Country Director

JOB DESCRIPTION

Title: Country Director

**Location:**Amman/ Jordan

**Travel:**As needed

Job Family and Grade:Program Management & Leadership Family, M8

**Pre hire checks:**This role is classified as requiring Enhanced Due Diligence

1. Scope

Department: Management/ Senior Leadership

Reporting to: Regional Director

**Direct reports:**6

Budget responsibility: $3m+

Relationship managementSMT, Regional and Global Support Team

2. Context

About Relief International

Relief International (RI) partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change, and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience and promote long-term health and well-being.

Currently, RI is active in 15 countries around the world, including some of the most fragile: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Myanmar, occupied Palestinian territories (oPt), Pakistan, Philippines, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen.

Relief International includes the four corporate members of the RI Alliance: Relief International Inc., Relief International-UK, Relief International-France and Relief International-Europe Under our alliance agreement, we operate with a single, shared management structure.

About our Country Program

Relief International has been implementing programming in Jordan since 2004, in the wake of the Iraqi refugee crisis and are currently actively engaged in the response to the Syria refugee crisis in Jordan, including provision of services to both refugees and the host community. Currently, Relief International’s portfolio in Jordan focuses on the education and livelihoods sectors the host community and the camps. Relief International also values coordination with other agencies and the government of Jordan and takes leadership roles within the response as relevant. Due to funding challenges, Relief International scaled down in Jordan starting in late 2023 but is now in the process of rebuilding the country program based on new anticipated funding commitments.

Middle East Region

RI operates in seven countries in the Middle East region: Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Turkey and Yemen, with a focus on the four RI sector pillars: Health, WASH, Education and Livelihood. We employ more than 4,000 staff (direct and indirect) in the Middle East region and implement a range of humanitarian and development programs valued at approximately $70 million USD on an annual basis.

3. Job Profile

Reporting to the Regional Director for the Middle East, the Country Director is responsible for the Jordan mission overall, including high-level representation, fundraising and program development, strategic planning, risk and access management, program quality, administrative processes, security, and all other aspects vital to ensure the health of the mission. The Country Director must be extremely dynamic, maintain the ability to work on both macro/ strategic and micro/ detail-oriented issues simultaneously, and have strong communication skills to work effectively with internal actors at all levels of the organization and external actors including but not limited to donors, government institutions, U.N. agencies, partners, and other key stakeholders. Given that the country mission is in a phase of rebuilding, the Country Director should bring experience with effectively, responsibly, and quickly building a mission. Experience working in both humanitarian and development spheres, along with knowledge of and experience working in Jordan will be prioritized.

4. Key responsibilities

Accountability and Complexity

• Leads in representing RI in large complex contexts: externally with donors, partners, and communities.
• Ensures programs are delivered safely, and services are high quality, and ensures effective management of operations, funding, and teams.
• Adapts plans and priorities to meet service and/or operational challenges.
• Will be a people leader and manage other leaders, or specialized teams, have oversight and responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of a wider team in multiple highly complex contexts
• Develops and leads relevant country specific objectives driven by highly complex local context and guided by organizational objectives.
• Proactively identifies and solves the most complex problems; uses ground-breaking methods to think beyond existing solutions.
• Leads others to solve complex problems; uses analytical thought to exercise judgement and identify innovative solutions.

Strategic oversight

• Provide leadership, strategic vision, coherence, and direction to the country program.
• Take the overall leadership in leading coordination for the development and updates of Country Strategy which reflects needs on the ground as well as the RI Global Strategy. Develop, in cooperation with other staff, short, medium, and long-range strategic plans maintaining program focus in areas congruent with RI’s program objectives.
• Support development of cross-team coordination mechanisms to ensure effective collaboration and integration.
• Lead and/or champion change management initiatives.

Program Planning and Development

• Maintain effective communications with donors by tracking trends and anticipating the likelihood of funding opportunities.
• Spot and proactively pursue new opportunities for program growth and start-up.
• Identify and participate in forums and meetings for the NGO sector where a strategic benefit for the organization exists.
• Negotiate contracts and agreements with donors and partners, in coordination with relevant regional and global teams.
• Maintain effective communications with RI’s regional and global support departments, regarding both strategic and operational issues.
• Identify, and where necessary, initiate and maintain program partnerships with external agencies.

