Afghanistan: COUNTRY DIRECTOR - AFGHANISTAN

ABOUT OXFAM

Oxfam is a global movement of people who won’t live with the injustice of poverty. Together we save and rebuild lives in disasters. We help people build better lives for themselves. We speak out on the big issues that keep people poor, like inequality, discrimination against women and climate change. And we won’t stop until every person on the planet can live without poverty.

Country Context

Despite significant improvements since 2001, Afghanistan still remains one of the poorest countries in the world; with nearly 55 percent of the population living below the poverty line. Government institutions are weak and unable to deliver basic services. Participation of women in decision making and in other spheres of society remains limited. Violence against women is still a major challenge in Afghanistan. Women continue to be brutally punished by different forms of violence. Access to health facilities is poor. As a result, one out of every five Afghan children does not live to see their fifth birthday and one out of eight women dies in child birth. Access to quality education and a lack of female teachers are other major challenges in Afghanistan which cause a high number of girls to drop out of schools.

Job Purpose

The Country Director contributes to the implementation of Oxfam’s Global Strategy and, in line with this, Oxfam’s Asia Regional Strategy by providing vision, and strategic leadership and direction to all of Oxfam’s work in Afghanistan. This includes Oxfam’s humanitarian responses, long-term development programme, and advocacy, noting that influencing as a programmatic approach is embedded in all of these. The Country Director is responsible and accountable for the effective management of the country programme ensuring development, continued improvement in quality and impact of programmes and effective financial and human resource management in line with Oxfam Policy. The Country Director will be responsible, with support from change groups and the Regional Director, to create a stronger Oxfam that is globally coordinated and relevant in every country in which we work.

Oxfam in Afghanistan

• Our vision is a peaceful and safe Afghanistan with justice, prosperity and equality for all its people where everyone knows and enjoys their rights. Oxfam has been working in Afghanistan since 1961 and currently works in twelve provinces of the country: Kabul, Balkh, Daykundi, Herat, Helmand, Faryab, Bamyan, Parwan, Paktiya, Kunduz, Nangarhar and Takhar.
• Directly as well as in partnership with our local partners, we provide assistance to families and communities affected by natural and man-made disasters. We work with poor communities to help them pull themselves out of poverty and improve their lives. We promote the rights of women and youth to become agents of change and fight for their rights. In a critical but constructive way, we work with government institutions to build capacity and influence policies that will help address structural poverty and inequality. To create lasting change, Oxfam and our partners also speak out on behalf of marginalized groups at the highest levels in both Afghanistan and among the international community.

Working in and on conflict

• Afghanistan remains a country in conflict, which manifests itself every day in various forms and at different levels. Therefore, conflict sensitivity and conflict transformation lie at the heart of Oxfam’s work in Afghanistan. For us, conflict sensitivity means fully understanding the context in which we operate. We constantly assess how our work affects conflict dynamics, aiming to avoid negative impact and maximize positive effects. Aspiring to produce positive and peaceful outcomes, Oxfam’s central focus is on conflict transformation. Through our programs and the relationships we build with and between Afghan people and power holders, we constantly seek to address some of the key driving factors of conflict.

Within this framework, our programs cover four thematic areas:

• Economic justice: We especially work with marginalized groups such as small farmers and women headed households to improve their lives by building sustainable livelihoods, increasing their access to markets, and building resilience to climate change. We promote sustainable management of natural resources, as well as fair and equal access to natural resources as a way to address some of the root causes of conflict.
• Women and youth rights: We promote the rights of youth and women to enable them to have a voice, participate in decision making processes and constructively work with the government to improve and promote policies that foster inclusive security, peace building and justice.
• Good governance: We promote and strengthen the constructive engagement of civil society with the district, provincial and national levels of government to improve and support the delivery of essential services in line with people’s needs and with an overarching goal to address some of the key drivers of conflict.
• Humanitarian response: Afghanistan is highly vulnerable to disasters including drought, floods, landslides, earthquakes and conflict. We work with Afghans affected by natural and man-made disasters to rebuild their lives and become more resilient to shocks. We provide aid through programs focused on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), protection, food security and broader livelihood support.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy

• Responsible for developing and overseeing the implementation of the country strategic plan with the support of the Regional Director and Country Governance Group (CGG), having taken on board their views and feedback.
• Provides strategic leadership and management of Oxfam’s programme in country including all development, advocacy, and humanitarian programming to maximise our influence and impact.
• Partnership and collaboration with others are key features of Oxfam’s strategy anywhere it works. The Country Director is responsible for promoting strong partnerships that capacitate and empower local actors, nurtures innovation and facilitates knowledge sharing.

