Country Director Sudan Full Time NEW

Description

About Trócaire

Founded in 1973, Trócaire is an Irish International NGO and a member of Caritas Internationalis. We work with local partners in the world’s most at-risk communities and with people in Ireland to tackle the underlying causes of poverty and injustice and respond to the crises injustice and poverty create. Together we bring about positive and lasting change for a just world. Trócaire works in 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. We work towards five goals:

• Promote Access to Justice

• Achieve Climate & Environmental Justice

• Ensure Women & Girls’ Protection, Voice & Influence

• Save Lives and Protect Human Dignity

• Mobilise the Public on the island of Ireland to achieve Global Justice

Our work is rooted in Catholic Social Teaching and our values of Solidarity, Courage, Participation, Perseverance and Accountability. In responding to emergencies, implementing long-term development programmes, and advocating for policy change, we are committed to working in partnership with local organisations and communities to bring about lasting change.

About Trócaire Sudan

Trócaire has been supporting partners in South Kordofan State, Sudan, since 2011, and expanded its work to Blue Nile State in 2022. These programmes remain critically important—especially following the outbreak of conflict in April 2023. Our response delivers locally adapted, needs-based, coordinated, and multisectoral lifesaving assistance to the most at-risk communities in these remote and underserved areas.

Originally focused on Health and Nutrition, the programme has since expanded to include Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Food Security, Livelihoods, Protection, Cash Assistance, as well as Peacebuilding and Social Cohesion.

Trócaire also works to strengthen the capacity of local organisations and institutions—such as the Secretariats of Health and Agriculture—to ensure long-term impact and sustainability.

In 2024, Trócaire reached approximately 691,385 people, including a significant number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) fleeing the ongoing conflict—a figure that continues to grow.

About the Country Director Role

As the Country Director based out of Nairobi, Kenya, you will assume a pivotal strategic leadership position in the Country Office and as part of Trocaire’s International Division, driving the organisation’s mission and achieving its goals. This dynamic role calls for an experienced, innovative, and visionary individual – you will be at the helm of a vibrant and motivated team, where the strategic importance of locally led initiatives is understood and supported. As the Country Director, you will provide guidance to our country programme fostering impact and innovation and a culture that values empowerment and partnership. You will spearhead our advocacy and policy efforts in the Sudan, actively engaging decision-makers at local, national, and international levels while empowering local partners to do the same.

You will work from Trócaire’s office in Kenya, where you will have a key liaison role with donors, the diplomatic community and other I/NGOs. You will also be expected to travel regularly to Sudan to keep abreast of Trócaire’s work on the ground and to participate in development and humanitarian coordination meetings, as and when required. This broad, country oversight will allow you to add value and respond effectively to the humanitarian and development complexities in Sudan, while at same time equipping you to feed this knowledge and experience in to regional and national level coordination and advocacy initiatives.

Reporting to the Head of Portfolio, Fragile & Conflict Affected States, you will lead a team of 10+ dedicated professionals and manage a portfolio of 4 local and national partners. Located in Nairobi, Keyna, this role entails frequent travel to Sudan, to visit partner, project, and community sites, as well as periodic travel outside the Kenya/Sudan.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

Leading a Country Management Team, made up of Finance and Fundraising staff and supported by programming staff, the responsibilities of the Sudan Country Director are as follows:

Strategic Leadership

· Provide inspirational and strategic leadership that motivates and empowers staff to achieve organisational goals; fosters a culture of innovation, learning and continuous improvement; and embeds Trócaire’s mission and values in all activities and decisions.

· Lead the ongoing implementation, review, and refinement of Trócaire Sudan country strategy, ensuring alignment with the organisation’s global strategy and the country’s development priorities.

· Build and nurture strategic partnerships with government agencies, I/NGOs, church partners, various networks (e.g. NGO and UN fora, Caritas networks), local communities, and other stakeholders to enhance Trócaire Sudan’s impact and influence.

· Anticipate and respond to changes in the operating environment, stakeholder needs, and sector trends to make strategic adjustments as needed.

· Cultivate and maintain a shared vision among Trócaire staff of Trócaire’s country and organisational vision, mission, goals, and objectives, communicating and engaging with staff to foster understanding and alignment with the strategic direction.

· Conduct continuous real-time analysis of Trócaire Sudan’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to anticipate, analyse and respond to changes in the competitive and fluidly changing environment, inform strategic decision-making, and make data-driven adjustments to the country strategy, programmes and projects.

· Develop distinctive capabilities, competencies and areas of comparative advantage that enable Trócaire Sudan to differentiate itself from competitors and deliver unique value to the people and communities Trócaire serves.

· Foster a culture of accountability and ownership, empowering employees to take initiative and make decisions that support Trócaire Sudan’s strategic objectives.

