Country Director at ActionAid (AA) Nigeria

ActionAid (AA) Nigeria is an affiliate of ActionAid International, which is a global alliance of organisations working towards achieving a world without poverty and injustice in which every person enjoys the right to a life with dignity. As a large and visible development organisation, we work in more than 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and America. Our expertise lies in community-led approaches to development and working through partnerships with the poor and other grass root organisations.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Country Director

Location: Abuja
Reports to: National Board through the Chair
Direct Reports: Country Senior Management Team, Head of Internal Audit
Job Family: National Chief Executive
Directorate: Country Director
Grade: 12

Role Overview

• Manage, lead, direct and provide a vision for ActionAid, in line with: established policies, principles and operating practices of ActionAid, good management practice, and the political, social, cultural and economic environment of the country.
• The Country Director will also be responsible for developing country strategic plans, overseeingthe implementation of agreed plans and ensuring resources are in place to achieve budgeted performance targets and monitoring overall performance against these.
• S/he will play a key role in influencing decisions of stakeholders that are outside of his/her direct sphere of authority across the organization.
• The CD role requires broad organisational experience, thus enabling to manage large teams as well as deep knowledge across a professional discipline that enable the role holder to make significant improvements to policies and processes that lead from mid- to long-term success.

Key Accountabilities / Responsibilities
AAI Values Practice & Strategy Change Priorities:

• Leading Innovation and Change: Establish a culture of excellence in respective team that values experimentation and continuous improvement
• Feminist Leadership: Championing feminist leadership principles and values including commitment to diversity and inclusion (race, gender, power)
• AAI Values Practice: Ensure personal and team culture that demonstrates all of AAI values including: Mutual Respect, Equity and Justice, Integrity, Solidarity with People Living in Poverty and Exclusion, Courage of Conviction, Independence and Humility
• Digital footprint: Championing the digitalization of ActionAid’s work and the use of technology to make impact.

Organizational & Corporate Development:

• Represent ActionAid  International  in a variety of forums and maintain external relationships within a diverse range of stakeholders in the sector including national government, key national and international NGOs, donors, academic, social movements, CBO’s, media and other relevant institutions
• Lead the implementationof the country strategy paper - Social Justice to End Poverty 2023 with its frameworks and implementation strategies; and the tracking of its results and impact.
• Implement and further develop AA’s vision, mission, philosophy and principles in line with agreed, corporate strategies, frameworks and organisational priorities.
• Actively contribute to ActionAid's development as an international federation.
• Maintain regular communication with AA Global Secretariat (GS) through the Head of Country Support, International Platforms, GS central support staff and other corporate; and Country Directors.
• Provide inputs to corporate activities as and when required, including providing peer support, participation on task forces, training courses and conferences.
• Ensure that ActionAid lives up to its dual citizenship role as part of an international federation.

Technical:
Programme Implementation:

• Lead and direct the work of ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) in accordance with sound Management practices and ActionAid's development policies and accountability systems. 
• Ensure AAN has a well-balanced, well documented and cost effective programme.
• Develop ActionAid Nigeria's practiceto document, disseminate and learn from development work in Nigeria and ensure all reporting is of the highest standard and appropriate to the audience. 
• Manage and encourage the co-operative relationships established with various specialist institutions and ensure that these joint initiatives conform to programme objectives.
• Ensure all programme activities are sensitive to and responsive to changes in the political, social, and economic environments.

Policy, Research and Advocacy:

• Encourage the development of appropriate research with a view to improving the quality of field work and influencing change in policy to improve the quality of life for people living in poverty and exclusion in the Country.
• Maintain sound relations with policy, research and advocacy specialists in Nigeria, Africa and international levels

Emergency Preparedness:

• Develop and maintain appropriate contingency plans for all kinds of emergencies. Such plans to be presented for approval of the Africa Head of Country Supportfor inclusion in corporate emergency response mechanisms.

People Management:

• Maintain effective and appropriate staff recruitment, induction, appraisal, and remuneration and development practices at all levels to ensure the optimum utilisation and development of AAN's human resources.
• Appoint, develop and manage all senior staff. Ensure high calibres of staff are recruited while promoting diversity and gender balance in the organisation, and that optimum investments are made in their development.
• Encourage a corporate perspective amongst staff and actively promote staff exchange, secondment and development schemes, where these contribute to the meeting of ActionAid's programme objectives and priorities.
• Foster a strong commitment to embedding of feminist analysis in all our work and ensuring that feminist leadership principles and values are integrated in all our performance management processes across teams.

Person Specification
Education & Certifications:

• Master’s Degree required. Any higher Degree is an added advantage.

Essential Knowledge and Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years in the Executive Management of development work and poverty eradication programmes. Demonstrated Senior Management expertise, including proven ability to develop the capacities of multi-disciplinary professional teams undertaking comprehensive poverty eradicationstrategies.
• Minimum of 20 years cumulative experience
• Sound and up to date knowledge of development concepts, methodologies and techniques including demonstrated expertise in at least one specialist development field.
• Appropriate degree level qualifications, preferably supplemented by relevant post-graduate qualifications.
• Ability to properly manage complex financial control and management systems.
• Ability to lead an organization through a change process
• Experience working with Board and Board development activities.
• Demonstrated expertise in strategic and long term planning and the ability to ensure that operational plans and activities meet targets and appropriately reflect longer term perspectives. Capacity to reflect and examine programmes to ensure evolution and to encourage this from others.
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills, including demonstrated ability to handle sensitive diplomatic and Government level negotiations on matters affecting ActionAid's programmes.
• Sound awareness of the political, social, economic and historic environment in which ActionAid's poverty eradication programmes are operating at both national and community levels.
• Proven initiative, flexibility and enthusiasm in managing complex activities in a changing environment.
• Understanding of feminist leadership and experience in promoting it

Desirable Knowledge and Experience:

• Professional proficiency in English and a familiarity with Nigeria’s socio economic and political context.

Application Closing Date
5th June, 2023.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should send their Application as an MS Word attachment to: [email protected] using the Job Title as the subject of the email.

Click here for more information (MS Word)

Note

• Only Electronically submitted applications will be considered.
• Applications from women are particularly encouraged.
• While we respect all applicants, interview date will be communicated only to shortlisted candidates.