Director, Country at International Medical Corps

JOB SUMMARY:  

• The Country Director is directly responsible for the overall strategic planning, human resources, program design and implementation, program support operations, finance, administration, safety and security monitoring and evaluation supervision, expansion/development, and required reporting for the country program.
• The Country Director plays a strong leadership role through a high level of strategic leadership and effective advocacy.
• The Country Director sets direction, leads, maintains team morale, safety and welfare, and manages resources while maintaining oversight and accountability.
• S/he is ultimately accountable for all aspects of the country projects and ensuring that organizational setup is adapted to the operational context.
• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function with or without reasonable accommodation:

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 Program Management

• Develop country specific strategic plan and proposals for programs in line with IMC’s global operational framework, considering country priority needs and in collaboration with country Senior Management Team (SMT).
• Coordinate with headquarters and country departments to design and implement high-quality programs, ensuring all programs are completed within time, within budget, achieving program objectives and in line with International Medical Corps principles, values, minimum standards, policies and strategic plans.
• Work closely with partners to identify a strategy for the maintaining and strengthening essential services and systems.
• Structure the country team for efficient operations and for accurate and timely collaboration and communication with headquarters, including the preparation and presentation of achievement of indicator targets, budget expenditure and procurement plans for monthly country-pipeline calls.
• Participate in writing and reviewing proposal applications.
• When applicable, provide technical inputs and assistance to programs with particular reference to financial management and reporting systems.
• Ensure Country Office participation in UN Clusters or other relevant coordination and other high level and operational coordination to ensure country programs are playing a vital role and to secure required support from the cluster coordination mechanism and the UN funding instruments such as CERF, CHF et
• Coordinate and lead monthly pipelines review and follow on adequation between spending and program implementation.
• Report regularly to headquarters, providing timely updates of all operational situational and project management developments.
• Ensure monitor, evaluate and report on all program activities and progress to headquarter office and donors.

Compliance

• Oversee program operations and reporting, ensuring compliance with agency technical standards, policies and procedures, donor regulations and local laws.
• Facilitate investigations on violations of policies as appropriate.
• Oversee the preparation of annual work plans and budgets.
• Ensure compliance with local labor, NGO and technicality laws or present concerns to Senior Director / HQ Legal.
• Roll out protection risk assessment across all the projects and implement subsequent action plans.
• Support the implementation of the community-based feedbacks and response mechanisms across the mission.

Program Development

• Develop a clear funding/resources mobilization strategy.
• Maintaining and expanding the country donor and financial portfolio based on the needs.
• Pursue new sources of donor funding and maintain adequate donor funding levels to sustain identified program and support activities, while meeting IMC technical standards and organizational policies, ensuring staff wellbeing.
• Leadership in proposal design and development, ensuring timey submission and providing inputs when applicable.
• Remaining aware of donor funding intention.
• Establish country partnerships to allow for collective organizations efforts through consortia.

Human Resources

• Oversee the recruitment and selection of relevant qualified field staff, recommend promotions, disciplinary action and termination of staff in consultation with supervisors.
• Collaborate with security team in country to maintain security of staff in the field locations.
• When needed, make site visits to facilities to provide operational support to field site staff and ensure programs are being conducted timely and according to project plan. 
• Plan for and manage any program critical incident including medical evacuation
• Maintain open lines of communications with all field staff.
• Sign all contracts for employment.

Training/ Capacity Building

• Determine training needs for the field staff in coordination with relevant supervisors.
• Ensure senior national staff are trained to increase their responsibilities in order to build capacity and ensure sustainability of programs.
• Advocate and plan for professional development for expat and national staff. 