· Model the behaviours and values expected of Trócaire staff and expressed in our organisational values, strategic framework and behavioural competency standards.

Institutional Funding

· Increase and broaden the institutional funding base of Trócaire’s Sudan programmes in line with the organisational and country specific institutional funding strategy.

· Management support of the proposal development process, ensuring a high quality and timely submission to institutional donors, consistent with Trócaire’s Organisational and Country Strategic Plan.

· Support the programme, finance and business development team members in the development of well-designed projects and programmes for submission to institutional donors, consistent with Trócaire’s Organisational and Country Strategic Plan.

· Provide oversight of country staff in the management and compliance of all institutional funding grants and potential commercial contracts in Sudan.

· Position Trócaire as potential partner (sub and lead) for consortia in the programme area and/or cross country.

Representation, Advocacy, Communications

· Represent Trócaire locally, nationally, and regionally to amplify the organization’s voice and influence and those of Trócaire’s partners.

· Foster relationships and partnerships with key stakeholders, including government, local authorities, NGOs, the Catholic Church, UN, donors, and networks.

· Contribute to Trócaire forums and working groups, representing Trócaire Sudan and contributing to organisational and portfolio agendas.

· Lead the development and implementation of country-specific advocacy and communications strategies aligned with Trócaire’s mission and priorities.

· Ensure advocacy and communications support programme objectives.

· Oversee the development of high-quality communications materials and ensure adherence to branding guidelines.

· Enhance awareness of Trócaire’s work among supporters and stakeholders through effective communication and media engagement.

People and Culture

· Lead and inspire a high-performing team, fostering a collaborative culture for operational excellence and amplified programme impact.

· Define and optimize the country team structure to align with strategic plans, budgets, and performance indicators.

· Line manage senior managers, matrix manage relevant roles, and oversee necessary staffing.

· Recruit, develop, and retain qualified staff committed to Trócaire’s mission and values.

· Manage performance and ensure compliance with HR policies, procedures, and local regulations.

· Foster a positive, empowering and inclusive organisational culture that values equity, diversity and inclusion.

Programme Management

· Provide leadership in developing and implementing Trócaire’s programmes aligned with strategic objectives.

· Oversee accountable implementation of programmes, monitoring progress, and making necessary adjustments for impact, efficiency and compliance.

· Seek opportunities to integrate protection services in conjunction with the Trócaire’s GBV and Protection Advisors.

· Offer technical guidance to staff, promoting high-quality programmes integrating key focus areas.

· Establish and maintain results-based monitoring and evaluation systems for evidence-based decision-making and learning.

· Ensure timely and high-quality internal and external reporting, including annual reviews.

· Foster programme learning and knowledge sharing for continuous improvement and integration of lessons learned.

· Promote a culture of innovation, experimentation, and learning to achieve strategic objectives.

Business Development and Funding

· Maintain accountability for securing resources, ensuring financial sustainability and programme continuity.

· Develop and adapt Donor Engagement and Institutional Funding Strategy, pursuing aligned funding opportunities.

· Access and manage institutional funding, maximizing impact and compliance with government, donor and Trócaire’s policies.

· Identify growth opportunities and develop new programmes and partnerships aligned with mission and values.

· Ensure compliance with donor requirements, including financial reporting and programme monitoring.

· Optimize cost recovery through budgeting, expenditure monitoring, and transparent financial management.

· Manage risks associated with institutional funding, implementing robust risk management strategies.

· Network and engage with donors and NGOs, fostering strong relationships and sustainable funding opportunities.

Finance and Administration

· Ensure financial sustainability and accountability through budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.

· Manage financial resources transparently, complying with systems, procedures, and regulations.

· Monitor programme budgets and expenditures, ensuring adherence to approved budgets.

· Monitor and work to adhere to established Key Performance Indicators, including grants-to-partners ratios, programme-to-programme support ratios, and institutionally funded-to-Irish Aid & Unrestricted funding ratios.

· Submit timely and high-quality internal and donor financial reports.

· Assess and support partner organisations’ financial management and governance standards.

· Maintain and utilise Trócaire’s systems, platforms, and applications for efficient operations.

· Oversee administrative functions, implementing policies and systems aligned with objectives.

· Establish robust procurement processes for transparency and compliance.

· Promote a culture of transparency, accountability, and integrity within finance and administration.

· Identify and mitigate financial and operational risks through risk management practices.

· Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

Audit and Corporate Governance Compliance

· Ensure compliance with government regulations, maintaining accurate records and timely reporting.

· Plan and facilitate internal and external audits, addressing recommendations for process improvement.

· Implement fraud prevention measures and manage organisational risk.

