Country Director – Afganistan

Organisation Background

Founded in 2011, the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) is an international non-governmental organisation 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 was born out of NGOs’ need for objective information, analysis, and advice tailored to their movements, profiles, and needs. INSO remains adaptable to the needs of NGOs, its main beneficiaries, and constantly adapts is portfolio of services,

INSO provides daily support to more than 1,000 NGOs operating in 16 of the world’s most insecure countries.

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

INSO Afghanistan

INSO was created in Afghanistan, initially as an NGO project in 2002 called “Afghanistan NGO Safety Office”. The programme evolved over time, becoming the basis for INSO’s foundation as an independent NGO in 2011, offering increasingly diverse services in accordance with NGO needs. Currently INSO supports 264 NGOs in Afghanistan.

The country office is located in Kabul, together with the Central Region office. In addition, INSO Afghanistan has offices in Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-e Sharif, Kunduz, Jalalabad, and Khost cities, respectively covering the Southern, Western, Northern, Northeastern, Eastern, and Southeastern regions.

Job Summary

The Country Director leads, manages and directs program implementation. They possess solid program and human resources management skills and are a natural and confident communicator, consensus-builder, and networker. Successful candidates will combine keen intellect and analytical skills with pragmatism, patience and a good sense of humour. They will enjoy the challenge of translating strategic concepts into workable practices in difficult environments. Ideal candidates will come from an NGO/humanitarian background (senior management and programs), will be accomplished analysts and managers, and are not required to have military/police backgrounds.

Major Responsibilities:

Program Leadership and Management

• Provide engaged, effective leadership across the program, ensuring that INSO Afghanistan performs well across all functions – program delivery, finance, operations, HR – and in compliance with INSO internal policies and protocols.
• Develop and deliver annual program planning, aligning program development strategy with realistic assumptions of future funding.
• Manage INSO Afghanistan’s donor relations and produce high-quality, compelling proposals and progress reports that underscore our impact.
• Line-manage the leads of programmes, finance, and operations support teams.
• Promote and exemplify a culture of openness and collaboration.

Service Delivery

• Develop and maintain a nuanced personal understanding of the Afghanistan context and the prevailing challenges to humanitarian safety and access.
• Supervise all INSO Afghanistan service delivery, ensuring that program targets are met, quality is maintained and that 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 NGO partners during critical incidents.

Essential Requirements:

• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Previous experience as an NGO country director or senior programme manager, preferably in Afghanistan or nearby countries.
• Solid understanding of principles and practices in broad humanitarian action
• Master’s Degree-level of education or equivalent work experience
• Minimum 3 years in conflict affected contexts.
• Minimum 3 years in an NGO senior management role
• Proven analytical skills and experience producing and editing analytical products
• Experience with grant management, donor proposals and reporting.
• Excellent networking, diplomatic and representative communication skills.

Preferred Characteristics:

• Recent experience in Afghanistan or a similar context
• Previous INSO experience (as a team member, member of INSO’s country advisory board or beneficiary).
• Knowledge of Persian and/or Pashto
• Direct experience and involvement in a crisis management role.
• Existing local information networks and contacts.
• Experience and interest in data management, analytics, and research.

Key Personal Competencies:

• A people manager
• Calm in stressful situations
• A good listener
• An effective communicator
• Team player
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent analytical skills

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:

Twelve-month contract with an expected start date on 1 October, €5,500 per month salary, 4 days annual leave per month and 7 days of R&R every two months with €1,250 R&R allowance each cycle, global medical coverage (excluding USA), and AD&D insurance.