Afghanistan: Deputy Country Director Programmes Cordaid Afghanistan

Cordaid believes in a world without poverty and exclusion. We strive for just and sustainable societies where every person counts. We stand for knowledge and talent sharing between North and South, between farmers and businesses, between activists and policymakers. Where poverty, conflict and exclusion divide societies, we connect people and communities. We stand for professionalism, expertise and solidarity across borders. We aim at maximizing our social impact and contributing to systemic change. We operate where natural disasters strike, where conflicts tear up communities and where lack of opportunities and service delivery keep families in extreme poverty.

Cordaid is one of the leading CSO’s in the Netherlands, working in fragile contexts on Health, Resilience, Economic opportunities, Humanitarian aid and Security & Justice. Apart from our work abroad we also contribute to new forms of job creation and social innovation in The Netherlands.

Cordaid is a member of the international Catholic networks Caritas and CIDSE and we are active in worldwide civil society networks. We work in around 30 countries in Africa, Middle East and Asia.

For the Cordaid Country office in Kabul, Afghanistan**,** Cordaid is looking for a Deputy Country Director Programmes

Introduction

Cordaid is working in and on fragility, and has been active in Afghanistan since 2001, aiming at a stable and peaceful country. We work in 6 thematic areas, supported by lobby and advocacy activities: health care, social contract, security and justice, humanitarian aid, resilience and private sector development. We provide programmatic leadership and require that our operations and those of our local partners are implemented to the highest standards complemented with knowledge generation that incorporates best practices and lessons learned.

Position and responsibility

The Deputy Country Director Programmes will be leading the Programme and Regional Coordinator Teams responsible for designing, implementing and evaluating projects/programmes within the 6 thematic areas referred to above. S/he will also be responsible for developing partnerships and for successfully competing on the marketplace aiming at diversification and growth of Cordaid’s programme portfolio in Afghanistan reaching out to multiple stakeholders ranging from clients to partners to beneficiaries.

Under the overall direction of the Country Director for Afghanistan, s/he will lead Cordaid’s Programme and Regional Coordination teams in developing and managing relevant and innovative humanitarian, development and peacebuilding programmes with special attention to those that overlap within this triple nexus and integrate the various thematic priorities of Cordaid within Afghanistan. S/he will closely work with the Deputy Country Director for Operations to ensure efficient and effective support to programme implementation while maintaining strong internal controls. S/he would also closely monitor and facilitate the evaluation of results and impacts in close coordination with the Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) team to facilitate shared programme learning. S/he will deputise the country director when required.

Specific objectives

• Provide Programme Leadership and Oversight

Support the Country Director in preparing Country Strategies and Plans that will make a positive difference to the lives of people, families and communities, paying special attention to gender equality and youth;

Lead the diversification and growth of Cordaid’s portfolio of projects and programmes within Afghanistan with a focus on quality and impact;

Maintain effective coordination with the Deputy Country Director for Operations ensuring effective and timely delivery of support services in the areas of Finance, Human Resources, Procurement & Supply Chain and Administration/Logistics/ICT;

Maintain effective coordination with the PMEL manager to ensure timely and correct measurement of results, outcomes and impacts and to facilitate learning towards continuous improvements in the design and delivery of projects and programmes.

• Manage Programme and Regional Coordination Teams

Analyze and keep abreast of political and development trends, to identify and propose to the Country Director areas for Cordaid engagement and support on the basis of country strategic priorities, areas of focus, risks and comparative advantages;

Support the Country Director in ensuring financial sustainability and delivery of desired results ensuring compliance with organizational strategies, rules and standards of performance;

Develop and implement a robust project and programme governance framework and advise the Country Director on key risks in a timely manner, including recommended risk responses.

• Oversee Security in the Field

Work closely with the Country Security Advisor and the Security Advisor for Programmes to ensure that security policies, procedures, practices and capacities support “direct implementation” in the field taking into account the need to deliver quality services to people, families and communities while facilitating “Duty of Care” for Cordaid staff;

Work closely with communities supported by projects and programmes implemented by Cordaid in developing effective mechanisms to prevent and resolve (potential) conflicts and harm to Cordaid staff in an expedient and effective manner;

Prevent incidents through “community acceptance” and resolve incidents through “community engagement”.

• Manage Programme Resources

Plan and propose to the Country Director required project and programme resources (human and financial), and advise pricing strategies to diversify the client portfolio while maintaining full cost recovery;

Manage resources in accordance with Cordaid standards of ethics, integrity and financial sustainability;

Plan, recruit, manage and develop personnel/technical experts with the skills and competencies needed to ensure optimum performance and encouraging the formation of diverse teams in terms of gender and other diversity indicators;

Promote teamwork, collaboration and diversity by providing the programme and field coordination teams with clear directions, objectives and guidance to enable them to perform their duties responsibly, effectively and efficiently;

Plan, conduct and/or respond to Cordaid performance evaluation reviews and surveys.

• Contribute to Knowledge Management and Innovation

Decide, plan and organize internal meetings, retreats, teleconferences etc. to ensure regular communication with colleagues, clients, partners and other counterparts;

Keep abreast of and incorporate best practices, approaches and technology to enhance delivery and results;

Institutionalize and share best practices and lessons learned for corporate development planning and knowledge building; and, contribute to relevant Communities of Experts and Communities of Practice accordingly;

Draft policy papers and/or recommend policy changes to align operations with the changing environment;

Lead the planning, implementation and organization of strategic capacity building of personnel, partners and other key stakeholders.

Qualifications

· Master’s degree in project management, business/public administration, social sciences or other subject related to international cooperation;

· At least 7 years of experience that combines strategic and managerial leadership in social development, business development, and/or programme management planning and operations in an international organization;

· Experience in managing projects and/or programmes from NGOs or other international humanitarian, development and/or peacebuilding organization in insecure areas;

· Excellent management skills, including human resource and financial management, communications and intercultural cooperation skills;

· A networker, diplomatic and results oriented, with the ability to work under stressful and time bound project conditions;

· Flexible and capable of working in a stressful context, with experience in Afghanistan counted as an asset;

· Good oral and written communication skills in English language;

· Excellent interpersonal, co-ordination and negotiation skills, and the ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity;

· Strong commitment to integrity, professionalism, creativity and innovation, learning, accountability, planning and organization, results orientation, teamwork and technological solutions.

Specifics of station

The Deputy Country Director Programmes will be based in Kabul. This is a non-accompanied posting.

Contract information

The contract period is for one year starting as soon as possible, with the intention to extend for a longer period. We offer a competitive, fair and comprehensive salary and benefits package that is justifiable to our donors. A Cordaid contract which includes R&R, a comprehensive insurance cover, social security and pension contribution, a holiday allowance, 13^th month, and hardship allowance.

Further information & how to apply

Applications including a motivation letter and extensive CV in English, including the contact details of at least three professional references, should be forwarded on attn. of mr. Jaap van Hierden before 26 November 2018.

Please note that we accept applications through our website only: https://www.cordaid.org/en/vacancies/international/?cd_job_id=114128