No. of direct reports: / An expanding country office team / Country: / Myanmar
Purpose: To start up, grow, and lead an ambitious country programme in Myanmar that responds to the unmet rights of poor people by drawing on the VSO’s unique contributions as a development actor
Responsibilities / Key Performance Indicators / Competencies / Skills & Experience Required
Strategic Leadership and Representation
Lead the design and management of programme planning, engaging all stakeholders. Contribute to raising the profile of VSO in country, networking with key people/bodies. Assess and respond to a changing external environment.
Programme Management
Coach team members to develop coherent, strategic programmes. Effectively implement planning and review systems to ensure deliver against plans, including appropriate reporting and monitoring.
Volunteer Support
Ensure volunteer duty of care and support and maintain a culture of partnership between volunteers and the Country Office (CO), including feedback mechanisms and adherence to VSO standards.
People Management
Effectively manage the CO team within the performance management framework and coach line managers. Ensure that policies and practices are in line with country and VSO standards and requirements, and ensuring full staff awareness of them
Programme Funding
Develop a strategy that maximises and increases the external funding base and ensure compliance with funding and donor requirements.
Financial and Resource Management
Accountable for budget, resources and assets, ensuring financial controls and cost effectiveness is in place.
Legal Compliance
Ensure legal compliance in all areas (NGO, tax, employment, health and safety, insurance and internal requirements.
Security and Risk Management
Fully accountable at country level for emergency and risk management, developing a plan and ensuring staff and volunteer awareness and compliance. / Relevant and ambitious strategic plans are evolved and delivered which successfully respond to unfulfilled rights of poor and disadvantaged communities and raise VSO’s credibility as a development agency, in the context of VSO’s corporate strategic intent.
Ambitious programmes are evolved and successfully delivered by the team in line with the overall programme strategy and VSO’s standards and timelines.
A vibrant and positive volunteer community is established which is empowered and supported by the Programme Office to work effectively with local partners and actively engaged in ongoing programme development
Staff members are working effectively as a team to meet the local strategy’s objectives, and individual performance and satisfaction are maximized through efficient support structures and procedures within the legal framework of the country and within VSO policies and guidelines.
A strategy covering all programming is in place and regularly reviewed to ensure that all funding opportunities are positively pursued and all existing donor/supporter contractual terms and conditions are fulfilled in line with VSO’s project funding management guidance and procedures.
Efficient and effective delivery of resources to meet the objectives of all programming objectives.
VSO is fully compliant with laws applying to VSO’s operations and to key VSO policies.
Appropriate plans for risk and security management are in place, which identify and manage relevant risks. / Working together
Successfully leads teams and develops others’ team-working skills
Communication influencing
Builds mutually beneficial alliances and networks at senior levels within and outside VSO and is a well known thought leader
Managing Knowledge
Leads initiatives that improve knowledge management; develops others’ knowledge management skills
Striving for excellence
Leads initiatives to improve monitoring, evaluation and learning; is a role model for continuous learning and improvement.
Managing Resources
Leads others to pursue significant or innovative funding opportunities; finds creative ways to allocate funds and people on complex or inter-related projects.
Managing People
Builds a high performing team that meets challenging objectives linked to corporate objectives; ensures own team works efficiently with other teams.
Developing People
Is a role model for coaching, mentoring and developing others, and for effective use of VSO’s staff development processes and opportunities
Leading for the Future
Builds confidence and excitement in VSO’s work and vision, both internally and externally; leads innovative projects.
Thinking Strategically
Leads strategic projects, coaching others to consider global and long-term impact, and to consult within and beyond VSO.
Delivering Results
Effectively leads complex projects, generating a goal-oriented, problem-solving team mentality and ensuring high quality results. / Essential:
Proven experience of securing and managing substantial institutional grants
Excellent communication and representational skills, with substantial experience of networking with a diverse range of stakeholders, including at senior levels. Strong political awareness and sensitivity.Excellent strategic thinking skills and experience, as well as practical experience of gender-sensitive development programming at a project or community level, including through advocacy.
Excellent people management and coaching skills, with experience of developing and leading effective, multicultural teams.
Substantial experience of financial management, including budgeting, and active budget management, and an understanding of financial controls.
Experience in security and reputational risk management.
Experience of working effectively as a team with regional colleagues.
IT literate (Microsoft and finance packages)
Fluency in written and spoken English
Desirable:
Personal experience of volunteering for development
Sectoral knowledge in the fields of education, secure livelihoods, health, gender, and good governance
Experience of living and working in Myanmar
1116376-1 Review date 11/2011