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Somalia/Somaliland Country Director

Position: Somalia/Somaliland Country Director
Location: Nairobi Kenya; extended periods of time in Somalia, Somaliland, Kenya/Somalia border areas
Reports To: Africa Area Director
Supervises: In-country program staff
Length of Contract: 1 year renewable
Primary Functions:

Provide strategic leadership and management to World Concern’s relief and holistic development work in Somalia & Somaliland. Advocate on behalf of organization’s development goals, building institutional relationships and promoting cooperative program activities. Lead the country team in formulating and executing a country strategy in line with World Concerns global strategy.

Responsibilities:
Program Development:
• Oversee the effective implementation of WC’s programs in Somalia and Somaliland
• Work with Program Managers to improve the quality and effectiveness of relief & development programs in line with our vision and mission.
• Evaluate opportunities and make recommendations to the Leadership Team for new or enhanced program areas in other regions of Somalia as security improves.
• Ensure effective monitoring and evaluation systems are in place to align with WC objectives of shared learning, improved programming, beneficiary sustainability and spiritual impact.
• Seek, develop, and evaluate as appropriate strategic networking opportunities for program expansion/development, and funding opportunities. Where possible, build relationships with regional representatives of the Integral Alliance (IA), and the Global Relief Alliance (IA)
Fund Raising:

• Write clear, concise proposals with corresponding budgets to increase program funding base.
• Network with and maintain good working relationships with UN, government agencies, appropriate church bodies, NGO’s and other actors in the Horn of Africa to ensure collaboration and acceptance of WC programs.
• Maintain close relationship with USAID/OFDA to track USG funding priorities: submit high quality proposals in order to support program continuity.
• Provide leadership to Program Managers in initiating development activities that are locally/communally funded and which do not rely exclusively on foreign support.
Management:

• Responsible for budgeting, monitoring and controlling program expenses for all Somalia/Somaliland programs.
• Manage staff to ensure reporting to donors and the US head office is timely, accurate and in compliance with donor requirements.
• An active member of the Africa Leadership Team.
• Responsible for hiring and monitoring performance of WC staff in Somalia/Somaliland programs.
• Monitor political and security situations in Somalia and ensure appropriate security measures are in place and being followed. Cooperate closely with the Africa Regional Security Officer to ensure that SOP’s, Contingency Plans and Security Plans are up to date and relevant.
People Development:


• Ensure that conflict is resolved in a biblical way with the goal of restoring relationships.
• Provide guidance on individual staff development.
• Promote an atmosphere of shared learning.
• Mentoring staff towards God’s purposes through discovering their gifts and talents and creating opportunities for their sharpening.
Measurability:

A Country Director is successful if:
• Programs are growing (horizontally and vertically) and fully funded.
• People are working to their capacity using their gifts and talents.
• People trust your judgment.
• Programs are meeting their objectives.
• Programs are within approved budget.
• Reports, budgets and proposals are turned in on time.
• Able to maintain a positive and constructive attitude.
• Appropriate people are kept in the communication loop.
• Staff/beneficiary safety is the highest priority: safety and security plans remain current.
Required Education, Skills & Experience:
  1. Demonstrated commitment to World Concern’s values and mission.
  2. Fluent in English.
  3. BA degree in relevant field. (MA preferred)
  4. 7+ years of experience implementing relief & development programs.
  5. 3+ years in a lead management role in development work.
  6. Proven grant writing ability.
  7. Technology- Proficiency in MS Office Suite.
  8. Proven experience managing significant multi-sectoral programs in a conflict setting. An ability to manage security and deliver on program objectives is essential.
  9. Experience in transformational approaches to humanitarian and community development programming.
Essential Competencies:

1. Strategic Thinking-ability to set goals, plan and prioritize.
2. Commitment. A commitment to pray for staff, programs and beneficiaries.
3. Time Management-ability to manage multiple objectives to successful conclusion & meet deadlines.
4. Leadership-Inspires and energizes others to work together, sharing commitment and confidence in achieving success. Ability to work with and manage a cross cultural team.
5. Personal Integrity-Trustworthy, conscientious and can be relied on to act and speak with consistency and honesty.
6. Initiative-Grasps opportunities and proactively ensures that neither issues nor people are forgotten or overlooked.
7. Management of Personnel Resources -- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
8. Communication- Fluent in written & spoken English. Arabic or Somali are an added advantage. Must have proven technical writing skills.
9. Finance- Must demonstrate ability to conceptualize, draft and implement a budget that facilitates successful program outcomes as well as monitor income and expenses to stay within budget.
10. Critical Thinking -- Uses logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
11. Ambiguity Tolerance-Operates effectively with little information. Makes connections between apparently separate issues, seeing patterns, trends or relationships. Willing to take a measured risk even when the outcomes are uncertain.
12. Stewardship-Makes the best use of resources while striving for high standards and a balance between effectiveness and efficiency.
13. Accountability-Welcomes objective evaluation of working relationships and performance of self and others. Has no hidden agendas but is open with information.
14. Security Awareness- Must have proven experience leading a team in a hostile environment with focus on staff safety and security.
Working Conditions:

• Requires frequent travel to areas of significant insecurity such as Mogadishu, Hargeisa and South Central Somalia. Field travel can involve driving on bad roads, traveling in small boats or small planes and frequent encounters with armed militia. Some additional travel to other regions may be required.
• Nairobi based however increasing presence required in Somalia/Somaliland. Living conditions in the field may at times be harsh. Limited access to medical care in the field.
• May require working extended hours and on weekends/holidays to meet deadlines.
• Normal office hours in Nairobi are Monday-Friday 7:30-4:00.
How to apply:
To apply, please go to www.worldconcern.org/employment. Please be aware that our online application required a continuous internet connection and will time out after 30 minutes. It is recommended that applicants have documents and written answers prepared in advance and then copy and paste those into the application. For best results, create a login and password and save your application. You can always go back later and fill in missing information.