South Sudan: NGO Secretariat Director, South Sudan NGO Forum

Position Title:

NGO Secretariat Director

Position Type:

Expatriate Staff, one year fixed term

Location:

Juba, South Sudan with potential field visits

Work Station:

South Sudan NGO Forum - Secretariat Office

Reporting to:

NGO Steering Committee Chai

South Sudan NGO Forum Secretariat:

The South Sudan NGO Secretariat coordinates the efforts of the NGO Steering Committee as voted representatives of the South Sudan NGO Forum, which currently includes over 140 international member agencies and over 200 national member agencies. The NGO Secretariat exists for the purpose of: coordination, information sharing, advocacy, policy/position paper production, government/donor/UN engagement and engagement on other vital issues regarding humanitarian relief, recovery and development.

The NGO Secretariat Director is a senior management position and is responsible for facilitating coordination between national and international members of the NGO Forum, the elected Steering Committee, and to external stakeholders. The coordination entails ensuring effective information exchange, representing and advocating on common positions and agreed interests of the NGO Forum, and wider NGO community. The NGO Secretariat Director is also responsible for building and sustaining productive relationships between NGOs, Government, UN, Donors and diplomatic missions in country. The NGO Secretariat Director is also responsible for the general management of the NGO Secretariat and its staff and effective and regular communication on Secretariat performance to the NGO Steering Committee. This position will line manage the following positions: Senior Policy Advisor, Regulatory Environment Focal Point, National NGO Focal Point, Security Focal Point, and Operations Manager.

The NGO Secretariat Director supports the work of the NGO Forum through the following key tasks:

Strategic management and oversight of the NGO Secretariat

1. Strategic day-to-day management of NGO Secretariat staff, office, budget and ensure relationship management with the principle donor (includes report writing).
2. Lead on fundraising for the NGO Forum and Secretariat, developing funding strategies, engaging donors, and developing proposals.
3. Support the Steering Committee to develop strategic annual priorities and engage closely with them to ensure Secretariat functions in line with this.
4. Act as focal point for information/experience sharing with and among NGOs on relevant issues and work with key Secretariat staff to manage membership process, mailing lists and communication products.
5. Maintain a thorough understanding and develop messaging on operational constraints and policy related issues affecting NGOs in country as well as broader political developments.
6. Provide a conduit for the UN, GRSS, donor representatives and other stakeholders to communicate and coordinate with NGOs
7. Participate in important government, UN and other policy and planning processes such as the UNDAF Technical Working Groups, UN Work Plan, Humanitarian Contingency Planning, Consolidated Appeals Process workshops, etc.
8. Conduct policy analysis and analyse information in collaboration with the Senior Policy Advisor, Regulatory Environment Focal Point and other focal points in consulting on and drafting common NGO position/policy papers on key issues
9. Along with the NGO Steering Committee Chair and members, represent the NGO community at high-level fora including UN forums, multi-donor meetings and other representative bodies as required. Issues will be agreed by the Steering Committee.
10. Increase and enhance engagement of and input from national NGOs into the international and national aid system. This includes expanding national NGO engagement in planning processes, access to donor funding, and coordination mechanisms.

Coordination and Communication

1. Ensure transparent coordination mechanisms and regular information-sharing between NGOs and other stakeholders.
2. Schedule NGO Forum meetings and NGO Forum Steering Committee meetings, draft agendas, invite external speakers and follow up on relevant action points
3. Ensure Steering Committee and Secretariat representation in the Working Groups: Policy, HR, GRSS Engagement and Security Management
4. Along with the NGO Steering Committee Chair and members, represent the NGO Forum at key meetings with donors, UN and GRSS and ensure the dissemination of written feedback
5. Encourage active and open dialogue between the NGO Secretariat, NGO Steering Committee and NGO Forum
6. Coordinate visits of advocacy groups, researchers, donors, partners working on South Sudan
7. Ensure the research, documentation and sharing of lessons learned/best practices on strategic or operational issues and actively share information with national NGO Forum and other coordination platforms
8. Identify gaps in research and analysis that, if addressed, would be useful by large numbers of the membership and hire and manage consultants as needed to assist with and complement the task of filling the gaps
9. Together with other Secretariat staff, liaise with the Health Forum, Sector Working Groups and Clusters, ensuring key messages are shared and activities and advocacy messages are coordinated and consistent

Partnership Relations

1. Work to ensure effective collaboration between international and national NGOs
2. Support the National NGO Focal Point in building national NGO engagement in state/county level planning and coordination
3. Provide an accessible first point of contact for general inquiries regarding the work of NGOs in South Sudan
4. Provide orientation briefings to new Country Directors.
5. Liaise with NGO coordination platforms in neighbouring countries in the region
6. Provide information, briefings, presentations on the function and structure of the NGO Forum, best practices and lessons learned to other global consortiums or national coordination platforms on request
7. Maintain strong partner relations and engage in the identification of new potential NNGO partners
8. Maintain and/or develop productive relationships with key individuals in relevant government ministries, civil society, foreign and local NGO community, UN Missions, Diplomatic Corps, other donors, etc.
9. Work to ensure a smooth working relationship between secretariat and the host organisation, updating the Steering Committee chairperson on issues affecting the host organisation and its team

Human Resource Management

1. Provide leadership and direction, promote professional working relationships, and encourage staff
2. Lead regular internal coordination meetings and ensure staff support
3. Conduct regular performance appraisals identifying capacity building needs and further career objectives; follow-up, and maintain updated job descriptions
4. Identify and resolve staff conflicts and concerns in a timely manner
5. Recruit Secretariat staff in compliance with host agency recruitment procedures, including development of JDs, shortlisting and interviewing

Qualifications

1. Minimum seven years of progressive international experience working with UN, NGOs and/or Donor agencies preferably with experience in post-conflict contexts
2. Undergraduate/postgraduate qualifications in international relations, political science, development or other relevant field
3. Demonstrated coordination experience in multi-agency forums
4. Demonstrated leadership and management skills
5. Documented skills in developing proposals, budgets and reports
6. Significant experience in the development of advocacy, policy and key messaging documents
7. Strong understanding of the UN system, integrated missions, the Humanitarian Reform and principles of the Transformative Agenda
8. Significant understanding of complex emergencies and crisis contexts
9. Proven communication, public speaking, interpersonal and negotiation skills
10. Previous work experience in South Sudan is preferred
11. Above average computer literacy
12. Fluency in written and spoken English is required
13. Holder of a valid international driver’s licence

Applications to be submitted through https://jobs.concern.net. CV’s should be maximum 4 pages in length.

Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short listed on a regular basis and we may offer posts before the closing date.

Concern Worldwide is an Irish-based non-governmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.

Concern has a Staff Code of Conduct and a Programme Participant Protection Policy which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organization, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context staff have a responsibility to the organization to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct candidates acknowledge that they have understood the contents of both the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and the Programme Participant Protection Policy and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these two documents.

Concern receives a substantial amount of funding from external donors each year. Increasingly donors are introducing requirements whereby future funding is conditional on Concern ensuring that the names of any new employee or volunteer do not appear on terrorism lists generated by the European Union (List of person, groups and entities to which Regulation (EC No. 2580/2001 applies), the US Government (Office of Foreign Assets Control list of specially designated Nationals and Blocked Persons) and the United Nations (Consolidated List). Any offer of employment (either paid or voluntary) with Concern Worldwide will not be made pending a clearance check being conducted on the applicant. For additional information please consult our web site or contact the Human Resource Division in our Head Office.

Concern Worldwide is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.