Search for Common Ground
Background:
Search for Common Ground (Search) is the world’s largest dedicated peacebuilding organization, founded in 1982. With programs across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the United States, Search transforms conflict with diverse tools inspired by its Common Ground Approach. Search is implementing a 10-year strategy to drive enduring change and transform many of the world’s most consequential conflicts. Search Sudan is part of the Central and East Africa (CEA) region, the largest of Search’s four regions with a diverse portfolio of programs in 10 countries and about $16 million in annual forecasted revenue. The programming streams include stabilization, preventing violent extremism, atrocity prevention, civil society strengthening, media and digital peacebuilding, security sector reform, and support to women and youth-led organizations.
Operating in Sudan since 2009, Search has focused on two main objectives: strengthening local capacity for conflict transformation and peacebuilding and supporting community actions for peace and reconciliation, with a focus on actively engaging and empowering marginalized groups, especially women and youth, to develop alternatives to cycles of violence and raise their voices for peace. Search Sudan has offices in Kadugli, South Kordofan, and Madani, Gazeera state. Search has worked in the peripheral states of South and West Kordofan, with later expansion to Blue Nile, Gedaref, Kassala, Darfur, and Abyei. We partner with local leaders, civil society groups, and media outlets, using radio and TV programming, participatory theater, and mobile cinema to trigger dialogue and understanding across society. Since April 2023, Search has had to re-look at its programming and base its work out of Madani instead of Khartoum due to the ongoing conflict.
Team Summary:
The Program Implementation team oversees the implementation of Search’s programs and projects in its country offices by Search and donor policies and procedures. The Program Implementation team works on the project’s life cycle, from the start-up phase to the full close-out. This involves designing work plans, implementing activities, reporting, and financial and staffing management. The Program Implementation team collaborates with other departments, including Finance, Institutional Learning, Global Affairs and Partnerships, Human Resources, and Information Technology.
Position Summary:
Based in Madini, the Country Director is responsible for the program from a programmatic and operational perspective and leads fundraising, strategic planning, and donor relations. S/he contributes to vital organizational initiatives and policy and assures suitability for field-level program implementation. The position oversees three critical areas of leadership and management:
● Thought leadership, reputation & external relationship;
● Oversight for Program Implementation; and
● Leadership for staffing, operations, and employee development.
Contributions:
- Program Implementation: provide strategic input and guidance on implementation strategies/approaches
- Compliance: Enforce processes to ensure internal policy and donor compliance; oversee the management of organizational, legal issues and compliance
- Financial management: Oversee development of country operational budget; ensure accurate forecasts and revenue projections; enforce finance policies and procedures; ensure program-finance team coordination
- Reporting: Develop country’s Quarterly Management Report (QMR); oversee the development of the country’s annual report
- Personnel management: Monitor senior-level team management and address management issues
- External engagement: Lead engagement with international actors and donors in the region
- Program management, quality, and project design: Ensure that the program portfolio reflects best practices and codified methodologies and embraces reflective practice and adaptive management
- Safety and security: with support from a security specialist and regional and head office colleagues, ensure that adequate safety and security assessments and measures are in place to protect and safeguard Search staff, participants, and assets
- Operations: Lead Senior Management Team (SMT); and lead strategy development and planning
- Infuses organizational Values into all work.
Competency Behavior Indicators (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities):
- Motivates colleagues and direct reports to develop while resolving problems within the context of the organization’s proactive and broad vision.
- Builds and maintains collaborative relationships with vendors, organizations, professional associations, partners, funders, and Search’s network of experts to facilitate work intended to provide a service to Search.
- Manages and contributes to both routine activities and initiatives while also making progress on continuous improvement efforts.
- Juggles multiple demands and adapts to new situations with fresh ideas or innovative approaches.
- Contributes to developing and implementing departmental strategy based on organizational goals and objectives.
- Confirms and socializes standards across functions globally within or in collaboration with Shared Services teams while allowing for thoughtful collaboration in an international context.
- Practices ethical behavior to meet Search’s expectations for conduct minimizes ambiguity and sets an example for others.
- Builds a framework and sets in motion a plan to overcome challenges by making sense out of complexity and an uncertain future, staying cognizant of the implications of choice for the department, and being decisive while also applying flexibility for further change as needed and with changing work plans to meet environmental factors.
- Sets up procedures and team building to ensure high quality of work (e.g., review meetings).
- Seeks creative solutions within a complex and international environment while working within an organizational framework of compliance, ethics, best practices, and standards.
- Shares information, advice, and suggestions to help others succeed; provides effective coaching.
- Sought out as an expert to provide advice or solutions in their technical or functional area.
- Convenes groups or teams through problem-solving and creative thinking processes, leading to developing and implementing new approaches, systems, structures, and methods in a Shared Services environment.
- Involves team members in thought leadership discussions and decision-making to lead to continued growth and development for team, department members, and Shared Services colleagues.
Education and Experience:
- Typically BS/BA with a minimum 15 years’ experience.
- Outstanding written and oral communication skills in English and Arabic.
- Ability to respond collaboratively in situations of uncertainty, ambiguity /or conflict.
- Ability to travel internationally at least 20%.