Country Director

Organisation Background

Founded in 2011, the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) is an international NGO that supports humanitarian aid workers by establishing safety coordination platforms in insecure contexts. INSO provides registered NGOs with a range of free services, including real-time incident tracking, analytical reports, safety-related data and mapping, crisis management support, staff orientations and training.

INSO services help NGOs with their day-to-day risk management responsibilities and improve their overall situational awareness to support evidence-based humanitarian access decisions.

INSO provides daily support to more than 1000 NGOs operating in 18 of the world’s most insecure countries and has earned a strong reputation for its performance, principles and professionalism.

INSO is registered in the Netherlands with its headquarters based in The Hague, the international city of peace and justice.

INSO Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso has witnessed a dramatic escalation of conflict. INSO Burkina Faso has it’s country office in Ouagadougou with field offices in Dori, Fada N’Gourma, Ouahigouya and opening soon in Bobo Dioulasso.

INSO strategic objectives for 2022 focus on continuing to cover the entire country, while developing a deeper regional outlook and strengthening coordination with respect to aid workers safety and humanitarian access. Nearly 160 NGO partners benefit from INSO services on a daily basis. The INSO Burkina Faso platform is funded by USAID-BHA, DG ECHO, SIDA, the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UKAid/FCDO and SDC.

INSO is now looking for an experienced NGO professional to serve as our Country Director in Burkina Faso. The position is based in Ouagadougou with periodic travel to INSO field sites and partner field locations as required. The position reports to the Regional Director for West Africa and liaises frequently with other HQ staff (Finance Controller, the Analysis & Research team and other technical departments), regional INSO Country Directors and our Regional Analyst- Sahel based in Bamako.

Job Summary

The Country Director is responsible for leading and managing a program with 80 staff and field monitors to deliver high quality information, analysis, advise and training services that enable the NGO community to plan, manage and deliver aid and assistance more safely. The role requires an accomplished program director with experience and keen interest in conflict analysis and high-profile external representation.

The successful candidate will possess solid program and human resources management skills and will be a natural and confident communicator, consensus-builder and networker. She/He will combine keen intellect and analytical skills with pragmatism, patience and a good sense of humour and will enjoy the challenge of translating strategic concepts into workable practices in difficult environments. The successful candidate will be fluent in French and English, and comfortable in writing analytical reports in both languages.

Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership and Management

* Provide engaged, effective leadership across the program, ensuring that INSO Burkina Faso performs well across all functions – program delivery, finance, operations, HR – and in compliance with INSO SOPs.

* Steward INSO resources effectively and transparently in full compliance with internal and donor policy.

* Develop and deliver annual program planning, aligning program development strategy with realistic assumptions of future funding.

* Ensure all activities and grants are managed in compliance with the annual plan, and if required, revise.

* Manage INSO Burkina Faso donor relations and produce high-quality, compelling donor proposals and progress reports that underscore INSO’s impact in Burkina Faso. INSO donor reports are delivered in English.

* Line manage the Deputy Director (Program), Finance Manager and Operations Manager (Support).

* Ensure that INSO Burkina Faso recruits and retains high-calibre staff and orients them to the INSO mandate.

* Promote and exemplify a culture of openness, collaboration and cohesion across the organisation.

* Uphold rigorous risk management standards, not least as it affects the welfare and wellbeing of staff.

*Service Delivery

* Develop and maintain a sophisticated personal understanding of the Burkinabe context and the prevailing challenges to humanitarian safety and access.

* Supervise all INSO Burkina Faso service delivery, ensuring that program targets are met, quality is maintained and services remain relevant and responsive to the evolving context and needs of NGO partners.

* Deliver strategic analysis to senior humanitarian leadership, including through monthly directors’ briefings, quarterly analytical reports and as needed on request.

* Lead crisis management support to individual NGO partners or the NGO community at large during critical incidents.

* Identify and support program synergies and regional approaches among INSO platforms in central Sahel (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger) and on the wider INSO West Africa team which also includes Nigeria and Cameroon.

External Representation

* Effectively represent and protect INSO’s principles of independence, impartiality and neutrality and actively promote INSO as an integral member of the humanitarian community.

* Represent INSO towards senior humanitarian leadership, on a bilateral basis and in relevant coordination fora, utilising INSO’s expert understanding of the context to promote more informed, more effective decision making on issues affecting humanitarian access and safety.

* Engage with third parties, including local government, the UN, diplomatic missions and the military forces.

Mandatory Requirements

* Ability to handle competing deadlines and balance daily management priorities with conflict monitoring, strategic development of the project and representation of the organisation towards employees and partners.

* Mature leadership and staff management experience in a diverse multi-cultural setting.

* Proven writing, editing, and analytical skills and a keen eye for detail – the position entails substantial report editing and reviewing.

* Exemplary command of English and French – ability to provide analytical reports and briefings in both languages

* Graduate level education in a relevant field.

* Significant experience in insecure/conflict-affected environments with progressive seniority and at least one year at senior management level.

* Acceptance and strong understanding of humanitarian principles.

* Demonstrable understanding of humanitarian safety practices and their application.

* Excellent networking, diplomatic, and representative communication skills.

* Outgoing and confident personality.

* Experience with NGO project management, including donor reporting and relations.

Preferred Characteristics

* A year’s (recent) experience working in Burkina Faso and demonstrable understanding of the Central Sahel humanitarian context.

* Experience in staff capacity development and training.

* First-hand experience of crisis management.

* Prior experience in a high-profile inter-agency role.

* Existing information networks and/or local language skills (Moore, Fulfude, Bambara, Arabic, etc.).

* Detailed understanding of INSO mandate & services.

Key Personal Competencies

* A good listener

* An effective communicator

* Excellent analyst

* Team player

* Excellent interpersonal skills

* A people manager

INSO’s Safeguarding Policy

INSO is fully committed to safe recruitment, selection and vetting of all potential new staff, trustees and volunteers and we will ensure rigorous compliance with our Code of Conduct and Safeguarding policy throughout the recruitment process.

Terms & Conditions:

12-month contract, €5,500 per month salary, 4 calendar days annual leave per month and 7 days of R&R every 3 months with a €1,250 allowance per R&R cycle, housing allowance, global medical coverage (excluding USA) and USD $200,000 AD&D coverage.