· Maintain an up to date country risk register, identifying and mitigating risks to operations, reputation, and financial stability.

· Maintain oversight of the audit tracker to register and follow up on project and organisational audit findings.

· Comply with organisational commitments and humanitarian standards, including Core Humanitarian Standards, Sphere Standards, Charter4Change, and the Dochas Code of Conduct.

· Promote staff awareness and compliance with integrity policies through training programmes.

· Safeguard data privacy and confidentiality, implementing data protection measures.

· Foster a culture of transparency, integrity, and accountability, with zero tolerance for misconduct.

Safeguarding

· Uphold Trócaire’s commitment to safeguarding, preventing abuse and exploitation.

· Implement robust policies and practices for raising and responding to concerns.

· Oversee effective application of complaints handling mechanisms, managing sensitive complaints.

· Support and guide focal persons in communicating safeguarding commitments to partners.

Safety & Security

· Prioritize staff and visitor safety through proactive risk assessment, mitigation, and incident response protocols.

· Conduct rigorous security assessments and maintain an up-to-date risk register.

· Ensure adherence to security policies and protocols by all staff and visitors.

· Coordinate comprehensive security training and facilitate regular refresher trainings.

· Monitor the security situation, mitigate risks, and protect staff and programme operations.

· Promote a culture of accountability, integrity, and ethical conduct within the organisation.

· Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure compliance with safety and risk management requirements.

Any other responsibilities, duties or tasks assigned by and agreed with the Head of Portfolio Fragile & Conflict Affected States.

Requirements & Qualification:

Experience & Skills – (E)ssential / (D)esirable:

• A minimum of 5+ years of management experience in humanitarian operations at senior or Country Director level (E)

• Demonstrable experience managing large-scale humanitarian / development programmes (E)

• Proven leadership skills, with the ability to motivate staff and align them behind shared objectives (E)

• Experience in running country office operations, including administration, finance, human resource management, and security management (D)

• Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities, with the capability to develop country-level strategies in line with organizational goals (E)

• Proficiency in budget and financial management (E)

• In-depth understanding of programming in a partnership model and working with partnership-based NGOs (E)

• Experience in attracting institutional donor funding and managing large and complex donor grants (E)

• Sound and up-to-date knowledge of humanitarian / development concepts, methodologies, and techniques, including results-based management, rights-based approaches, and participatory methodologies (E)

• Experience in promoting gender equity through programming (D)

• Interpersonal and relationship management skills for internal and external stakeholders (E)

• Competence in meeting corporate governance and accountability requirements of governments, organizations, and donors (E)

• Capacity to manage security considerations (D)

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including presentations, media communication, and report writing (E)

• Proficiency in Microsoft packages (Word, Excel) and aptitude for learning new digital tools and platforms (E)

• Fluency in spoken and written English (E)

Qualifications (Essential)

• Third-level qualifications in a relevant field (e.g., International Development, Business Administration, Economics, Social / Political Sciences, Law)

• Qualification by experience may be considered in lieu of formal qualifications

• Valid residency and work permit for Kenya (E)

Qualities (Essential)

• Inspirational and empowering leadership

• Strong commitment to justice work and alignment with the ethos of Trócaire

• Commitment to working in partnership with local and national partners and a focus on localisation and the localisation agenda

• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural, diverse and hardship environment

• Willingness to solicit, consider and value different perspectives and contrary opinions

• Possess a growth mindset with the ability and willingness to embrace change, learn from experience and continually develop oneself and others

• The ability to actively listen and engage with others, demonstrating empathy and understanding

• Strong commitment to social justice, human rights, climate and environmental justice, and gender equity and women’s empowerment

• Resilience and ability to work under pressure and under at times challenging circumstances

• Adaptability and flexibility in approach

• Strong drive for excellence and a competitive mindset

• Collaborative and inclusive approach to working with others

• Ethical and accountable behaviour; empathy for the role of the Catholic Church in development / humanitarian work

• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting a safe working environment

Other

• Ability and willingness to travel regularly within into Sudan and internationally, including travel to Trócaire’s offices in Ireland.

Benefits

Closing date for applications is Friday 16th May 2025

Safeguarding Programme Participants-Children & Adults

Trócaire is committed to safeguarding people within our programmes from exploitation and abuse and has specific policies on this commitment (including a Global Code of Conduct) which outlines the expected behaviour and the responsibility of all staff, consultants and other organisational representatives. More information on Trócaire’s safeguarding policies available here.

Diversity and Inclusion

We welcome diverse applicants to join our inclusive workforce.

Trócaire is an equal opportunities employer. We are an organisation that embraces diversity and inclusion. We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and abilities to bring their experiences and perspectives to Trócaire.

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