Head of Mission Kosovo

PLAY International is looking for its future Head of Mission for Kosovo. The position is expected to start late September 2022.

Place of employment: Pristina

PLAY International PLAY International is a French NGO founded in 1999 on the conviction that sport is a source of solutions to our social challenges. PLAY International’s main mission is to design and implement education and inclusion projects for children and young people in vulnerable situations, using sport as a pedagogical tool. The NGO works in particular on issues such as access to and retention in school, equality between girls and boys, community reconciliation, health prevention – eating well – moving well – sleeping well – using screens well, changing the way people look at disability, etc. Since its creation, PLAY International has implementededucational and humanitarian projects in France and abroad in more than 20 countries for the benefit of nearly 1 million children. Today, the association has 4 missions in Burundi, France, Kosovo and Senegal. PLAY International is a member of the SOS Group.

SOS Group The SOS Group is a non-profit group, leader in social entrepreneurship in Europe. The SOS Group is a non- shareholder, non-profit organisation operating in France and in more than 40 countries worldwide.

Responsibilities and tasks The Head of Mission is directly responsible for strategic planning, human resources, program design and implementation, program support operations, finance, administration, safety and security, monitoring and evaluation, expansion/development andNGO representation required for the smooth running of PLAY’s operations in the country and in the region. The Head of Mission playsa key role through a high level of strategic leadership and effective advocacy. He/she is ultimately responsible for all aspects of the country projects and ensures that the organizational structure is adapted to the operational context. The mission consists of 10national staff based in Pristina, but it is anticipated that the mission will encompass activities in North Macedonia and Montenegrostarting in the Spring 2023.

The Head of Mission works under the responsibility of the Director of Operations of the NGO, based in Paris, the headquartersof the organization.

Its tasks and responsibilities are as follows:

1.Mission strategy and development

1.1 Program development

• Develop and formulate the mission strategy and update it annually.
• To analyze the development context and needs in Kosovo and the Western Balkans and propose new programs andpartnerships, consistent with the national and global strategy.
• Monitor and support the design of projects.
• Identify potential relevant local and/or international partners (private sector, national and international NGOs, think tanks, academics, etc.) and ensure that each partnership is based on the results of a complementarity and added value survey, so that it contributes to the achievement of PLAY’s global, regional and national strategy.

1.2 Fundraising

• Monitor donor strategies, identify calls for proposals, seek funding opportunities, and pilot the mission’s response tothese opportunities.
• Write grant applications (narrative & budget), and coordinate reporting (narrative & finances) to the donors.

1.3 Public representation and management of institutional and strategic partnerships

• To ensure the external representation and strategic positioning of PLAY with local and international interlocutors(institutional actors of sport and education, Embassies, Donors, NGOs, etc.);
• Contribute to the creation of a positive image and the overall credibility of the organization vis-à-vis internal and externalstakeholders.
• Define the partnership elements with educational and sports institutions (Ministries of National Education, Sports, Youth,CNOSK, etc.) and follow up on the signing of contractual documents;
• Participate in sectoral and institutional meetings on education, sport, protection, etc.
• Leading steering committees with institutional partners and landlords.
• Maintaining relations with the media.

2. Operations

2.1 Finance

• To ensure that administrative, accounting, and financial procedures are followed and comply with PLAY’s procedures manualas well as donors’ requirements.
• Monitor and validate monthly accounting, cash flow plan, and budget planification.

2.2 Administration

• Manage applications for accreditation, visas and other necessary authorizations for human resources employed by the NGOor on ad hoc missions
• Monitor licensing processes in the country and ensure the legality of PLAY’s operations in Kosovo and, where relevant, in otherWestern Balkan countries.

2.3 Programs and impact

• Monitor the implementation of projects and their activities according to commitments to donors.
• Ensure the inclusion of PLAY’s technical expertise in the implementation of activities, by facilitating technical coordination between the mission’s Pedagogical Coordinator and the Technical Referent at headquarters;
• Support the capitalization and integration of monitoring and evaluation measures into country strategies, frameworks, policiesand plans.

2.4 Partnership management

• Supervise and monitor the work of local implementing partners, ensuring that timing, technical quality and standards are takeninto account and adhered to in the implementation of the project while ensuring a smooth collaboration;
• Ensure that partners’ commitments to partnership agreements and donor and funding requirements are met.

3. Human Resources Management

• Manage the mission team, their evaluation and capacity building plans.
• Ensure the recruitment of new staff in accordance with the law in Kosovo and in other countries of the Western Balkans, asappropriate.

4. Safety and security

• Constantly monitor risks and security levels and document local security information (social and political context, external actors,economy, etc.) and communicate it to the head office operations management.
• Develop and annually update a national security plan and security guidelines for employees.
• Ensure that all staff members receive a security briefing on entry to the country and ensure that country security guidelines arefollowed by all staff.

Skills required

• Interest in developing new projects, identifying new opportunities and contributing to the development of PLAY’s mission inthe Balkan region.
• Excellent communication, diplomacy and negotiation skills with institutions and donors.
• Excellent writing skills.
• Leadership, willingness to work in a multicultural team.
• Strong organizational and planning skills.
• Interest in development issues, including sport as a tool for inclusion and development, child protection and education.
• Stress and priority management.
• Adaptability, flexibility.
• Fluency in English is required. Fluency in French, Albanian, or another Balkan language is an asset.
• Local candidates welcome.

Training

• Master II in International Relations, Project Management, Political Science, or equivalent.

Experience

• At least 5 year-experience in the International Cooperation, Humanitarian and/or Development sector
• Proven experience in fundraising, drafting projects in response to donor opportunities in accordance with their requirements.Knowledge of public and international donors such as AFD is an asset.
• Previous experience as a mission leader or in a position of equivalent responsibility in an NGO/cooperation
• Experience in managing a multicultural team preferable
• Knowledge of Kosovo and the Western Balkan is an asset

Conditions

• Contract duration: 7-month fixed-term contract (renewable) – French or local contract (depending on profile)
• Salary: as per PLAY’s salary grid
• Advantages: per diem, flight, health and repatriation insurance.
• Location: Pristina
• Starting date: late September 2022