Lebanon: Country Director

Requisition ID: req728

Job Title: Country Director

Sector: Operations

Employment Category: Fixed Term

Location: Lebanon

Job Description

BACKGROUND

In response to the influx of Syrian refugees to Lebanon in mid-2012, IRC opened a country office and launched humanitarian assistance programming. IRC operates throughout Lebanon, with the main office in Beirut and field offices in Qobayat, Zahle, Tripoli, Tyre and Mount Lebanon. IRC's programs assist Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese in host communities across multiple sectors: education, livelihoods, protection, women's protection and empowerment, and child protection.. IRC Lebanon's current portfolio amounts to $27M.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Country Director for Lebanon is responsible for overall leadership and supervisory management of IRC offices and operations in the country, including stewardship of resources, staff safety and security, program quality and accountability, partnerships with Lebanese civil society organizations, and performance management. The Country Director is IRC's principal representative to the Lebanese government, donors, international organizations, other NGOs and the media. The Country Director is expected to respond effectively to a constantly changing environment for refugees and vulnerable host populations with effective humanitarian programs implemented directly and with Lebanese partner organizations. The Country Director will lead country program staff in pursuing the outcomes identified in the strategy action plan for 2016-2020, bringing them together to deliver high-quality, cost-effective programming results.

Success in this position requires an individual with exemplary leadership abilities who deploys strong communications and interpersonal skills effectively, both internally and externally. The successful candidate will enjoy developing networks to build partnerships and diversify program resources. Given the operating environment, the Country Director is expected to be attentive to risk management. S/he will be directly responsible for the overall coordination and strategic direction of the country program; providing oversight and coaching for directly supervised senior managers; leading country program teams to identify, design and deliver responsive, high-quality programs; ensuring efficient management of public grants and private funds for results, compliance and focused, timely reporting; and oversight of financial management and compliance systems.

Based in Beirut, the Country Director oversees all IRC operations in Lebanon. Reporting to the Regional Director, this position receives support from regional and headquarters staff in the areas of program quality, new business development, safety and security management, finance, operations management, and external affairs. The Country Director is additionally expected to actively participate in defining and delivering IRC's public advocacy positions. The Country Director directly supervises four positions in a country program of approximately 514

staff. This position is fully accompanied and requires extensive in-country and occasional regional travel.

The overall security situation in Lebanon is dynamic, and varies from one IRC operating area to another. Security in Beirut and Mt. Lebanon is relatively stable with few immediate security threats, although as different parts of the country face security issues, repercussions are often felt in Beirut. In central and north Bekka, the security environment is unpredictable due to ongoing sectarian violence, weak governance, political polarization and the impact of the conflict in Syria. Since early 2014, the town of Arsal and surrounding areas in the Bekaa along the border with Syria has seen a significant deterioration in security, with displacement of both Lebanese and Syrian refugees. Tripoli in the north experiences sporadic sectarian clashes that temporarily limit access. The impact of the Syrian conflict on Lebanon requires close monitoring and active security management.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership and Representation

• Lead the country program by maintaining open and professional relations with colleagues, promoting a strong team spirit and providing guidance, oversight and resources to enable staff to perform successfully.
• Develop and carry out strategies that result in strong representation with: Lebanese Government authorities at various levels; donors including DFID, BPRM, SIDA, ECHO, KFW, UNHCR and UNICEF; other UN and international organizations; international and local NGOs; and networks such as the INGO Forum.
• Develop and maintain a high level of understanding of donor priorities and planned funding.
• Ensure that IRC remains a partner of choice for major international donors.
• Provide leadership for strong, mutually beneficial and effective partnerships with Lebanese organizations.
• Seek out and pursue opportunities to raise the profile of the work of IRC and its partners in Lebanon, as well as the lives and the needs of the people IRC seeks to serve.
• Play a leadership role in efforts to improve humanitarian response coordination in Lebanon.
• Lead country program collaboration with colleagues in the IRC's Middle East region to deliver regional programming and advocacy.

Strategic Direction, Program Quality and Growth

• In line with IRC2020, the organization's global strategy, set the strategic vision and direction of the country program to serve more people with the most responsive and highest quality programming possible, and secure the resources necessary to do so.
• Lead the implementation of the country program's strategy action plan to achieve IRC's ambitions in Lebanon and contribute to IRC's strategic objectives globally.
• Ensure high-quality programming through the country program's consistent use of: rigorous assessment, design, and proposal development and review processes; comprehensive monitoring and evaluation, accountability and learning systems; staff development investments; and partner organization capacity strengthening.
• Lead implementation of IRC's objective of expanding partnerships with Lebanese civil society organisations, and ensuring strong collaborative, principled partnerships that deliver effective and efficient program outcomes.
• Remain current on national and regional issues impacting the people IRC serves, and develop responsive strategies to ensure the IRC mission can be carried out appropriately in rapidly changing contexts.
• Ensure country program alignment with and involvement in meeting regional objectives.
• Identify opportunities for appropriate expansion and growth of programs, supported by the acquisition and investment of human resources.
• Ensure timely submission of competitive, responsive and high-quality proposals, and support colleagues in negotiations with donors.

