Job purpose
The Country Director will be responsible for further developing Saferworld’s programme for Sudan – establishing and deepening strategic partnership with national and international actors working towards a peaceful Sudan and facilitating creative ways to support positive conflict prevention initiatives. The post holder will provide overall project management for current and future initiatives – managing and monitoring programme delivery, attracting appropriate resources, and ensuring financial oversight.
Roles and responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Provide strategic leadership and direction to the team.
- Develop organisational and project strategies and priorities, building on the work done to date and focusing on the areas of participatory community programming; peacebuilding; collaborative and effective partnerships; research and advocacy.
- Lead the Country Team (CT) in deepening Saferworld’s analysis and understanding of the Sudan context, and adapt strategies accordingly.
- Lead and manage annual planning, budgeting and strategy review processes. Deliver strong annual plans and budgets that identify and address significant issues in line with Saferworld’s organizational strategy and theory of change.
- Contribute to Saferworld’s wider organizational strategy development by participating in strategic planning and other cross-organizational learning processes regionally and globally.
Build and maintain effective internal and external relationships
The Post Holder will maintain good relationships and regular contacts with relevant authorities of Sudan (including transitional Government); international partners and stakeholders, including Saferworld’s donors; civil society organisations that Saferworld works with and/or support based on Saferworld’s partnership principles.
Key current priorities
- Ensure effective management of any formal partnerships between Saferworld and civil society partners.
- Represent Saferworld (remotely or in person) at meetings, co-ordination fora, acting as spokesperson as appropriate.
- Oversee the implementation of advocacy strategies on Sudan and overall programme.
Additionally
- Identify, develop and cultivate relationships with key strategic stakeholders, ensuring regular engagement and coordination.
- Develop and oversee partnerships based on Saferworld’s partnership principles.
- Engage with other Country Directors and Managers to ensure that potential programmatic or operational synergies are maximized.
- Build and maintain strong and collaborative relationships with different Saferworld teams in the region and London in order to achieve the programme vision.
Quality, Coherence and Impact
The post holder will manage the overall implementation of programme components in fulfilment of Saferworld’s funded programme obligations, including developing new areas of work as relevant. To include:
- Facilitate programme adaptations discussions with the Sudan programme team and re-align existing funded programmes in light of changes in the context, ensuring a strong strategic direction is maintained.
- Remain updated on the context in Sudan and ensure that the programme remains relevant and responsive to the context.
- With the Head of Region and Sudan programme support group, oversee the development of a programme transition strategy.
- Provide technical expertise and management to programme staff, including the Framework Secretariat, as relevant and/or assist in ensuring that the correct technical expertise is available to programme staff.
- Manage and oversee the effective implementation of Saferworld’s Sudan programme.
- Promote internal lesson-learning within the Sudan country team and with other Saferworld teams to ensure effective knowledge sharing on cross–organisational thematic issues, policy research and advocacy, and support functions.
- Ensure the overall monitoring and evaluation of and learning from the programme is systematic, and regular programme reviews and outcome harvesting processes are held.
- Ensure high quality and timely narrative and financial reports for stakeholders
People Management
- Build a high performing and motivated team to deliver collectively on the goals of the Sudan programme.
- Ensure the effective implementation of performance management and learning and development plans.
- Manage relevant consultants contracted to produce particular pieces of research and analysis
Financial Management
As the overall country programme budget holder, oversee all programme budgets and management accounts, in-line with Saferworld’s organisational processes. Ensure all costs (staff, operations, activities, and overheads) are adequately budgeted for and effectively managed.
Key current priorities
Manage the country programme budget in line with internal organisational processes – monitor the project budget on a monthly basis in coordination with colleagues to ensure optimum expenditure of funds and timely and accountable financial reporting by partners.
- Ensure timely and accountable financial reporting by project staff and partners.
- Ensure that project staff and partners comply with internal and donor accounting and financial management procedures.
- Manage annual budgeting and forecasting and/or re-alignment of existing programme budgets
- Timely reporting to donors, ensuring donor requirements are met.
Additionally
- Lead in the country budget development and oversee all programme budgets and management accounts, in-line with Saferworld’s organizational processes.
- Ensure effective financial control and compliance with organizational policies and procedures and donor financial regulations.
- Ensure grants are effectively managed according to Saferworld standards and funding protocols, as well as donor requirements.
Ensure effective management of Saferworld HR and Operational Plans
- Ensure Saferworld maintains necessary compliance according to the laws and regulations of Sudan.
- Provide line management of key staff and consultants as needed.
- Ensure day-to-day compliance with the Sudan programme’s security plan and procedures.
- Ensure the safety and security plans for the Sudan country programme are regularly reviewed and updated and ensure that all staff fully comply with the policies and procedures contained therein.
- Ensure optimum safety of Saferworld staff, consultants, interns, and volunteers traveling on Saferworld assignments as per agreed standards.
- Maintain a risk analysis, review the risks and update regularly. Ensure risks associated with fraud, bribery, money laundering, safeguarding and reputation of Saferworld are defined, monitored and managed.
Fundraising and Donor Relations
Together with the Funding team and the Partnerships and Grants Manager, maintain effective donor relationships for the Sudan programme.
- Engage current and future donors in regular programme discussions, ensuring we feed into donors’ strategies.
- Work with the Sudan team to ensure grants are effectively managed according to donor requirements.
- Identify and develop new fundraising opportunities, as appropriate and once current programmes have been re-aligned and are running effectively.
Key working relationships
- Sudan programme support team – working collaboratively, sharing information, and gaining advice from a range of expertise beyond line management channels.
- HR and Operations teams – close working relationship for quality HR management and support with focus on performance management, safeguarding, security, safety and well-being.
- Funding team – close working and collaboration arrangement to ensure proper resourcing of country programme and compliance to contractual obligations with donors;
- Finance teams – keeping close contact in ensuring proper budgeting, budget monitoring, healthy cash flow, compliance and proactive risk management;
- Respective Country Managers/Directors in the Region – working collaboratively, sharing information, identifying opportunities for joint programming, advocacy, mutual support etc.
- Donors and other stakeholders –donor stewardship, developing relationships with key stakeholders in and out of the country, being the key representative of Saferworld in Sudan.
Scope and accountability
Decision making and limits of authority: Key budget holder and providing authorisation according to agreed matrix.
Financial resources: Project budget approx. £2 million per annum.
Other resources: As agreed with the Head of East Africa.
People management: Currently five staff.
Legal, regulatory and compliance responsibility: Ensure that Saferworld in Sudan is in compliant with all legal and statutory requirements including financial regulations, health and safety, labour law, safeguarding requirements etc
Person specification
Knowledge, qualifications and experience
- Sound experience at senior management level (preferably at Country Management level or similar), with proven experience managing multi-thematic programmes in development and/or peacebuilding/conflict prevention organizations, and in a conflict-affected and logistically challenging environment, preferably Sudan.
- Proven ability to manage and motivate staff at all levels. Experience of remote line management is desirable.
- Proven ability to undertake and lead strategic planning, programme development, and adaptation.
- Experience of creatively managing and implementing community programming.
- Experience of working in partnership with local organizations, NGOs and other civil society networks.
- Alternatively, experience of building active partnerships with local organizations, and strengthening and working through effective civil society networks.
- Experience of donor liaison and fundraising (including reporting to donors).
- Financial management experience, including overseeing financial procedures, and budget management and monitoring.
- Experience of representing organizations at high level fora.
- Good knowledge of Sudan and/or the region.
- Excellent communication skills.
Desirable requirements
- Expertise on peacebuilding and conflict prevention.
- Arabic language skills.
Skills and abilities
- Excellent relationship building and communication skills, including ability to facilitate dialogue and provide advice, guidance and coaching to managers.
- Strong planning and organising skills, including handling complex and conflicting demands and ability to manage change processes.
- Ability to analyse situations and data, identify trends and patterns and produce reports
- Ability to build and motivate teams.
Personal qualities
- Commitment to and compliance with Saferworld’s safeguarding principles.
- Commitment to respect and value equality and diversity and understanding of how this applies to own area of work.
- Commitment to own continuing personal and professional development.
- Commitment to the vision, mission and values of Saferworld.
Other requirements
- Ability and willingness to travel to remote locations.