JOB DESCRIPTION

Country Director, Eastern Congo Initiative

March 2021 — Full time | Eastern DRC, preferably in Bukavu, South Kivu | Reports to ECI Executive Director
Supervisory role: Territory Manager, Head of Administration, Head of Logistics, In country Finance team, In country HR & staffing team.

Hello hello!

Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI) is recruiting a Country Director to manage the Asili enterprise in delivering exceptional services to customers and direct the expansion of the platform within the Democratic Republic of Congo.

ECI was founded by Ben Affleck and Whitney Williams ten years ago to advocate for the boundless potential of the Congolese people, strengthen markets for Congolese goods, and invest directly in the community-based organizations that are rebuilding Congolese society from the ground up.

Starting in 2019, ECI became part of Alight, a team with deep experience in co-designing solutions that create new value around the world. As part of that merger, ECI acquired Asili, a revolutionary social enterprise platform that reinvents humanitarian aid as startup capital for self-sustaining businesses, operated by and for the communities who need them.

Together, ECI and Asili are making international development funds go farther than ever before — and fundamentally change how the world thinks of humanitarian aid. ECI does advocacy and grantmaking help build a thriving civil society in ways markets can’t, and we’re building a sustainable local marketplace to strengthen local economies in ways philanthropy can’t.

Here are three core beliefs that guide our work:

● We know we need to always be better, and we believe in the power and abundance of everyday people, everywhere, to change the world with us.

● We have a culture of radical accountability to our customers –as we help build a meaningful life for and with the people of eastern Congo, we ask them what they want and then deliver on it.

● We refuse to settle for anything less than delivering human-worthy services.

About Asili

Asili is a business startup co-created by Alight, USAID, IDEO.org, international partners, and Congolese families. Asili works to zcreate a sustainable and scalable model to build enterprises that strengthen the communities in which it operates within fragile contexts. The team is impatient with the status quo and rolls up their sleeves to make a difference in people’s lives through entrepreneurship.

About the role

ECI is looking for an exceptional individual to manage the Asili enterprise in delivering exceptional services to customers and direct the expansion of the platform within the Democratic Republic of Congo. Asili is dedicated to delivering essential services in the world’s most fragile communities and aspires to transform the model of humanitarian aid across the world. The growth and evolution of Asili depends on your ability to effectively manage competing priorities and stakeholder interests – never sacrificing on delivering social impact in some of the most resource deprived places in the world.

· You are responsible for ensuring the delivery of high quality programs, identifying new opportunities, and continuing to strengthen ECI’s reputation for innovative programs.

· You will provide strategic leadership to the country, to develop new grants and align strategy and implementation activities.

· You will lead a diverse workforce of in-country staff and directly supervise the members of the Senior Management Team (SMT), while building high performing teams across all departments

· You will foster a culture of transparency and accountability to donors, governments, communities and other relevant stakeholders, by ensuring that program design, program management, M&E, reporting and support systems are functioning in accordance with industry best practice, donor requirements, host country regulations, and ECI’s code of ethics.

· You will serve as the primary liaison with ECI global teams to ensure close collaboration, leveraging of global technical expertise and rapid resolution of obstacles

Essential Responsibilities and Duties:

The responsibilities of the Country Director are divided into seven general categories, in which you will be supported by both global support/operations teams, key line managers.

Strategy Development & Implementation (5%)

• Encourage a corporate perspective amongst staff. Uphold and promote the dissemination of ECI’s organizational values, vision, mission, and roll-out of innovative program initiatives and approaches throughout all areas of operation of ECI in DRC.

• Lead the senior management team in the development of a multi-year country strategy, in line with ECI’s global vision, the country’s socio-economic, political and cultural context, host government and donor strategies, and international program sector frameworks.

• Facilitate the development of an annual plan to implement the country strategy. Provide quarterly updates on progress made.

• Keep abreast of regulatory, operational, socio-economic and political changes. Inform senior management of environmental shifts that might impact operations. Ensure all program activities are sensitive and responsive to the changes in a timely manner.

Representation & Networking (15%)

• Build and strengthen external relationships and represent ECI with host government, line ministries, international and national organizations, at federal and state levels.

• Cultivate and maintain key contacts with USAID and other major donors and foundations.

• Develop networks and partnerships with national and international organizations within the country for joint collaboration, awareness raising and programming.

• Participate in relevant interagency and governmental meetings and promote positive relationship and cooperation with agencies and governmental entities.

• Undertake and/or facilitate donor visits and meetings as necessary.

Program Development (15%)

• Diversify funding, lead the development and execution of ECI Sudan resource mobilization strategy and revenue projections

• Work with various stakeholders to guide the development of new business strategies and opportunities.

• Provide guidance for the development of key communication messages and promotional material for internal and external audiences, to showcase ECI programs, enhance the organization’s public image and attract donors.

• Ensure all projects and programs are designed and implemented for maximum impact and reach.

• Promote and guide collaborative proposal development processes to ensure proposals are strategically aligned, technically strong, achievable and realistically budgeted.

Program Management (15%)

• Ensure program indicators and quality standards are achieved, maintaining frequent communication with ECI global teams to promptly identify and resolve challenges.

