Country Director, Chad

POSITION SUMMARY

Are you a person of compassion? An advocate for justice? Someone who stands up for the rights of the vulnerable and speaks out for the marginalized, the exploited, and the forgotten? Do you believe in our calling as Christians to welcome the least of these and love our neighbor?

If you answered ‘yes’, to any of the above, World Relief, and millions of people around the world need you.

The Country Director will have overall responsibility for the development and management of the Chad Country program portfolio and day-to-day activities. This is achieved through the development and implementation of a country strategy, which is in line with World Relief’s mission, vision, and values. This includes aligning programs with WR integral mission implementation strategies; the recruitment of requisite personnel; the evolving development of policies, structures, and systems; ongoing monitoring of programs and ensuring the quality of Monitoring and Evaluation processes; spearheading at the local level and active participation in U.S. and International resource development efforts; and the development of strong strategic partnerships with local institutions, government agencies, donors and other implementing partners that are aimed at enhancing the shared mission of the organization and responding to the most vulnerable in a disaster response context. The Country Director will lead the senior management team and represent the organization with the government, donors, and other local and international organizations.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Strategic Leadership

• Especially as this is a new country program for World Relief, actively provide strong leadership to the country team in all aspects of its oversight and operations, assigning and delegating tasks where required.
• Implement the three-year Country Strategy in line with WR’s programmatic competencies and integral mission, aimed at contributing towards the social, spiritual, and economic transformation of the most vulnerable.
• Ensure implementation of integral mission and alignment of current programs with integral mission implementation strategies.
• Provide overall leadership and oversight on proposal development for Chad WR programs with the UN, government, foundations, and private donors.
• Develop appropriate institutional structures and strategies for all long-term WR work, with special attention to establishing strong partnerships with in-country UN coordination systems, international and local NGOs, and existing churches and other national institutions.
• Hire and supervise WR staff in the Country

Program Management

• Provide overall management and technical direction of WR’s program in-country
• Develop and strengthen appropriate institutional structures, controls, and strategies for all short-term and long-term programs
• Ensure consistent funding from bilateral, multilateral, and other donors to augment the resources provided by WR’s private funding
• Spearhead the identification and development of new opportunities and locations for programming as well as potential donors. This will include on a case-by-case basis one or more of the following to bring in new donors: writing sections or components of a proposal, coordination of a proposal effort, and/or editing of a proposal including log frame development and budget development
• Ensure that program activities are being implemented according to agreements, work plans, and schedules, in coordination with the leadership team.
• Ensure quality, accuracy, and timeliness of quarterly metrics and program reports, by comparing objectives with results achieved according to donor and WR requirements
• Maintain WR’s registration as an international NGO in-country as required
• Oversee and manage country finance personnel to ensure overall fiscal transparency and health of the country finances, including accurate budgets, expenditures to budget and in compliance with procurement policy and procedures, coordination with headquarters financial systems management, and financial reporting that is accurate, timely, and in accordance with globally accepted accounting practices
• Liaise with headquarters for regular financial consolidation, including required audit schedules.
• Approve and verify acquisition and delivery of all major purchases in compliance with grant agreements and country policies and execute sound cash management practices with all vendors
• Oversee the maintenance and implementation of site security for each project site. Make informed decisions about staff safety and potential evacuations. Regular attendance and involvement in NGO security forums.
• Report immediately to the Regional Director and the International Finance Specialist any identified cases of fraud, theft, abuse, misconduct, or conflict of interest
• Ensure the ongoing formal and informal review/evaluation of staff performance, including written evaluation of each direct report on an annual basis
• Periodically review existing WR Chad policies and procedures and lead the amendments of the policies and procedures in consultation with relevant departments of WR home office, if necessary

Strategic Partnerships

• Cultivate partnerships in consonance with the leadership, guidelines, and policies of WR’s Church Engagement Unit with U.S. churches, denominations, and church bodies. Oversee and lead relationship building with key US partner churches, including hosting vision teams, work teams, and ministry teams. Actively communicate with US partner churches through email, phone conversations, and visits to US churches
• Initiate and manage relationships with USAID, UN agencies, NGOs, and other donor agencies
• Under the guidance of WR’s Strategic Engagement Department, help to lead relationship building with key U.S. partner churches, including hosting vision teams, work teams, and ministry teams. Actively communicate with U.S. partner churches through email, phone conversations, and visits to U.S. churches
• Represent WR Chad well to government, donors, church, and community leaders, and other stakeholders.
• Serve as WR’s primary representative in Chad, leading official interactions with the media, government, local partners, and other NGO’s including through the NGO Forum

