Country Manager

Humanity & Inclusion (Handicap International) is an independent and impartial international aid organization working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. We work alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, with partners and stakeholders, acting and bearing witness to meet their basic needs, improve their living conditions, and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.

In Nepal, since 2000, HI has been implementing health and rehabilitation, inclusive education, inclusive DRM, disaster responses/recovery, and inclusive livelihood projects. HI supports the inclusion of socially excluded vulnerable groups (particularly people with disabilities, children, elderly, and vulnerable women) and promotes their access to services related to health/rehabilitation, social security, disaster risk management, livelihoods, education, and other essential services.

HI Nepal announces vacancy from qualified Nepali candidates for the following position:

Position Title: Country Manager, Nepal

Description of the Mission

Activities: Inclusive Education, Physical Rehabilitation, Inclusive Health, Economic Inclusion, DRR & CCA, logistic preparedness

Voume:2.7 M€/year- 65 staff

Donors: USAID, FCDO, DFAT, MOFA LUX, UNICEF, BHA

Main Mission Challenges: Renewal of funding in a context where the available funding is decreasing, identifying new funding opportunities as per HI sectoral priorities, new partnerships and strengthening partnership collaboration, government compliance including the renewal of the registration, emergency preparedness, etc.

1. General Mission: Reporting to the Regional Director, the Country Manager contributes to the implementation of the mandate and 10-year strategy of Humanity & Inclusion in the country where s/he is based. S/he ensures optimal quality and the impact of the projects implemented in the country utilizing a delegation system with appropriate oversight mechanisms. With all the other HI managers, s/he shares responsibility for the sound management and effective functioning of the global organization through paradigm changes. The country manager manages a team of project managers in his/her country.

Location: Kathmandu

Terms & Conditions: Fixed Term 3 years (Renewable) Contract

Responsibilities:

Mission 1: Management

• Manager as a role model: embody HI’s values daily, and be a role model.
• Manager as a coach for meaning: understand the strategy, make it explicit, translate it into operational objectives for his or her team, and lead the necessary changes. Give meaning to each management action. Encourage inter and intra-departmental exchanges of practice. Encourage innovation and risk-taking.
• Operational manager: organizes the operational management of his or her team, structures the workaround identified processes, steers performance, and facilitates the resolution of problems.
• First HR & Coach: contribute to the development of his or her staff, creating the conditions for their commitment, professionalism, and attachment to HI. Ensure compliance with the code of conduct and institutional policies, the mindset, and expected individual and collective behavior.

Mission 2: Strategy and steering

Responsibility 1: Contribute to the development of the programme operational strategy, and its implementation and annual monitoring in the country

• Contribute to the process of elaborating the StratOp of the programme and steer the operational aspects of the StratOp
• At least once a year, contribute, with his/her portfolio of projects and data, to the annual monitoring of the StratOp and the following year’s programme planning (support missions and evaluations).
• In the event of a crisis/emergency, implement the framework and set-up decided by the HI Operations Director.
• Take part in the programme steering committee led by his/her line manager where required.

Responsibility 2: Implement the project part of the Programme’s Operational Strategy

• Size and plan necessary resources, recruit the project managers (ensuring a fit between skills and the projects’ challenges and ambitions), and develop and monitor their skills development plan, in conjunction with the corresponding professional sectors and with HR.
• Where relevant, develop regular contacts with current and potential donors at the field level and liaise with their line manager to check coherence with institutional programming and fundraising strategy.
• Within the operational framework defined in the StratOp, identify and transform funding opportunities in his/her country of assignment. Undertake (or contribute to) the design and drafting of new projects, and institutional fundraising for major multi-country projects, based on the decisions taken by the Authority regarding the opportunities.
• In conjunction with the [Regional] Technical Unit, identify, develop, and ensure the management and progression of local partnerships and/or consortia with CSOs, NGOs, institutions, and companies; on technical priorities or important topics in the area and going beyond the project timeframe.

Responsibility 3: Contribute to organizational transformation, particularly through changes to managerial practices, continuous improvement, and contribute to the improvement of working processes

Mission 3: Standards and expertise

Ensure deployment and compliance with HI global frameworks, institutional policies, and standards

These include the mandatory reference frameworks (such as HI Mission & Values or HI Theory of Change: Access to services), all HI’s institutional policies (Security / Code of Conduct and Safeguarding / Anti-fraud, bribery and corruption / PME and Project Quality Framework / Age-Gender-Disability), all institutional directives and processes; delegation thresholds; security levels.

