Country Director Kenya at IsraAID

ABOUT THE POSITION:

• Reporting to the Regional Director, the Country Director will be head of the Kenya Country Programme, and will lead the organization’s programmes providing oversight to all IsraAID operations in the country. The incumbent will play a leading role in providing strategic oversight for the Country Office, lead the planning, design, oversee the implementation and the development and administration of all programs; the Country Director is expected to supervise and develop the capacity of staff, ensuring effective and efficient resources management including human, financial and physical resources are well managed as per organization policies. S/he will be responsible for ensuring compliance to both organizational, donor and legal regulations. The Country Director will lead the country office towards transforming the country office programming to align and be relevant in the context of the Government of Kenya’s Plan for the development of socioeconomic hubs for integrated refugee inclusion in Kenya. The incumbent will also be responsible for the security of the organization staff and other resources and will function as the spokesperson of the organization in the country, leading the networking and engagement functions and ensuring adequate representation across all areas.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

 Country Vision and Strategy

• Provide leadership in the development and implementation of IsraAID’s programming in line with the country’s strategic plan and develop sound methodological and technical support to ensure use of participatory methodologies, human rights, and social exclusion frameworks.
• Strategically lead the transformation and positioning of the Country Office to align and remain relevant in the context of the Government of Kenya’s Plan for the implementation and development of socioeconomic hubs for integrated refugee inclusion in Kenya.
• Identify, reach out and create collaboration with partners in line with the country’s vision, such as academies and international platforms.
• Oversee the dissemination of IsraAID’s mission, core values and principles at the country level and lead, coordinate, and mentor the country program and its staff in line with the country strategy and philosophy.
• Stay up to date on socio-economic and political changes in the country related to IsraAID Kenya’s mandate, undertake a timely strategic review of IsraAID Kenya’s program strategy to respond to a rapidly changing environment.
• Provide on-going support, monitoring and evaluation of IsraAID Kenya programs and existing projects, coordinate program reviews, evaluations, and follow up on the implementation of evaluation findings.
• Coordinate the production of timely quality program reports in line with IsraAID’s established policy

Human Resource Management and Staff Development

• Provide leadership support to country staff and promote best practices in human resources management.
• Be the custodian of the IsraAID HR Policy and Learning and Development plans ensuring administration and conformity with the spirit and intentions of the global HR policy.
• Maintain effective and appropriate staff recruitment, orientation, appraisal, remuneration, and development practice at all levels to ensure the optimum utilization and development of IsraAID’s human resources.
• Provide coaching and mentoring advice to staff when necessary and lead initiatives to develop staff capacity.

Funding and Grants Management

• Develop networks and partnerships with national/regional/international institutions in the country and promote collaboration and funding.
• Spearhead a funding strategy that maximizes and increases the external funding base, staying up to date on donor trends, and ensures adherence to funding and donor requirements.
• Oversee the production of quality proposals and respond to call for proposals.
• Facilitate and coordinate donor visits, donor meetings, discussions, and evaluations, as necessary.
• Promote and encourage a culture of compliance throughout IsraAID. Maintains a clear understanding of donor compliance and adheres to those standards.

Financial and Administrative Management

• Ensure that all financial and administrative procedures are in accordance with IsraAID’s established policies and maintain the financial and legal integrity of the organization.
• Prepare, implement, and review the annual country budget, ensuring the Country Office goals and targets are met and surpassed.
• Provide progress and financial reports as required by the government and IsraAID HQ, as well as accountability procedures as required by other organizations.
• Ensure the preparation, accuracy and timely submission of financial reports that comply with grant or contract agreements.
• Check and verify all inventories and promote efficient and effective management of organizational assets.

Security and Risk Management

• Be fully accountable at country level for security and risk management, keeping abreast of all relevant developments in the country, and maintain regular communication with national and international security institutions.
• Develop and maintain appropriate security plans, and contingency plans when needed.
• Carry overall responsibility for country security planning in collaboration with HQ.

Corporate leadership

• Act as guardian of the IsraAID brand and be the organization’s spokesperson in the country.
• Ensure staff are continuously engaged and aligned with IsraAID’s global vision, mission, values, strategic directions, and business plan.
• Actively contribute to IsraAID’s reputation and role as a national, international, and regional organization.
• Maintain regular communication with the IsraAID in-country board, IsraAID-Israel HQ, and other IsraAID branches, as appropriate.
• Provide inputs to IsraAID international activities as and when required, participate in task forces, training courses and conferences.
• Promote IsraAID’s organizational identity, culture, and capacity to all stakeholders and partners and ensure IsraAID remains relevant to the changing humanitarian and development needs in the country.

Compliance & Ethics

• Understanding of and commitment to the following principles: cultural sensitivity, local ownership, sustainability, inclusiveness, local partnership, non-discrimination, do-no-harm, and apolitical approach; codes of conduct against sexual exploitation and abuse; and against child exploitation and modern slavery.
• Commitment to abide by IsraAID’s and the UN’s codes of conduct and principles.
• Commitment to abide by IsraAID’s security policy.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND COMPETENCIES:

• Master’s degree in international development, social sciences, or other relevant fields.
• A minimum of 10 years’ experience working in humanitarian settings managing emergency, recovery or development interventions at international level across at least two continents including Africa (A MUST); and at least 6 years of which must be at Director/managerial level.
• Knowledge and experience managing Health & Nutrition, Protection and WASH programming and a strong familiarity with the IASC guidelines for interventions in humanitarian settings;
• Practical experience in program design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation, in line with the needs and challenges of donor and contract management and the implications for program management
• Proven experience in the financial management of significant budgets
• Proven networking and donor engagement skills and ability to mobilize resources and securing new donors. Significant experience in working with institutional donors including UN bodies and private foundations is essential. Familiarity with international coordination structures mandatory
• Demonstrated organizational skills and capability to consistently meet tight deadlines.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.