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 below:

Job Title: Deputy Country Director – Nigeria

Job ID: 2223
Location: Maiduguri, Borno with frequent travel to Abuja, Yola and Jos
Employment Type: Full-time (40 hours per week.)
Contract Type: Fixed Term
Group: International
Responsible to: Country Director
Region: West Africa
Job Category:  International Relief & Development (Outside UK)
Potential Interview Date: 24th September, 2021.

Job Description
Main Purpose of the Job:

• To support the Country Director (CD) with overall responsibility for program development, implementation, resources mobilisation management of Tearfund’s Strategy in Nigeria. The Deputy Country Director manages Programme Manager, Advocacy Manager, Project Managers (NORAD and JISRA/PoV, Disaster Response Manager, DMEAL Coordinator (North East) and represents Tearfund externally. Under the leadership of the Country Director, she/he has responsibility for Safety and Security in the locations that Tearfund is implementing in its programmes.

Position in Organisation:
Grade 2:

• Reports to the Country Director
• Represents Tearfund’s work both within Tearfund, and to external bodies
• Line manages several members of the Senior Management team
• Liaises closely with the programme Senior Management Team, other cluster (regional) staff and the Programme Funding Team.

Tearfund’s Christian Culture:
We believe that prayer and discernment is fundamental to Tearfund achieving its mission of restoring relationships, ending extreme poverty and transforming lives. As a Tearfund staff member you are expected to:

• Engage with Tearfund Prayers and the Prayer hub
• Lead or participate in spiritual sessions of prayer and biblical reflection within your group
• Be committed to Tearfund’s Mission, Values and Beliefs statement and to be actively working and living in accordance with Tearfund’s Christian beliefs and theology of mission
• Maintain your own spiritual development, discover your gifts/callings and grow in discipleship

Organisational Requirements:

• All staff are expected to live out Tearfund’s values as they represent Tearfund externally
• All post-holders are expected to fulfil their personal objectives set by their line manager, contribute to their team’s overall objectives, take responsibility for reviewing their ongoing personal development and maintain an awareness of Tearfund’s strategy.
• All Tearfund staff share responsibility to promote and maintain a strong safeguarding culture, including identifying the key actions they should take given their role and responsibilities.

Scope of Job:

• Providing leadership, strategic direction, management and evaluation of all aspects of the Strategy and Programme, the Deputy Country Director also plays a key role in external representation, institutional funding mobilisation and management, compliance, programme coordination, team leadership, in alignment with Tearfund Characteristics, Quality Standards and Commitments.

Duties & Key Responsibilities
Programme Funding:

• Collaborate across the Country Programmes and liaise with the Cluster (Regional) Programme Funding Manager for the design of multi-country bids which would include coordination with other peer Agencies (eg Christian aid, CAFOD, Save the Children etc.) for possible consortium fund raising
• Advise and facilitate funding bids to develop quality logical frameworks to describe the projects and allow effective monitoring and demonstration of impact.
• Edit and undertake a final proof reading of all documentation prior to submission to ensure quality control, focusing on clarity, consistency, and application of Project Cycle Management good practice.
• Coordinate the provision of the required information for Project Development Meetings (PDMs), to ensure relevant authorisation is gained prior to donor submissions, while ensuring any recommendations are adopted into the final submission.
• In consultation with the CD, Programme Manager and Operations Manager, maintain a standard filing system to ensure core donor and project related documentation is held and accessible, using effective paper and electronic filing systems (google) in accordance with Tearfund standard procedures
• Maintain the programme’s Grant Management Information System (IBIS &TRACK) to ensure the timely and quality submission of internal and external proposals and reports and setting deadlines for submission of draft documents liaising with the Programme and Operational Managers
• Act as a conduit for information on donor rules and regulations applicable to each donor project
• Coordinate the monitoring of compliance to specific donor rules and regulations, highlighting areas of insufficient compliance and feedback to the CD and wider team where necessary
• In collaboration with the relevant team members and Programme Manager monitor the,Start up, implementation and the closure of projects in line with Tearfund guidelines
• Produce prayer updates for Tearfund supporters, where requested.

Programme Strategy:

• On behalf of the Country Director, identify and secure donor funding in accordance with country strategy, budget targets and maintaining a diversity of funding options.
• Keep the Senior Management Team updated and aligned on key donor strategies and priorities, and aware of specific calls for proposals, in conjunction with the Programme Funding Team in the Region and at Headquarters in the United Kingdom (UK) e.g Partnership funding unit.
• Liaise with the relevant team and partners in order to gather required information for donor proposals, budgets and reports within a timely fashion
• Liaise with the relevant team and partners on documenting participatory needs, capacity & vulnerability assessments and situation analyses to ensure appropriate data for donor submissions is captured
• Ensure all donor submissions are in line with Tearfund’s Quality Standards, Project Cycle Management and Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS), and reflect the priorities outlined in the programme
• Document sector case studies and beneficiary stories from projects, and disseminate for use by the wider organisation linking up with thematic focal officers and the Programme manager
• Support and facilitate the country team and partners to undertake internal end of project reviews, and external evaluations, to ensure learning is captured, understood and disseminated within the programme and corporately for possible inclusion into emerging best practice and policy formulation.
• Overseeing the preparation of plans and reports through coordination with the partners, attending meetings and participating in tele-conferences.

