Country Director HA, DR Congo, 100% Full Time NEW

HEKS/EPER has over 1500 permanent employees. The organisation is active at 24 locations in Switzerland and in 35 countries worldwide with 290 programs and projects worth around CHF 144 million. In 2024, HEKS/EPER reached around 16 million people with its work.

HEKS/EPER pursues the vision of a just world where the dignity of everyone is respected, peace reigns, and the natural environment is preserved. The aim is a systemic change at a social, economic and political level. HEKS/EPER is doing its part to improve the living conditions of people in Switzerland and around the world, to promote their rights, raise awareness and mobilise to this end.

Lived diversity – inclusion is important to us:
We welcome applications regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, age or sexual orientation.

In the DRC, where it has long been active through development programs, HEKS/EPER also opened a humanitarian aid programme in February 2019. Since then, it has concentrated its humanitarian interventions in the hard-to-reach areas of several territories in North Kivu (Rutshuru, Masisi, Walikale and Lubero) and South Kivu, where it has a permanent presence and directly executes, with its own teams, Rapid Response activities (notably through the distribution of unconditional cash), Humanitarian Watch (monitoring population movements), Water/Hygiene/Sanitation, Rehabilitation/Opening humanitarian access via Cash for Work, and Agricultural Recovery. The humanitarian aid projects are currently funded by ECHO, BHA, SDC, OCHA – CHF and own funds.

We are looking for a motivated and experienced personality to optimally complement our team:

Country Director HA, DR Congo, 100%

Your main responsibilities:

The Country Director has the strategic and operational leadership for the HEKS/EPER HA programme in DRC in line with HEKS/EPER strategy and standards, aiming at substantial and relevant impact. He/she is responsible for the programme development and its effective and efficient implementation with the respective operational and strategic partners. He/she has the overall responsibility for the finances on country HA programme level. Further, his/her tasks contain building the capacities of the team, leading the local team and managing security. Equally, he/she is responsible for acquiring necessary funds for the country HA programme through grant acquisition and ensuring visibility of HEKS/EPER. Maintaining a strong cooperation with HEKS/EPER HQ is essential.

Implementation Structure

• Develop and ensure the necessary team structure and capacities needed for an effective development and implementation of the programme.
• Organise the administrative management and supervision of the CO and ensure compliance with local legal administrative requirements.
• Establish systems to monitor contextual changes, anticipate needs, and help shape donor perspectives on humanitarian and development priorities in order to respond to contextual changes.

Programme and Project Management

• Lead the development of a relevant, substantial, and strategic programme of emergency response in line with HEKS/EPER strategy and ensure coherence with HEKS/EPER’s approaches, concepts and financial specifications.
• Manage a well-balanced project portfolio in-line with the programme, including the selection of strategic and operational partners.
• Analyse and be familiar with the local and national context in the country and region and adapt the programme accordingly.
• Ensure the effective and efficient implementation of the programme compliant with all standards and procedures of HEKS/EPER through participative monitoring, evaluation, learning and steering. Include HEKS/EPER’s own or external specialists where needed.
• Ensure concise and analytical annual programme and financial reports as well as the annual planning for review by the Head of Programme.
• Review projects implemented by partner organisations or self-implemented projects, ensuring high quality standards.
• Approve projects up to defined financial competences, or prepare them accordingly for the HEKS/EPER internal approval.
• Advise and assist partner organisations with attaining the set project goals and support them with their own organisational development.
• Ensure appropriate emergency preparedness and response in case of need in the country depending on magnitude, duration and complexity of crisis.
• Collaboration with the DevCo department has to be ensured.
• Ensure that costs of the CO are well balanced with the impact/results and volume of the country programme.

Finances

• Assume final responsibility for the CO finances and projects according to the FFAG.
• Ensure tight budget follow up and respective reporting.
• Build and maintain operational structures that ensure appropriate separation of duties between finance, administration and logistics and fully support field programmes.
• Responsible for the allocation and monitoring of the annual HQ approved programme budget and for maximizing impact and leverage for further acquisition of new funds.
• Supervise quarterly consolidation and request funds from HQ according to the approved annual budget.
• Ensure annual audits of CO and projects and an appropriate follow-up of audit findings and recommendations.
• Ensure an adequate financial risk management, ensuring compliance and anti-corruption policies.
• Ensure that the CO and partner organisations pay all legal, statutory, and tax-related obligations.

