Needed Jordan Country Director

Position: Jordan Country Director

Location: Amman, with regular travel to project locations across the country

Reports to: Regional Director- Middle East

Duration: 1 year (renewable based on performance and portfolio), with start date of October 15, 2019

About Relief International:

Relief International is a leading nonprofit organization working in 18 countries to relieve poverty, ensure well-being and advance dignity. We specialize in fragile settings, responding to natural disasters, humanitarian crises and chronic poverty.

Relief International combines humanitarian and development approaches to provide immediate services while laying the groundwork for long-term impact. Our signature approach — which we call the RI Way—emphasizes local participation, an integration of services, strategic partnerships and a focus on civic skills. In this way, we empower communities to find, design and implement the solutions that work best for them.

Relief International includes the four corporate members of the RI Alliance: RI-US, RI-UK, MRCA/RIFrance and RI-Europe. Under our alliance agreement, we operate as a single, shared management structure.

About the context and RI role:

Relief International has been implementing programming in Jordan since 2004, in the wake of the Iraqi refugee crisis in Jordan and are currently actively engaged in the response to the Syria refugee crisis in Jordan, including provision of services to both refugees and the host community. Currently, Relief International’s multi-donor portfolio in Jordan focuses on the education sector in both camps and the host community but seeks to expand to other sectors per the country strategy. Relief International also values coordination with other agencies and the government of Jordan and takes leadership roles within the response as relevant.

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Regional Director for the Middle East, the Country Director is responsible for the Jordan mission overall, including high-level representation, fundraising and program development, strategic planning, program quality, grants management, administrative processes, security, and all other aspects of the mission vital to ensure the health of the mission. The Country Director must be dynamic, maintain the ability to work on both macro/ strategic and micro/ detail-oriented issues simultaneously, and have strong communication skills in order to work effectively with internal actors (at all levels of the organization) and external actors (including but not limited to donors, government institutions, U.N. agencies, partners and other key stakeholders).

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

Strategic

• In depth analysis of operational context in Jordan, trends, gaps, challenges and opportunities
• Lead country strategic planning and contribute to the sustainable management of program growth, with a focus on program quality and new program development that addresses the needs of the beneficiaries to support the strategic direction of the country strategy.
• Ensure strategic planning and implementation of Jordan’s country office structure to expand and/or contract in a meaningful way that maintains the integrity and capacity of Relief International’s mission in Jordan.
• Reinforce country-level SMT for strategic planning and decision making through regular and well-documented cycles.

Program Development

• Spearhead program development efforts by identifying opportunities through regular engagement in external platforms in Jordan and bilateral coordination with other key stakeholders including donors and potential partners.
• Prioritize sustainability of Jordan portfolio through ensuring renewals of existing programming and diversifying donor-base to expand Jordan country program in a strategic and meaningful way.
• Work closely with Jordan country team and RI’s regional and headquarters-based Program Development department to draft proposals, concept notes, and other materials to push forward program development opportunities or respond to calls for proposals.

Program Management

• Supervise and ensure quality project implementation through interactive management of project/program managers, including ensuring appropriate allocation of resources and that controls are maintained at all levels.
• Fully responsible for actively monitoring projects to ensure they are on track with deliverables and quantitative targets, on time, and on budget without overspending or underspending and that they fully meet goals as committed in project documents.
• Ensure that all project modifications, adjustments, or no-cost extensions are fully justified and appropriately communicated and agreed by donors.
• Ensure that operations in support of projects, in particular procurement and logistics, are efficiently and effectively carried out.
• Ensure that team members effectively and efficiently contribute to the necessary work to ensure quality implementation of their programs. Provide feedback to staff to ensure optimal performance.
• Provide program guidance and technical input and advice as needed to maintain strategic vision.
• Ensure project communication, and all requested internal and external reporting is completed with the highest quality, responsive to information requirements, and submitted on time.
• Conduct ongoing field visits to enable direct staff support and observation of activities.
• Ensure all program team members are trained on the PMF (RI’s program management tool), as well as project budget management

