Country Manager (North Macedonia)

Job Description

Role: Country Manager
Location: North Macedonia. You will need the existing right to work (or ability to obtain it) in North Macedonia.
Reporting to: Programme Team Leader

Chemonics International seeks applications from qualified candidates for Country Managers for the UK Government-funded Western Balkans Rule of Law Initiative (WB ROLI), funded through the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF). The programme commenced in May 2021and lasts 3.5 years.

The £16 million, 3.5-year programme’s primary objective is to contribute to a measurable improvement in the delivery of justice and increased confidence of citizens in the rule of law. This innovative programme will deliver people centred, issues-based rule of law assistance at a country-level across Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Serbia, and explore common trends and cross-border interventions at a regional level. In addition to developing locally relevant solutions, the programme will have a strong focus on experimentation and learning both to build on lessons learnt from previous programming in the region and create a robust body of data and evidence from which to design interventions.

At the regional level, the WB ROLI will contribute to: new, improved or functional procedures to safeguard transparency and accountability in the delivery of justice; faster processing of criminal justice cases; approaches and strengthened access to justice for victims of gender based violence; heighted awareness of access to justice rights for citizens, including from socially excluded groups; increased legal certainty in and appropriate selection of sentencing; grassroots civil society organisations supporting socially excluded citizens access to justice; and a body of robust data and evidence about the rule of law in the Western Balkans.

Country Managers must have the right to work in the country for which they are applying. Chemonics will be recruiting one Country Manager for each of the programme’s countries ( Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Serbia) . Some regional travel across the Western Balkans may be required. Country Managers will report to the Deputy Team Leader.

Principal duties and responsibilities

Programme Management

• Provide a policy and management oversight of the country level WBROLI portfolio of justice and rule of law activities
• Support project leadership team in the design and development of country-level strategies, workplans and budgets that reflect programme and embassy priorities and local need
• Support the design and manage delivery of a portfolio of capacity building and civil society engagement activities
• Submission of timely qualitative and quantitative country-level reports in support of wider programme monitoring, evaluation and research aims
• Coordinate inputs and manage activities from short term technical advisors, including logistic support as needed
• Maintain regular communications with the local British Embassy in country and with the programme’s regional office in Serbia and ensure compliance and procedural accuracy in procurement and other activities
• Maintain regular communications with other Country Managers to ensure cross-learning and collaboration
• Maintain detailed and timely data records for accurate analysis
• Act as the country security and risk focal point, communicating as needed with the regional project office in Serbia and Chemonics’ Security Management team to report on incidents and changes to the security situation.

Stakeholder Management

• Establish and maintain strong and positive working relationships with the local British Embassy Programme and Communications Teams
• Establish and maintain strong and positive working relationships with partners including, local governments, civil society, programme partners, and consultants
• Establish and maintain strong and positive working relationships with the rest of the WBROLI programme team, including the regional office in Serbia and other Country Managers
• In coordination with FCDO and WBROLI leadership team, represent WBROLI in country, having regular engagement with stakeholders and beneficiaries (to include ministries, key justice sector actors, civil society organisations and other justice and/or Rule of Law donors and programme implementers

Required Skills

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and responsibility satisfactorily. The qualifications listed below are representative of the required knowledge, skills, and/or abilities needed to perform the principal duties.

• Extensive experience in programme coordination and management, using adaptive management approaches, innovation and managing risk
• Experience managing programmes and/or portfolios on good governance and/or Rule of law and/or access to justice
• Proven experience in successful stakeholder management across a range of disciplines
• Proven experience in developing qualitative and quantitative reports for monitoring and evaluation purposes
• Ability to work effectively, independently, and in a team environment with a broad range of local and international personnel and partners
• Strong interpersonal, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Exceptional command of the English language, including oral and written communication skills
• Equipped to navigating complex and high-pressure operating environments, working to tight timelines
• Well versed in the use of Microsoft Office (including Excel and Word)

Preferred Skills

• Experience delivering people-centred programming using “bottom-up” approaches
• Experience in programme management for FCDO donor-funded programmes and/or experience in programme management for other international donors
• Relevant regional experience across the Western Balkans and specific experience in the country for which you are applying
• In-depth knowledge of the country and regional political environment.
  

About the Organization

For us, development is more than a passion or a calling. It’s a profession. Doing it well takes experience, ingenuity, and a stubborn insistence that tomorrow’s work must be better than today’s. In nearly 70 countries around the globe, our network of 4,000 specialists delivers results. Because with decades of experience operating in the most complex social and political environments in the world, we know how to quickly mobilize resources, seamlessly adapt to change and strategically apply lessons learned across thousands of projects. We are an international development company that combines broad regional experience with technical depth and unparalleled management skill. Our portfolio covers agriculture and food security, conflict and crisis, democracy and governance, economic growth and trade, education and youth, environment and natural resources, gender equality and social inclusion, health, supply chain solutions, and water, energy, and sustainable cities. Our management systems allow us to document, measure and apply both recent innovations and proven best practices across multiple regions and sectors. We’re one of the world’s leading partners in international development because where Chemonics works, development works.