Africa Area Director

SUMMARY: The Area Director (AD) is responsible for the spiritual leadership and overall management, development, supervision, and support of World Concern’ Country Programs within the African regional portfolio and for the day-to-day guidance and intra-coordination of members of the Africa Regional Team (RT). As a strong culture carrier, the AD works to promote World Concern’s values ensuring cohesive alignment of program, country, and organizational values and strategies.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Working under the supervision of the Senior Director of Operations and coordinating the Africa Regional Team (RT), The AD coordinates the organization’s emergency relief and development activities within Africa regional portfolio, ensuring the integration of World Concern’s Transformational Development approach to programming. S/he will support in-country teams and provides overall guidance to field staff from its Nairobi office with frequent trips to the field. Additionally, s/he represents and advocates for programs to partners in the international development community, donors and government representatives.

1. Leadership, Governance & Management

• As an organizational culture carrier, guide staff in pursuit of the World Concern’s vision, mission and core values through exemplary Christian leadership, lifestyle and ministry integrity.
• Provide strong and clear leadership is articulating and championing World Concern’s Transformational Development ethos in the lives of staff, partners and beneficiaries.
• Ensure the health and spiritual growth of the organization through discipleship programs, personal modeling and fostering of transparent, accountable relationships at the regional as well as country levels.
• Provide day-to-day guidance and coordination to members of the RT, which incorporates members from a variety of internal departments; provide associative financial, program development, fund raising, recruitment and technical oversight, input and supervision cognizant and respectful of individual RT member Department policy and direct technical / quality control oversight
• Work as needed with members of other internal HQ departments who provide logistical, finance, security, human resource, legal, and communication oversight, input and/or supervision, including fund raising
• Coordinate and collaborate with the technical supervisors of the RT members for evaluation, time-use planning, and other management tasks
• Facilitate synergy between country programs to exploit core competencies or comparative advantages and overcome challenges.
• Participate as a member of the World Concern Global Leadership Team, providing field-based perspective for the development of policies and strategic plans of World Concern and the delivering of strategic plan objectives as they pertain to the area and country levels.
• Serve as Chairman of World Concern Development Organization local board in Kenya bringing key issues to the forefront for discussion and decision-making.
• Work with other ADs / RTs as appropriate to facilitate cross-over programs and approaches as well as to ensure timely information exchange
• Ensure communication and information sharing between different missions and dissemination of lessons learned 

2. Regional Program Oversight & Financial Management

• Working with the relevant Country Directors (CD) and other members of the RT:
• Ensure continuance of country programs through an ongoing analysis of and appropriate response to context changes, mission, program, and beneficiary needs, donor positioning, lessons learned, and best practices
• Oversee new program and new mission start-up and close-out as appropriate
• Ensure compliance with internal and external regulations, all applicable laws, and contractual obligations
• Ensure timely and adequate cooperation with Legal regarding review and approval of agreements (MOUs, contracts, etc.) in conjunction with Sr. Director of Operations
• Ensure respective RT members contribution towards timely and properly executed, required reports within and without World Concern; ensure sufficient and timely distribution and central filing
• Ensure timely and adequate cooperation with Finance (RT member and other) regarding financial needs, requests, application, budget management, and reports, and advising senior management of trends and developments posing additional risk to the organization
• Provide program oversight to ensure that goals, objectives, benchmarks and program quality are achieved; ensure timely submission of reports on same; regularly employ World Concern information technology standards and software to meet this responsibility
• Oversee the development and implementation of annual and long-term strategies for each country mission that fits into the general World Concern strategy and goals; periodically update the strategy as necessary to meet changing needs and context; report on same
• Identify, design and implement regional and cross-border programs and approaches
• With support of regional safety and security advisor, drive a culture of security, and ensure all country programs adhere to organizational safety and security policies and practices, including regular review of safety and security plans, and investment in essential training.
• Ensure that stated communications and public relations needs at headquarters are met.
• Oversee the implementation of all direct-grant and sub-grant obligations relevant to the region; facilitate quality monitoring and evaluation as relevant 

3. Program design and development working with the relevant CDs, RT, HQ Technical, and TD staff

• Ensure ongoing program development and design using global World Concern strategic information as supplied by Headquarters and the related individual country strategies as a base. This will include identification of needs; identification of donors, donor priorities, and donor opportunities, and program design
• Supported by HQ Technical and Finance staff, oversee proposal writing, compliance with donor regulations, and follow-up through the approval process
• Expand World Concern horizons and ensure sustainability through the use of new funding mechanisms, new program concepts, and the adaptation of new program techniques using experts as necessary
• Initiate and oversee exploratory missions/assessments both within and without current country missions, working with the Disaster Response Director as needed 

