Country Director – Chad

About the role: : This is a 24 (renewable) month, replacement role with partner-only accompanied terms (full accompanied terms are negotiable) based in N’Djamena with a salary of Grade 7, €59,819 – €66,465 per annum.

You will report to the Regional Director and will line manage all staff in country. We would like you to start in October 2022.

Your purpose: Concern has been operating in Chad since 2007 and, following an initial response to the refugee crisis in the East, has further developed its presence in country over the past decade, delivering strong integrated programming and working on the humanitarian-development nexus. Concern is widely recognized in Chad as one of the main actors for resilience programming, having spearheaded the Irish Aid- funded Community Resilience to Acute Malnutrition model and delivered successfully on the UK Aid-funded “Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters (BRACED)” programme. Concern Worldwide is the Consortium Lead of a 4-year EU-funded “Programme de Développement Inclusif des Zones d’Accueil au Tchad” (DIZA). In the Lake Region, Concern is scaling-up its humanitarian intervention in favor of displaced and vulnerable communities affected by the Lake Chad Basin crisis. Concern is implementing projects funded by ECHO and Irish Aid, to improve Health, WASH and Food Security in the area. Many new opportunities and proposals are being prepared to secure further funding for the following years. Concern has also taken the lead in managing the INGO coordination group, and represents NGOs in various coordination bodies.

Within this dynamic working environment, expanding team and increased portfolio of programmes and donors, you will have overall responsibility for the strategic development and management of the Concern country programme in Chad. You will ensure that the programme meets objectives as set out in the Country Strategic Plan, annual plans and programme proposals. You will also ensure that the country programme is in line with Concern policies, procedures and meets Core Humanitarian Standards. You will lead the Senior Management Team (Country Finance Manager, Program Director, and Systems Director) and represent the organisation with government, donors and other international organisations. You will report to the Regional Director.

You will be responsible for:

Leadership & Strategic Direction:

• Leading the Senior & Country Management Teams and ensuring participative decision-making processes

• Leading by example and supporting the Concern team to achieve organisational outcomes

• Leading a team of around 90 national staff and 14 international staff, and ensuring staff capacity, organisational structures and programme approaches are fit for purpose and able to effectively deliver strategic organisational goals

• Engaging with major organisational advocacy issues, providing support and leadership for key strategic campaigns.

• Supporting and ensuring the implementation of the Country Strategic Plan

Risk Management & Accountability:

• Ensuring optimal use of financial resources; managed in a transparent and accountable manner, consistent with Concern’s and donor policies, systems and procedures, delivering quality results and demonstrating value for money.

• Responding robustly to any suspicions or reports of fraud, safeguarding or code of conduct abuses or other misdemeanours, and adhering to Concern’s policy and procedures on investigations

• Ensuring Concern complies with all relevant national legal and administrative requirements

• Identifying all risks and implementing mitigating measures in conjunction with the Senior Management Team.

• Lead and manage the implementation of safeguarding policies and procedures; and response to breaches of the Concern Code of Conduct and associated policies, in collaboration with the Safeguarding department

• Promote and ensure compliance with the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) commitments and quality criteria

• Ensure that all staff are familiar with the principles underpinning accountability, safeguarding and Concern’s Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM) and ensure that information about Concern’s commitments on accountability and safeguarding are disseminated among programme participants and communities

• Ensure that the CRM is functional, effectively implemented and accessible in all programmes’ locations, enabling safe reporting of both programmatic and sensitive complaints, including safeguarding concerns

• Ensure that complaints are welcomed, managed and responded to in a timely, fair and appropriate manner; ensure that sensitive complaints, including safeguarding concerns, are handled with utmost confidentiality and that the safety of the complainants and those affected is prioritised at all stages.

Security Management:

• Ensuring an overall comprehension of the security context and liaise with other organisations and key actors in the field of security.

• Taking overall responsibility for security management in-country and leading incident management in the event of a serious security incident

• Ensuring all staff are aware of and adhere to the Security Management Plan as well as key security procedures in place and ensure these are reviewed regularly and updated as necessary

• Establishing and maintaining effective security management systems to meet agreed standards, including the appointment of security focal points and security focal groups

Programme Development & Implementation:

• Ensuring adequate financial resources for continual programming in country, and engaging actively with in-country and regional donors.

• Supporting the Programme Director to ensure programmes are designed, implemented, monitored and evaluated in line with Concern Worldwide policies, incorporating a results-based management approach, and external standards such as the Red Cross/Red Crescent Code of Conduct, Sphere, and the CHS are adhered to Supporting efforts in fundraising, identification of new opportunities, donor relations and leading the development of the country funding strategy

• Enabling an organisational culture that supports effective learning, sharing and continual improvement of programme quality.

• Conducting regular monitoring and support visit to the field bases.

Support Systems & People Management:

• Supporting and guiding the Systems and Finance functions to ensure effective and efficient HR, administrative, logistical and financial support is provided to staff of Concern Worldwide.

• Supporting the CFM in budget preparation, revision and monitoring; ensuring that budget holders actively manage their budgets and prepare accurate budgets in line with the annual plan.

• Ensure that Concern’s IT systems provide efficient and effective communication and data management for the organisation, linking with Concern Worldwide systems.

• Supporting and guiding the HR Manager to ensure there are competent and empowered human resources, in a fair, diverse and efficient workplace

• Ensuring the National HR Manual and HR policies are in line with organisational and national legal requirements and all staff are aware of and comply with these.

• Undertaking initiatives to ensure a good working environment and team spirit so Concern is perceived as an employer of choice for national and international staff.

• Ensuring job requisitions are prepared on a timely basis for international positions

• Ensuring staff Performance and Development Review’s (PDRs) are undertaken for all staff with appropriate training, development and career opportunities identified and budgeted.

• Ensuring good working conditions for all staff and implementing team building activities

Representation & Networking:

• Creating a strong and visible profile for the organisation, as a leading actor in the fight against poverty and the implementation of resilience programming.

• Communicating information regarding Concern and its programme at National level to Government, Donors and INGOs, alliances and networks across a range of fora.

• Ensuring the coordination with other NGOs, the United Nations Systems as well as other key actors, and if appropriate, continue to support the management of the INGO group in Chad.

• Engaging appropriately with the media to ensure that Concern’s values, vision and programmes are highlighted.

• Representing Concern Worldwide in strategic national and international meetings;

• Ensuring relationships and formal agreements with the government are maintained and updated.

• Ensuring regular contacts with the donor community

Your skills and experience will include:

• Relevant post graduate qualification
• Three to five years’ experience in a senior position with an international NGO
• Management of diverse and multi-sectoral programmes
• Management of a diverse team of senior staff
• Previous work in a similar context
• Management of systems and finance functions, including knowledge of donor compliance
• Management of security and safeguarding
• Working with major international donors and securing external donor funding.
• Knowledge and experience of incorporating key cross-cutting approaches across programmes
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and a confidence to engage and represent Concern at public fora, media and donors
• Strong Diplomatic skills
• Excellent teambuilding and mentoring skills
• Delegation, time management, planning and prioritization skills
• Computer literate and good knowledge of Outlook, Word, Excel and Powerpoint
• Excellent English and French
• Empathy with Concern’s mission, vision and goals, and with our target group

We would also like:

• Flexible, honest and reliable
• Culturally sensitive and empathetic to others
• Able to work under pressure and to strict deadlines
• Able to maintain a positive approach and sense of humour