political or social science, international development, economics or other relevant field)
• Minimum 8 years’ experience in people management
• Proven leadership skills
• Proven experience managing large and complex humanitarian operations
• Experience in financial and safety management
• Full professional proficiency in English (daily working language)
• Proactivity, with a sound commitment to teamwork and with a spirit of genuine collaboration
• Excellent communication skills, as well as patience and politeness, are required
• Multi-tasking and Organizational skills are a must
• Adaptable and Flexible
• Proven analytical and critical thinking skills
• Exemplary sense of ethics in the workplace
• Team-oriented & good sense of humor

Desirable

• Experience in representing a large and leading international organization to donors, external partners and authorities
• Experience with networking, advocacy and coordination
• Work related experience from the region/country
• Experience with managing Change
• Professional proficiency in French

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:

Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.

Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.

Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.

Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.

Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer

Contract length: 2 years

Level: Senior Management, D

Designation of Duty Station: Niamey, Poste accompagné

Start date: 15 February 2022

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates. Applicants must be aware that DRC cannot employ, under an expatriate contract, a citizen of the country in which the candidate is going to be stationed (in such case, the Republic of Niger).