Country Manager in Mali

Do you want to lead the Danish Red Cross’ humanitarian work in one of our most country interventions in Africa? Are you a robust and solution-oriented team player? Danish Red Cross is looking for an ambitious and dedicated humanitarian to direct our operations in Mali.

Throughout the past decade, a multidimensional crisis has unfolded in the Central Sahel as a result of political and economic instability, the severe effects of climate change and rising insecurity. The crisis has fostered an unprecedented level of complex needs for millions of people. Responding to the crises in Central Sahelian countries, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, is a key priority in the Danish Red Cross international strategy 2022-25.

As Danish Red Cross Country Manager in Mali you will be overall responsible for overseeing and developing our portfolio and partnership with Mali Red Cross and consortium partners in line with the existing country strategy. Your team will consist of 7 international delegates plus resident admin and finance staff. Your main implementing partner will be Mali Red Cross.

The partnership between Mali Red Cross (MRC) and Danish Red Cross (DRC) dates back to 1996. The current Danish Red Cross engagement in Mali adopts a triple nexus approach to a long-term and lasting aspiration to ensure that people affected by conflict, disasters and complex crises live safe and dignified lives in peaceful communities.

Our programmatic priorities include, ensuring timely response to humanitarian disasters, increasing resilience through anticipatory action and adaptation to climate change and

Disasters, promoting and supporting inclusion and peaceful coexistence and addressing humanitarian and protection concerns of migrants and displaced populations, including host communities.

The current portfolio includes projects targeting the most vulnerable populations in Central and Northern Mali and linked to migration, disasters response and resilience towards climate change. Our funding comes from donors and partners such as Danida, EU and UN. The total budget is approximately

Responsibilities

The Country Manager has overall responsibility for ensuring that the Danish Red Cross supported Country Programme and partnerships are implemented in line with the DANISH RED CROSS International Strategy and Country Strategy, Danish Red Cross standard operating procedures, and donor requirements and guidelines.

More specifically, the country manager will be responsible for:

• Strategic direction of Danish Red Cross engagement in Mali
• Overall budget, management and development of DANISH RED CROSS supported portfolio in Mali
• Represent Danish Red Cross and develop Partnerships with Country Red Cross; ICRC, IFRC, PNS and other in-country partners and stakeholder
• Lead and manage the Danish Red Cross Team of delegates including security
• Fundraising strategy and implementation of the action plan
• Operationalising and ensuring implementation of organisational priorities in Mali

The position requires leadership, management, coordination, representation and programme/technical assistance to Danish Red Cross in-country delegates and Mali Red Cross. This will include areas of formulation, implementation, and overall supervision, monitoring and evaluation of various projects, initiative and actions, as well as further development of the partnership and country program.

Profile

The ideal candidate holds a master’s degree in Development Studies, Disaster Management, Migration, Climate change, or another relevant field.

Experience:

• 10 years of relevant international field experience in overall coordination, formulation, design, planning and implementation of development projects.
• Experience working for a humanitarian aid organization and within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is preferable.
• Experience and capacity to adapt to emergency & protection programming
• Experience in capacity building of local partners is essential.
• Ability to work within a partnership set up with many different actors and interests.
• Proven project cycle and financial management as well as resource mobilization experience with major donors/funds, project proposal and extensive report writing.
• Team management experience, in the context of development projects or major humanitarian emergency response situations.
• Experience in the Sahel context is an advantage.

Technical Skills:

• Experience in EU/ECHO and DANIDA funding, and in particular knowledge of their implementation and reporting procedures.
• Good understanding of organizational development, particularly in the context of Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies and branches, is an advantage.
• Knowledge within the areas of organizational development, migration, protection, disaster management, health and psychosocial support.
• Good analytical skills.
• Relevant training and practical experience in staff security management in insecure environments.

Personal qualities:

• Strong managerial, interpersonal and coordination skills.
• Ability to adapt to changing situations and readiness to work in a challenging environment is required.
• Must be able to work independently.
• Team player skills are essential.
• Confidence in situations of stress, and able to handle a heavy but varied workload.
• Excellent communication, coordination
• Networking and facilitation skills
• Good cultural understanding and the ability to build the confidence of partners in culturally and politically sensitive environment are essential, and understanding that ownership is key to achieving results.

Other:

• Excellent reporting skills in French and English are a must.
• An excellent communicator, with good negotiation skills and a diplomatic flair.
• Full proficiency in Microsoft Office package and a valid international driving license.

Employment Conditions:

The Country Manager will report to Danish Red Cross Head of Africa Region based in Ethiopia and will be working closely with the Danish Red Cross Country Managers for Niger and Burkina Faso. The duty station is Bamako in Mali. While the current conditions are not suitable for families, it is possible to bring a spouse.

The expected starting date is July 2022 or as soon as possible and the length of the contract is 24 months with the possibility of extension.

The contract will be administered in accordance with the Danish Red Cross Terms and Conditions for Delegates. The monthly salary including allowances and pension within the range of DKK 46.000 – 50.000 depending on experience and qualifications. In addition, you are entitled to furnished housing and instalment package and annual home leave.

For more information on the position, please write to the Deputy Head of Region, Hector Palacios, at [email protected].