Country Director, Yemen

Search Yemen:

The Yemen program is part of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, covering eight countries. Search commenced work in Yemen in 2010, with the mission to strengthen peace and stability across dividing lines in Yemen. Our methodological toolbox includes capacity building, media production, coalition-building, dialogue facilitation, and community outreach. Through these approaches, we seek to decrease violence and polarization and strengthen agency and inclusion. We work with a top-down, bottom-up approach, partnering with relevant governmental institutions, local authorities, traditional leaders, international NGOs, and local organizations.

Our programs operate in both the north and south of Yemen and focus on the following pillars:

• Building local pockets of peace and stability through strengthened peacebuilding skills, mediation, dialogue, and collaborative action.
• Strengthening local and national peace processes by including local peacebuilders, with a particular focus on young people and women’s inclusion;
• Integrating conflict-sensitive and social cohesion approaches into wider humanitarian and development programs, with a particular focus on capacity building and conflict analysis;

Search for Common Ground has offices in Aden and Sana’a, a staff of 63, and six active projects underway, with funding from the Government of Canada, the European Union, the United Nations, and USAID.

Team Summary:

The Program Implementation team has oversight for the implementation of Search’s programs and projects in its country offices, in accordance with Search and donor policies and procedures. The Program Implementation team works on the full life-cycle of the project, from the start-up phase to the full close-out. This involves designing work plans, implementing activities, reporting, financial management, and staffing management The Program Implementation team collaborates with other departments, including Finance, Institutional Learning, Programs, Global Affairs and Partnerships, Human Resources, and Information Technology

Responsibilities:

• Leadership for staffing, operations, and employee development.
• Oversight for Program Implementation of the Yemen portfolio across the country.
• The leadership of the senior management team with oversight of operations, safety & security, human resources, Finance, and programs.

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 the country’s Quarterly Management Report (QMR); oversee the development of the country’s annual report.

Personnel management:

• Develop a country staffing plan.
• Participate in Director Manager-level recruitments.
• Ensure implementation of HR policies and processes.
• Supervise Director Manager-level staff including the Head of Office.
• Monitor senior-level team management and address management issues.

External engagement:

• Represent Search at national and international events.
• Lead government engagement and relationship building.
• Lead engagement with international actors and donors in the region.
• Ensure Search’s reputation remains strong and relevant to position Search as an excellent potential partner.

Program management, quality, and project design:

• Ensure that the program portfolio reflects best practices, and codified methodologies, and embraces reflective practice and adaptive management.
• Monitor program quality, reflection, and learning initiatives.
• Advise on areas to improve program quality, reflection, and learning.
• Amplify outcomes of program quality, reflection, and learning through external engagement.
• Make go/no-go decisions.
• Lead identification of unsolicited opportunities.
• Coordinate input from program teams for new project design and proposal development.
• Ensure new project budgets support the country office needs.

Operations:

• Lead Senior Management Team (SMT).
• Member of the Leadership Management Team (LMT) for the conflict geography structure group.
• Lead strategy development and planning.
• Lead country Objectives and Key Results (OKR) development.
• Ensure strategy is supported by operational structures and across functional areas.
• Ensure projects support strategy implementation.
• Adapt operations and logistics systems to fit the needs of the country.
• Ensure systems can support quality program implementation.
• Ensure safety and security protocols are in place and followed.
• Initiate the development of new safety and security measures.
• Management of the operational presence of the country team.
• Infuses organizational Values into all work.
• Other duties that are broadly in line with the above key contributions as assigned.

Competency Behavior Indicators (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities):

• Motivates colleagues and direct reports to develop while resolving problems within the context of a proactive and broad vision set by the organization.
• 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 the development and implementation of the 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 a choice for the department, and being decisive while also applying flexibility for further change as needed and changing work plans to meet environmental factors.
• Sets up procedures and team building to ensure high quality of work (e.g., review meetings).
• Seeks out 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 to be more successful; 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 the development and implementation of 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.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Arabic is an added advantage.

Type and Nature of Contacts:

• Routinely coordinates with colleagues and consultants on-site and in the field and resolves problem situations with tact. Has multiple and regular high-level external donor and partner contacts. Is externally branded and visible.
• Represents, as assigned, selected programs or projects and other organizations, including donors, vendors, and international and local partners.
• Interacts with the country office, regional team, and Global teams as required.

Education and Experience

Typically BS/BA in Humanitarian development, Project Management, or a relevant field with a minimum of 16 years of total experience or Master’s degree with 14 years of total experience.

A minimum experience of in Senior leadership (Chief of Party, Program Director, Country Director) is required.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

Usual office environment conditions; ability to travel domestically at least 20%. Occasional international trips in the region and/or to the headquarters in Brussels and Washington DC may be necessary.

Supervisory and Budget Responsibility

The Country Director leads the Senior Management Team (SMT) and supervises the leaders of Departments (Finance, HR, Operations, & Programs). The Country Director is also the Budget owner of the Yemen Program.

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary according to salary scale and profile of the incumbent.
• Shared housing provided by the Aden, Yemen office.
• 25 days of annual leave per year.
• 5 days of R&R per year (Subjected to Change based on the S&S rating).
• all Yemen public holidays.

Contract: Yearly employment, renewable depending on funding and performance.

This is an Unaccompanied position.

Starting date:
September 1st, 2023

Closing date:
June 5th, 2023

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities.