****Primary Purpose:****
The Regional Director (RD) is the face of CWS global in the region. The RD sets the vision, articulates the mission, creates the strategy in alignment with the CWS’s mission and strategic framework, manages and oversees the regional organization including program development and implementation, ensures compliance of services within grants and contracts, and oversees effective delivery of key services.
The RD is responsible for providing leadership for technical program design, fundraising, accounting, and administrative support for CWS’s work in Sub-Saharan Africa. The RD oversees and provides strategic direction to CWS programming in the region including, but not limited to refugee processing and assistance, humanitarian response, and sustainable development. The RD nurtures and develops new CWS partnerships, and identifies opportunities for CWS program growth and expansion in the region.
****Essential Duties:****
****General Management****
- Organizational Leadership: Possess and model absolute commitment to the mission of CWS. Establish and articulate vision and strategy for the CWS regional offices. Engage actively with local leaders and community to advance CWS’s mission and work locally; maintain and nurture collaborative working relationships with other similar agencies as well as other service providers.
- Strategic Planning: Lead annual strategic planning process that exhibits his/her own strategic vision for the office and incorporates the input and programmatic vision of CWS. Coordinate with CWS CC (Corporate Center) and ensure the local strategic plan reflects the agency’s overall mission and goals.
- Staff Management: Build and maintain unity among staff. Maintain an open door policy and practice that involves regular informal discussions with staff to ensure ongoing, consistent two-way communication about work, challenges, successes and needs. Ensures compliance of CWS Code of Professional Conduct. Take responsibility for own actions and remain accountable at all times for his/her team’s actions.
- Operations: Ensure timely and consistent communication with CC on operational issues, policies and reporting; ensure local implementation of CWS policies. Hire and supervise staff and regularly evaluate their performance. Participate in regular field visits to the project areas to assure project progress towards activity objectives and goals
- Human Resources: Maintain a clear organizational structure and ensure the region is adequately staffed to carry out planned activities. Work with HR and management structure to ensure the development and implementation of appropriate talent management initiatives. Collaborate with HR to ensure effective use of resources and actively engage staff in discussions about their professional development and retention.
Program Development and Management
- Program Objectives and overview: Provide overall technical leadership and administrative oversight to achieve the results of the program. Represent CWS to donors, local and national government entities, the media, local NGOs, and the local business community. Ensure the provision of technical assistance, support, oversight to local partner NGOs, and information to national and local government officials. Oversee long-range strategic planning, overall programmatic direction and growth, and all programs and operations within the region, including, but not limited to humanitarian response, and development and other protection efforts.
- Program Budgets: Oversee program budgets and ensure that all financial activity is carried out in accordance with annual budget allocations of CWS and donor guidelines. Administer the project's financial oversight and procedures, ensuring compliance with established CWS accounting principles.
- Program Reports: Prepare annual work plans and progress reports, and monitor the implementation of these plans. Monitor and report progress on Regional Objectives. Ensure compliance by CWS staff and partners in the region with CWS monitoring and evaluation protocols. Maintain knowledge of relevant external strategic planning reports published by national governments, bilateral and multilateral agencies.
- Donor Relations: Maintain close communication with donor, reporting regularly for formal review sessions and providing ongoing, informal updates of program progress. Ensure donor program objectives and reporting requirements are met in a timely manner.
- Corporate Center Relations: In consultation with CWS staff and partners in the region and at Corporate Center, develop programming to achieve Regional Objectives as developed and stated in a regional operational plan. Design and implement programming that will strengthen the capacity of local institutions. Inform CC counterparts on emerging issues and trends and make recommendations for CWS engagement/response.
Relationships/Representation
- Provide vision for overall fundraising strategy and develop a local fundraising plan based on analysis of program strengths, service gaps and local environment.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with all relevant parties, including host governments, UN systems, US embassies, and other diplomatic representatives, civil society represented by NGOs, churches, and other groups. Represent CWS at regional/international meetings.
- Maintain and further develop strong working partnerships with US government institutions, such as the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security; RSC operational partners like IOM European Union and other EU organizations and UNHCR.
- Develop and maintain positive relationships with host governments of assigned countries and ensure that all laws and regulations pertaining to NGO work are followed.
- Serve as the primary liaison between CWS Corporate Center (CC) and development staff in the region. Ensure CWS staff is kept informed of key agency directions, strategies and policies. Provide CC staff with input that informs agency decision-making, contributing to strategic direction and policy development, in consultation with CC, develop new donor contacts and oversee fundraising initiatives for CWS programming in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Support and actively engage in networks and initiatives on humanitarian standards and accountability such as SPHERE, HAP, ICVA, etc.
- Oversee communication with media, aid community, and donor and partner communications staff.
Financial Management
- Oversee the preparation of annual budget for approval by Corporate Center and monitor spending to ensure adherence to budget parameters.
- Ensure that financial systems are maintained in compliance with International Procedures & Standards, CWS CC guidelines and donor requirements.
- Provide financial reports and information to CC and donors as required.
Resource Development and Program Interpretation
- Develop adequate funding for all Africa programs within scope.
- Collaborate with the CC staff to create and implement resource development strategies.
- Identify and actively pursue funding opportunities that are consistent with the agency goals and identity.