Mission 4: Operational implementation

Responsibility 1: Ensure the sound management and monitoring of projects under his/her responsibility

• In conjunction with the [Regional] Technical Unit and the [Regional] MEAL Unit, ensure that HI quality standards (including technical standards) are applied in the projects, and monitor the implementation of recommendations from support missions, evaluations, and audits.
• Ensure compliance with project donors’ rules and adherence to contractual commitments: consolidation, oversight, and reporting to his/her line manager operational and organizational information in his/her area (dashboards, corrective action, use of own funds, beneficiary data, etc.)
• Concerning the concerned departments, deploy all appropriate tools to enable project monitoring (operational, financial, logistics, human resources, and technical monitoring) respecting HI and donors’ financial framework and in compliance with HI’s policies and frameworks.
• Undertake expenditure and manage the project activity-specific budget lines according to the delegation he/she received based on the programme signature delegation table
• Facilitate audits (operational, financial, and organizational), and ensure that their recommendations are implemented in their area of responsibility.

Responsibility 2: Keeping both potential opportunities and risks in mind, contribute to the monitoring and analysis done by the line manager, and propose mitigation measures where relevant

• In conjunction with the line manager, implement analysis and monitoring of risks & opportunities related to HI’s presence and activities; implement risk mitigation actions at his/her level; and ensure the implementation of a humanitarian watch and (when decided by the Regional Director) of an emergency preparedness plan in the area.

Responsibility 3: Act as the legal representative for the whole of HI internally and externally, and foster an excellent reputation and positive image of HI in the country. This includes:

• The responsibility of representing the employer and compliance with local labor laws.
• Communications on behalf of HI, working with the Regional Director.
• Representing HI to the local, national, traditional, political, military, and diplomatic authorities and bodies.
• Representing HI to international organisations, and the coordination systems and mechanisms.
• Negotiation, signing, and monitoring of partnerships, in conjunction with the Regional Director.

Responsibility 4: Develop HI’s external influence (forums, operational and strategic alliances, etc) and the external representation of the organization (events, media) in the country.

• May represent HI to the local, national, traditional, political, military, and diplomatic authorities and bodies; and international organizations and humanitarian mechanisms and coordination bodies.
• As part of his/her role, convey HI’s global advocacy messages to all the relevant external partners.

Responsibility 5: Coordinate the teams in the country

• Facilitate coordination meetings between his/her direct team of project managers and the support services located in the area when necessary.
• Follow up with teams in his/her area in conjunction with their direct managers.
• Ensure that project managers and the support teams (shared and technical services, in particular) work well together to facilitate project implementation in the country; conduct regular project reviews with the project managers and relevant departments.

Responsibility 6: Support the Regional Programme Director in monitoring security in the country and ensure adequate resources according to the context

• Monitor and analyze the security context in his/her area of responsibility regularly (if required).
• In tandem with the Regional Programme Director, decide to deploy or withdraw teams from sensitive areas.
• Report all incidents directly to the Programme Director.
• Develop a network of contacts with security staff from fellow NGOs, and represent HI in access, security, and safety meetings (at the request of the Programme Director).
• Provide feedback and advice about security risks, as well as on the existence and use of security management resources, such as SOPS, and project proposals.
• Working with the Regional Programme Director and Senior Management Team, update the security and contingency plans as and when the context develops.
• Support the Regional Programme Director on exploratory mission assessments, identification of guesthouses, and the opening of new areas.
• Assist the Regional Programme Director in raising the awareness of HI staff (national and international) about security risks and ensuring that security documents are understood and implemented.

Mission 5: Emergency Preparedness and Response

• Lead the emergency preparedness actions in his/her department and, in the event of an emergency, reorganize the priorities of his/her team according to the humanitarian priority, to ensure a quick and efficient response by HI.

Qualification and Skills Required:

• Master’s degree in management/international relations/ political science/development studies or any other relevant field with at least 8 years of experience including at least 5 years of experience in a senior management position (leading the country programme autonomously) with international like-minded organizations.
• Proven experience in leading and managing humanitarian and emergency programs
• Proven experience in fundraising and programme development
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Motivated by constant program adaptation to an evolving context
• Excellent organizational skills, coordination, and transfer of knowledge
• Excellent communication skills and commitment to teamwork
• Proven experience in negotiations with institutional donors, project writing, and reporting
• Shows accountability, leadership, diplomacy and pragmatism
• Proficient in written and spoken English.