Country Representative – Sudan Full Time NEW

Contract: 2 years – Unaccompanied Contract

Location: Kosti, Sudan

Starting Salary: £46,578.00

**Benefits -**10% Mobility Allowance + 10% Pension + Hardship Allowance (£3,000 per annum) and Rest and Recuperation every 10 weeks. Comprehensive medical cover for self under CIGNA.

Total Package: £58,893.60

While this is an international role, we welcome and encourage applications from Sudanese nationals.

Job Profile

The purpose of this role is to lead CAFOD’s work in Sudan, ensuring alignment with our organisational strategy and values. This role provides strategic leadership, manages the Sudan office, and oversees programme delivery, partnerships, and operational compliance.

The scope of this post falls into the following broad functions:

• Ownership and responsibility for the development and delivery of the Sudan strategy, including having oversight of the programme portfolio and ensuring quality standards are met
• Internal and external representation
• Accountability for resourcing, financial and funding management
• Risk & security management
• Team management
• Country Office management

The post-holder is a member of the International Programme Group. They lead CAFOD work in Sudan**.** This role will work closely with other teams across CAFOD, including Programme Quality & Capacity Strengthening Team, Emergency Response and Support Team, Advocacy, Communications & Education Group, and Finance teams.

The post holder will be expected to undertake frequent travel (up to 12 weeks per year).

Key Responsibilities

Development and effective delivery of the Sudan strategy

• Following CAFOD’s Integral Ecology Programme Model, manage the effective development, resourcing, delivery, monitoring and review of the core programme strategy. In particular:
• Ensure that the projects and programmes in the strategy are consistent with CAFOD organisational identity (Vision/Mission/Values, ethos, strategy and priorities).
• Ensure application of programme quality standards, including safeguarding, dignity and inclusion, and integration;
• Oversee the effective management of our partnership portfolio, placing particular attention to the quality of the relationships with partners (As per standards from CAFOD’s Partnership Policy).
• Accountable for ensuring capacity strengthening processes are in place, and developing opportunities for more systematic learning and sharing among partners and within CAFOD;
• Provide oversight of and support to the management of projects and programmes.
• Ensure that CAFOD responds appropriately to humanitarian crises and requests for humanitarian support.

Internal and external representation

Act as the key/lead contact (can be delegated as appropriate) in Sudan, in relationships with the Catholic Church, Caritas and CIDSE sister agencies, UN, donors, and with national and international organisations, and relevant Governmental departments.

• In agreement with the Head of Region, act as the primary spokesperson internally and externally (e.g. media spokesperson; sign-off of communication/media-related material; etc) for CAFOD’s work in Sudan.
• Maximise opportunities for co-operation around programmes, humanitarian, advocacy and fundraising, with sister agencies and other relevant actors.
• Ensure that the Sudan team understands and acts upon organisational plans and priorities, and is proactively engaged with teams across CAFOD, and with supporter fundraising and communication processes.
• Participate in group and organisational fora and debates, contributing to direction setting, better understanding of organisational priorities, and stronger engagement with peers to facilitate learning and maximise opportunities across CAFOD.

Resource allocation, fundraising and finance management and accountability

• Overall budget responsibility and oversight, including plan, manage, and regularly review budgets (staffing, office, programme, donor) in line with CAFOD’s financial policies and procedures.
• Ensure that core and donor funds are used in the most effective and prudent way, demonstrating good stewardship and compliance.
• Ensure annual country/sub-regional, programme and/or project audits are undertaken as appropriate; in accordance with CAFOD’s financial guidelines; and in co-operation with the relevant finance teams.
• Ensure effective country/sub-regional engagement in supporter fundraising and communication processes.
• Ensure implementation and regular review of CAFOD’s funding strategy, including horizon scanning, networking and ensuring the country team is accessing and managing institutional funding in accordance with CAFOD’s strategic objectives, policies and procedures.

Risk management

• Ensure country-level risk analysis is undertaken and documented during IEPM Core Programme Development and review processes, with risk mitigation actions incorporated into annual plans. This includes risk analysis around safety, access, dignity, inclusion, gender and supply chain management.
• Ensure partner and donor funding risk management processes are undertaken in accordance with CAFOD policies and procedures.

Security management

• Undertake regular review of security risk, engaging with the relevant security co-ordination mechanisms.
• Ensure the Country Safety and Security Plan(s) are written, up-to-date and accessible
• Lead on staff security and safety (including in-country crisis management), ensuring all necessary policies and procedures are in place and followed.
• Act as primary security manager for visitors to the country/sub-regional programme.
• Oversee the management of the CAFOD office, including ensuring legal compliance, maintenance and protection/security of the building, assets and support systems.
• Ensure provision of on-the-ground support to visitors.