People Management

• Line manage the Country Leadership, Influencing and Security Teams , ensuring that managers in country behave in accordance with Oxfam’s policies and procedures, including but not limited to the Code of Conduct, Performance Management, Security, Health and Safety policies and local legislation.
• Creates and supports a workenvironment and organizational culture that promotes staff well-being, safety and security, protects dignity, and promotes diversity and inclusion.
• Supported by the Human Resource Manager in country and other Human Resource officers across the confederation, the Country Director ensures the professional growth and development of all Oxfam staff.
• Change management ability: identify adequate workflows, structures, lines of management to ensure effective and efficient delivery of humanitarian and development programs

Public Engagement

• Takes the lead in representing Oxfam and the country programme nationally and globally. Builds influential relationships and develops networks for effective change, both internally and externally, and is committed to maximising our influencing capability.
• Accountable for ensuring that appropriate tools and technology are in place to allow a strong flow of positive and consistent programme content to influence and communicate with internal and external audiences and stakeholders including but not limited to government, media, donors, nongovernmental sector and supporters.

Programme Design and Delivery

• Work closely with partners and other actors in country in order to develop and deliver high quality programmes that are relevant for Afghanistan.
• Play an active role in drawing on learning from across Oxfam and external sources and sharing evidenced based learning with others.
• Ensures overall leadership of disaster preparedness, mitigation and management including humanitarian response activities for Category 2 and 3 emergencies in coordination with the Oxfam International Regional Humanitarian Manager for Asia and the Global Humanitarian Team
• Access and use shared services for advice and support available at partner affiliates, executing affiliate and the Oxfam line management structures.
• Contribute to and maximise use of knowledge networks to share strategic thinking and learning more widely as well as within the country team to ensure that programming builds on learning and is evidence-based, innovative and agile to respond to opportunities for change.
• Develop appropriate strategies to seek out and maintain funding sources.
• Develop and maintain relationships with local and international partners
• Accountable for all donor relations and contract management in country.
• Ability to network and participate in relevant working groups/clusters/sector networks. Ability to influence decision makers on programmatic and strategic issues.

Accountability

• The post is line managed and is accountable to the Asia Regional Director for the delivery of a good quality programme through the overall effective management of people, plans, budgets and business development as well as the overall management of monitoring, evaluation, and learning. Accountable as well to the Country Governance Group, of which the Country Director is an ex oficio member.

Other

• Required to adhere to Oxfam’s principles and values as well as the promotion of gender justice and women's rights
• Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles

Skills, Experience & Knowledge

Management and Leadership

• Proven track record of leading and motivating multi-disciplinary, geographically remote teams and operations across a number of locations
• Significant senior leadership and management experience in designing and delivering high quality programmes (long-term development, humanitarian work, influencing) with and through partners or directly, in one or more challenging locations.
• Experience of managing complex change processes and relationships involving a wide range of both internal and external multi-cultural stakeholders across a variety of disciplines and geographical areas.
• A high degree of self-awareness and an understanding of how to drive and support excellent team performance and individual development in line with Oxfam’s values and policies.
• A true champion of programme quality, well versed in creating and strengthening teams in their ability to develop and implement programs.
• Familiar with displacement and refugee crisis, with significant experience in similar contexts and proven track of medium-large scale programming on refugee/returnees contexts
• Ability to work with local and international partners, proven track of consortia leadership, networking and cluster/sector leadership

Representation and Communication

• Proven track record of success in representing an organization with partners, government agencies, private sector organizations, media and donors at senior level, nationally and globally.
• Proven track record of success in advocacy and influencing
• Demonstrable experience of working with the media and an ability to represent the organisation in the media if required.
• Demonstrable ability to convey complex messages in an appropriate manner to broad and diverse audiences.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to motivate, influence and negotiate.