- As appropriate, form collaborative relationships to secure funding.
- Actively engage in fundraising, including proposal writing.
- Host delegations, constituent trips, and donor and denominational visits.
Other
- As necessary, travel to locations throughout Sub-Saharan Africa to visit project sites and to nurture relationships with partners. Oversee and support the opening/closing of Country and/or Project Offices in the region as required. Facilitate linkages among Country Offices in the region, with an emphasis on program learning and capturing best practices and lessons learnt.
- Implement and support all CC guidelines, protocols, and procedures relevant to responsibilities. When appropriate assist ACT Alliance and partner agencies in programming in the Region. Implement and support ACT Alliance code of conduct and humanitarian charters.
- Ensure that leased/owned property and equipment are properly utilized, maintained, and secured.
- Ensure that information technology is used to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of CWS work across the region.
- Perform other duties and activities as deemed necessary.
Qualifications, Experience and Skills:
Education
A Master’s degree in a related field is required.
Experience
- Minimum 10 years experience of technical and managerial experience of large-scale, multi-sector international development operating unit, with integrated components on agricultural and, natural resources management, economic development, and health and nutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Experience in designing and managing development programs and relief operations; strong experience and understanding of developing and deploying a wide variety of engagement models to address refugee situations.
- Solid experience in international resource management and leadership of large staff with cultural diversity.
- Demonstrated capabilities in institutional capacity building, high-level strategic visioning and leadership, and experience in working effectively with private sector, civil society, and local, regional and central-level government authorities and with USAID and other development partners is required.
- Proven accountability and experience working in a matrix management environment.
- Deep understanding and experience working through local and in some cases church based partnerships to accomplish strategic and operational goals and to expand their capacity.
- Chief of Party level experience on USAID-funded economic growth, livelihoods, and rural agriculture or food security projects is preferred.
- Thorough understanding of the Africa context including the issues and challenges in the region.
- Knowledge or understanding of social, economic, and political context governing rural economic development and food security in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Experience with local and international private firms and NGOs to address rural economic growth and food security preferred.
- Experience providing technical and organizational support to vulnerable populations.
- Prior experience in implementing and managing country level Security Contingency Plans. Knowledge of US Government regulations, policies, and procedures or those of an equivalently complex international government funding organization.
****Skills:****
- Leadership and strategic management skills:
- Deep commitment to CWS’ vision, mission, and values, and ability to model those values in relationships with partners and colleagues.
- S/he must consistently display integrity, model collaborative behavior, develop people, and build teams.
- Ability to work through secondary managers to identify, supervise, develop, and retain a diverse and expert pool of staff who will possess the technical skills required for the various programmatic initiatives.
- Ability to create a culture that brings out the best in people using the tools of well accepted management practices.
- Ability to think critically and strategically and translate broad goals into achievable outcomes within Africa and the African context.
- Comfortable with managing start up environments, change, and transition, and how to inspire, influence, and enable others in these types of environments.
- Comfortable with and effective at working in situations of great ambiguity, particularly where the academic/intellectual experiences of one’s faith, values and upbringing come in contact with the reality on the ground.
- Skills in fundraising and donor management:
- Proven record of winning proposals and securing funding from a variety of sources (e.g. governments, institutional, foundations).
- Ability to build or tap into existing networks to cultivate diverse sources of funding both inside and outside of Africa.
- Proven record of successfully managing multimillion-dollar grants.
- Skill at navigating the grant application process and politics of the US Department of State, USAID, EU, foundations and other bilateral and multilateral donors.
- Relationship building and interpersonal skills:
- Respect for other spiritual traditions, both inside and outside of Christianity, and the ability to find the common purpose and values to enable effective collaboration. Including the ability and willingness to engage with church member organizations that have different agendas, theological interpretations of social issues and approaches to serving others and finding common ground to work together.
- Able to work within highly bureaucratic, political or complex denominational or ecumenical organizations, other non-profit or humanitarian organizations, funding and government agencies. Ability to negotiate with integrity and sensitivity.
- Must enjoy working collaboratively, not only in Africa but on a global scale, designing programs that can be scaled or replicated regionally or globally, sharing best practices and technical staff resources, etc.
- Communication skills:
- Ability to articulate CWS’ mission, vision, values to a wide variety of audiences in ways that resonate across cultures, perspectives and spiritual traditions.
- Must have transparent communication and the ability to keep CWS executive and senior leadership fully informed on the condition of CWS in the region.
- Fluent English language verbal and written skills required.
- High proficiency in French language verbal and written skills desired
HOW TO APPLY:
To Apply:
Please visit the link below to apply directly online to this position.
Please visit the link below to apply directly online to this position.
Please note that CWS does not accept resumes for positions that are not posted. All applicants are required to submit their resume using the on-line applicant tracking system.
Communications
CWS uses Applicant Stack for all communications, please be sure to check your e-mail frequently and please check your junk/spam folder. Due to the volume of applications that we receive, only those individuals shortlisted will be contacted.
CWS uses Applicant Stack for all communications, please be sure to check your e-mail frequently and please check your junk/spam folder. Due to the volume of applications that we receive, only those individuals shortlisted will be contacted.
