Country Director - DDG Afghanistan

Country Director - DDG Afghanistan

Exciting opportunity to join a progressive organisation in a key leadership role and help shape the future of humanitarian mine action and armed violence reduction programming in Afghanistan and globally.

About the Danish Demining Group

The Danish Demining Group (DDG) was established in 1998 to support the practical implementation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Treaty). DDG undertakes all aspects of mine action, including, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, mine clearance and risk education, victim assistance, advocacy and stockpile management. As a specialized unit within the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), DDG’s work is planned and conducted in close co-operation with DRC’s activities whenever relevant and feasible.

Purpose

DDG’s Country Director (CD) is a refined position with the responsibility to safeguard and further develop DDG’s operation in Afghanistan. DDG’s main competencies in Afghanistan are currently within Mine Action but new types of programmes are currently being developed, such as a Community Safety and Development survey to inform new project design in cooperation with DRC. DDG has operated in Afghanistan since 1999. At present, the work force totals 576 national employees and 6 expatriates.

Duties and responsibilities

1) Strategic and programme development:

• Lead the development of a coherent Afghanistan country strategy.

• Identify and follow up on potential growth areas and funding options for DDG programmes (Mine Action, Physical Security and Stockpile Management, and Armed Violence Reduction/Community Safety) in Afghanistan.

• Lead the development of funding proposals, toward the agreed country and global strategies, and keeping in mind opportunities for DDG programming to add value to DRC’s humanitarian and development work whenever possible.

• Initiate and support assessment missions and start-up activities as appropriate to DDG programme development.

• Ensure a high standard of reporting to donors and other stakeholders.

• Within these evolving sectors, ensure the country programme is innovative and progressive by encouraging operational research, developing new models of implementation and documenting/sharing these experiences in- and externally.

2) Programme implementation:

• Monitor the quality of DDG’s projects and their practical implementation, ensuring they meet or exceed required technical standards, accepted best practice and deliver on the commitments made in contracts with donors.

• Partake in the direct implementation of projects and in the systems maintenance, if required.

• Monitor spending rates and ensure the delegated programme and support functions, such as Finance and Logistics, work effectively and efficiently and according to donor requirements and DRC’s Operational Handbook.

3) Personnel management:

• Manage and motivate staff in direct line management to perform their utmost, and guide them to do the same downward for staff in their management line.

• Conduct regular performance appraisals of line managed staff and ensure that they in turn carry out appraisals within their teams, as per DDG’s policy.

• Chair Senior Management Team meetings and cooperate with DRC’s Country and Regional Directors, both based in Kabul.

• Cooperate with the Regional Safety Advisor on developing and enforcing proper guidelines for personnel and other assets in the developing security environment.

4) External representation:

• Act as the senior representative of DDG’s country programme in Afghanistan towards government authorities, donors, and demining and development partners especially the MACCA/UNMAS.

• Participate in meetings and workshops to raise DDG’s profile in Afghanistan and facilitate field trips for donors and other important visitors.

Reference lines

The DDG CD is responsible for the success of the full DDG portfolio in Afghanistan and directly line manages the Head of Operations, two Technical Field Managers, and the Head of Finance & Administration. DDG’s CD will cooperate with DRC’s Country and Regional Directors, both based in Kabul. The CD refers to DDG’s Programme & Operations Coordinator, who is based at the Copenhagen headquarters.

Requirements

• A minimum of 8 years of relevant working experience at a senior international level with humanitarian international NGOs or similar international body.

• Knowledge or experience of programming related to human security, such as mine action (preferred), security sector reform, and/or armed violence reduction.

• Proven skills in proposal writing and budgeting.

• Strong and proven work experience in service management at a senior level, including representation, strategic planning, fundraising, staff management, monitoring and evaluation.

• Preferably good experience in logistics and safety of personnel and assets.

• Preferably a post-graduate degree in Social Sciences, Law, International Development, International Relations or related areas, or proven work experience in the relevant fields.

• Fluency in written and spoken English with excellent presentation (verbal, written) skills.

• High degree of computer literacy.

Personal competencies

• Strong leadership skills, including ability to build and motivate teams and to work within teams in a collegiate manner.

• Managerial courage and integrity.

• Problem-solving attitude and ability to get things done in spite of challenging environment.

• Strong liaison, organisational and communication skills.

• Innovative and creative thinking with strong analytical and reporting skills.

• Political and cultural sensitive, flexible, diplomatic and tactful.

• Proven ability to function well in a potentially volatile and sometimes stressful environment.

Conditions

Duty station: Kabul, Afghanistan, with frequent travel to project sites. Accommodation in DDG’s residential compound is provided free of charge. This is a ‘non-family duty station’ and applicants must be prepared to live and work in an unstable security environment with limited recreational and social facilities, particularly when working in field locations.

Contract: 18 months - with a possibility for extension, subject to performance and funding. Salary and conditions in accordance with DRC’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates (please refer to www.drc.dk under Vacancies). This position is offered at salary level A4 and attracts an R&R benefit in addition to five weeks of annual leave.

Start date: April 2014.

Further information

You are welcome to contact DDG’s Programme & Operations Coordinator, Maria Kristensen atmaria.kristensen@drc.dk. For general information about the Danish Refugee Council and Danish Demining Group, please consult www.drc.dk and www.danishdemininggroup.dk

How to apply:

Applications will be accepted until 24 February 2014. We only accept applications sent via our online recruitment system on www.drc.dk under About DRC/Vacancies/Current vacancies.