Head of Mission – CAR Maingo Project Full Time

HEAD OF MISSION – CAR MAINGO PROJECT – (3945)

Job Title

Head of Mission – CAR Maingo Project

Location

Central African Republic – CF (Primary)

Category

Programs

Date Needed By

10/3/2025

Program Description (Background)

Job Description

PROJECT SUMMARY

The successful candidate will be the International Medical Corps’ Head of Mission for the anticipated initiative on “implementing Safe Spaces for young women and Clubs for young men in the areas of the Human Capital and Empowerment of Women and Girls Project “Maïngo” in the prefectures of Vakaga, Ouham, and Bamingui-Bangoran.”

The project aims to improve access to essential health services, education, and employment opportunities that empower women and adolescent girls in targeted areas of the Central African Republic. This initiative is part of the Recovery and Peacebuilding Plan in the Central African Republic. Through this intervention, IMC proposes to implement safe spaces for young women and clubs for young men to offer integrated programs at the community and school level in the above target prefectures. Services include developing the behavioral and social life skills between young women and men; referral of beneficiaries to health services; increasing knowledge in reproductive health; providing grants that enable young women and men to start an income-generating activity; strengthening the capacities of communities and leaders for a change in social norms; helping to keep girls in school as long as possible, to delay early pregnancy, to space births, to increase the use of health services, and to improve the quality of relationships in the couples.

The position is contingent upon successful bidding and donor agreement.

JOB SUMMARY

The Head of Mission will apply their expertise and experience to realize the projects’ vision and strategy by providing leadership for the overall management, operations, and implementation of the project. This role will lead a diverse project team, implementing interventions in complex operational and security environments in CAR. The Head of Mission will serve as the primary liaison with key stakeholders, including managing relations with the donor and leading the relationship with the consortium members. This role will lead a senior team of technical and operational experts to ensure the project’s implementation is sufficiently supported and able to achieve project deliverables. The Head of Mission will coordinate closely with the organization’s global operational and program teams, as well as the relevant CAR Mission leadership.

The Head of Mission will provide sound leadership for the overall management of the project’s consortium, with technical and operational oversight, coordination, and support to all partners – ensuring a strong, successful, and productive collaboration across teams.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function with or without reasonable accommodation.

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Management

• Develop and execute overall project strategy, work plan and budget to achieve project results.
• Lead overall strategy, management, and operations for the project making key decisions, mitigate risks, and ensure the integrity of the project’s timely implementation.
• Lead and supervise the project’s senior team across all consortium members, including providing leadership and building capacity across core project staff.
• Lead technical and operational planning and strategic communications for the project.
• Provide technical direction for the development and adherence to the M/E and CLA plans for the successive phases of the project to capture expected performance and results.
• Lead regular reviews of deliverables, project practices, tools and achievements against programmatic targets and quality standards; integrate learning and adaptation for continuous performance improvement informed by an effective use of data.
• Lead the effective implementation of and adherence to all International Medical Corps’ policies and donor’s requirements across the project’s interventions.
• Ensure that contract, finance, and grants administration functions are in full compliance and are well supported with effective systems and procedures.

Senior Coordination and Representation

• As the project’s primary focal point, manage key relationships with all levels of relevant stakeholders (country field mission and donor), as well as required by the aims of the project.
• Represent the project within International Medical Corps’ global portfolio; facilitate and ensure internal cross-departmental support consistently meets the needs of the project and its team; cultivate and maintain positive working relationships with relevant International Medical Corps’ staff across relevant departments such as International Programs, QARI, Technical Unit, Grants and Contracts Managements, Global Communications, and more.

Consortium and Subawards Management

• Lead efforts for overall consortium management, ensuring oversight and support aligns with partner-specific needs, donor compliance, and implementation plans.
• Supervise the project’s Technical Leads, M/E Specialist and Accountant in the overall management of the subawards and quality control for partners’ deliverables.
• Responsible for overall relationship management with partners’ HQ and project-specific team members; cultivate and maintain positive and effective working relationships, serving as primary focal point for all consortium partners.

Human Resources Management

• Ensure that the project team is properly onboarded, roles and responsibilities are properly assigned, and the team is able to implement the agreed project deliverables.
• Develop support strategies for staff, foster teambuilding, and introduce principles of self-care.
• Provide supportive and constructive feedback and conduct regular performance appraisals.
• Ensure project staff adhere to and are supported by any established dotted-line supervision with broader departments.