Finance and Funding

• Ability to maximise fundraising from diverse institutions, both local and international.
• High level of financial and asset management skills to steer and efficiently manage the operational budget of approximately 10 Million Euros
• Ability to engage with the private sector, academic entities and technical institutes

Risk Management

• Experience of managing security, risk and legal compliance within an INGO context.
• Proven track record of making sound judgements in uncertain and pressurised situations, including:
• knowledge of humanitarian protection: safety/dignity/human rights approach, ability to mainstream humanitarian protection in conflict context
• humanitarian experience: basic knowledge of WASH and urban WASH particularly in the settlements with protracted IDPs, and competencies and innovations in cash and market-based programming will be an advantage
• experience in setting up Emergency Response Units rapidly: conflict, crisis, potential response to floods, landslides, internal displacement crisis
• Able to fulfil agreed standards in disaster preparedness, mitigation and management including humanitarian response activities for Category 2 / 3 emergencies. Able to anticipate and manage risks that could threaten the organisations reputation, operational viability and security.
• Experience of crisis management and security management.

Strategic Analytics

• Ability to manage the development of, and contribute to, a high-level analysis of factors driving poverty, marginalization and vulnerability in fragile, complex and developing country contexts. The ability to ‘think politically,’ understand motivations, pressures, power dynamics and challenges faced by colleagues, partners, decision makers and other actors, and the ability to generate effective strategies to influence them.
• Familiarity with:
• Internal displacement crisis, returnees, experience in refugee crisis
• Rural agricultural programming
• Civ-mil framework, conflict sensitivity and peace building approach
• Proven analytical skills, with the ability to:
• Take and manage calculated risks based on evidence-based assumptions.
• Think strategically to maximise adaptability and agility
• Encourage forward thinking, new ideas and learning from experience beyond the country program context while acting within a global framework
• Good level of IT literacy and an understanding of how new developments in technology can positively contribute to the aims of an INGO.

Values

• Committed to a rights-based approach to supporting marginalized people and communities and committed to putting women’s rights at the heart of all we
• Committed to actively role modelling leadership behaviours of humility, mutual accountability and listening, with the values of empowerment, accountability and inclusiveness

Travel

• Ability to travel away from home, often to remote programmatic sites within the country and periodic travel aboard for regional and global meetings.

Languages

• Fluent in written and spoken English. Ideally the ability to also work in an additional local dialect.

Key Attributes:

• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and gender issues, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities.
• Ability to demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn about the application of gender/gender mainstreaming, women’s rights, and diversity for all aspects of development work.
• Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible.

Organisational Values:

• Accountability – Our purpose-driven, results-focused approach means we take responsibility for our actions and hold ourselves accountable. We believe that others should also be held accountable for their actions.
• Empowerment – Our approach means that everyone involved with Oxfam, from our staff and supporters to people living in poverty, should feel they can make change happen.
• Inclusiveness – We are open to everyone and embrace diversity. We believe everyone has a contribution to make, regardless of visible and invisible differences.

Organisational Values (Asia):

• Mutual Accountability
• Listening;
• Humility

Note to candidates: Shortlisted candidates will be assessed on our organisational values and attributes at the interview stage. The successful candidate(s) will be expected to adhere to our code of conduct. We encourage candidates to read and understand our code of conduct here.

Application guidelines:

To apply for this position click Here

Please submit your application via the 'Apply' button. Your application must be received by December 27, 2019, at the latest. For questions regarding the process, you can contact AAmatya@oxfam.org.uk

Please note that only applications received through the link can be taken into consideration. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted!

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organization. Therefore, people of all gender identities, sexes, sexual orientations, races, colors, religions, cultures, abilities, etc. are eligible for this position.

Oxfam aims to attract great talent that not only fits the job but also Oxfam’s high standard of values and principles, who shares and demonstrates Oxfam’s commitment to prevent and eradicate any type of misconduct including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, any other type of misuse of power or lack of integrity and financial misconduct. We are committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and may be subject to appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks, or integrity screenings/references relating to misconduct and disciplinary actions in prior employment.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organization. Therefore, people of all gender identities, sexes, sexual orientations, races, colors, religions, cultures, abilities, etc. are eligible for this position.

Oxfam aims to attract great talent that not only fits the job but also Oxfam’s high standard of values and principles, who shares and demonstrates Oxfam’s commitment to prevent and eradicate any type of misconduct including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, any other type of misuse of power or lack of integrity and financial misconduct. We are committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and may be subject to appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks, or integrity screenings/references relating to misconduct and disciplinary actions in prior employment.