Country Director Zimbabwe

Job Description

Location: Harare
Closing Date: Monday 15th August 2022
Salary: Competitive
Expected travel per annum: Up to 40 days

Christian Aid started working in Zimbabwe in the 1970s, together with the Zimbabwe Council of Churches and other partners to advocate for peace and, release of political prisoners etc during the country’s liberation struggle. The support continued into the 1980s where focus was on supporting recovery from war and development, all this time sending grants from the UK to local partners. The country office was then opened in December 1996, delivering 7 humanitarian, development and advocacy programmes across Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Over the years the programme was demerged with Malawi and Zambia opening separate office, while the Mozambique programme was closed. The Zimbabwe programme has grown and transformed as it delivered life changing programmes relevant to Zimbabwe’s dynamic and challenging socio economic and political context.

In 2018, Christian Aid Zimbabwe Trust was registered to decentralise and devolve decision making, which was an important step as major step to promote localisation. Currently CA Zimbabwe has approximately 15 country staff, in addition to 6 hosted staff who are Advisors and in the Global programme.

Christian Aid strives to eliminate the causes of poverty through upholding values on dignity, equality, justice, and love for all regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, race, tribe, social status, disability status and religious or cultural beliefs. For Christian Aid in Zimbabwe, poverty is political and an injustice against mankind that robs people of dignity, freedom, hope, and power to live life to its fullness.

Role Purpose

To provide strategic leadership to Christian Aid’s work in Zimbabwe, ensuring the country programme and staff contribute to and are supported by Christian Aid corporate strategy, ‘Standing Together’. To manage, develop and empower staff working for Christian Aid in Zimbabwe to take responsibility within a devolved and decentralised region or continent, working within the corporate framework, agreed annual plans, budgets and defined delegations of authority. To be the senior representative of Christian Aid in-country and to develop and promote the country and programme profile within the region or continent and across the wider organisation. To contribute to the strategic direction and representation of the division, to proactively engage in networks and learning groups and to review and evaluate other programmes and grants across the region or continent as required.

Role Requirements

Relationships

External – Country Directors manage and develop external networks, building strong working relationships with partners, donors, the private sector, and other members of civil society.

Internal – Country Directors are members of the Divisional Management Group. Country Director Zimbabwe reports to and is accompanied and supported by the head of Programme Quality, Africa, as part of a flat, networked structure. All Country Directors work closely within the organisation to lead and shape Christian Aid’s programme and to ensure integration with other organisational departments and teams. Authority is delegated to the Country Director by the Head of Division within a Framework of Delegation. The role liaises with assigned functional leaders such as humanitarian response, advocacy and policy, and fundraising.

Decision making

Budgetary/savings responsibility

The Country Director- Zimbabwe is responsible for the overall finance function, including budget setting, monitoring, and expenditure reporting for all sources of funding. A core responsibility is to ensure the programme works within the financial framework of the organisation and achieves the targets for savings that may be set, whilst developing short to medium strategies for financial resilience and sustainability Authority is delegated to the Country Director by the Head of Division within the Framework of Delegation. Emanating from this framework, the Country Director- Zimbabwe is accountable for the efficiency and effectiveness of Country Programmes. This includes responsibility for overall management of programme to ensure strategy and annual plan objectives are met through quality programmes and partnerships and a sustainable funding base, direct line management of staff within a framework of delegation and empowered working, responsibility for overall financial management, including budget setting, monitoring and expenditure reporting for all sources of funding, responsibility to represent Christ Aid externally and internally and to communicate Christian Aid’s work internally and externally.

Analytical skills

Highly complex work involving a number of different factors or facets that relate both to own area of work and is likely to have with cross-functional implications. Expected to take account of the wider and longer-term consequences of own and others’ ideas, recommendations, and decisions.

Developing self and others

Number of Direct reports: 4
Overall people management responsibility team of 20.

Typically has direct responsibility for developing, coaching, and motivating colleagues/project team members, including those who report in through others and may include more than one team. May monitor performance review and development planning and activities within a function/across major projects to ensure that best practice is being met. Able to share knowledge and best practice across the organisation. Induction and basic supervision of staff, enabling and supporting them to assist the workgroup in its functions.

Person Specification

Essential

• The post holder must hold a minimum of a tertiary degree at ‘Masters’ level or equivalent. Ideally the focus in education will be on international development and social sciences, a related certification in management is desirable.
• 5 to 10 years’ experience of leadership or senior management. Managing large and complex overseas, multi-partner development programmes, preferably in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Considerable experience of international development work including project management. Experience of working with organisations in the global south, working in challenging political contexts, developing strong partnerships with local organisations and churches, and fundraising and liaising with donors.
• A strong understanding of the drivers of poverty and its eradication are important to the role.
• Familiarity and dedication to the partnership way of working.
• Sound knowledge of Office programmes including Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel.
• Knowledge of relevant database systems.
• Written and spoken ability of English and any local language(s).
• Must be dependable and trustworthy.
• Post open to nationals with the right to live and work in Zimbabwe.

Desirable

• First hand understanding of Zimbabwean social, political, and economic context.
  Certificate in Management.

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Interested in this role? Download the appointment brief below for more information and then  apply.

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