Safety and Security Management

• Take primary responsibility for overall management of safety and security for the country program.
• Oversee the management of all security issues, including appropriate response to emergency situations as they arise.
• Create and maintain a culture of safety and security awareness throughout the country program, including trainings and briefings that prepare all country program staff for security incident prevention and response.
• Keep security, evacuation and contingency plans current and accessible to country program staff.
• Maintain close coordination and communication with the Regional Safety and Security Director on safety and security concerns and evolving issues that could adversely affect IRC staff or operations.

Staff Performance Management and Development

• Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely performance feedback, and leading documented semi-annual performance reviews.
• Provide constructive feedback and counsel on appropriate career paths and professional development for IRC staff.
• Oversee the management, coaching and development of national and international staff to build a cadre of skilled, committed and motivated personnel.
• Continue to pursue nationalization of senior management positions.
• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff.
• Offer leadership support for successful adherence by all staff to IRC's Global HR Operating Policies and Procedures.
• Work with regional HR staff to identify and implement recruitment and retention strategies.
• Undertake regular reviews of labor and salary markets in Lebanon for the purpose of enhancing the competitiveness of the IRC's overall compensation package for national staff.

Stewardship and Operational Management

• Drive operational excellence to achieve optimal efficiency and cost-effectiveness in all functions and operations of the country program.
• Oversee the development, deployment and utilization of financial and operational policies, procedures, and systems to deliver compliance with IRC and donor requirements.
• Drive effective implementation of IRC's Sub-Award Partnership Management System, including by ensuring all departments collaborate effectively to deliver a coherent, joined up approach and decision-making with respect to IRC's partnerships.
• Ensure responsiveness and appropriate levels of in-person and remote support to all offices, especially in the areas of HR, finance and supply chain.
• Provide timely and effective oversight of the Lebanon country program's financial position.
• Maintain effective and coordinated budget monitoring processes for grant funds and discretionary funds.
• Seek opportunities to introduce efficiencies and eliminate redundancies in existing business processes.

Communications

• Model and encourage active practice of the principles of the "IRC Way - Global Standards for Professional Conduct" throughout the Lebanon country program.
• Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that encourages open, honest and productive communication among IRC staff and with partner organizations.
• Maintain open communications with regional management staff, regional technical advisors, and HQ departmental staff.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Four direct reports, including the Deputy Directors for Programs and Operations, Finance Controller, and HR Director.

Key Working Relationships

Internal: ME Regional Director; ME regional team; other ME Country Directors; HQ departmental staff, as appropriate.

External: Lebanese government officials, partner organizations, public and private donor agencies, international and national NGOs, UN agencies, foreign governments.

Professional Standards

The IRC and IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Graduate degree in a relevant field
• At least ten years of progressively responsible international work experience, including at least three years in a leadership role at the Country Director level of multi-site, multi-sectoral operations in a complex operating environment
• Experience of building personal networks at a senior level, resulting in securing new opportunities for the organization
• Demonstrated successful leadership and management experience with a multi-disciplinary team in a cross-cultural setting, including active mentoring and coaching
• Proven experience delivering appropriate levels oversight of a portfolio consisting of a variety of complex, high-value donor-funded projects
• Extensive representation and fundraising success, including prior experience with European, US and international donors
• Experience of managing security in a complex and rapidly changing security context
• Proven ability to foster strong, collaborative, principled partner relationships.
• Strong budget and fiscal oversight capacities
• Established capacity to deal with ambiguity in stressful situations
• Ability to respond to multiple priorities in a timely manner, producing high-quality outcomes
• A keen understanding of political complexities in the Middle East region
• Arabic language skills a definite advantage
• Ability to work and live in a sometimes insecure environment while maintaining a positive attitude

This position is based in Beirut and is fully accompanied with an estimated 33% of the Country Director's time spent in other locations in Lebanon and the region.

Please follow this link to apply: http://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=YXN0cmlkLm1hdGhldy4yOTI0OS4zODMwQGlyY2NkLmFwbGl0cmFrLmNvbQ