Country Director

Job Title: Country Director

Location: Ethiopia

Contract duration: 12 months with the possibility of extension

Responsible to: Regional Vice President

DRS is looking, on behalf of our client, an INGO, for an international expert for the Country Director role in Ethiopia, with experience in the region who will provide leadership and strategic direction in the development and implementation of the country strategy and will be accountable for all aspects of INGO’s work in the country.

Areas of Responsibility:

Strategic Direction:

• Lead the design and management of the Country strategy in line with the overall INGO’s strategy and relevant to the local context;
• Raise the profile of the INGO in the country through networking with (external) organizations in-country;
• Assess and respond to changing external environment;
• Facilitate alignment of the country program with INGO’s Regional & Global policies;
• Develop or be involved with the national board of directors (where legally required);
• Produce a detailed annual business operating plan that program outputs can be measured against;

Program Funding:

• Working with Regional staff, Global Operations and Development:
• Develop and maintain relationships with donors for the diversification of the funding sources of the office;
• Follow INGO’s policies regarding any locally generated revenue;

Legal Compliance:

• Ensure legal compliance in all areas: health and safety, labour laws, taxes, insurance and other local requirements;
• Organization’s policy and procedure compliance;
• Responsible for ensuring all program areas are following the organization’s policies and procedures in accordance with INGO’s published documents, such as minimum standards, field manuals, etc.;

Financial and Resource Management:

• Be accountable for budget, resources, and assets, ensuring financial controls and cost-effectiveness in accordance with the organization’s mission and values;
• Develop and manage the country’s operating budget, including major capital expenditures;
• Oversee and ensure compliance with local policies and ethical guidelines and comply with guidelines on procurements, security and other functions;
• Ensure planning process to enable the country to use available resources in the best way to carry out agreed-upon country strategies;

Staff Management:

• Effectively lead the team within the performance management framework and coach staff/managers;
• Ensure methods of operation and working behaviours are in line with the organization’s values and policies and are in legal compliance;
• Recruit staff in accordance with local requirements and INGO’s procedures;

Corporate Leadership:

• Act as a guardian of the INGO’s brand in the country;
• Ensure staff are continuously engaged and aligned with the organization’s global mission, strategy, values, strategic direction and country plan;
• Work with peers across the organization to share knowledge, skills, resources, and networks;

Qualifications, Experience and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in international development or equivalent;
• At least 7 years experience in a senior management position;
• Demonstrated ability to deal decisively with complex situations;
• Strategic thinker with a clear, comprehensive understanding of the link between operations and business strategy;
• Demonstrated ability to implement a country strategy in compliance with organizational strategy and agreed-upon standards;
• Substantial business acumen in general management, financial management, and operations with work experience in the environment sector;
• Strong interpersonal, communication and customer service skills;
• Ability to train and develop capacity in country-level staff;
• Strong planning, community mobilization and inter-cultural communication skills required;
• Experience working on grant-funded programs in improving the overall health status at the household level through improved water access/quality, sanitation and hygiene would be desirable;
• Strong English language skills, including excellent presentation and writing skills.