External Representation, Networking and Advocacy:

• As delegated by the CD, attend relevant inter-agency coordination meetings
• Coordinate the arrangements for in-country donor visits for monitoring and evaluation, in consultation with CD and the wider management and staff team
• Liaise with sector specialists in -country and in the UK Humanitarian Support Team (HST) to develop and support contextually appropriate programming.
• Ensure effective communication with Integral agencies on the Nigerian humanitarian response and other projects eg Waste Management, etc
• Host and coordinate visits by Tearfund staff members and others as and when requested by the Country Director.
• Ensure effective representation of the country programme within the Region, with other agencies, Government and local communities.
• Actively network, formally and informally, with members of the development and humanitarian communities in country.
• Provide overall management responsibility for institutional donor contracts that are administered in-Region.
• With the Country Director, encourage constructive relationships with media representatives to build public profile and ensure positive coverage, and when delegated, act as the local Tearfund media spokesperson.

Leadership, Staff and Office Management:

• Will be required to line manage four or five senior staff member that have related roles especially under fragile states
• Lead and manage direct reports (often remotely) ensuring clarity over plans and priorities, providing supervision, guidance and mentoring, encouraging effective team work and inclusiveness and building a team spirit through regular meetings and events
• Ensure Tearfund’s performance management system is effectively implemented with objective setting, probationary reviews, regular catch-ups, 6-monthly performance appraisals and exit interviews carried out for project staff
• Support the implementation of Tearfund’s staff development policy, including personal development planning, in a way that is consistent and transparent
• As part of the senior management team, promote the conditions for effective teamwork and commitment to Tearfund values and operating principles.
• Uphold staff conduct and discipline with regard to Tearfund’s health and safety and security procedures.
• Provide spiritual and pastoral support to direct reports and other staff where appropriate

Support Functions:

• Support the CD in developing and maintaining donor relations with in-country representatives, though email, phone and face-to-face meetings
• Support the Country Director (CD) to coordinate all project related internal reporting within the programme, Cluster and to UK, and act as the point of contact for project related information to and from Cluster and UK, coordinating responses to requests and disseminated information to programme staff.
• Support the country team and partners to draft concept notes, proposals, and reports including budgets and any required supporting documentation, while ensuring donor guidelines are followed, in close coordination with the Senior Management Team (FM, PM and OM).
• Support the CD in other duties as needed, including potential support to accessing institutional funding for partners

Security:

• Responsible for supporting Safety and Security Management of partners and advising on protocol to improve safety of partner staff.
• Responsible for monitoring partner security protocols and advising on improvements in coordination with the UK based International Safety Coordinator.
• Responsible for own security and any other delegated security management by the CD.

Qualifications
Essential:

• Degree and/or equivalent qualification in a Humanitarian, Development or Management related discipline or 5 years working as a senior manager in development/ response

Desirable:

• Relevant post-graduate qualification
• Security Training
• Management Training

Experience
Essential:

• Proven strategic planning and emergency programme and project management experience in a humanitarian environment
• Proven experience in acquiring and managing institutional funding (from high compliance donors e.g. USAID, EU, FCDO) and building donor relations
• Experience of building an institutionally funded portfolio
• Proven and significant work with local partners in a participatory manner
• Proven security management experience
• Proven people management experience
• Proven experience in leading multidisciplinary teams
• Proven budget management experience
• Proven project and budget management experience, in large scale programming.
• Implementing and working in accordance with corporate structures, policies and practices.
• Proven application of good practice standards: SPHERE, Core Humanitarian Standard and Red Cross Codes of Conduct.
• Donor relationship and grant management

Desirable:

• Experience in logistics systems, particularly procurement
• Familiarity with the relevant region

Skills:

• Leadership and people management skills
• Highly personable with exceptional networking and relationship building skills
• Analytical and problem solving skills
• Fluent in written and spoken English
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to safeguard the wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults
• Good computer skills (MS Office, Google Suite)
• Organisational skills
• High level negotiation and representation
• Local language ability
• Training and mentoring skills

Personal Qualities:

• Committed Christian with a personal relationship with God
• Committed to Tearfund’s Mission, Values and Beliefs
• Emotionally and spiritually mature
• Team player
• Understanding and sensitivity to cross cultural issues
• Commitment to accountability to beneficiaries and transparency, showing dignity and respect, and demonstrating listening and understanding
• Flexibility, ability to remain calm under pressure
• Self-disciplined with ability to work proactively, using own initiative
• Willingness to travel and live in basic conditions. Travel expected to exceed 30% of the time.
• Networking
• People developer and motivator
• Ability and commitment to apply biblical principles prayerfully within all aspects of the role.

Other Commitments:

• Regular travel across cluster (region) countries is a requirement
• All roles require a DBS / Police check
• Tearfund is a member of the SCHR Misconduct Disclosure Scheme
• Personal identification information will be submitted against a Watchlist database to check against criminal convictions as a counter-terror measure.

Application Closing Date
19th September, 2021.