Country Director Sudan at Trocaire

Key Responsibilities

• Leading a Country Management Team, made up of Finance and Fundraising staff and supported by programming staff, the responsibilities of the Sudan Country Director are as follows:
• Strategic Leadership
• Provide inspirational and strategic leadership that motivates and empowers staff to achieve organisational goals; fosters a culture of innovation, learning and continuous improvement; and embeds Trócaire’s mission and values in all activities and decisions.
• Lead the ongoing implementation, review, and refinement of Trócaire Sudan country strategy, ensuring alignment with the organisation's global strategy and the country's development priorities.
• Build and nurture strategic partnerships with government agencies, I/NGOs, church partners, various networks (e.g. NGO and UN fora, Caritas networks), local communities, and other stakeholders to enhance Trócaire Sudan’s impact and influence.
• Anticipate and respond to changes in the operating environment, stakeholder needs, and sector trends to make strategic adjustments as needed.
• Cultivate and maintain a shared vision among Trócaire staff of Trócaire’s country and organisational vision, mission, goals, and objectives, communicating and engaging with staff to foster understanding and alignment with the strategic direction.
• Conduct continuous real-time analysis of Trócaire Sudan’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to anticipate, analyse and respond to changes in the competitive and fluidly changing environment, inform strategic decision-making,  and make data-driven adjustments to the country strategy, programmes and projects.
• Develop distinctive capabilities, competencies and areas of comparative advantage that enable Trócaire Sudan to differentiate itself from competitors and deliver unique value to the people and communities Trócaire serves.
• Foster a culture of accountability and ownership, empowering employees to take initiative and make decisions that support Trócaire Sudan’s strategic objectives.
• Model the behaviours and values expected of Trócaire staff and expressed in our organisational values, strategic framework and behavioural competency standards.
• Institutional Funding
• Increase and broaden the institutional funding base of Trócaire’s Sudan programmes in line with the organisational and country specific institutional funding strategy.
• Management support of the proposal development process, ensuring a high quality and timely submission to institutional donors, consistent with Trócaire’s Organisational and Country Strategic Plan.
• Support the programme, finance and business development team members in the development of well-designed projects and programmes for submission to institutional donors, consistent with Trócaire’s Organisational and Country Strategic Plan.
• Provide oversight of country staff in the management and compliance of all institutional funding grants and potential commercial contracts in Sudan.
• Position Trócaire as potential partner (sub and lead) for consortia in the programme area and/or cross country.
• Representation, Advocacy, Communications
• Represent Trócaire locally, nationally, and regionally to amplify the organization's voice and influence and those of Trócaire’s partners.
• Foster relationships and partnerships with key stakeholders, including government, local authorities, NGOs, the Catholic Church, UN, donors, and networks.
• Contribute to Trócaire forums and working groups, representing Trócaire Sudan and contributing to organisational and portfolio agendas.
• Lead the development and implementation of country-specific advocacy and communications strategies aligned with Trócaire's mission and priorities.
• Ensure advocacy and communications support programme objectives.
• Oversee the development of high-quality communications materials and ensure adherence to branding guidelines.
• Enhance awareness of Trócaire's work among supporters and stakeholders through effective communication and media engagement.
• People and Culture
• Lead and inspire a high-performing team, fostering a collaborative culture for operational excellence and amplified programme impact.
• Define and optimize the country team structure to align with strategic plans, budgets, and performance indicators.
• Line manage senior managers, matrix manage relevant roles, and oversee necessary staffing.
• Recruit, develop, and retain qualified staff committed to Trócaire's mission and values.
• Manage performance and ensure compliance with HR policies, procedures, and local regulations.
• Foster a positive, empowering and inclusive organisational culture that values equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Programme Management
• Provide leadership in developing and implementing Trócaire's programmes aligned with strategic objectives.
• Oversee accountable implementation of programmes, monitoring progress, and making necessary adjustments for impact, efficiency and compliance.
• Seek opportunities to integrate protection services in conjunction with the Trócaire’s GBV and Protection Advisors.
• Offer technical guidance to staff, promoting high-quality programmes integrating key focus areas.
• Establish and maintain results-based monitoring and evaluation systems for evidence-based decision-making and learning.
• Ensure timely and high-quality internal and external reporting, including annual reviews.
• Foster programme learning and knowledge sharing for continuous improvement and integration of lessons learned.
• Promote a culture of innovation, experimentation, and learning to achieve strategic objectives.
• Business Development and Funding
