Country Representative – Poland At International Orthodox Christian Charities

Position Summary and Purpose

The IOCC Country Representative Poland has overall responsibility for leading and managing IOCC’s programs in Poland, providing strategic and directional oversight of programs and operations. The IOCC Country Representative will actively seek opportunities for business development and representation among key networks and work closely with the regional team leadership to ensure the sustainability of the “Ukraine Crisis Response Program”.

Country Overview

International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) offers emergency relief and development programs to those in need worldwide, without discrimination, and strengthens the capacity of the Orthodox Church to so respond. IOCC was founded in 1992 as the primary humanitarian and relief development agency of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, representing a commitment to philanthropy and global cooperative involvement. Through a variety of programming activities, IOCC’s global portfolio focuses on program services in five core areas: (1) Emergency Preparedness and Response; (2) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); (3) Sustainable Livelihoods; (4) Food Security and Agriculture; and (5) Health.

In Poland, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) has an operational success and achievement. IOCC and its local partners are currently responding to the Ukraine crisis through the implementation of several projects under the “Ukraine Crisis Response Program”, assisting the Ukrainian refugees and IDPs. IOCC’s current key sectors of focus are Health & Nutrition, Water-Sanitation-Hygiene (WASH), shelter and Protection and will be addressing needs in other sectors as appropriate. By pursuing these program areas, IOCC supports both refugees and local populations, and helps to tackle the problems and to improve lives long term.

Responsibilities and Essential Functions

Representation

1. Act as the legal representative of IOCC in the country.
2. Represent IOCC and interface with the Polish Government, Church Functionaries, Local NGOs, UN agencies, national & International NGOs, ACT (Action by Churches) Alliance members, donors, and existing and potential project partners.
3. Maintain and nurture a strong relationship with the Orthodox Church and its representatives under the guidance of the Regional Director for Ukraine Response.

Leadership and Management of the Country Program

1. Provide leadership and oversight to all in-country programs and ensure successful implementation, program impact and institutional growth, including visits to project sites and project stakeholders.
2. Drive field office behavior change towards organizational excellence across IOCC’s Country Program.
3. Support IOCC staff in adopting a learning and development mindset, evidenced by tangible actions.
4. In coordination with HQ Compliance Officer, cultivate a diligent approach to risk management across all field office operations, ensuring that IOCC fully meets its obligations, including compliance and reporting requirements to donors and governments while supporting staff to take appropriate action in line with IOCC’s mission.
5. Ensure a consistently high level of team performance; lead, mentor and model productive, collaborative intra and inter-departmental working relationships. Provide timely, quality support to teams.
6. Develop high quality and timely Country Operation Plans ensuring that they apply best practices and are in line with IOCC strategy, global priorities and standards.
7. In conjunction with Regional Director for Ukraine Response, coordinate with HQ Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer to oversee design and implementation of IOCC’s MEAL system, using appropriate forms, procedures and tools for data collection and analysis as the basis for measuring, documenting and reporting of project performance and outcomes. Coordinate all internal and external program evaluations with HQ MEAL Officer.
8. In conjunction with Regional Director for Ukraine Response, coordinate with HQ Communications Department on developing all communication materials (internal and external), speaking engagements, branding commitments, digital/social/traditional media initiatives related to IOCC programs in-country, including advance coordination on media, website hosting and communications related activities in proposals.
9. Ensure that lessons learned from results of program monitoring and evaluation are incorporated into the design and execution of program activities to meet stated objectives and needs of beneficiary population.

Business Development

1. In conjunction with HQ Director of Operations and Regional Director for Ukraine Response, develop a comprehensive country resource mobilization strategy identifying key partnership opportunities in the private, public and academic sectors that lead to improved resource availability supporting country program growth.
2. Actively pursue funding opportunities with local and international donors, such as US Government, European Union, Ecumenical partners, UN agencies, and International NGOs.
3. Ensure that potential projects are identified, and proposals are developed in accordance with the mission and goals of IOCC and in line with donor requirements.
4. Grow IOCC’s country program through developing high-quality project design(s) and proposals.

