Country Director – Sudan

Background
War Child Canada is a registered Canadian charity based in Toronto that works to accelerate peace and disrupt the cycle of violence by investing in and empowering local communities to build brighter futures through comprehensive, evidence-informed programs that foster resilience, self-reliance, and self-determination.

War Child is globally recognized for our grassroots, community-driven model of humanitarian action that’s rooted in collaboration and entirely locally led. Over the years, we have developed a solid track record of long-term, sustainable impact supporting children and families living in areas dominated by conflict.

War Child Canada works with some of the most vulnerable populations around the world and are leaders in developing and implementing programs specifically targeting and protecting children, women, and refugees living in the most complex humanitarian environments in Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda and Yemen.

Context

War Child Canada has been active in Sudan since 2003 primarily in West Darfur to improve access to quality education programs for children and youth, provide water and sanitation for families, conduct youth peacebuilding, and provide food security and livelihoods opportunities, particularly for female farmers.

Since the onset of country-wide clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces in April 2023 and the resulting displacement of at least 2.8 million people, War Child Canada have been assessing the scope for reprogramming in Darfur and other locations in Central Sudan which contributes to emergency efforts while supporting the longer-term resiliency needs of local communities.

Position summary

The Country Director will lead the scale up of operations and responsive needs-based programming for children, young people and their families in new geographic locations. The position will support our teams, youth groups and partners in Sudan to establish complementary new programming and broaden the portfolio of donors.

The Country Director has overall responsibility for leading and managing War Child Canada’s strategy in Sudan, providing directional oversight of programs and operations, co-ordinate with other agencies including joint sectoral assessment work to ensure high quality, responsive services to local communities.

The Country Director will actively seek opportunities for fund development and representation among key networks.

Responsibilities

Leadership and Management of the country program (30%)

• Lead the development of War Child Canada’s Sudan program, specifically to oversee the design and scale up of programs in Darfur and/or Central Sudan.
• Develop annual plans and provide support and direction for implementation and oversight of service delivery.
• Oversee the fulfillment and contractual obligations of all narrative and financial reporting requirements.
• Oversee the development and implementation of its Country Strategic Plan, in close collaboration with Head Office and field staff.

Fundraising (30%)

• Build War Child Canada’s program through donor engagement, project design and proposal development, in collaboration with HQ.
• Responsibility for in-country fundraising with institutional donors.

Financial Management (10%)

• Overall responsibility for in-country budget and financial management, including reporting to Head Office.
• Maintain efficient financial controls, accountability standards, procedures and records.
• Prepare country budgets, oversee project budgets and monitor budget spending.
• Maintain network of contacts and representation (10%)
• Initiate and engage in collaboration and consultation with local and central authorities, INGOs, national NGOs and local communities.
• Ensure appropriate communications, information exchange and sharing with local partners and with HQ.
• Represent War Child Canada in meetings and coordination platforms.

Human Resource Management (10%)

• Responsible for the oversight of all War Child Canada staff in Sudan, across its field offices.
• Oversees the recruitment of local staff as necessary.
• Develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure strong human resource management and to contribute to a positive and equitable workplace.

Security Management (10%)

• Maintain internal and external contacts with relevant parties and authorities related to security
• Monitor the security context of the country to manage and mitigate security risks.
• Regularly update and implement War Child Canada’s security procedures and plans in coordination with HQ.

Qualifications

Knowledge

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in International Development, Social Sciences, Education, or related subject
• Minimum of five (5) years of senior management experience including experience in strategic planning processes.
• Knowledge of at least one (1) of War Child Canada’s programming focal areas.
• Demonstrated track record in successful fundraising and donor engagement and development strategies.
• Experience in project, financial and HR management, including mentoring of national and international staff.
• Experience managing security in a conflict affected environment.
• Previous experience in Sudan is highly desirable.

Skills and abilities

• Fluency in written and verbal English. Arabic is an asset.
• Demonstrated leadership abilities.
• Detail oriented, strong organizational, analytical, and strategic planning skills.
• Effective time-management skills with the ability to multi-task and manage multiple time-sensitive priorities.
• Self-starter, able to work with a high degree of initiative and highly resilient
• Team oriented with strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with individuals from a range of backgrounds.
• Strong writing and project management skills.
• Able to work sensitively in challenging and insecure environments.