Country Director - DR Congo

Do you want to make a significant impact as NCA’s new Country Director in the Democratic Republic of Congo? Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) has been working together with strong partnerships in DRC since as early as 1973. For the last 27 years, we have been in country using a rights-based approach to engage both right-holders and duty-bearers to foster positive gender relations as well as providing access to safe water and hygiene facilities. In close collaboration with our local partners, we have successfully built cooperation between our relief and development programs to deliver timely and culturally sensitive support and services to mobilize and empower local communities, especially women and girls.

As our new Country Director in DRC, you will represent NCA to donors and regional partners while providing effective leadership to the NCA’s DRC office of 30 highly qualified staff members. The role is a hands-on position and your success will be determined by the level of direct engagement in fundraising for new projects, program development, oversight of a highly competent staff, and representing the NCA to stakeholders. As Country Director, you will seek to be influential with our partners, as well as government, in order to develop, improve, implement and manage the current and future program structure within the current political climate. You thrive in evolving and challenging environments, have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, and have excellent skills in retaining and developing relations.

In NCA, we seek leaders who are motivated by our vision, our work and our values, and who wish to take part in developing our organizational- and leadership culture. In order to reach our goals, we need leaders who are able to set direction, lead change, develop organizational culture and use our human and financial resources in the best possible way.

The position is a two year contract, based in Bukavu. This is a non-family duty station and NCA will provide you with a housing allowance as well as comprehensive insurance and an R&R plan. This position is for expats only.
Start date: 4 Jan. 2021

Duties and responsibilities

• Engage and network with donors in order to achieve NCA’s funding priorities and strategies
• Continue to position NCA for new opportunities in the region by setting direction, prioritizing and organizing actions and resources
• Responsible for the operational management of NCA's office in DRC by continuing to develop the positive team environment in a culturally sensitive environment as well as developing excellent people
• Communicate a clear vision of present and future program goals and strategies to team members and stakeholders that translates into concrete programs and work plans
• Ability to handle emergency response

Qualifications

• Solid leadership experience in international relief and development programs, including demonstrable success in managing (large, complex, transitional) development programs
• Proven experience with long-term aid, emergency and advocacy work
• Good knowledge of Norwegian policies and priorities in development aid
• 2 to 4 years’ experience working with emergency response
• Relevant higher education
• Fluent French speaker with excellent English language skills

Personal Qualities 

• Exceptional networking skills and experience in maintaining donor and key stakeholder relationships
• Motivated by managing and developing personnel towards achieving common goals
• Ability to inspire and build capacities among staff and partners
• Culturally sensitive and diplomatic with excellent communication and decision-making skills
• Ability to maintain a sense of calm in a relatively tense society
• Loyal to Norwegian Church Aid's Christian values and accept the Code of Conduct

We offer

• Important and exciting tasks within a humanitarian response 
• Important role in a very visible organization, internationally
• R&R scheme with good insurance/pension insurance benefits 

NCA uses an electronic gateway for all recruitment where you can register and submit your CV, write an application / cover letter and attach relevant certificates. Only applicants using this electronic gateway will be considered for the position.

In accordance with core humanitarian principles, NCA implements a range of safeguards to prevent or reduce the possibility of humanitarian aid falling into the wrong hands. This includes those individuals and groups who are subject to sanctions by the United Nations Security Council. As part of this process, NCA will screen the details of the successful candidates for this post against the sanctions lists maintained by the UN and by some of NCAs governmental donors. Please be informed that this will only be applicable for international positions and senior national positions.