People management

• Lead, manage, develop and support the team / team managers / direct reports by championing our purpose and values through; building strong and safe working relationships, setting SMART objectives and conducting performance reviews, nurturing staff career development. Encouraging collaborative ways of working and aiding staff to be adaptable to change whilst engaging with the external and internal context.

Country office management

• Ensure legal compliance (e.g. CAFOD’s registration in-country; tax legislation, etc.), keeping documentation up-to-date and secure, and ensuring registration-related documentation is shared with relevant teams (e.g. International Operations Team and Finance);
• Oversee the management of CAFOD office, including maintenance and protection/security of the building, assets, policies and support systems. This includes computer software and hardware, vehicles, bank accounts and procurement.

Safeguarding

• Your role is responsible for ensuring that both you and your staff understand and implement minimums on programme quality into your work (related to safety, accessibility, dignity and inclusion) and that all safeguarding standards are upheld and reported on effectively.
• All CAFOD staff share responsibility to promote and maintain a strong safeguarding culture, including identifying the key actions they should take given their role and responsibilities.

Person Specification

Understanding our context

• Understanding Catholic identity: I recognise the intrinsic dignity of every person and the importance of contributing to the common good
• Understanding CAFOD: I understand, demonstrate and actively support CAFOD vision, mission and values and what we aim to achieve
• Understanding international development: I have an understanding of the nature and causes of world poverty and how it affects different individuals, groups and communities. I have in-depth knowledge of development, humanitarian and nexus strategies and experience in working with these in fragile settings.

Working together

• Managing ourselves: I am aware of my own development needs and take steps to address them. I am self-motivated, proactive and able to work independently
• Working with others: I embrace the culture of those we are working with to better understand their needs and perspectives
• Communicating: I actively listen to others; I keep colleagues informed of developments that may affect them. I have excellent communication skills and can articulate complex information to a range of audiences. I can represent the organisation with multiple stakeholders
• Looking outwards: I focus on how CAFOD can make a real difference to the lives of those in poor or marginalised communities

Making change happen

• Managing resources: I am clear about available resources and how they can be best used. I am careful in the use of resources, including other people’s time. I am experienced in the management of complex and demanding budgets.
• Achieving results: I have a clear sense of priorities. I keep focused on the work to be done. I have a track record of delivery in challenging circumstances.
• Managing our performance: I provide and seek regular constructive feedback on my performance
• Taking the lead: I take the lead in identifying solutions and making change happen. I lead my team by modelling expected behaviours. I demonstrate excellent leadership and management capabilities.

Job-specific competencies

1. Strong understanding and first-hand experience of effective and values-based partnership work between northern and southern organisations and communities.
2. Strong understanding and considerable experience of international development and humanitarian programme management and related quality standards.
3. Strong understanding of key country/sub-regional political, economic, developmental and humanitarian trends.
4. Strong understanding and first hand experience of institutional funding priorities in the country/sub-region, trends and donor conditions. Proven ability to build effective donor relationships.
5. Knowledge and first hand experience of strategic risk management, mitigation and escalation.
6. Proven experience of security management.
7. Strong financial management understanding and first-hand experience.
8. Ability and willingness to travel for approximately 12 weeks per year, sometimes at short notice and to areas of potential risk.

Desirable Criteria

• Previous work experience in Sudan.
• Working knowledge of Arabic (both written and verbal) is advantageous.

Safeguarding for Children and Vulnerable Adults

CAFOD recognises the personal dignity and rights of children and vulnerable adults, towards whom it has a special responsibility and a duty of care and respect. CAFOD, and all its staff and volunteers, undertake to do all in our power to create a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults and to prevent their physical, sexual or emotional abuse. CAFOD is committed to acting at all times in the best interests of children and vulnerable adults, seeing these interests as paramount. Any candidate offered a job with CAFOD will be expected to adhere to CAFOD’s Safeguarding policy and sign CAFOD’s Code of Behaviour as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents. This post involves contact with children, young people and vulnerable adults, or has responsibility for people who will be, and applicants will be subject to specific checks related to safeguarding issues. If based in the UK the post holder is required to present or obtain a Disclosure from the DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service). If the post is based outside the UK, the post holder will be subject to a different checking process.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references, and appropriate screening checks can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. CAFOD also participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By applying, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of, and consent to, these recruitment procedures.

Please click here for a full list of CAFOD’s Staff Benefits

Come and join us and help make a real difference in the lives of the world’s poorest communities.

CAFOD is an equal opportunities employer. Recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerables.

Tagged as: Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, Sudan