Acquisition and Fundraising

• Ensure part of the programme funds through acquisition and develop and implement a national acquisition strategy based on the donor landscape.
• Proactivly engage with donors at local and national level and coordinate donor engagement with Head of Programmes and other Country Directors at international level.
• Establish and maintain close cooperation with other actors in country, incl. international and local NGOs, businesses, public authorities and research institutions, for joint resource mobilization in consortia.
• Ensure development of proposals for bilateral and multilateral donors as well as foundations, taking into account HEKS/EPER’s quality standards and procedures.
• Ensure high quality grant management and reporting compliant with donor requirements.
• Coordinate and collaborate with the acquistion and fundraising focal points.
• Ensure the visibility and communication of HEKS/EPER within the country via different suitable channels from print communication to social media presence, ensuring qualiy and compliance with HEKS standards.

Leadership, Human Resources, Security Management, and Administration

• Live and implement HEKS/EPER’s mission statement, values, and policies.
• Apply a caring and supporting role, creating an atmosphere of open and constructive dialog and coach the staff in their professional development, leading to a high performance.
• Lead and supervise the team and ensure compliance to local laws and obligations, and the guidelines of HEKS/EPER.
• Foster an environment that motivates innovation and creativity.
• Responsible that the country office disposes of legally sound staff regulations, salary scales, etc. in line with the FFAG.
• Recruit new employees of CO, negotiate contracts and job descriptions as well as salaries according to FFAG.
• Responsible for the overall security and safety management of HEKS/EPER’s staff, operations and assets in country; including responsibility for development, review of and adherence to the country security plan.
• Ensure the safety and security of staff by regularly reviewing and adapting security protocols and procedures, including the national security plan. Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are familiar with policies.
• Liaise with the security officer and the geographical manager at headquarters on critical events, high-risk periods, incident reports or changes in security policy.

Representation, Networking, and Learning

• Represent HEKS/EPER towards the government, the public and other international, regional and local organisations, consortium and networks including the Act Alliances structures.
• Represent HEKS/EPER as employer towards the HEKS/EPER staff in the country.
• Encourage networking and exchanges of experience, create connections within the CO, among partners, grassroots organisations, other group and with governmental bodies.
• Participate and engage proactively in coordination forums at the national level, including the INGO Forum and the National Humanitarian Team (among others), influencing advocacy efforts and raising priority issues on the ground to the highest level.
• Ensure learning and knowledge sharing in country and contribute to HEKS/EPER’s global cooperation strategy, policy development and learning, participate in GC Forums and Regional Meetings.
• Provide relevant information and communication materials to HEKS/EPER Communications on request and on own initiative.

To be successful you bring:

Qualifications and Experience:

• Relevant university degree at Master’s level or other relevant experience
• Proven track record of leading teams
• Minimum 5 years’ work experience at senior management level in designing, managing and implementing internationally financed cooperation projects
• Track record in successful acquisition and implementation of internationally funded projects (in consortia, through partner organisations and self-implemented)
• Profound knowledge of international humanitarian aid and regional context in DRC
• Strong commitment to a Human right based approach and HEKS/EPER’s values and strategy.
• Proven will and skill to coordinate and to work in cooperation and consortiums with other agencies and state authorities.
• Strong expertise in operational mission development
• Knowledge of major humanitarian donors, specifically USAID-BHA, ECHO, SDC and the United Nations

Skills and Capabilities

• Team leadership and management skills
• Excellent communication, representation and networking skills and interest
• Experience and strong capabilities in strategy development and programme implementation
• Good knowledge of the international cooperation sector in the country an asset
• Excellent analytical, conceptual and writing skills
• Sound financial management skills
• Working attitude characterized by initiative, integrity, effectiveness, cooperation, participation, and respect
• Sound ICT skills
• Experience in working in fragile contexts
• Available for extended local, national and international travel
• Experience with security management
• Readiness to take the overall responsibility for the country program and to take decisions in time
• Mandatory French and English skills

What you can expect from us:

• An interesting and challenging position in a dynamic international environment
• Duration: one year with possible extension
• A competitive salary package
• Insurance package
• Accommodation provided by HEKS
• Location: North Kivu, DRC
• Start date: 1st Dezember 2025 or by agreement

Tagged as: Democratic Republic of the Congo, HEKS/EPER