Country Directors at Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO)

VSO is the world's leading independent international development organisation that works through volunteers to fight poverty in developing countries. Our highimpact approach brings people together to share skills, build capabilities, promote international understanding and action to change lives and make the world a fairer place.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Country Director, Nigeria

Location: Abuja
Permanent Full Time, 35 hours per week
Responsible to: Director of Operations, Nairobi Hub

Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Representation:

• Participate actively in VSO’s Global Leadership Team, working collegiately with peers across VSO as well as actively networking and influencing externally in Nigeria in line with our agendas.

Programme Management:

• Coordinate the development and delivery of programming in Nigeria in line with VSO’s People First Framework and principles, and drawing on organisational learning from Core Programme Areas

Volunteer Support:

• Ensure volunteer duty of care and support are met, and maintain a culture of partnership between volunteers and the Country Office (CO), including feedback mechanisms and adherence to VSO standards.

People Management:

• Effectively manage the CO team within the performance management framework and coach line managers.  Ensure policies and practices are in line with country and VSO standards and requirements, and that staff are aware of them

Programme Funding:

• Deliver a strategy that maximises and diversifies the external funding base, and ensure compliance with funding and donor requirements.

Financial and Resource Management:

• Accountable for budget, resources and assets, ensuring financial controls and cost effectiveness are in place.

Legal Compliance:

• Ensure legal compliance in all areas (NGO, tax, employment, health and safety, insurance and internal requirements).

Security and Risk Management:

• Fully accountable at country level for emergency and risk management, developing a plan and ensuring staff and volunteer awareness and compliance.

Key Performance Indicators

• Behaviours, particularly around collaboration, are consistent with VSO values and a global leadership role.
• Relevant and ambitious strategic plans are evolved that successfully respond to unmet rights of poor and disadvantaged communities.
• Ambitious programmes are successfully delivered in line with the overall programme strategy and VSO’s standards and timelines.
• A culture of monitoring, evaluation, and learning is embedded, with learning uptake reflected in planning.
• A vibrant and positive volunteer community is working effectively with local partners and actively engaged in ongoing programme development.
• Staff members are working effectively as a team to meet the local strategy’s objectives, and individual performance and satisfaction are maximized through efficient support structures and procedures within the legal framework of the country and within VSO policies and guidelines.
• All funding opportunities are positively pursued and all existing donor/supporter contractual terms and conditions are fulfilled in line with VSO’s project funding management guidance and procedures. Funding targets are met or exceeded.
• Efficient and effective delivery of resources to meet the objectives of all programming objectives.
• VSO is fully compliant with laws applying to VSO’s operations and to key VSO policies.
• Appropriate plans for risk and security management are in place, which identify and manage relevant risks.
• Key VSO process deliverables are met on time and to high quality (e.g. programming, financial and other reports, etc.)

Competencies
Working together:

• Successfully leads teams and develops others’ team-working skills

Communication & influencing:

• Builds mutually beneficial alliances and networks at senior levels within and outside VSO and is a well known thought leader

Managing Knowledge:

• Leads initiatives that improve knowledge management; develops others’ knowledge management skills

Striving for excellence:

• Leads initiatives to improve monitoring, evaluation and learning; is a role model for continuous learning and improvement.

Managing Resources:

• Leads others to pursue significant or innovative funding opportunities; finds creative ways to allocate funds and people on complex or inter-related projects.

Managing People:

• Builds a high performing team that meets challenging objectives linked to corporate objectives; ensures own team works efficiently with other teams.

Developing People:

• Is a role model for coaching, mentoring and developing others, and for effective use of VSO’s staff development processes and opportunities

Leading for the Future:

• Builds confidence and excitement in VSO’s work and vision, both internally and externally; leads innovative projects.

Thinking Strategically:

• Leads strategic projects, coaching others to consider global and long-term impact, and to consult within and beyond VSO.

Delivering Results:

• Effectively leads complex projects, generating a goal-oriented, problem-solving team mentality and ensuring high quality results.

Skills & Experience Required
Essential:

• Proven experience of securing and managing substantial institutional grants
• Knowledge and understanding of the role of volunteerism in development
• Commitment to VSO’s mission and values
• Excellent communication and representational skills, with substantial experience of networking with a diverse range of stakeholders, including at senior levels. Strong political awareness and sensitivity.
• Excellent strategic thinking skills and experience, as well as practical experience of gender-sensitive development programming at a project or community level, including through advocacy.
• Excellent people management and coaching skills, with experience of developing and leading effective, multicultural teams.
• Substantial experience of financial management, including budgeting, and active budget management, and an in-depth understanding of financial controls.
• Experience in security and reputational risk management.
• Experience of working effectively as a team with regional colleagues.
• IT literate (Microsoft and finance packages)
• Fluency in written and spoken English

Desirable:

• Personal experience of volunteering for development
• Sectoral knowledge in the fields of inclusive education, value-chain livelihoods work, and maternal and child health.

Remuneration

• Attractive salary and benefits package

Application Closing Date
20th May, 2015.

Interview/Assessment Date(s)
23rd May, 2016

Start Date
12th September, 2016

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Click here to download more information (MSWord)