COUNTRY DIRECTOR – YEMEN At CARE USA

CARE is an international NGO with local staff and community partners in more than 90 countries. We create local solutions to poverty and inequality and we seek dignity for everyone every day and during times of crisis. These solutions have a broad range, from clean water to access to education; from microfinance to ensuring that everyone has nutritious food; from agriculture and climate change to disaster response. CARE puts women and girls at the center of everything we do because they have proven to be the best hope for creating lasting change in the world. Our staff live where they work, which makes us effective at understanding the challenges they face. We’ve been doing this for over 70 years, since World War II. It started with the world’s first CARE Package® of food for the post-war hungry in Europe. Our work today is as important as ever, we believe that poverty and inequality are historic injustices that we can end within a generation, for good. If you share our core beliefs: poverty is an injustice; poverty is solvable; and together, we have the power to end it, join us, and fight with CARE.

CARE International (CI) is a global confederation of humanitarian and development non-governmental organizations working to reduce poverty and social injustice around the world.

The Country Director (CD) is CARE INTERNATIONAL (CI)’s legal representative in Yemen. S/he leads CARE’s strategy and operations in that country towards CARE’s Vision, Mission and Focus.

Reporting to the Managing Deputy Regional Director, the Country Director provides effective leadership and management to CARE International (CI) staff and other stakeholders to undertake CARE International’s role in addressing poverty and injustice and providing humanitarian assistance when needed consistent with CI’s Vision, Mission and Focus.

The Country Director is responsible for fulfilling the CI approved “Performance Standards of Country Offices” and has overall responsibility and leadership to ensure the relevance, impact and cost-effectiveness of CARE International in Yemen.

S/he represents CI in the country, guiding a relevant program strategy development and implementation, ensuring effective humanitarian capacity and timely response, leading operational planning, and overseeing financial, operations and human resource management, including the safety and security of all CI staff and visitors in Yemen.

The Country Director has primary responsibility for the safety and security of CARE staff and to safeguard all organizational assets and operations “CARE International in Yemen requires an entrepreneurial management style due its non-traditional programs, approaches, and initiatives.

This requires not only an efficient manager but also an effective leader who is comfortable in tapping into opportunities and taking/managing risks; has strong programmatic experience and not just an operational skills or mind-set; able to grow many entrepreneurial initiatives which might NOT fall within the current boundaries of CARE’s systems (regional hub, private sector engagement, etc.).

Based on the functions and competencies process done at the CO in FY17/18, the CD is expected to lead and manage program development and quality. Most importantly, for the next four years, the CO’s top priority is fundraising and resource mobilization, and thus the new CD will be a pro in the same.”

CARE uses a program approach to address the underlying causes of poverty for marginalized groups and works in collaboration with national and country governments, communities and development partners to implement programs and influence policies that reduce poverty and social injustice.

CARE works with a range of stakeholders including the Government, the private sector, local and international non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations and local communities to promote lasting change and innovative solutions to complex humanitarian and development challenges.

Job Responsibilities:

Representation, Public Relations, Information and communications

• The Country Director is the representative of CARE International in Yemen and represents CI to all parties including the Governments, donors, civil society and other organizations.
• Ensure that the CI has an appropriate legal basis for CI’s presence in Yemen consistent with CI standards and program related agreements with the relevant government authorities.
• Maintain productive relationships with all key stakeholders (civil society, government, donors, etc) so that they understand and respect the value of CI’s contribution to addressing poverty, gender inequality and injustice in Yemen and seek CI to contribute to development and humanitarian fora as a valuable source of experience and as a preferred partner.
• Ensure that the image of CARE International in the country is consistent with CI’s Mission, Vision and Focus and protects CI’s interests and assets.
• Liaise with the CARE International Members to publicize the work of CI in Yemen.
• Provide information for the Fundraising and Communication Departments of CARE International Members.
• Engage with national and international media and seek opportunities for publicizing CI’s work in Yemen.
• For security and safety, lead the Crisis Management Team in Yemen under the direction of RD and oversee CO’s overall response in critical incidents situations, liaising with Country Governments, CI Members donors and the media

Program Development and Implementation. Resource Mobilization for CO program (Yemen)

• Guided by the CARE International program strategy, donor and host government priorities, ensure that CI has a coherent, documented and understood strategy which clearly sets out how CI will fulfill its mandate to address poverty and injustice amongst poor and marginalized women and their communities in Yemen.
• Ensure that CI’s programs and projects in Yemen meet the objectives of the strategy and the CI Country Office is able to demonstrate the impact of this work through regular reporting of robust evidence.
• Provide support and guidance to the CO program staff in the identification, development and design of programs and projects consistent with CI’s program strategy in Yemen.
• Develop value-adding partnerships that are complementary to CI’s activities and competencies, increase the effectiveness and impact of mutually agreed objectives and are consistent with CI’s approaches to partnership and global commitments, including humanitarian principles.
• Identify and secure program and project funding consistent with CI’s program strategy in Yemen through CI Members, bilateral and multilateral donors and non-traditional sources.
• Ensure excellence in programming through the application of best programming practices, sound technical approaches, and good practice monitoring, evaluation and learning and develop a robust evidence base to demonstrate impact and inform policy engagement and ensuring CI’ full compliance with donor contractual requirements.

Country Office Strategic and Operational Planning and Implementation

• Undertake periodic assessment and review to ensure that the type of presence of CI in the country is appropriate for the program strategy including humanitarian mandate, the operating environment and the funding base and enables CI to achieve maximum impact at minimum cost.
• Ensure that CI in Yemen maintains a high level of preparedness to respond to humanitarian emergencies and responds effectively to emergencies as required.
• Ensure that the Country Office emergency preparedness plan is current and reviewed regularly in collaboration with appropriate CI stakeholders and relevant in-country partners.
• Provide effective leadership and management for the response by CI in Yemen in the event of a humanitarian emergency.
• Establish and maintain an effective management structure in the country that is documented and identifies responsibilities and accountabilities, includes appropriate engagement of stakeholders in decision-making and has systems for internal communication.
• Maintain the operational planning cycle, such as Annual Operating Plans, consistent with CI Member standards.
• Maintain all reporting requirements to host government, development stakeholders, CI Members and line management.

Country Office Financial, Budget and Administration Management

• Ensure the development of the CO’s annual budget as per CI policies and procedures.
• Ensure the financial viability of the CO to ensure that project budgets are able to cover the running costs of the CO.
• Monitor and analyze the CO cost structure, particularly in anticipation of changes in the program portfolio.
• Ensure that the CO performance and audit results are satisfactory, recommendations from previous evaluations and audits are addressed and show an overall improving trend.
• Ensure that the risk register is maintained and issues acted upon in a timely manner.
• Ensure compliance with CI Member financial policies and procedures including internal controls and reporting requirements.
• Ensure compliance with all legal, contractual and statutory requirements.

People and Culture Development and Management

• Responsible for the overall performance and management of the CI workforce in Yemen consistent with CARE International Performance Standards.
• Promote CARE Vision, Mission, Focus and Core Values commitment and hold staff accountable to these Values.
• Ensure CARE stance on Protection, Sexual, Harassment Exploitation and Abuse [PSHEA] is monitored and adhered to by both staff and our Partners and individuals/organizations held accountable for violation.
• Ensure that all personnel working in CI in Yemen are managed in accordance with respective staff HR policies and practices and Minimum Standards for national staff HR management.
• Ensure that all personnel management systems, policies and practices are documented including but not limited to staff orientation and induction, safety and security, work plans and performance appraisal, managing poor performance and misconduct; and are adhered to by staff.
• Ensure that all HR policies and procedures are established in accordance with host country laws and legislation and reviewed on a regular basis; ensure that HR policies are respected for expatriate personnel.
• Promote staff development and the maximization of local talent, through coaching and mentoring, talent management, succession planning and active career development.

Problem Solving

The CD is the most senior representative in the country as such is responsible for problem solving at a variety of levels. S/he will need to be able to analyze and react to situations as they arise on a variety of subjects ranging from staff security to programing decision, to issues of government and donors relations.

Educational

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences, Political Sciences, International Relations, Humanitarian and International Cooperation or related field
• Higher Degree in a relevant disciple is an asset

Experience / Technical Skills

• Minimum of ten years of senior managerial experience in international development and humanitarian assistance.
• Solid understanding of financial and budget management, and of best practice programming. Resource Mobilization, proposal development.
• Proven ability in decision-making and problem-solving including in dynamic contexts
• Fluent in English (speaking, reading and writing) .

Desired:

• Fluent in English (speaking, reading and writing) .
• Experience working in MENA Region. Knowledge of the political and country context.
• Demonstrated experience of development and humanitarian programs relevant to the situation of Yemen.
• At least five years of successful experience at senior management in contexts close to or similar to Yemen.