Country Director

Established in 1977, GOAL is an international humanitarian agency, with a team of over 3,000 personnel, dedicated to alleviating the needs of the most vulnerable communities. Currently operating in fourteen of the world’s most vulnerable countries, GOAL delivers a wide range of humanitarian and development programmes, ranging from humanitarian relief in disaster situations, to focusing on nutrition, food security, and building greater resilience and sustainable livelihoods.

GOAL Ethiopia Country Context

GOAL Ethiopia commenced operations in the early 1980s, implementing a multi-sectoral, countrywide humanitarian and development programme. With an annual operating budget of €20M and GOAL Ethiopia works in 55 districts across six regions in Ethiopia: Afar, Benishangul Gumuz, Gambella, Oromiya, Somali and SNNPP. GOAL has invested heavily in building the capacity of over 700 members of its staff in Ethiopia, and is proud of the fact that in 2020, over 99% of our staff are Ethiopian and more than 60% are female. Our programmes focus on alleviating poverty, addressing development challenges, and responding to sudden-onset and protracted humanitarian crises, such as drought, conflict and displacement. GOAL targets the most vulnerable of communities and groups with specialised programming in key areas, including nutrition; water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH); livelihoods and food security; health, as well as protection interventions.

Job Purpose

The Country Director has the overall responsibility for ensuring strong leadership and high-quality delivery of a range of specific multi sectoral programmes.

The successful candidate will provide strategic leadership and drive the expansion of our portfolio in Ethiopia, including identifying future business development opportunities and ensure that GOAL Ethiopia is well positioned for funding opportunities and can deliver consistently high-quality proposals and concept notes. They will represent GOAL Ethiopia to the government, donors, the media, and other key stakeholders and accountable to beneficiaries, donors, and to GOAL’s Head office in Dublin, Ireland.

The successful candidate will directly line-manage the Programmes Director, Systems Director, Financial Controller, Safety & Security Manager and Human Resources Manager.

The role requires a high degree of personal resilience and a flexible approach to leading an organization in a challenging, multi-cultural context. GOAL Ethiopia has a talented team of staff, with a supportive and engaging work environment.

Responsibilities

Key areas of work

• Update and implement the Country Strategy, ensuring our work in Ethiopia is relevant and appropriate.
• Provide dynamic, inspirational leadership and management, and lead senior management team to ensure GOAL Ethiopia meets its commitments to funders, partners and audiences in Ethiopia.
• Ensure all programme activities are planned, resourced, implemented, monitored and evaluated in a timely manner, to ensure that they are cost effective, targeted, sustainable and in keeping with GOAL’s mission and philosophy.
• Maintain strong working relationships and reputation and secure programme funding from donors in-country where possible.
• Lead the expansion of our portfolio in Ethiopia, including identifying future business development opportunities and ensure the team delivers top quality proposals.
• Facilitate the development of a high performance, culture which drives excellence, diversity, and inclusivity.
• Ensure effective operational management so that finance and administrative functions are carried out in line with donor rules, local regulatory requirements and GOAL guidelines.
• Represent GOAL Ethiopia to key stakeholders and ensure effective relationships and partnerships with a wide range of partners, including the Ethiopian government, international development agencies and other funding agencies, local NGOs and others.
• Financial Accountability ensuring adherence to donor financial reporting requirements.
• Overseeing the resourcing, development, and retention of a highly qualified and motivated team, partner with Head Office colleagues to integrate GOAL’s performance philosophy
• Ensure that GOAL’s compliance with local employment legislation, develops and implements policies and systems in alignment to this.
• Build a culture of security within the country programme, ensure reasonable measures are taken to minimise /mitigate the safety and security risks faced by the programmes partner staff.
• Responsible for Risk Management with focus on maintaining and facilitating the review of the Country Risk Register.
• Maintain in- country media relations securing GOAL’s brand and reputation .
• Drive a Safeguarding culture across the organization and its eco system including staff, volunteers, partners, and contributors. Ensure potential risks are identified and mitigated.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Experience managing large-scale, multi-sector programmes across multiple grants in a developing-country context, preferably in Africa. Proven ability to deliver such complex projects to deadlines and within budget.
• Substantial experience in leading a large, diverse teams and geographically dispersed team.
• A track record of forming effective relationships with a range of local and international partners, including at the highest levels of government and managing effective teamwork between partners and stakeholders, including those with differing agendas.
• Strong understanding of and commitment to international development, including the use of media to showcase GOAL’s achievement of developmental goals.
• Significant programme funding and business development experience.
• Considerable budget management experience, demonstrating effective use of resources and responsibility for large budgets.
• Demonstrable experience in security and crisis management – managing security planning, overseeing processes to understand and minimize risks to the programme.
• Strong knowledge of donor and legal requirements and ensure effective grant management.
• Good judgment and decision-making skills, including the ability to adapt, react and respond to crisis, and to evaluate risk.
• Excellent communications, presentation interpersonal and written skills.
• Proven track record in handling ambiguity, complexity, and high-risk situations in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to manage own time and workload, juggling conflicting priorities.
• Relevant post-graduate qualification in business administration, management, social sciences, international development, OR relevant degree level qualification
• 1-2 years’ experience at Country Director Level in the overseas humanitarian or development environment
• Relevant 3-5 years’ experience at senior leadership level or as part of a Senior Management Team in a humanitarian assistance or development programme
• Fluency in English.

Desirable Skills

• Previous experience working in Ethiopia strongly desirable.
• Experience working in one or more of GOAL’s key thematic areas in Ethiopia.

Key Leadership skills

• Financial Acumen, Business Insight, Decision Making, Managerial Courage, Delivering Results, Developing Talent, Building Effective Teams, Cultivating Innovation; Collaborating, Organizational Savvy, Resourcefulness.

Safeguarding

Children and vulnerable adults who come into contact with

GOAL because of our activities must be safeguarded to the maximum possible extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury and any other harm. One of the ways that GOAL shows this on-going commitment to safeguarding is to include rigorous background and reference checks in the selection process for all candidates.

Accountability within GOAL

Alongside our safeguarding policy, GOAL is an equal opportunities employer and has a set of integrity policies. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to adhere to the following key areas of accountability:

• Comply with GOAL’s policies and procedures with respect to safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, confidentiality, do no harm principles and unacceptable behaviour protocols.
• Report any concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult or any wrongdoings within our programming area.
• Report any concerns about inappropriate behaviour of a GOAL staff or partner.

Our package includes a competitive salary, accommodation, health and travel insurance and 20 days annual leave. Additional benefits are available after 12 months of service.

GOAL has a Staff Code of Conduct and a Child Protection Policy, which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants and children from exploitation. GOAL also has a confidentiality policy ensuring the non-disclosure of any information whatsoever relating to the practices and business of GOAL, acquired in the course of duty, to any other person or organisation without authority, except in the normal execution of duty. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to adhere to these policies. Any job offer made is also subject to police clearance. GOAL is an equal opportunities employer.

This Job Description only serves as a guide for the position available. GOAL reserves the right to change this document.

**Reports to:**Regional Director, East Africa