4. Supervision & Communication
Working with the relevant CDs and RT:

• Provide human resource oversight of in-country teams including timely evaluations, mentoring, coaching and identification and resolution of problems, concerns, legal issues, and conflicts
• Ensure effective planning for and process administration of relevant staffing needs (e.g. interviewing applicants, cooperation in hiring, orienting and otherwise equipping new staff, following appropriate World Concern policies, procedures and protocols; work with technical Department Directors as appropriate in these regards
• Visit the country missions regularly to assess and strengthen appropriate management; coordinate with technical Department Directors in scheduling and detailing visits to relevant mission by RT members and other individuals
• Communicate regularly with mission staff; particularly with emphasis to CDs
• Be accessible to mission staff for appropriate spiritual guidance and support
• Facilitate applicable training and development of new and current staff through the identification of staff training needs, training opportunities, ongoing training in World Concern policies and procedures; coordinate with technical Department Directors in this regard as appropriate
• Proactively promote development, leadership, cooperation, coordination and professional working relationships with all World Concern Departments and staff members

5. Representation (Networking, Donor and Public Relations, Fundraising)
Working with the relevant CDs and RT members:

• Ensure a thorough understanding of the mission and regional contexts
• Create and maintain substantial relationships with donors and partners (governmental, NGOs, and companies) both current and potential
• Raise the profile of World Concern, its work and country missions through active participation in InterAction Forum, conferences, workshops, outreach events, and communication opportunities in line with senior strategic objectives and priorities
• Facilitate development and application of similar quality activity at the field level; facilitate appropriate training and equipment for field personnel to carry this out
• Serve as an advocate on behalf of relevant missions and represent World Concern Senior Leadership as well to the missions 

6. Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

• Create and maintain an environment that reinforces the protection policy and prevents sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) of staff and beneficiaries, by clearly defining the standards of behavior that are expected of World Concern staff, as described in the organization’s Code of Conduct; Ensure that mechanisms supporting these standards and principles are promoted, disseminated, and integrated into personnel requirements, and that the organizations SEA complaints procedures are in place and functioning properly.
• Actively promote PSEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) standards within World Concern and amongst beneficiaries served by World Concern. 

BENCHMARKS
1. Leadership, Governance & Management

• In cooperation with respective technical Department Directors, facilitate timely and accurate evaluations of RT members.
• Regular RT devotions and meetings are to be held and summary reports are to be distributed to all RT members as well as kept on central file 

2. Regional Program Oversight & Financial Management

• All required reports being submitted on time
• All country programs, proactively meeting required program budgets, indicators and outputs
• Regularly update country strategies, following World Concern strategic goals and objectives

3. Program design and development

• Plan for and facilitate a percentage of growth in the regional portfolio per year, including One Village Transformed core programming
• Plan for and facilitate progressive professional development and submission of successful proposals submitted per quarter 

4. Supervision & Communication

• Ensure timely execution of CD and RT evaluations and performance appraisals
• Schedule and budget for / ensure each relevant mission is both AD and RT visited at least once per year 

5. Representation

• Ensure productive strategic and practical meetings with active and potential donor representatives for each relevant country mission at least twice per quarter; add at least one new potential donor or partner contact each quarter; document such contact and file in central records
• Contribute to the creation of a positive Christian Witness and overall credibility of the organization, notably through the application of the organization’s Code of Conduct, ethics, values and stand-point with regard to internal and external actors

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS:
1. Christian Commitment:

• Agreement and support of CRISTA’s Statement of Faith.
• Demonstrate a living and maturing Christ-centered life-style.
• Demonstrate a high degree of personal integrity- Trustworthy and conscientious. Can be relied on to act with consistency and honesty. Speaks the truth in love.
• Willing and able to resolve conflicts using biblical principles with the goal of restoring relationships.
• Accountability-welcomes objective evaluation of working relationships and performance of self and others.

2. Education: Bachelor’s Degree required from an accredited institution in a relevant field. Masters Degree in Public Health, Social Work, International Relations, International Affairs or other relevant advanced degree is desirable.

3. Experience: Minimum 5 years senior management experience in relief and development with at least 7 years relevant working experience, including experience working with /supporting international relief/development programming.

• Recent experience with USG-funded programming in Africa preferred;
• Background in program management, design and development;
• Knowledge of USG/EU/UN donor regulations and development;
• Solid grasp of community-driven holistic programming
• Experience working in complex emergencies

4. Other Considerations: International travel in the region includes Somalia, South Sudan, Chad, Uganda, DRC, Kenya and others as necessary. Travel to the US averages four times per year to attend meetings. S/he must have proven ability to work cross culturally. May travel to remote, harsh or insecure locations. Accommodations may be primitive and in areas that do not have good hygiene or medical facilities.

Salary Range: USD 75,000 - USD 80,000