Security and Conduct

• Provide leadership for the coordination of the project with the global and mission-level lead safety and security focal points; ensure that the project’s implementation strategies and risk mitigation approaches align with IMC’s safety and security plans.
• Contribute to the positive image and overall credibility of the project and organization, notably through adherence to the Code of Conduct and Ethics, including compliance with anti-harassment, safeguarding and PSEA policies.
• Ensure that team members are properly trained in security and conduct protocols and policies, put in place systems to support staff wellbeing, safety and security are in place, and measures to support accountability to beneficiaries are effectively integrated and prioritized throughout the project.

Perform other duties as assigned. The duties and responsibilities listed in this document are representative of the nature and level of work assigned and not necessarily all inclusive.

Job Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Typically, a BAC + 5 or more in the following fields: Social Sciences, Economic Sciences, Project Management or equivalent.
• Typically, 12+ years of relevant and progressive experience managing high-value, complex, multi-year, multi-partner projects implemented in international development and/or humanitarian settings, including at least 10 years in a senior-level position providing technical assistance and managerial oversight, having completed two (02) similar missions.
• Demonstrated experience designing and managing projects with focus in the technical areas of women’s empowerment, health, education or social protection.
• Experience in leading training sessions in behavioral and social life skills, and in health.
• Experience in academic tutoring programs or remedial courses.
• Experience in implementing Community Safe Spaces, Clubs and School Safe Spaces including community participation to change norms that hinder the empowerment of women and girls
• Proven experience cultivating and managing donors, international consortium partners and national health organizations.
• Experience providing technical direction, assistance, and oversight for project implementation, measuring performance against targets, as well as leading any necessary training and mentoring staff, partners, and key stakeholders.
• Experience leading and/or supporting capacity strengthening of local stakeholders in related technical areas.
• Demonstrated experience managing teams, employing both in-person and remote management approaches to supervision of staff in various locations.
• Strong leadership and management skills with proven ability to lead and motivate multidisciplinary and multicultural project teams.
• Proven strong consortium and partnership management skills.
• Demonstrated strategic thinking, creativity, acute problem solving, and analytical skills.
• Knowledge of foreign aid architecture, including humanitarian and development funding mechanisms.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written.
• Strong familiarity with World Bank rules and regulations, including monitoring related compliance and mitigating risks.
• Experience in the region.
• Fluency in written and spoken French required; language skills in CAR a plus.

Willingness and ability to travel to project sites in the assigned countries on occasion, including traveling to insecure environments, is required.

Additional Technical or Language Requirements

CODE OF CONDUCT

As applicable to this position, an individual must promote and encourage a culture of compliance and ethics throughout the organization and maintain a clear understanding of International Medical Corps’ and donor compliance and ethics standards and adheres to those standards. Staff are also responsible for preventing violations to our Code of Conduct and Ethics, which may involve Conflicts of Interest, Fraud, Corruption or Harassment. If you see, hear or are made aware of any violations to the Code of Conduct and Ethics or Safeguarding Policy, you have an obligation to report. If this is a supervisory position, one must set an example of ethical behavior through one’s own conduct and oversight of the work of others; ensure that those who report to you have sufficient knowledge and resources to follow the standards outlined in the Code of Conduct & Ethics; monitor compliance of the people you supervise; enforce the Code of Conduct & Ethics and International Medical Corps’ policies, including the Safeguarding Policy and the Protection from Harassment, Bullying and Sexual Misconduct in the Workplace Policy, consistently and fairly; support employees who in good faith raise questions or concerns.

SAFEGUARDING

It is all staff shared responsibility and obligation to safeguard and protect populations with whom we work, including adults who may be particularly vulnerable and children. This includes safeguarding from the following conduct by our staff or partners: sexual exploitation and abuse; exploitation, neglect, or abuse of children, adults at risk, or LGBTI individuals; and any form of trafficking in persons.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

International Medical Corps is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a veteran.

MISCONDUCT DISCLOSURE SCHEME

All offers of employment at International Medical Corps are subject to satisfactory references and background checks. International Medical Corps participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme from the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response (SCHR). In accordance with this, we will request information from an applicant’s 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 submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Tagged as: Central African Republic, International Medical Corps