Afghanistan: Country Director
Country: Afghanistan
Closing date: 30 Sep 2013
Swedish Committee for Afghanistan is looking for Country Director, Posted at Kabul Management Office, Kabul, Afghanistan
SCA is looking for a person with excellent leadership skills interested in international aid and development. If you have at least five years of experience as chief executive and successfully led a senior management team in big organizations and have spent some years in an international and multicultural environment take on the challenges to
manage 6 000 employees, 15 expatriate staff, 10 offices
implement the strategic plan 2014-2017 with rights-based approach, gender mainstreaming and capacity development
improve program work within health, education, disabilities and rural development
SCA in Afghanistan
SCA has been working in Afghanistan since 1982 and is presently managing development programmes in four sectors – Health, Education, Disability and Rural Development with a total annual budget of roughly USD 40 million. The total number of staff is more than 6,000 of whom 15 are non-Afghans. The SCA presence in Afghanistan consists of the Kabul Management Office (KMO), five Project Offices and four Field Offices.
Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, SCA has undertaken a change process moving from a primarily humanitarian service delivery approach towards more of a developmental role, putting increasing emphasis on capacity development, rights-based programming and outcome orientation. The organization will in 2013 complete its new Strategic Plan for the period 2014-2017. A new monitoring & evaluation framework is anticipated to be adopted in end 2013.
The mission of SCA is to empower individuals, communities and local organizations, primarily in rural areas and with particular focus on women, girls, boys and vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, so that they may participate fully in society and influence their own development.
Scope of Work
The Country Director (CD) has the overall operational responsibility for implementation of SCAs programmes and interventions in Afghanistan. This task is governed by SCA Policy and Strategic Plan, and actions outlined in Annual Work plans & Budgets. Over the next Strategic Plan period the CD will be leading a change process within the organization which entails a greater emphasis on capacity development of CBOs and counterpart institutions in SCA programming, while simultaneously ensuring internal capacities and systems are in place to that end. This includes guiding the organization in how to best put its rights-based approach, as described in SCA Policy (2012), into practice within the Afghan context. Other major tasks will be to ensure that the new Monitoring and Evaluation framework is firmly consolidated, that organizational learning is further strengthened and more clearly feeds into national policy development, and that the organization navigates vigilantly and flexibly through times of insecurity and political uncertainty.
The CD is, together with the Secretary General, Finance Director, Programme Director, Sweden Director (Stockholm Management Office) and Aid Coordinator (Stockholm Management Office) part of the Senior Management Team (SMT).
The CD chairs the Directors' Meetings at KMO, which consists of KMO Directors, Information Coordinator, Senior Security and Risk Advisor, and the Human Rights and Gender Coordinator.
Entry Requirements
Qualifications:
- University degree at master's level, preferably in fields such as management or business administration, economics, political science or equivalent documented experience in leadership roles.
- At least ten years of relevant work experience in senior positions in large organisation within international development and/or humanitarian work or authority/company committed to CSR (corporate social responsibility)
- Been head of the organisation in a changing environment
- Knowledge of budgets and performance reports on the overall level
- Knowledge of management by objectives
- Excellent command of spoken and written English
- Experience of working abroad
Assets:
- Formal qualifications in the field of international development
- Experience from work within international development and/or humanitarian work and/or knowledge of international development cooperation
- Experience of crisis management
- Experience from work with human rights and gender equality and/or knowledge of rights-based approaches
- Experience from non-profit sector
- Experience from work in developing country, country in conflict and/or posts conflict and Muslim country
- Knowledge of Afghanistan
- Knowledge of Swedish and/or Norwegian, Danish
Skills:
- Being a team-builder and being able to adapt to a cross-cultural context
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Endurance, integrity, determination, flexibility and results-oriented
Responsibilities
General
- Uphold and communicate, internally as well as externally, SCAs Vision, Mission and Values
- Build consensus and effectively lead implementation in Afghanistan of SCAs Strategic Plan, including ensuring required internal capacities and systems are put in place
- Further promote and develop SCAs understanding for how to best put its Rights-Based approach into practice
- Promote gender equality and non-discrimination with regards to ethnic, political and religious background in the organisation and SCA programme activities
- Inspire Directors and staff in general to attain goals and pursue excellence
- Promote an attitude of team spirit, cooperation and a strong focus on quality in approaches as well as activities, including anti-corruption measures
- Ensure cost efficiency and effectiveness in SCAs operations in Afghanistan
Supervisory Tasks
- To guide, supervise, mentor and coach immediate subordinates
- To communicate and enforce SCA policies and strategies throughout the organisation
Technical Tasks
- To ensure SCA programmes, systems and capacities are developed so as to fulfill SCAs Policy and Strategic Plan
- To lead the planning of operations in Afghanistan in accordance with established planning cycles and directives from the Secretary General.
- To ensure the new M&E system is firmly consolidated and that organizational learning is developed and more clearly feeds into national policy development
- To ensure regular reporting to the Secretary General of activities related to Strategic Plans, Annual Work plans & Budgets, and decisionsrelated to these taken by the Board.
- To guide development of quality and cost efficiency and effectiveness in operationsIn consultation with the Senior Risk and Security Advisor, ensure that a sound and efficient security regime is upheld.
Finance tasks
- To act in accordance with SCA's Financial Regulations
- To participate in the promotion and strengthening of fundraising activities among the Swedish public, Swedish as well as other donor authorities
- To be responsible for the overall control of funds received by SCA in Afghanistan.
- To be signatory for SCA in the Kabul Management Office.
- To authorize disbursement of SCA funds within the approved budget.
Training tasks
- To enhance the ability of SCA's employees to carry out their duties.
- To promote capacity building of Afghans on all existing positions
External tasks
- To develop and maintain relations with local and central authorities, institutions, diplomatic missions, other aid organisations and individuals deemed necessary for an efficient implementation of SCA programmes in Afghanistan
- To lead SCA's advocacy and lobbying efforts in AfghanistanTo guide SCA's information efforts in Afghanistan
Personnel tasks
- To recruit, promote and dismiss locally employed staff members in consultation with the line management.
- To participate in the recruitment, promotion and dismissal of expatriate staff in consultation with the Secretary General.
Miscellaneous tasks
- To travel to project offices and participate in field visits within Afghanistan
- To participate in Annual Meetings, Board and Executive Committee meetings in Sweden when required as well as conferences and seminars when requested.
- To do any other task, within his/her field of competence that the Secretary General may request.
Application information
Contract period: 2 years contract with an initial 6 months probationary period
Conditions: Non family posting. SCA offers competitive salary, free housing, insurances and other benefits.
Duties to begin: January 2014 (or earlier)
How to apply:
Last date for application: 30 September 2013
Apply via direct link to ad: http://www.sak.se/om-sak/lediga-jobb/tjanster-i-sverige?aguid=F3A5F34D8E...
