Deputy Director-General for Research and Development
Date of Issuance: February 2011
Duty station: Geneva, Switzerland
Reports to: Director-General
Deadline for Applications: 25 March 2011
Interpeace is a Swiss non-profit organisation that works in close partnership with national partner organizations and the UN. Its aim is to strengthen the capacities of societies to manage conflict in non-violent, non-coercive ways by assisting national actors in their efforts to develop social and political cohesion. Interpeace also strives to assist the international community (and in particular the United Nations) to play a more effective role in supporting peacebuilding efforts around the world through better understanding and response to the challenges of creating local capacities that enhance social and political cohesion.
Chaired by former President John Kufuor and headquartered in Geneva, Interpeace is supported by bilateral and multilateral donors as well as private funding. The organization is currently active in Africa, Central America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
General Position Summary:
The Deputy Director-General for Research and Development (DDG – RD) will be in charge of providing the vision and leadership in the identification, exploration and development of new field programmes. DDG – RD is responsible for the design, setting up and the delivery of technical assistance to external stakeholders (e.g. donors, UN). DDG – RD will provide strategic leadership in the establishment and development of the practitioner-oriented knowledge management cycle that will enable Interpeace to systematize, analyse and learn from its operational experience and refine its approach and peacebuilding tools. The DDG - RD will also proactively engage in the development of the partnership through which Interpeace supports the United Nations’ conceptual and operational peacebuilding frameworks.
Reporting to the Director-General, the Deputy Director-General for Research and Development will be in charge of providing support and oversight to the functional units under his/her supervision in the development and implementation of their policies, strategies and plans, and ensure their effective coordination and integration with the other divisions and units of the organization. DDG R-D will create supportive institutional environment which is founded and guided by the Values and Working Principles of Interpeace. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, participates in the review and development of overall institutional strategies and general policies. As a member of the Executive Management Group, assists the Director-General in the daily management of the organization.
Over the past several years, Interpeace has experienced a rapid geographic expansion in Africa, Latin America and Asia. This expansion and the commitment of the organization to decentralize its operations, has created a need for greater integration and systematization of its operational experience and further development of its program development strategies. This newly created position is intended to provide the organization with the leadership necessary to become a learning organization that values, fosters and shares practitioner-based knowledge, ensuring that the tremendous wealth of knowledge, learning and insights that is being developed by Interpeace’s teams and partners in the course of their peacebuilding efforts is shared across regions and operations throughout the world. It is also intended to provide the leadership necessary to optimize its Program Development strategies, ensuring the sustained and qualitative growth of its programmes.
Duties and responsibilities:
1. Strategic Leadership and General Management
1.1. Create an enabling institutional environment with strategically focused programming, founded and guided by the Values and Working Principles of Interpeace, consistent with the Strategic Position of the organization and capable of effectively carrying out its peacebuilding mandate
1.2. Develop, in collaboration with the Director of each functional unit and their teams, the vision, goals, strategic plans, methodologies, and action plans necessary to effectively carry out Interpeace’s peacebuilding mandate
1.3. Provide regular substantive briefings and advice to the Director-General on program development, knowledge management, policy and learning and the institutional partnership with the United Nations
2. Management of Functional Units
2.1. Provide substantive guidance, managerial support and supervision to the Director for Programme Development in the exploration and inception of new field operations. Ensure effective coordination takes place between the Program Development Unit and on-going programme activities implemented by the Division for Operations and units therein. Oversee and ensure that operational work-plans, budgets and financial reporting remain consistent and compliant with Interpeace’s principles, policies and overall systems
2.2. Offer substantive guidance and oversight to the Director for Policy and Learning in the development and implementation of Interpeace’s Knowledge Management cycle and development of community of practice in the areas of training, evaluation, research and policy development. Ensure effective coordination takes place between the Policy and Learning Unit and field operations, and ensure that operational work-plans, budgets and financial reporting remain consistent and compliant with Interpeace’s principles, policies and overall systems
2.3. Provide substantive guidance, managerial support and supervision to the Coordinator of the Joint Programme Unit in the development and strengthening of Interpeace’s institutional partnership with the United Nations, ensuring that operational work-plans, budgets and financial reporting remain consistent and compliant with Interpeace’s principles, policies and overall systems
3. Institutional Integration and Coordination
3.1. Coordinate with the Deputy Director-General for Operations to ensure effective integration of the strategies and activities of the functional units that constitute the Research and Development Division - Programme Development, Policy and Learning and Joint Programme Unit - with the Operations Division and its functional units
3.2. In coordination with the Director for Administrative Support - Chief Financial Officer, ensure the regular flow of information and reports necessary for the implementation of the administrative and financial policies of the organization
3.3. In coordination with the Director for External Relations - Chief of Staff, ensure regular flow of information and reports necessary in the implementation of the organization’s External Relations and Communications strategies
4. Institutional Representation
4.1. Represent Interpeace in conferences, workshops, symposiums, and other fora in order to share the organization’s experience and know-how, and to position the organization within the international peacebuilding community