Organizational Development

• Oversee the hiring of strong Christian and professionally qualified staff using an equitable and transparent recruitment process, and dismiss any staff who do not perform according to standards and expectations
• Work with all expatriate staff to ensure a plan for eventual development and training of local and/or regional replacements
• Develop and strengthen WR’s policies, procedures, systems, and controls aimed at promoting accountability and alignment to prevailing laws and regulations of the country
• Oversee the safety and security of all the program staff including ensuring that Situation Reports (as required) are sent to WR Home Office in accordance with Disaster Response policy; monitoring the security situation in all WR locations
• Perform any other duties assigned by the HDR Director

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Experience in administration of U.S government and UN grants
• Proven leadership and management of international donor support programs, with extensive experience in strategic planning, resource mobilization, proposal development, management, supervision, and budgeting in a multi-project and multi-funding environment
• Strong oral and communication skills in both French & English. Knowledge of local languages is a plus.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and strong interpersonal skills
• Proven ability to develop and communicate WR’s vision to partners, donors, churches, government agencies and non-government stakeholders
• Passionate commitment to Jesus Christ and the mission of WR
• Must be able to relocate to and reside in Chad

REQUIREMENTS

• Mature and personal Christian faith
• Committed to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief
• Desire to serve and empower the Church to impact vulnerable communities
• University Degree in related field. Master’s degree preferred. Business development and leadership experience are highly valued
• A minimum of seven years of experience in international relief and development work with progressive leadership responsibilities and proven resource development skills, or a minimum of ten years of experience in business management and leadership with progressive increasing responsibilities

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to have ordinary ambulatory skills sufficient to visit other locations
• The ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and manipulate (lift, carry, move) light to medium weights of 10-15 pounds
• Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand, and finger dexterity, including the ability to grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard, operate equipment, and read application information
• The employee frequently is required to sit, reach with hands and arms, talk, and hear

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• General office setting
• Great lengths of time working on a computer, reading from a computer screen, entering information, standing at a copier or fax machine, and some time on the phone or in skype meetings may be required
• Year-end archiving activities involve repeated lifting and bending
• Physical, emotional, and intellectual demands
• Equipment used: Employee computer (desktop or laptop), printer, and copier
• All of the above duties and responsibilities are essential job functions subject to reasonable accommodation. All job requirements listed indicate the minimum level of knowledge, skills, and/or ability deemed necessary to perform the job proficiently. This job description is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. Individuals may be required to perform any other job-related instructions as requested by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation. This position description is not all-inclusive and is always under review.

World Relief offers a competitive benefits package (25 hours + per week):

World Relief contributes to monthly premiums:

• Medical
• Dental

Additional Benefits:

• Offer 16 Paid Holidays!
• Vision
• Offer Paid Sick and Vacation Leave
• Paid Maternity & Paternity Leave
• Parental Leave
• FSAs: Medical & Dependent Care, & Commuter Funding
• Supplemental Life Insurance (employee, spouse, and children)

World Relief pays 100% for eligible employees:

• Group Term Life (employee, spouse, and children)
• Long-Term & Short-term Disability
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D)
• Long Distant Travel Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

World Relief – Retirement:

• 401K & Roth
• WR matches up to 4%, then an additional quarter percent up to 10%
• Eligibility: Full Time is eligible after 3 months of employment. Part-time is eligible after 1000 hours in a year

World Relief Discounts (Immediately Eligible):

• Verizon
• Pet Insurance through Nationwide
• Home and Auto insurance through Liberty Mutual

We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.

For World Relief staff, a strong commitment to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief is essential, and Christian faith is a prerequisite for employment, based upon United States federal guidelines provided in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Legal Background in the United States

World Relief is both an equal opportunity employer and a faith-based religious organization. This means that we conduct hiring without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, marital status, parental status, membership in any labor organization, political ideology, or disability of an otherwise qualified individual. The status of World Relief as an equal opportunity employer does not prevent the organization from hiring staff based on their religious beliefs so that all staff share the same religious commitment.

Pursuant to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 702 (42 U.S.C. 2000e 1(a) World Relief has the right to and does, hire only candidates who agree with World Relief’s Statement of Faith.