Country Director At MENTOR Initiative

Contract duration: 1-year

Start date: ASAP

The MENTOR Initiative is the world’s leading non-profit organisation dedicated to the control of malaria and other vector borne diseases in emergency settings, operating across countries in west, central, and eastern Africa and the Middle East. The organisation directly delivers large scale disease control interventions to the most vulnerable communities caught up in emergencies, and in parallel, also works to build the technical and operational capacity of local and international partners on the ground, to incorporate medium- and long-term disease control systems into their operations and country strategy.

The Country Director (CD) is required to assist The MENTOR Initiative in the overall implementation of the programmes. Key to this is ensuring that the objectives are fully achieved in a timely manner whilst concurrently identifying needs, opportunities and informing strategic and operational response.

The CD will lead in-country organisational representation providing leadership overall responsibility for the management of all fundraising financial and grant management, human resources management, technical programme support and logistics support.

The CD will coordinate the different programmes in order to ensure consistent levels of high-quality delivery, accountability and transparency across them all.

The main responsibilities of this post include the following:

1. Security Management

In close collaboration with the HQ Program Manager, the Country Director is responsible for overall security management in a highly insecure and volatile context:

– Ensure solid networking and in depth and regular information collection and analysis on the security situation in the country.

– Organises for regular security updates with the MENTOR bases in the field

– Provide security updates to MENTOR HQ on a regular basis.

– Oversee that security related logistical support for the operations is adequate and functional.

– Directly responsible for regular updating of clear and pragmatic security guidelines for the

MENTOR programmes. This includes overseeing that all MENTOR bases in country have adequate evacuation / hibernation plans in place.

– Ensure the strict respect of general security rules by all MENTOR team members in country.

– Ensures solid and extensive security briefing of new expatriate team members upon arrival in the MENTOR mission in country.

2. Programme Management

– Support the implementation of the MENTOR programmes.

– Support an extensive network of Community-based Healthcare Workers (CHWs) as well as to health facilities (for referral of cases beyond the capacity of CHWs) to allow for quality case

management of the most common health problems.

– Oversee planning and organisation of operational research studies

– Ensure, in close collaboration with the Medical Coordinators, that an efficient system for data collection and analysis is in place. Data collected must reflect the reporting needs for the different grants.

– Use the log frames for the different projects as a tool for strategic discussions and planning as vital part of successful project implementation

– Through clear and efficient communication and support, collaborate closely with the Coordination team to ensure that programme activities are implemented according to

objectives and action plans and as per security constraints in the different geographical targeted areas.

– Provide general representation and active technical support to the National Malaria Control Program as well as to NGO / UN counterparts.

– Oversee the implementation of existing programmes including development and delivery of activities.

– Supervise, develop and support the team in all aspects of the programmes activities.

– Coordinate the strategic mapping of the programmes development.

– Ensure quality reports are produced on monthly, quarterly and annualy basis and submitted to HQ in a timely manner.

3. Donor Management

– Oversee the management of grants including appropriate expenditure of funds and timely grant reporting (to be sent to HQ for review prior to submission to donors).

– Responsible for the coordination and final editing of field drafts of narrative donor progress

reports and for sending these for review to the HQ Program Manager as per the required deadlines.

– In close collaboration with HQ, carry out exploratory field missions in order to assess and report on potential new intervention areas.

– Liaise with current and future donors (as relevant), in consultation with HQ, to advance program ideas, solicit funding and other support.

4. Financial / administrative Management

In close collaboration with the Finance team in country and with direct support from the Grants Manager (GM) at HQ level, the Country Director is responsible to the organization for the financial integrity of the programme by ensuring financial resources are cost-effectively utilized to implement activities in accordance with budget available and as per MENTOR standard procedures:

– Ensure solid and appropriate security precautions in regards to cash management in the MENTOR country programme.

– In collaboration with the Finance Coordiantor, ensure that regular updates of budget tracking for all grants supporting MENTOR activities in country are effective.

