Country Director 124 views

About the Team

WaterAid is an international organization whose vision is that of a world where everyone has access to safe water, hygiene, and sanitation. WaterAid works to transform lives by improving access to safe water and good hygiene and sanitation conditions among the poorest and most marginalized populations in the world. In the implementation of its strategic plan for 2023-2028, WaterAid Ethiopia (WAE) places particular emphasis on strengthening the resilience of WASH services to the effects of climate change, also on increasing the quantity and quality of the WASH sector financing in Ethiopia, mobilizing resources, establishing multi-stakeholder partnerships, utilizing action research and innovation, while drawing on the lessons learned from previous strategies. In this process, WaterAid Ethiopia is seeking a qualified and motivated individual candidate to fill the position of Country Director based at the National Office in Addis Ababa.

About the Role

The primary purpose of the Country Director (CD) is to provide leadership to the Country Programme (CP) and to contribute to the regional, pan Africa and global leadership of WaterAid. The CD achieves this by steering the direction of the CP, empowering and developing staff and partners and influencing public and private institutions on the impact that improvements in safe water and improved sanitation and hygiene can make to the poorest and most excluded – therefore contributing to wider poverty reduction and human development

Accountabilities:

• Provide strong strategic leadership to the country team promoting a management culture that is supportive, empowering and collaborative.
• Lead, manage and motivate a team, creating an environment that enables staff to maximise their potential and facilitates high performing teams; ensure that the Senior Management Team is effective in promoting effective internal collaboration and joined-up working.
• Develop and deliver the Country Strategy in line with WaterAid’s Global Strategy.
• Actively facilitate relationships between sector stakeholders (actors) to support the development of the sector.
• Collaborate with colleagues from across WaterAid to enhance relationships and ensure effective organisational working.
• Contribute, as a member of the Global and Regional leadership teams of WaterAid, to support organisational effectiveness and development.
• Lead the approach to ensuring that the CP has integrated Rights, Equity and Inclusion into its work as well as being a diverse and inclusive place to work.
• Stay aware of local funding context and identify appropriate opportunities to increase income, in conjunction with the Regional Director and the Strategic Funding Unit
• Develop thorough understanding of the external environment we are operating in, identify and manage risk including ensuring appropriate health and safety and security procedures are in place.

Requirements

To be successful, you’ll need:

• Master’s degree or professional qualification in a relevant subject area
• Proven experience of heading a Country Programme.
• Strategic leadership and management of a multi-disciplinary team of professionals, preferably in water, sanitation and Hygiene sector.
• Experience in strategic planning development in a senior management capacity.
• Experience of developing key strategic and operational partnerships with national level NGOs and government authorities for programme, policy and advocacy interventions.
• Experience of raising funds from government and/or international agencies (bilateral/multilateral), managing large budgets with diverse international donor base.
• Leading on engagement with national governments, bilateral and multi-lateral agencies on policy influencing.
• Proven leadership skills and strategic management skills.
• A clear and sound understanding of international development (policy and programme), especially in the water and sanitation developing countries
• Fluent in English and ability to communicate and make presentations clearly in English.
• Experience of successful advocacy and lobbying.
• Experience of working with local and national governments, to deliver and implement technical assistance and capacity building programmes.
• Experience of working in an international organisation, multi or bilateral agency, or in a business setting at an international level.
• Knowledge of governance structures and issues, including managing and being accountable to boards.
• Experience of entrepreneurial or social marketing approaches in WASH or other related service sectors.