Country Director, Burkina Faso At Helen Keller International

Helen Keller International

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Country Director, Burkina Faso
*(Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso)**

Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller, Helen Keller Intl partners with communities striving to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition and clear vision, we help millions of people create lasting change in their own lives. Working in more than 20 countries – across Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States – and together with a global community of supporters, we are ensuring every person has the opportunity – as Helen did – to reach their true potential.

We are currently seeking a Country Director (CD) in Burkina Faso to represent Helen Keller, develop new programs, expand our funding and lead the country office and its programs in a manner that reflects our mission and values and ensures technical excellence in the delivery of all activities.

Country Program Overview

Helen Keller started its programs in Burkina Faso in 1986 with an initial focus on Vitamin A deficiency. Currently, Helen Keller’s work in Burkina Faso includes nationwide programs for nutrition (vitamin A supplementation and support to the government with respect to bouillon fortification standards) and control of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). It also implements an innovative program aimed at assessing the effectiveness of azithromycin in improving child survival in 3 regions and a nutrition-sensitive project promoting the production of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes and other micro-nutrient rich foods and women’s empowerment. Helen Keller Burkina Faso also has a track of record in enhanced homestead food production (EHFP), food fortification of oil and flour, Management of NTD morbidity (including trichiasis and hydrocele surgeries, promotion of sexual and reproductive health and nutrition among adolescents, and eye health in schools. Helen Keller works with and through government partners to provide technical assistance aimed at ensuring sustainable health solutions for some of Burkina Faso’s most vulnerable people, particularly mothers and young children. Current donors include USAID, Global Affairs Canada, GiveWell/Good Ventures, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and The Helmsley Charitable Trust.

Functional Relationships

The CD reports directly to the Regional Director, West Africa and leads the Country Management Team (CMT). The position directly supervises a team of professional level staff, works closely with colleagues at all levels of Helen Keller’s global management structure and may be called upon to participate in global working groups or steering committees. Helen Keller has a matrixed reporting structure. Regular communication and a spirit of teamwork among colleagues, both hierarchically and laterally are essential to make this structure thrive.

Helen Keller’s programs require close relations with governments, partner universities and NGOs, private industry, donors, and UN agencies. The CD will represent Helen Keller at relevant external meetings.

Scope of the Position:

The Country Director provides strategic leadership and develops action plans that further the mission of Helen Keller and meet the evolving conditions in Burkina Faso. S/he has overall responsibility for ensuring technical and operational excellence in the delivery of all activities to achieve the objectives established in grants and strategic plans and representing Helen Keller to disseminate findings and secure and expand funding for project activities in Burkina Faso. This position is based in Ouagadougou with regular travel to project sites, security conditions permitting.

Specific Responsibilities:

Overall Management and Leadership

· Provide strategic vision and direction for overall program design, implementation, and proposal development; work closely with the country team to accomplish the strategic goals.

· Lead and oversee all aspects of the implementation of country programs and the management of the country office.

· Represent Helen Keller in formal and informal meetings with government officials, international donor agencies, and national technical advisory groups pertinent to Helen Keller project activities

• Identify opportunities and generate funding from international and bilateral agencies, and donor agencies.
• Develop and nurture in-country donor relationships and identify potential partners to participate in joint proposals.
• Lead and prepare concept papers and proposals and provide other information as needed for submission to donors and others for fundraising and marketing purposes.
• Model collaboration for your matrixed team: effectively consult and inform colleagues to maximize efficiency and knowledge sharing and integrate guidance and direction from subject matter experts in your office and elsewhere in the global organization to maximize performance.
• Build a highly effective Country Management Team, recruiting, supervising, mentoring, and evaluating staff, and engaging in frequent performance conversations with team members.
• Delegate authority, consult with, and guide staff to achieve goals and contribute to an atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development.
• Ensure accountability to beneficiaries, partners, colleagues, and donors by providing ongoing feedback in a context of mutual respect.
• Participate in the recruitment process of global colleagues as requested by management.

Programmatic

· Oversee and coordinate the program portfolio to ensure the highest level of project quality and accountability, while fostering continuity through local partnerships.

• Provide technical input to the government, international donors, and technical advisory groups pertinent to Helen Keller project activities.
• Ensure implementation of strong program monitoring, evaluation and learning functions.
• Oversee research design, methodology and dissemination of information needed to monitor and evaluate project activities and/or advance programmatic and policy changes.
• Disseminate findings from Helen Keller projects that are of importance to decision-makers in a position to fund or implement projects in Burkina Faso and internationally.
• Keep the national partners and others informed about progress of the projects, plans for the development of new programs/projects/activities and donor involvement in the overall program.

Operations and Finance

• Supervise all aspects of people management in the country office; including hiring and managing human resources, leading initiatives to develop staff capacity, and promoting team morale and retention.
• Supervise the safety and security function, ensuring that Helen Keller meets its Duty of Care responsibilities to staff, clients and other stakeholders in the context of Burkina Faso’s challenging security situation.
• Provide oversight to finance and administrative services including procurement, property management, vehicle and facilities management, and staff safety and security.
• Work with relevant global colleagues to manage the development and implementation of annual country budgets.
• Authorize expenditures for grant or contract allocations and ensure compliance with procedures required by grant or contract agreements.
• Ensure the preparation and accuracy and timely submission of financial and narrative reports that comply with grant or contract agreements and ensure compliance with all aspects of donor funding and HKI policies.

Qualifications

§ Minimum seven years of field experience in international public health, nutrition and/or Neglected Tropical Disease programs including demonstrated experience in program development, implementation and evaluation, plus a minimum master’s degree in public health, nutrition, development or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

§ Experience in designing and implementing workshops, seminars, surveys, monitoring systems, and evaluations. Experience in research design, data analysis, and interpretation.

§ Technical knowledge in an area related to Helen Keller’s mission and programs.

§ Demonstrated ability to undertake high-level representation and advocacy.

§ Experience working in the Sahel (ideal) and/or elsewhere in Africa, with Ministries, international and local NGOs, and donors based locally, is a substantial asset.

§ Demonstrated experience supervising safety and security in a challenging operating environment.

§ Demonstrated experience and skills in leadership and people management.

§ Demonstrated skills in program development and management and strategic planning.

§ Knowledge and experience managing compliance with diverse donor requirements (private foundations, GAC, USAID, etc.).

§ Demonstrated ability to supervise key administrative, procurement, and logistics functions.

§ Demonstrated ability to supervise financial management, develop and create budgets monitor financial status, and hold budget owners accountable.

§ Demonstrated capacity to mobilize program funding including donor cultivation and proposal writing.

§ Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including an ability to effectively lead a team, communicate a vision, make timely and transparent decisions, and manage conflict.

§ Very good oral and written English and French language skills, including the ability to quickly synthesize complex technical and programmatic issues into concise communications.

§ Well established and practiced organizational and planning skills;

• Computer literate in use of word-processing, spreadsheet and statistical software.

§ An ability to maintain balance when under stress.

§ Ability and willingness to travel at least within Burkina and periodically internationally.

§ Personal commitment to Helen Keller’s mission and goals and the values embodied by Helen Keller Intl’s co-founder, Helen Keller: compassion, grit, and optimism.

The initial employment period is for two years with the possibility of renewal.