– Oversee that monthly finance documents (reports on expenditures, requests for cash, payrolls, budget plans etc) are submitted from the Finance coordinator to the GM at HQ level within the required time frame.

– Oversee that hard copies of expenditure justifications are adequate and in line with MENTOR

standard requirements.

– Ensure compliance with all local government taxation and labour regulations

– Responsible for the finalisation and endorsement of mission related official documentation (Memoranda of Understanding, legal contracts, agreements etc.)

– Maintain an overview of contextual needs of call for proposal and administrative requirements from the country

– Ensure HQ authorisations are established for all new grants.

5. Human Resource Management

– Direct line management of MENTOR Coordinators as per the organogram while ensuring their effective management of programme and operational support staff.

– Participate in the recruitment of consultant team members including in the final selection among shortlisted candidates.

– Directly responsible for organising an in-country general briefing to new consultant team members upon their arrival to the mission as well as for debriefing sessions for each consultant team member at the end of their contract.

– Ensure the effective implementation of consultant performance reviews in a timely manner by all team managers. The Country Director is directly responsible for ensuring performance evaluations for consultant team members under his/her direct responsibility.

– Oversee and approve the recruitment of all national team members in accordance with national labour law.

– In close collaboration with the Finance and HR team in country, review the internal regulations and policies for MENTOR team members in accordance with national labour law.

– Ensure that national contract formats, per diem policies etc are adhered to consistently.

– Coordinate weekly and ad hoc general team meetings as well as senior programme management team meetings to ensure that the team works harmoniously to meet the needs of the programme.

– Ensure that all contracts, MENTOR’s Code of conduct, MENTOR’s policies and procedures are in place, adhered and respected by the entire MENTOR staff.

– Ensure that Safeguarding/PSEAH policies are implemented and regular team members traing are done.

– Ensure that incident reports are made in timely manner to HQ on violations of the Code of conduct.

6. Logistics

In close collaboration with the Logistics team:

– Ensure that adequate logistical support is organized for the security management.

– Oversee that timely international and local procurement is carried out as per budgets available and in line with programme needs and procurement guidelines.

– Oversee an appropriate stock management of assets, medicines, prevention material etc.

– Oversee that logistical filing systems are maintained, including appropriate filing of equipment manuals, maintenance schedules and other logistical documentation e.g. way bills.

– Oversee that the MENTOR fleet is renewed and maintained as needed and as per

instructions from HQ.

– Oversee required procurement, maintenance and usage of all communication equipment including HF, VHF and satellite phones / internet connexion.

– Oversee the daily coordination of transport activities by road and air.

7. Communication

– Internal:

o Ensure clear and regular communication between within the programme teams.

o Ensure the implementation of regular general team meetings in country

o Organise regular management team meetings for all coordinators in the mission

o Responsible for the elaboration of regular internal situation reports

o Carry out regular verbal briefings with HQ (PM and GM) as required.

– External:

o Ensure MENTOR participation in all appropriate external meetings.

o Organise and participate in technical meetings with health stakeholders.

o Ensure a transparent and efficient exchange of data, context reports etc with relevant stakeholders.

o Provide support during agreed media related field visits.

O Actively maintain and build good working relationship with partners, donors and all key stakeholders including other NGOs and international organizations. Participate in forums/conferences, identify opportunities for development and emergency needs.

8. Other

• Work with MENTOR to share best practice across the organization as required.

• Any other duties as may be assigned by the HQ Programme Manager.

Job requirements :

– Relevant post-graduate degree or equivalent experience

– At least 5 years work experience in managing programmes related to International health issues in emergency or developing country settings.

-Previous experience as a Country director.

– Good working capacity in both English and French

– Proven experience with NGO working environments and standard procedures

– Solid prior experience working in complicated security contexts

– Proven experience with donor’s procedures/project management/HR management

– Organized and good coordination / able to work under pressure

– Experienced in managing teams

– Excellent communication, interpersonal and cross-cultural skills

– Creative, innovative and strategic thinker