External Representation

• Maintain a suitable image for RI in Jordan and protect RI’s interest and assets.
• Effectively liaise with Government of Jordan (GoJ), donor governments and other lead agency representatives, as well as counterparts within partner organizations, legal counsel, audit firms, etc
• Initiate RI’s response to disasters and emergencies when appropriate
• Facilitate donor visits to project sites as appropriate.
• Represent RI in INGOs forums and multi-lateral meetings.

Program, Risk and Security Management

• Drive risk management through all areas of implementation and planning.
• Oversee implementation, including allocation of resources, ensuring that appropriate controls are maintained at all levels.
• Ensure that team members are effective and efficient and contribute the necessary work to ensure the country mission is successful.
• Ensure all programs are completed within time, on budget and achieve their objectives.
• Ensure adequate support to each program, including but not limited to strategic vision and technical input and advice.
• Monitor project implementation, communication, and report both internally and externally.
• Ensure overall audit compliance, financial transparency through supervision and direction of financial and administrative staff.
• Serve as overall responsible for safety and security of staff in Jordan country office, and drive culture of security management linked to duty of care and acceptance approaches.

Team Management

• Staff performance management of directly managed staff, making sure all program team follows best practices.
• Ensure that the hiring, promotion, and termination of national staff in accordance with local laws and practice.
• In collaboration with the HR team, address disciplinary, conflict and abuse issues within the program team.
• In accordance with RI’s HR policy and in-line with RI’s staff care efforts, maintain a healthy work environment, with reasonable workloads and proper leaves. Work with the RHRD to assess and prevent risks of excessive stress and burnout in the workplace.

Leadership, Culture, and Conduct

• Demonstrate and uphold RI’s values, ethics and compliance, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Uphold and promote RI’s commitment to ensuring the safeguarding and safety of the vulnerable communities we serve.
• Support systems that prevent sexual exploitation and abuse and promote the implementation of the Code of Conduct and safeguarding policies.
• Create a positive and productive work environment which is free from harassment and bullying.
• Demonstrate sensitivity and understanding of diversity and cultural differences, gender issues and the commitment to equal opportunities.
• Work collaboratively with the Safeguarding Leads to advocate for the inclusion of safeguarding activities and resources within program.
• Ability to demonstrate knowledge of donor requirements of safeguarding standards and protection from exploitation and abuse.

Behavior and conduct

• Ensures that behavior inside and outside of work promotes the values in RI’s code of conduct and safeguarding policies.
• Acts with integrity and holds themselves accountable for being respectful, inclusive, and professional.
• Reports any concerns.

Management and leadership

• Ensure the highest standards of behavior inside and outside of work, promote the values in RI’s code of conduct and safeguarding policies.
• Be a model for ethical conduct standards for other team members.
• Embrace diversity, and model inclusive and equitable behavior.
• Ensure own actions and the actions of the teams’ members they manage do not adversely impact the safety of the RI team and the vulnerable communities we serve.
• Ensure donors, partners and communities are aware of RI conduct and reporting mechanisms.
• Ensure safeguarding is embedded in all the work we do.
• Be responsible for ensuring a culture and systems in place for reporting.
• Report any concerns.

5. Person Specification

Skills, knowledge, and expertise required for the role.

Essential criteria

• Master’s degree in a relevant field or bachelor’s degree with commensurate work experience.
• Minimum of five/seven years professional experience in leadership roles relevant to the Jordan country mission priorities.
• Previous experience working in Jordan is preferred.
• Ability and willingness to travel as needed.
• Solid background and knowledge of USAID Rules and Regulations.
• Solid background and contacts with institutional donors and key development actors.
• Proven experience successfully receiving funding for longer-term programming in early recovery and/or development.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, public speaking, and strategic planning skills required.
• Excellent English-speaking skills are required, Arabic is a plus.
• Strong English writing skills required.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, tasks efficiently.
• Excellent time management skills and resourcefulness with strong attention to detail.
• Excellent and demonstrated skills in team management (structure, conflict, performance management and communication)

Key competencies:

• Adaptable and flexible
• Strategic thinking
• Strong writing and analytical skills
• Solution oriented and positive thinking
• Solid organizational and planning skills
• Self-critic, curious and eager to develop further professionally.
• Communicate with impact and respect.

6. RI Values

Guided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as well as “Do No Harm,” Relief International Values:

• Integrity
• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Inclusivity
• Sustainability