• Ensure implementation of solid program management disciplines to enable program effectiveness, quality and innovation.

• Ensure that field teams have the necessary tools, resources, information, and assistance to deliver services that meet or exceed internationally accepted standards and protocols.

• Ensure relevant, accurate and timely flow of strategic, management and operational reporting, internally and to donors, and line ministries.

• Support learning from success and failure, documenting best practices and facilitating collaboration.

• Undertake periodic field visits to program sites, to advise, build relationships and review effectiveness of program implementation.

Financial Oversight (10%) **

• Develop the annual country budget with the program and operations teams. Ensure organizational core costs are known and utilized by project holders for all sites.

• Provide oversight of ECI program budgets and management of program spending. Anticipate potential funding gaps, develop contingency plans, and closely monitor costs to prevent uncovered program cost.

• Monitor finance management to ensure fiscal controls and donor required policy are carried out.

• Support the finance team in management of audit review processes and ensure timely management responses to audit reports.

• Ensure timely preparation and submission of reports to donors as well as monthly updates to ECI global team.

**

Personnel Management (20%) **

• Directly supervise, lead and develop the senior management and leadership staff.

• Direct and mentor staff, with a focus on developing capabilities appropriate to the current and future strategic and operational needs of ECI in DRC.

• Strategically recruit staff in line with ECI’s values, operating principles and culture, to advance the organization’s vision and mission, as well as Sudan’s sustainable development goal.

• Update the Talent Management Plan on a quarterly basis. Coordinate with HQs staff exchange, secondment and development schemes that contribute to staff capacity building.

• Review and adjust the organizational structure and job descriptions, as needed, to provide clear work expectations and adequate resources for achieving program goals.

• Oversee adequate implementation of ECI’s performance management system, including performance objectives and planning, appraisal and staff ongoing professional development.

• Work collaboratively with ECI Executive Director as needed to respond to and manage employee and work environment issues.

• Ensure operating policies, procedures, and communication protocols are clear and consistent.

Administration & Logistics (25%) **

• Ensure procurement and inventory are consistent with donor guidelines and ECI policies, and that systems are updated as needed.

• Monitor the security situation and ensure security protocols and procedures are followed.

• Review and approve, on an annual basis, updates of ECI Field Security Manual, ECI Contextualized policy on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation Abuse and Fraud Awareness sensitization material.

• Provide oversight for all matters related to legal counsel: ad hoc consultations, national staff employee handbook review, and processing of legal cases by ECI attorney.

• Interface cross-functionally with ECI staff at headquarters and regionally (finance, global operations, global support, HR, and security) to address operational and program related issues, including signing of grants agreements, donor compliance, budget planning and realignment, audit and consultancies.

Other duties as assigned by supervisor. **

Skills and experience we’re seeking

• Managed internationally based enterprises or programs for at least 5 years. If you’ve done this for USG funded programs or social impact investments that’s spot on!

• You are an exceptional manager and negotiator. You've led a diverse team effectively, balancing the interests of different stakeholders, and providing excellent leadership by maintaining a constructive work environment and setting a positive example in a politically sensitive environment. You take a participatory leadership approach.

• You are incredibly organized and able to prioritize multiple tasks, meeting deadlines in a dynamic environment.

• You demonstrate financial management experience with INGO’s or private sector industry. You know how to successfully develop, manage, monitor, and evaluate programs.

• You work well with a lot of freedom and do you best work in a culture that does the doable with whatever resources we have.

• You deliver your work generously and take ownership of everything that lands in your lap. You embrace ambiguity and are joyful to the people you serve and work beside.

• Been exposed to business principles or start-up environments.

• Professional proficiency in French and English is a must, ability to speak Swahili is a plus

• The skills to successfully manage a large team and work with matrixed international support functions.

Qualities top candidates will possess

• A problem solver and a forward thinker, you take a positive approach to making things happen!

• Ambitious. You have the skills and drive to make a transformational difference.

• Always on move networking and meeting people - hustle.

• An amazing listener – you know how to really hear other people and understand their meaning. You get that people are looking for a way that they can make impact in the world.

• Flexible, flexible, flexible. We respond to opportunity as it arises and it rarely fits our schedule or is in our plans.

• A creative problem solver. You have the ability to apply sound judgment and innovative ideas to meet challenges presented.

• Detail oriented AND see the big picture.

• Able to meet deadlines and keep a cool head under pressure.

Benefits

Borderless Team of 2,500 staff worldwide that sees possibility, celebrates moments of abundance, shares new ideas, and strives to do a better thing every day.

Learning & Development – Access thousands of free online learning courses to take at your own pace and tailor to your professional goals.

Health, dental, and MedEvac Insurance – We strive to offer the best-in-class healthcare plans to our staff each year. We cover 100% of the cost for your health premium and 75% of the cost for coverage for your spouse/dependents.

Retirement – We contribute 6% of your salary regardless of your contribution amount, after one year of service.

Generous Leave Time – Between vacation days, personal leave days, and holidays, you have ample opportunity to take time off when you need it.

ECI is an Equal Opportunity Employer offering employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, citizenship, physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status. ECI complies with all applicable laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.