Team Management and Development

• Provide leadership and management of national and expatriate staff. Ensure timely and quality staff performance management of directly managed staff, making sure all program team follows best practices in this regard
• Assess staffing requirements for programs and country office and supervise recruitment in coordination with country HR manager, and as needed, in consultation with the Regional HR Manager.
• Ensure all orientation, onboarding and evaluation processes mandated by RI and necessary at the country level are conducted by the HR team for all staff.
• Ensure code of conduct is followed in all areas, including fast and appropriate action in the wake of complaints and fostering a culture where misconduct of any kind is not tolerated.
• Ensure that all HR personnel practices, contracts, taxes, compensation, registrations, residence permits, and departures are in accordance with local laws and RI policies.
• Ensure timesheets, payment records and contracts are properly kept, fully supported, updated and maintained, and easily available for audit.
• Ensure staff are working effectively as a team to meet Country Strategic objectives, and individual performance and satisfaction are maximized through efficient support structures and procedures within the legal framework of the country and within RI policies and guidelines.
• In collaboration with the HR team, address disciplinary, conflict and abuse issues within the program team
• In accordance with RI’s HR policy and in-line with RI’s staff care efforts, maintain a healthy work environment, with reasonable workloads and proper leaves. Work with the RHRM to assess and prevent risks of excessive stress and burnout in the workplace

Safety and Security

• Overall responsibility for the safety and security of all RI country staff, volunteers and visitors
• Overall responsibility for all RI assets in country
• Ensure that all country staff are adequately familiar with, and trained in RI Security Policy and in particular the country-level security plan and procedures
• Ensure security plans and relevant SOPs’ are in place and updated/revised as per RI and programmatic requirements
• Strictly enforce compliance of all safety and security policies and procedures by all staff members
• Lead close coordination with, and reporting to, RI GSO and Security Director in times of crises
• Lead appropriate actions in security high risk situations, including but not limited to the activation of emergency evacuation plans

External Representation

• Maintain an appropriate image of RI to all external entities and protect RI’s interests and assets
• Maintain best possible relations with relevant government authorities and ensure RI registration, permits, and clearances are all up to date and enable effective program implementation
• Conduct effective ongoing liaison with current and potential donors and other INGOs, prioritizing networking as a key job function.
• Represent RI by active participation in meetings of the humanitarian and development community
• Facilitate visits by donors, RSO and GSO staff, Board members and others, as requested.

Financial Management

• Supervise the Country Finance Manager and ensure, through close collaboration and follow-up, that all elements of the Finance Manager’s Terms of Reference are fully met.
• Ensure timely and appropriate country level and project level budget preparation and monitoring.
• Ensure strategic planning of mission’s financial resources in order to inform strategic decision making related to program development initiatives, staffing, and program activities.
• Verify that that all records are adequately stored and backed up to prevent losses of any kind.
• Verify on-time reporting and uploading of all financial data to RI accounting system by finance staff.
• On an ongoing basis ensure that project expenditures are in line with implementation plans so that early detection of under or over expenditure is appropriately addressed and projects end on-budget.
• Examine and verify all key expenditures for which CD signature is required.
• Ensure full coverage and equitable allocation of shared national office operating costs and staff to the various projects and donors as per an agreed formula.
• Ensure the timely preparation and accuracy of project financial reports that are of highest quality and submitted on time to RI regional office and donors.
• Ensure overall audit compliance, financial transparency through supervision and direction of financial and administrative staff.
• Consult the Regional Finance Manager, as appropriate, who will provide additional technical support and oversight to the Country Finance Manager.

Compliance

• Oversee program operations and reporting, ensuring compliance with RI policies and procedures, donor regulations and local laws.
• Ensure that programs have appropriate legal representation and GSO is informed of all legal cases.
• Oversee all internal and external audits.
• Report regularly to RD, providing timely updates of all situations and project developments.
• Ensure the existence and proper understanding of a complaint reporting system to address suspected abuses, and irregularities regarding staff, property or practices and participate in any investigations as directed by Global Support Office.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Significant experience in an equivalent position in a development or humanitarian organization.
• Proven leadership skills and experience of managing multidisciplinary teams, including, but not limited to, (structure, conflict, performance and communication)
• Substantial experience in the financial management of budgets, including preparing financial

projections, general financial management and reporting.

• Proven expertise of leading in fundraising, seeking and securing new donors, successful proposal writing, management of large and complex grants.
• Evidence of understanding the challenges of donor and grant/contract management and the implications for program management.
• Demonstrated team leadership experience.
• Sufficient computer comfort level to learn new relevant software tools.
• Strong English language writing and verbal skills.

RI Values:

We uphold the Humanitarian Principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and operational independence. We affirmatively engage the most vulnerable communities. We value:

• Inclusiveness
• Transparency and Accountability
• Agility and Innovation
• Collaboration
• Sustainability