• Maintain accountability for securing resources, ensuring financial sustainability and programme continuity.
• Develop and adapt Donor Engagement and Institutional Funding Strategy, pursuing aligned funding opportunities.
• Access and manage institutional funding, maximizing impact and compliance with government, donor and Trócaire's policies.
• Identify growth opportunities and develop new programmes and partnerships aligned with mission and values.
• Ensure compliance with donor requirements, including financial reporting and programme monitoring.
• Optimize cost recovery through budgeting, expenditure monitoring, and transparent financial management.
• Manage risks associated with institutional funding, implementing robust risk management strategies.
• Network and engage with donors and NGOs, fostering strong relationships and sustainable funding opportunities.
• Finance and Administration
• Ensure financial sustainability and accountability through budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.
• Manage financial resources transparently, complying with systems, procedures, and regulations.
• Monitor programme budgets and expenditures, ensuring adherence to approved budgets.
• Monitor and work to adhere to established Key Performance Indicators, including grants-to-partners ratios, programme-to-programme support ratios, and institutionally funded-to-Irish Aid & Unrestricted funding ratios.
• Submit timely and high-quality internal and donor financial reports.
• Assess and support partner organisations' financial management and governance standards.
• Maintain and utilise Trócaire's systems, platforms, and applications for efficient operations.
• Oversee administrative functions, implementing policies and systems aligned with objectives.
• Establish robust procurement processes for transparency and compliance.
• Promote a culture of transparency, accountability, and integrity within finance and administration.
• Identify and mitigate financial and operational risks through risk management practices.
• Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Audit and Corporate Governance Compliance
• Ensure compliance with government regulations, maintaining accurate records and timely reporting.
• Plan and facilitate internal and external audits, addressing recommendations for process improvement.
• Implement fraud prevention measures and manage organisational risk.
• Maintain an up to date country risk register, identifying and mitigating risks to operations, reputation, and financial stability.
• Maintain oversight of the audit tracker to register and follow up on project and organisational audit findings.
• Comply with organisational commitments and humanitarian standards, including Core Humanitarian Standards, Sphere Standards, Charter4Change, and the Dochas Code of Conduct.
• Promote staff awareness and compliance with integrity policies through training programmes.
• Safeguard data privacy and confidentiality, implementing data protection measures.
• Foster a culture of transparency, integrity, and accountability, with zero tolerance for misconduct.
• Safeguarding
• Uphold Trócaire's commitment to safeguarding, preventing abuse and exploitation.
• Implement robust policies and practices for raising and responding to concerns.
• Oversee effective application of complaints handling mechanisms, managing sensitive complaints.
• Support and guide focal persons in communicating safeguarding commitments to partners.
• Safety & Security
• Prioritize staff and visitor safety through proactive risk assessment, mitigation, and incident response protocols.
• Conduct rigorous security assessments and maintain an up-to-date risk register.
• Ensure adherence to security policies and protocols by all staff and visitors.
• Coordinate comprehensive security training and facilitate regular refresher trainings.
• Monitor the security situation, mitigate risks, and protect staff and programme operations.
• Promote a culture of accountability, integrity, and ethical conduct within the organisation.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure compliance with safety and risk management requirements.
• Any other responsibilities, duties or tasks assigned by and agreed with the Head of Portfolio Fragile & Conflict Affected States.

Requirements & Qualification:

Experience & Skills - (E)ssential / (D)esirable:

• A minimum of 5+ years of management experience in humanitarian operations at senior or Country Director level (E)
• Demonstrable experience managing large-scale humanitarian / development programmes (E)
• Proven leadership skills, with the ability to motivate staff and align them behind shared objectives (E)
• Experience in running country office operations, including administration, finance, human resource management, and security management (D)
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities, with the capability to develop country-level strategies in line with organizational goals (E)
• Proficiency in budget and financial management (E)
• In-depth understanding of programming in a partnership model and working with partnership-based NGOs (E)
• Experience in attracting institutional donor funding and managing large and complex donor grants (E)
• Sound and up-to-date knowledge of humanitarian / development concepts, methodologies, and techniques, including results-based management, rights-based approaches, and participatory methodologies (E)
• Experience in promoting gender equity through programming (D)
• Interpersonal and relationship management skills for internal and external stakeholders (E)
• Competence in meeting corporate governance and accountability requirements of governments, organizations, and donors (E)