Country Director, Nepal

Job Description

Devex Talent Solutions is currently assisting the ChildFund Japan in their search for a Country Director to be based in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Major 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: local government; UN and other international organizations; institutional donors; international and local NGOs.
• Strategic Direction, Program Quality and Growth
• Ensure the strategic vision and direction of the country program is aligned with ChildFund Japan’s long strategic plan.
• Ensure the strategy action plan is of quality, implemented and guides decision making.
• Ensure program quality through consistent use throughout the country program of: rigorous assessment, design, and proposal development and review processes; comprehensive monitoring & evaluation, accountability and learning systems; staff development investments; and partner organization capacity.
• 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.
• Maintain a culture of safety and security 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.
• Staff Management, Learning 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.
• Oversee the management, coaching and development of national and international staff to build a team of skilled, committed and motivated staff.
• Coach, train, supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting quarterly performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.
• Provide a measurable development plan including on-the-job learning with the aim of strengthening technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing guidance on career paths.
• Hold high-quality meetings with each direct report on a regular and predictable basis, at least bi-weekly.
• Approve and manage all time, attendance and leave requests of direct reports to ensure adequate departmental coverage.
• As part of succession plan and nationalization goals, identify, train and develop capability and capacity of a national staff to successfully transition role and responsibilities, by end of assignment.
• 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 Policies and Procedures.
• 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 ChildFund Japan and donor requirements.
• 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 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
• Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that encourages open, honest and productive communication among staff and with partner organizations.
• Maintain open communications with HQ departmental staff.

Job Requirements:

Education:

• Graduate degree in a relevant field

Work Experience:

• At least 10 years of responsible international work experience, including leadership at the Director level of operations.
• Experience working in conflict/post-conflict or disaster response situations.

Demonstrated Technical Skills:

• Superior communications skills, verbal and written, in English.
• Experience of managing security in a complex and rapidly changing security context.
• Proven ability to negotiate and work with partner organizations. Experience with organizational capacity strengthening and partnership building helpful.
• Strong budget and fiscal oversight capacities.
• Extensive representation and fundraising success, including prior experience with international donors and Japanese donors.
• Established capacity to handle stressful situations in a healthy, constructive manner.
• Ability to respond to multiple priorities in a timely manner, producing high-quality outcomes.
• A keen understanding of political complexities in the region.

Demonstrated Managerial/Leadership Competencies:

• Experience 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 teams in cross-cultural settings, including active mentoring and coaching.
• Effective in developing high-potential staff to achieve career growth and maximum contribution.
• Proven experience delivering appropriate levels of oversight of a portfolio consisting of a variety of complex, high-value donor-funded projects.
• Opportunity-awareness. A successful innovative approach to unpredictable programming, operational, and funding contexts.
• Ability to dispassionately represent program context, constraints, and successes to media, government, and other senior audiences.

Languages Required/Preferred:

• Professional fluency in written and spoken English.
• Local language skills a definite advantage.
• Japanese language skills an advantage.

Computer/Other Tech Requirements:

• Proficiency with the Microsoft 365, especially Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Working knowledge of file sharing protocols such as SharePoint, etc., an advantage.

Ability to Travel: approximately 25% within the country and outside the country for workshops, representation and conferences