Financial Management

1. Ensure strategic, operational, and efficient use of all IOCC and donor assets (financial and physical).
2. Exercise responsible oversight of budgets and grant portfolios and IOCC and donor assets, and lead efforts to improve the consistency and quality of financial and grant management, including reporting to HQ.
3. Ensure compliance with all financial and administrative responsibilities as detailed out in the Field Finance and Procedures Manual (FFP), Field Operations and Administration Manual (FOAM) and Sub-Recipient Policy and Procedures with special attention to the following:
   • Accurate and timely submissions of reports, requests, and budgets
   • Monitoring of budgets – annual and project
   • Compliance with procedures and regulations

People Management

1. Responsible for oversight and support of all IOCC staff in-country.
2. Coordinate with HQ Director of Operation and Regional Director for Ukraine Response to ensure proper preparation of job descriptions (in line with global organizational standards), staff orientation and implementation of salary and benefit policies and procedures.
3. Manage recruitment portfolio of local staff ensuring in-country policies and procedures are supported by appropriate legal advice and in compliance with local labor laws.
4. Provide supervision, mentoring and training to local teams according to personnel management system.
5. Be fully familiar with IOCC policies and procedures, and positively encourage staff to abide and comply.
6. Lead the IOCC in-country performance management process including evaluating and supporting direct reports and ensuring all IOCC staff have completed periodic and annual performance management sessions with quality feedback.

Security Management

1. Ensure IOCC staff adhere to all IOCC and donor mandated safety and security regulations, policies, and practices; ensure adherence to those regulations and take corrective actions as required.
2. Regularly update and implement IOCC’s security procedures and plans in coordination with HQ.

Poland – Country Specific

1. Participate and proactively represent IOCC in the Government, UN, and INGOs meetings.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

ESSENTIAL | Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong work ethic and commitment to supporting the IOCC Mission.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including ability to manage a diverse set of relationships in a multicultural environment.
• Candidate should have comprehensive managerial and supervisory skills, a clear knowledge of budgeting and financial procedures and the regulations of donor agencies.
• Ability to work productively and accurately in a fast-paced, challenging environment.
• Established capacity to deal with ambiguity in stressful situations.
• Ability to work under remote management.
• Ability to lead projects to completion on time, in compliance with donor requirements, within budget and with the anticipated results.
• Ability to respond to multiple priorities in a timely manner, producing high quality outcomes.
• Ability to facilitate project design development, including applying theories of change and project logic to design, and leading teams to develop work and management plans accordingly.

PREFERRED | Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledgeable about the political and economic developments in Poland and the region.
• Two years of multi sectorial humanitarian and international development knowledge and experience is preferred.
• Experience working with faith-based organizations is a plus.
• Professional language proficiency in English and in Polish.
• Experience managing projects in Poland.
• Experience managing projects in Emergency Preparedness and Response, Health and Nutrition, WASH, Shelter, Protection, and Food Security.

Competencies

• Develop and maintain a strong personal and organizational relationship with internal and external staff and related organizations. Must be sensitive to religious, racial, ethnic, and cultural customs and traditions in developing and administering programs, and in dealing with organization and extra-organizational staff members.
• Excellent computer skills and competency in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of effective managing project budgets

Education, Experience, and Training

Education

• Graduate Degree in Political Science, Business, International Development, or a related field.
• A combination of experience and graduate level education from an accredited education institution may be used tomeet requirements for this position.

Experience

• Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible work experience in humanitarian relief and development projects, with most of the experience at a managerial level in country of assignment.
• Experience developing and implementing country strategies for program services, building capacity of staff andlocal partners.
• Experience with M&E tools for complex programs.
• Experience in proposal budgeting.
• Experience with US and European government- funded assistance projects in developing countries.

Language

• Superior ability to work (read, speak, and write) in English.
• Working proficiency to read, speak and write in Polish required.

Working Environment

• Travel within the country is required with potential international travel, as needed.
• The position requires an awareness at all times of local customs and security situations and conditions.
• Professional dress, behavior, speech, and conduct are always required in accordance with IOCC policies.
• This job operates in both an office environment and outdoors. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines.
• This role will frequently work at the field or project site. In doing so this position will occasionally work inall outdoor weather conditions.
• This description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions; it does not proscribe or restrictadditional tasks that may be assigned.

EOE

Formal job description is available