Tearfund is a Christian international relief and development agency working globally to end poverty and injustice, and to restore dignity and hope in some of the world’s poorest communities.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Position: Country Representative, Nigeria

Job Overview

• To design, fundraise for, and implement an effective strategy for Tearfund’s Nigeria Country Programme to deliver the corporate outcomes, contextualised to the programme, to support the corporate vision.

Position in Organisation

• Reports to the Head, Deputy Head, of the Geographical Area or his/her appointee.
• Represents Tearfund’s work in the Country Programme both within Tearfund, and to external bodies.
• Represents and advocates on behalf of Tearfund and partners with external networks, governmental bodies on related Country Programme issues
• Manages Tearfund’s country office, and specified country staff
• Liaises closely with the following staff and teams in Tearfund; Global HR, Programme Funding Team, International Finance & Logistics, West & Central Africa Team

Organization Requirements
Spiritual leadership of staff:

• To set Christian standards in the working environment and to lead by example
• To lead or participate in spiritual sessions of prayer and biblical reflection with staff
• To be committed to actively working and living in accordance with Tearfund’s Mission, Values and Christian beliefs.
• Maintain own spiritual development and relationship with God, for example through individual prayer and reflection days.

Dimensions and Limits of Authority:

• Has responsibility to facilitate all aspects of Tearfund’s involvement in a Country Programme including:
• Acts as Tearfund’s in-country representative in relation to the Programme
• Authorises visits of Tearfund staff, consultants and visitors to ensure smooth delivery of programming
• Decides on the partner portfolio required for implementing the Country Strategy and annual plans
• Has overall accountability for approved allocation and management of annual budgets in accordance with International Programme Management System (IPMS)
• Negotiates with sector specialists (LIAS and HST) to develop and support contextually appropriate programming
• Negotiates and manages Institutional Funding for the Programme.
• Recruits, coaches and performance manages in-country staff
• Negotiates and contracts consultants and resource providers in accordance with Tearfund’s policies and procedures
• Manages organisational risk in the Programme within the agreed corporate risk strategy
• Acts as Tearfund’s security coordinator for the Programme
• Responsible for facilitating Tearfund’s response in major/national disasters within the Country Programme

Key Responsibilities
Strategic Planning & Implementation:

• Responsible for the design and implementation of 3-year Country Strategy to deliver corporate strategy outcomes
• Responsible for development and delivery of annual implementation plans for the Country Programme
• Ensures that partner programmes are assessed through regular monitoring, quality control and evaluation and making appropriate recommendations
• Coordinates appropriate Tearfund responses to requests for support, determining priorities and encouraging partners in implementing downwards accountability
• Monitors emerging socio-economic and political developments and emerging humanitarian situations

Representation, networking and advocacy:

• Responsible for representing Tearfund in partner-facing work externally through building relationships and networking with national Church leaders, government representatives within the country, as well as peer agencies donors and strategic partner organisations.
• Ensures effective representation of the Programme within the Geographical Team, the International Group, and the wider Tearfund organisation
• Ensures coordination between the Programme and Tearfund’s global work on the 4 outcomes
• Represents Tearfund’s interests before appropriate government authorities, departments, banks etc for smooth running of country office

Management of Partnership Portfolios:

• Identifies and selects an appropriate portfolio of partners to achieve objectives in the Country Strategy, encompassing all 4 outcomes
• Manages all aspects of partner relationships, including resourcing, capacity development1, risk management, providing prayer support and planning exits.
• Ensures that all aspects of the integration of partner-based work with operational work are effectively managed, in order to provide synergy and shared learning
• Resource Management:
• Responsible to proactively identify and negotiate opportunities for financing from Institutional Donors and Trusts and meeting agreed Institutional Donor income targets
• In conjunction with partners, develops quality concept notes and proposals, and prepares reports, including supporting documentation, for submission to institutional donors
• Provides overall management responsibility for institutional donor contracts that are administered in-country
• Allocates, manages and reports on the annual budget for the Programme
• Responsible for regular monitoring and reporting to Geographical Head against agreed outcomes
• Responsible for developing and implementing an operational support function for implementation of the Programme. This includes recruiting and managing in-country staff, specialist technical advisors, consultants and resource providers