4.2. Develop the institutional relationships and partnerships with international institutions and organizations that contribute to the achievement of Interpeace’s strategic goals in the areas of his/her responsibility, and oversee the implementation of activities pursuant their implementation
Knowledge and Experience:
• Masters degree in sociology, political science, international relations, development studies or other relevant field;
• Experience in the design and implementation of research programs and in the publications of results;
• Minimum 15 to 20 years of increasingly responsible managerial experience combining national experience in public administration and/or non-governmental organizations, with international experience in international organizations required;
• Direct experience in leading the design, development and implementation of nationally owned, inclusive and participatory peace-building strategies;
• Proven experience in design, development and implementation of new field programs required;
• Direct experience in leading the design and application of research and dialogue participatory methodologies for peacebuilding operations, including the use of Participatory Action Research (PAR) methods;
• Demonstrated proficiency and experience with USAID, EC, UN and other public and private donors, government grant and financial management requirements;
• Successful proven negotiation, communication, organization and prioritization skills and experience are required;
• Demonstrated experience in the design, negotiation and implementation of policy and partnerships with different stakeholders, including at the government level;
• Direct experience in the exploration and inception of peacebuilding interventions and in the identification of local capacities for peacebuilding;
• Significant experience in the provision of support and mentoring to culturally diverse and intercultural field teams required;
• Direct experience of work in or with, and understanding of, the United Nations Peacebuilding Architecture;
• Excellent writing and communication skills;
• Fluent in English and excellent communication skills in Spanish and/or French required.
Success Factors:
• A strategic leader and planner that combines a strong conceptual thinking, solid political analysis and proactive problem-solving orientation; a manager that leads by example, mentors and empowers a team; that has a capacity to communicate and work across cultures and social, ethnic, religious and political identities;
• A peacebuilding practitioner that continually reflects and innovates on practice; that has intellectual curiosity and able to link operational practice and academic thinking; that procures the reciprocal enrichment of peacebuilding operational practice and policy;
• Conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.
• Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings
• Speaks and writes clearly and effectively;
• A strong commitment to the values and working principle of Interpeace.
Please indicate Deputy Director-General for Research and Development in the subject line. For non-Swiss nationals recruitment will be subject to a work permit from the authorities of the Canton of Geneva.
Duty station: Geneva, Switzerland
Reports to: Director-General
Deadline for Applications: 25 March 2011
Interpeace is a Swiss non-profit organisation that works in close partnership with national partner organizations and the UN. Its aim is to strengthen the capacities of societies to manage conflict in non-violent, non-coercive ways by assisting national actors in their efforts to develop social and political cohesion. Interpeace also strives to assist the international community (and in particular the United Nations) to play a more effective role in supporting peacebuilding efforts around the world through better understanding and response to the challenges of creating local capacities that enhance social and political cohesion.
Chaired by former President John Kufuor and headquartered in Geneva, Interpeace is supported by bilateral and multilateral donors as well as private funding. The organization is currently active in Africa, Central America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
General Position Summary:
The Deputy Director-General for Research and Development (DDG – RD) will be in charge of providing the vision and leadership in the identification, exploration and development of new field programmes. DDG – RD is responsible for the design, setting up and the delivery of technical assistance to external stakeholders (e.g. donors, UN). DDG – RD will provide strategic leadership in the establishment and development of the practitioner-oriented knowledge management cycle that will enable Interpeace to systematize, analyse and learn from its operational experience and refine its approach and peacebuilding tools. The DDG - RD will also proactively engage in the development of the partnership through which Interpeace supports the United Nations’ conceptual and operational peacebuilding frameworks.
Reporting to the Director-General, the Deputy Director-General for Research and Development will be in charge of providing support and oversight to the functional units under his/her supervision in the development and implementation of their policies, strategies and plans, and ensure their effective coordination and integration with the other divisions and units of the organization. DDG R-D will create supportive institutional environment which is founded and guided by the Values and Working Principles of Interpeace. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, participates in the review and development of overall institutional strategies and general policies. As a member of the Executive Management Group, assists the Director-General in the daily management of the organization.
Over the past several years, Interpeace has experienced a rapid geographic expansion in Africa, Latin America and Asia. This expansion and the commitment of the organization to decentralize its operations, has created a need for greater integration and systematization of its operational experience and further development of its program development strategies. This newly created position is intended to provide the organization with the leadership necessary to become a learning organization that values, fosters and shares practitioner-based knowledge, ensuring that the tremendous wealth of knowledge, learning and insights that is being developed by Interpeace’s teams and partners in the course of their peacebuilding efforts is shared across regions and operations throughout the world. It is also intended to provide the leadership necessary to optimize its Program Development strategies, ensuring the sustained and qualitative growth of its programmes.
Duties and responsibilities:
1. Strategic Leadership and General Management
1.1. Create an enabling institutional environment with strategically focused programming, founded and guided by the Values and Working Principles of Interpeace, consistent with the Strategic Position of the organization and capable of effectively carrying out its peacebuilding mandate
1.2. Develop, in collaboration with the Director of each functional unit and their teams, the vision, goals, strategic plans, methodologies, and action plans necessary to effectively carry out Interpeace’s peacebuilding mandate
1.3. Provide regular substantive briefings and advice to the Director-General on program development, knowledge management, policy and learning and the institutional partnership with the United Nations
2. Management of Functional Units
2.1. Provide substantive guidance, managerial support and supervision to the Director for Programme Development in the exploration and inception of new field operations. Ensure effective coordination takes place between the Program Development Unit and on-going programme activities implemented by the Division for Operations and units therein. Oversee and ensure that operational work-plans, budgets and financial reporting remain consistent and compliant with Interpeace’s principles, policies and overall systems
2.2. Offer substantive guidance and oversight to the Director for Policy and Learning in the development and implementation of Interpeace’s Knowledge Management cycle and development of community of practice in the areas of training, evaluation, research and policy development. Ensure effective coordination takes place between the Policy and Learning Unit and field operations, and ensure that operational work-plans, budgets and financial reporting remain consistent and compliant with Interpeace’s principles, policies and overall systems
2.3. Provide substantive guidance, managerial support and supervision to the Coordinator of the Joint Programme Unit in the development and strengthening of Interpeace’s institutional partnership with the United Nations, ensuring that operational work-plans, budgets and financial reporting remain consistent and compliant with Interpeace’s principles, policies and overall systems
3. Institutional Integration and Coordination
3.1. Coordinate with the Deputy Director-General for Operations to ensure effective integration of the strategies and activities of the functional units that constitute the Research and Development Division - Programme Development, Policy and Learning and Joint Programme Unit - with the Operations Division and its functional units
3.2. In coordination with the Director for Administrative Support - Chief Financial Officer, ensure the regular flow of information and reports necessary for the implementation of the administrative and financial policies of the organization
3.3. In coordination with the Director for External Relations - Chief of Staff, ensure regular flow of information and reports necessary in the implementation of the organization’s External Relations and Communications strategies
4. Institutional Representation
4.1. Represent Interpeace in conferences, workshops, symposiums, and other fora in order to share the organization’s experience and know-how, and to position the organization within the international peacebuilding community
4.2. Develop the institutional relationships and partnerships with international institutions and organizations that contribute to the achievement of Interpeace’s strategic goals in the areas of his/her responsibility, and oversee the implementation of activities pursuant their implementation
Knowledge and Experience:
• Masters degree in sociology, political science, international relations, development studies or other relevant field;
• Experience in the design and implementation of research programs and in the publications of results;
• Minimum 15 to 20 years of increasingly responsible managerial experience combining national experience in public administration and/or non-governmental organizations, with international experience in international organizations required;
• Direct experience in leading the design, development and implementation of nationally owned, inclusive and participatory peace-building strategies;
• Proven experience in design, development and implementation of new field programs required;
• Direct experience in leading the design and application of research and dialogue participatory methodologies for peacebuilding operations, including the use of Participatory Action Research (PAR) methods;
• Demonstrated proficiency and experience with USAID, EC, UN and other public and private donors, government grant and financial management requirements;
• Successful proven negotiation, communication, organization and prioritization skills and experience are required;
• Demonstrated experience in the design, negotiation and implementation of policy and partnerships with different stakeholders, including at the government level;
• Direct experience in the exploration and inception of peacebuilding interventions and in the identification of local capacities for peacebuilding;
• Significant experience in the provision of support and mentoring to culturally diverse and intercultural field teams required;
• Direct experience of work in or with, and understanding of, the United Nations Peacebuilding Architecture;
• Excellent writing and communication skills;
• Fluent in English and excellent communication skills in Spanish and/or French required.
Success Factors:
• A strategic leader and planner that combines a strong conceptual thinking, solid political analysis and proactive problem-solving orientation; a manager that leads by example, mentors and empowers a team; that has a capacity to communicate and work across cultures and social, ethnic, religious and political identities;
• A peacebuilding practitioner that continually reflects and innovates on practice; that has intellectual curiosity and able to link operational practice and academic thinking; that procures the reciprocal enrichment of peacebuilding operational practice and policy;
• Conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.
• Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings
• Speaks and writes clearly and effectively;
• A strong commitment to the values and working principle of Interpeace.
How to apply
Qualified candidates may submit their application, including a letter of interest and curriculum vitae to the Administrative Officer at: recruitment@interpeace.orgPlease indicate Deputy Director-General for Research and Development in the subject line. For non-Swiss nationals recruitment will be subject to a work permit from the authorities of the Canton of Geneva.
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