Working Relationships

• Maintain frequent communication with direct supervisor to ensure program activities and objectives are communicated.
• Work with Senior Management Team (SMT) to ensure the coordination of programs.
• When possible, ensure representation of the organization at task force meetings, assessment missions, camp coordination meetings, UN coordination meetings, INGO coordination meetings.
• Interface with national government and relevant agencies to ensure mutual understanding of programs and maximize resource distribution and allocation of available funds.
• Ensure Source and lobby for resources for staff wellbeing.
• Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
• Overall responsibility for ensuring mission’s commitments towards donors and IMC’s requirements on Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) requirements.
• Integrate MEAL into country strategies, frameworks, policies and plans.
• Include MEAL related roles and responsibilities to all staff who are responsible for program management and implementation. 
• Direct country level management to adequately budget for MEAL activities across all grants.
• Ensures country level Community Based Feedback and Response Mechanism (CBFRM) procedure is in place, functioning, and adequately resourced. 
• Ensures all highly sensitive complaints and feedback from the CBFRM are addressed and closed appropriately. 
• Raises profile/awareness and importance of MEAL with other senior management members through routine review and briefing sessions.

Representation

• Represent the organization and liaise with local and national authorities, UN, NGO, and donor agencies, to promote the organization’s programs, facilitate successful coordination of activities and ensure transparency and accountability to all stakeholders.
• Serve as the principal liaison with Donors on matters related to the program to ensure financial and programmatic accountability to Donors.
• Establish and update contact details of potential Donors in-country.
• Participate in Donor meetings and communicate relevant information to HQ.
• Work with key Donor Staff to develop and maintain optimum financial and programmatic relationship
• Ensure maximum visibility of the Agency amongst the NGO community.
• Lead the production of reports and ensure the timeliness and accuracy of information provided, as well ensuring confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organization, notably through the application of the organizations Code of Conduct, ethics, values and standpoint with regard to internal and external actors.
• Security
• The Country Director is ultimately responsible for the security management of staff, operations, assets and directs country-specific response to security threats and incidents, up to and including management of evacuation.
• Monitor security level in collaboration with Country Security Management and consult with the HQ Global Security Senior Management to upgrade or downgrade level.
• Responsible for ensuring that Incident Report Forms are completed and submitted to HQ Security in a timely manner.
• Responsible for ensuring all staff are given a security briefing, and required documentation upon entry into the country.
• Ensure application and compliance of security protocols and policies.
• In cooperation with the Security Management, monitor the security situation and inform the HQ Security Management through weekly security reports.
• Ensure that country security guidelines, SOP’s and policies are updated twice annually (July 31 and January 31) including contingency planning for evacuation, in accordance with agency protocols and respected by all staff.
• Ensure adequate security funding is budgeted.
• Nominate security focal points at each operational site in country.
• Ensure Security staff in country are collecting and documenting local security related information (social & political context, external players, presence/reasons for conflict, military developments, political economy of armed groups), and communicating to the HQ Global Security Senior Management.
• Establish a reliable communication chain to disperse important information, whereby once the CD communicates a message, it is systematically passed on from one person to the next, with each person knowing who they are responsible for informing. (phone tree).
• Collaborate with local agencies to aid with security management.
• Perform other duties as assigned. The duties and responsibilities listed in this document are representative of the nature and level of work assigned and not necessarily all inclusive.

Job Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Typically, a Master's degree in business, health or social service related field. Equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.
• Typically, 12+ years proven progressive and significant experience in humanitarian programs and/or emergency repose, mainly in the health or related field (Health policy, health reforms); including 10+ years of project management experience (management, planning, staff development and training), skills in emergency/ development programs; including 5+ years of experience in a senior-level management position in a field-based post.
• Comprehensive knowledge and working experience with USAID/BHOFDA, CDC, UN, World Bank, EU, DFID and other key donors.
• Financial management acumen, including managing budgets, banking activities, contracts and negotiations.
• Experience managing procurement and logistical procedures and policies.
• Knowledge in program sustainability and capacity building, public private partnerships and project monitoring and evaluation (both quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Strong writing, presentation and program development skills.
• Extensive fundraising and representational experience.
• Proven capabilities in leadership required.
• Strong negotiation, interpersonal and organization skills.