Country Director – Cambodia

TITLE: Country Director – Cambodia

TEAM/PROGRAMME: Asia Senior Leadership Team

LOCATION: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3: the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

The Opportunity

The Cambodia Country Director has overall responsibility for the strategic leadership and operational effectiveness of Save the Children’s programs in Cambodia. Our 2022-2024 Country Strategic Plan focuses on early childhood development, safe and inclusive education, social protection and child protection, with added investment in strengthening evidence and learning, innovation, strategic partnerships, child participation and gender equality. The CD will lead in pursuing this strategic intent, ensuring that Save the Children continues to adapt to the changing Cambodian context, staying relevant and maximizing our impact for children and families.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The Cambodia Country Director has overall responsibility for the strategic leadership and operational effectiveness of Save the Children’s programs in Cambodia. Our 2022-2024 Country Strategic Plan focuses on early childhood development, safe and inclusive education, social protection and child protection, with added investment in strengthening evidence and learning, innovation, strategic partnerships, child participation and gender equality. The CD will lead in pursuing this strategic intent, ensuring that Save the Children continues to adapt to the changing Cambodian context, staying relevant and maximizing our impact for children and families.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Regional Director, Asia

Staff reporting to this post: Senior Leadership Team in country (Director Support Services, Director of Programs, Director of Strategy, Program Development and Impact, and Chief of Party Family Care First|REACT) and Internal Control Coordinator

Budget Responsibilities: Approx. USD 10 million

Role Dimensions: Save the Children in Cambodia has approximately 110 staff and works with 23 partner organizations, with SC program offices in three provinces and partner implementation throughout the country. The annual budget is approximately $10 million each year, with funding from bilateral and multilateral organizations, the UN, foundations, the private sector and Save the Children members, and spans both development and humanitarian contexts.

In the changing Cambodian context, SC is increasing its focus on achieving large scale impact through leveraging strategic partnerships, contributing high-level technical expertise, prioritizing evidence building and learning, convening across NGOs to facilitate policy change, and campaigning with young people.

As a member of the Asia Senior Leadership team, you will have shared accountability for Save the Children’s international development and emergency programming in Asia region of approximately $250 million each year through an organisation of nearly 5,000 people.

Key Responsibilities

Deliver transformational change in-country, including:

• Delivering improved outcomes for children in line with the Save the Children in Cambodia Strategy for 2022-2024 and Save the Children’s global strategy and targets for the same period
• Engaging Save the Children staff, partners and other stakeholders to create shared ownership and collaboration
• Ensuring strong collaborative relations and strategic positioning with the Royal Government of Cambodia at national and local level, Development Partners, Civil Society Organizations and the private sector
• Creating an environment of continuous learning, where staff are encouraged and supported to grow and develop and are willing to be held accountable for their commitments
• Providing strategic oversight and leadership to strengthen evidence generation and learning, strategic partnerships, and SC’s ability to meaningfully contribute to national dialogue and policy development on child rights issues
• Ensuring that business development plans and the necessary staffing are in place to maintain, diversify and grow the funding base for the country programs, supports the donor engagement plan as needed, liaising extensively with members, as well as the bilateral and multilateral donor community.
• Championing the implementation of global and regional transformation projects in Cambodia, such as the Technical Expertise transformation, Safer Partnerships, Common Approaches and PPM/PRIME.
• Adapting the country office operating model as Cambodia becomes a middle income country, in accordance with the Country Strategic Plan, the changing funding/donor context, and Save the Children’s future niche as an INGO in Cambodia, in consultation with the Asia Regional Office

Be accountable, and develop the capacity of, mentor and hold staff accountable for:

• Defining and pursuing Save the Children in Cambodia’s strategy to identify and address significant issues facing children, in line with Save the Children’s overall strategy and theory of change
• Delivering programmes, advocacy and campagins in line with the country strategy, operational plans, budgets and Member requirements that result in significant impact for children
• Monitoring and maintaining strong performance on programmatic and operational Key Performance Indicators (KPIS)
• Preparing for and implementing rapid and effective responses to major emergencies affecting children, including having an up to date emergency preparedness plan (EPP) and Business Continuity Plan (BCP), and building relationships with key humanitarian and development actors.
• Developing and maintaining good relations with Save the Children Members and donors, identifying opportunities to diversify and grow the country programme
• Ensuring program quality through rigorous program design and proposal development; comprehensive monitoring and evaluation, accountability and learning systems; staff development investments; and partner organization capacity strengthening.
• Developing and maintaining efficient and effective operating systems, managing risks, and ensuring compliance with local laws and all Save the Children International standards, policies and procedures,
• Maintaining effective safety and security management systems and ensure compliance with all global/regional safety and security operating standards

Be accountable, and develop the capacity of, mentor and hold Senior Management Team accountable for:

• Serving as a role model and lead the way on the new values and ways of working
• Developing and coaching staff to optimise their potential in pursuit of Save the Children’s objectives, and ensuring appropriate professional development opportunities.
• Building a culture of workplace diversity and inclusion, including appropriate gender and ethnicity diversity across all levels of staff
• Ensuring that all staff understand and are able to perform their roles in an emergency
• Encouraging a team culture of learning, creativity and innovation
• Building relationships with key decision makers and partners including strategic national partners
• Contributing to global knowledge and learning in Save the Children

As a member of the Regional Senior Leadership Team, contribute to:

• Strategic development and delivery of international programming, in both humanitarian and development contexts, in line with the Save the Children mandate, strategy and theory of change.
• Collaboration with colleagues in the region to deliver any regional programmes and advocacy, in line with regional strategies, operational plans, budgets and Save the Children Member requirements that result in significant impact for children
• Supporting the development of an organisational culture that reflects our dual mandate values, promotes accountability and high performance and frees up our people to deliver outstanding results for children and excellent customer service of our Members and donors

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS

• At least Master’s Degree in development management, public administration, social sciences or equivalent.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Significant experience in building, leading and developing a team of senior staff with different backgrounds and expertise
• Experience managing a crisis situation requiring quick changes to priorities and rapid action to respond
• Strong skills in partnership building, representation and networking, including experience engaging at a senior level with government, Development Partners, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Good understanding of programme, financial and operational management processes, and experience providing operational/management oversight of diversified portfolios
• Experience solving complex issues through analysis, defining a clear way forward and ensuring buy-in
• Good understanding of key trends in international and humanitarian development, including emerging areas of leadership and innovation
• Experience leading change in an organization which has led to considerable results for the organization and its stakeholders
• Strong and nuanced cultural awareness
• Commitment to Save the Children’s values and inclusive leadership

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

The Organisation

We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

Application Information

Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found at www.savethechildren.net/careers

Closing Date for Application: 28 March 2022

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our global anti-harassment policy.