Knowledge and Learning:

• Ensures Tearfund teams (in particular Supporter-facing teams) are informed on Country issues and programming
• Actively promotes the capturing of learning from the Programme, and ensures that learning is used effectively in country and transferred to the wider organisation

Leadership, Staff and Office Management:

• Leaders, supervises, performance manages and supports specified staff working in the Programme
• Develops and models a team culture characterised by a shared vision, commitment and mutual (This includes facilitating partners to identify their own capacity development needs in order to deliver Country Strategy, developing and agreeing a capacity development plan, providing support to achieve agreed outcomes and monitoring impact of plan (in line with Tearfund good practice in Capacity Development)) accountability that reflects Tearfund’s desired corporate culture being servant-hearted, Christ-like, agile, effective, and courageous
• Defining the required team composition and structure in accordance with Tearfund HR policies and procedures, and the undertake required selection, recruitment and induction for support posts
• Responsible for registering, following up and periodically renewing process for registration of Tearfund’s in-country office with appropriate government departments and banks
• Responsible for signing tenancy contracts for office space and facilities
• Ensures timely audit of all country office financial transactions and report against operations budget, as per donor or statutory requirements

Security:

• Responsible for and have the requisite security authority over all Tearfund staff and visitors to the Programme
• Responsible for developing and maintaining a robust country security plan and for reviewing Safety in Travel plans
• Provides the Security Coordinator in Teddington with information on key country security issues

Health and Safety:

• Overseeing the Health and Safety of in-country staff
• Required to adhere to and implement Tearfund’s Health and Safety Policy as it relates to areas such as fire safety, accommodation and vehicles
• Ensures that health and safety incidents are reported and logged appropriately

Qualifications
Essential:

• A degree or equivalent in development, management studies or related subjects

Desirable:

• Post-graduate qualification in Development and/or Management

Experience
Essential:

• Substantial proven ability in community development, predominantly based in a developing country
• Substantial proven ability in strategic planning and thinking.
• Significant proven ability in project management and evaluation, and in budget development and management.
• Significant proven leadership ability in an organisation working on development programmes or issues, and/or with church based responses addressing related community development issues
• Strong proven ability of successfully securing institutional funding
• Proven ability in managing a team of people

Desirable:

• Proven ability of organisational development
• Proven ability in integral mission, in particular local church-based community initiatives
• Proven ability in capacity development of local partner organisations.
• Proven ability in financial risk management
• Participation in national and local advocacy forums and initiatives
• Proven ability in managing an office
• Proven ability working in particular HIA for which this post is allocated

Skills/Abilities
Essential:

• Committed Christian
• Demonstrates strong commitment to Integral Mission
• Self-disciplined with ability to work proactively, using own initiative
• Ability to work effectively in a remote line management relationship, sharing information and seeking guidance where appropriate
• Willingness to travel and live in basic conditions
• Demonstrates sensitivity and skills in cross cultural communication

Desirable:

• Working knowledge of second language relevant to country
• Understanding of the key concepts and tools of Disaster Risk Reduction
• Ability to develop strategies to influence public policy and undertake local and national advocacy initiatives
• Presentation skills
• Understanding of effective church mobilisation approaches
• Awareness of gender and development issues
• Awareness of HIV/AIDS issues
• Strong IT skills

Personal Qualities
Essential:

• Committed Christian
• Demonstrates strong commitment to Integral Mission
• Self-disciplined with ability to work proactively, using own initiative
• Ability to work effectively in a remote line management relationship, sharing information and seeking guidance where appropriate
• Willingness to travel and live in basic conditions
• Demonstrates sensitivity and skills in cross cultural communication
• A commitment to Tearfund’s ten-year Vision and its Mission, Values and Beliefs Statement

Desirable:

• Understanding of and interest in international affairs
• Ability to demonstrate an interest and involvement in issues of justice, compassion and mercy
• Creative and innovative approach to work
• Flexible and adaptable
• Ability to remain calm under pressure
• Ability and commitment to apply biblical principles prayerfully within all aspects of the role
• Team player

Salary
10,517,816 Naira gross per annum plus national benefits package.


Potential Interview Date
17th December, 2015.