Country Director – Myanmar At Norwegian Refugee Council

Background

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organisation’s core values: dedication, innovation, inclusivity and accountability. These attitudes and believes shall guide our actions and relationships.

NRC has been active in Myanmar since 2008 and over that time has evolved into a complex and mature programme with an excellent reputation for technical skill and delivery of programmes. It currently comprises of 10 offices over three geographical areas and the CO in Yangon. Over the past years NRC Myanmar has been at the forefront of organisational innovation and development, piloting fair share, integrated programming and stand-alone protection. The portfolio of donors is currently larger than 15.

Whilst the events of 2020 and 2021 have caused considerable challenges, NRC Myanmar has managed to pivot exceptionally well in the new normal.

Role and responsibilities

The purpose of the Country Director position is the overall responsibility for the country operation providing both strategic direction and operational leadership.

Generic responsibilities

The Country Director is overall responsible for:

1. National representation and coordination
2. Development and execution of country strategy
3. All in-country activities, personnel and the Country Management Group (CMG)
4. Safety and security of all staff
5. Country level advocacy
6. Resource allocation and mobilization
7. Cost efficiency and quality, including implementation of control mechanisms
8. Ensuring adequate country structures and systems are in place
9. Learning, training and development of all staff, including a strategy for national staff development
10. Compliance and adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures

Specific responsibilities

• Position the organisation within the current situation with clear humanitarian principles with regard to access and principles of engagement.
• Position the organisation and its response with regard to emerging needs in new operational areas and through extended use of partnership.
• Ensure continued focus on building capacity on HSS culture and capacity in the team.
• Build further on national staff representation at CMG, senior management and middle management levels.
• Focus and further develop sub-regional model and cooperation with NRC Bangladesh.
• Further consolidate support functions.

Competencies

Competencies are important in order for the employee and the organisation to deliver desired results. They are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following two categories:

1. Professional competencies

These are skills, knowledge and experience that are important for effective performance.

Generic professional competencies:

• Minimum 5 years experience from working as a Senior Manager/Country Director in humanitarian/recovery context
• Experience from working in complex and volatile contexts
• Documented/proven results related to the position’s responsibilities
• Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal

Context/ Specific skills, knowledge and experience:

• Asset to have knowledge of the context in Myanmar and the region
• Experience from advocacy work
• Experience from an emergency setting
• Behavioural competencies

These personal qualities influence how successful people are in their job. NRC’s Competency Framework states 12 behavioural competencies and the following are essential for this position:

• Strategic thinking- being able to link programmatic and operational approaches with strategic long term goals.
• Handling insecure environments-adapting operations to a rapidly changing environment.
• Empowering and building trust- building strong and robust relationships both internally and externally
• Influencing- using advocacy skills to effect change.

Extra Information

Duty station: Yangon (TBD)

Travel: Frequent travel to field/areas of implementation

Duration and type of contract: 24 months

Qualified Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply