Sierra Leone Country Director

OVERALL DESCRIPTION General Description of the Programme: GOAL has been working in Sierra Leone since 1999, implementing a Community Based Street Children's / Disadvantaged Children and Youth Programme (DCYP) in the capital Freetown and, since 2002, health and WASH programmes in the eastern district of Kenema.

The Integrated Child and Youth Welfare Programme (ICYWP) works with street children and other vulnerable children and youth including commercially and sexually exploited children. The Disadvantaged Children and Youth outreach programme reaches around 1,500 children every year and GOAL supports children by providing drop in facilities, formal and non formal education support, family tracing and reunification, health and hygiene education (including HIV awareness), and livelihoods support for older children and their families.

The ICYWP also includes the partnership and training unit, which has the specific focus of developing GOAL’s partners in Sierra Leone (including local government, local NGOs and community based organisations). Partnership is a key element of the GOAL approach in Sierra Leone, and our eventual exit strategy.

Since 2008, GOAL has become more involved in the challenges of WASH service provision in the urban environment of Freetown’s slums. GOAL is one of five INGO partners in the DFID funded Urban WASH Consortium, which aims to strategically partner with the Government of Sierra Leone to deal with WASH issues in slum areas.

Since 2002 GOAL was implementing an Integrated Health, Nutrition and Water and Sanitation programme and Growth Monitoring Project in Kenema which has developed from an emergency-led programme towards longer-term sustainable development, working in partnership with the District Ministry of Health in Kenema and local community structures. This programme has now transitioned into a WASH project based around the Community Led Total Sanitation approach. It also includes infrastructure work supporting WASH facilities in health units and schools, and school sanitation and hygiene education. GOAL works very closely with local partners in Kenema.

General Description of the Role: The GOAL Country Director is responsible for the management and ongoing development/expansion of GOAL’s work in country. You will be responsible for ensuring that GOAL’s work contributes effectively and efficiently towards meeting the short, medium and long term needs of the poorest of the poor, within the framework of the organisation’s objectives. The development of key national staff members with particular respect to enhancing their ability to manage effectively and, as their capacity develops, the devolution of responsibility and authority is critical in ensuring achieving our development objectives.

KEY DUTIES: Security: • The Country Director is responsible for ensuring that all-necessary security guidelines and practices are implemented throughout all GOAL programmes. The security procedures need to be agreed with the appropriate UN bodies and reviewed accordingly. Donors: • The Country Director is the principal point of contact with the in-country donors and has responsibility for securing funding, and providing accurate and timely reports and proposals. Projects: • The Country Director is responsible for ensuring that all projects are monitored and evaluated in a timely manner and to ensure that they are appropriate, necessary, cost effective, targeted, sustainable and in keeping with GOAL’s philosophy. Personnel: • As Country Director you are responsible for the health and welfare of your team of staff including expatriate and local personnel and are empowered to use all available resources to promote their development in line with GOAL policy: • Ensure that the policies and guidelines as laid down in the GOAL Personnel Manual are adhered to by all. • The Country Director has overall responsibility for the preparation and implementation of in country personnel policies in line with overall GOAL and Government policies. • The Country Director must ensure that there are procedures in place to support and encourage appropriate personal and professional development of staff within the context of the organisation objectives. • It is the Country Directors responsibility to provide support and supervision to all staff where necessary. This includes the provision of training for staff. Financial Accountability: • The Country Director has ultimate responsibility for all financial matters in the field and must: • Ensure adherence to the financial guidelines as per Financial Manual by GOAL, Dublin. • Ensure that comprehensive and timely reports are produced in accordance with schedules and provide the annual budget and financial plan for the year ahead by 30 September every year. • Review and approve the monthly management accounts. Knowledge: • All Country Directors must be fully informed regarding the political, security and humanitarian conditions within their country of assignment. • It is the responsibility of the Country Director to be fully informed regarding the humanitarian and relief and development perspective in their country of operation. Media/PR/Visibilty: • Media and PR coverage for GOAL in a developing country is the responsibility of the Country Director. The Country Director must seek out and present GOAL to any international media personnel in country, and ensure coverage of GOAL activities, if appropriate, to the story being sought by the media. • The Country Director must also ensure that all of the GOAL team are well briefed on the official GOAL position in relation to various issues. • The Country Director is also responsible for ensuring that the visibility of GOAL is promoted appropriately at field level.

REQUIREMENTS: • Relevant post-graduate qualification is desirable. • 5 years previous experience in a management position with an international NGO or in a development environment. • Previous NGO experience as a Country Director advantageous. • Previous experience in a management role in development situations with an understanding and experience of security management. • Proven experience in proposal and report writing. • Good personnel skills.

This Job Description only serves as a guide for the position available. GOAL reserves the right to change this document. This is an unaccompanied position. Interviews will be held in Dublin or London. Unfortunately GOAL cannot contribute to financial costs incurred when attending interview. Note: GOAL is an equal opportunities employer

GOAL has a Staff Code of Conduct and a Child Protection Policy which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants and children from exploitation. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to adhere to these policies any job offer made is also subject to police clearance.

How to apply:

If you would like to apply for the above position, please send your CV and covering letter to applications@goal.ie, ensuring that the job title and location of the role are clearly stated in the subject line of your email. Thank you.