Head of Mission – Sudan Full Time NEW

Job Title: Head of Mission

Function: Management

Job Group: Senior Leadership

Duty Station: Darfur with significant travel

Line Manager: Executive Director

Line Management: In-Country Senior Management Team

Position Type: Full-time

ABOUT US

Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) is a dynamic, international non-governmental organisation. We work with people affected by violent conflicts to enhance their security and dignity through Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP). We work to reduce violence, protect civilians in countries affected by violent conflict and its aftermath, and help transform the world’s response to conflict situations.

JOB PURPOSE

NP is re-establishing and scaling up its country programme in Sudan following the disruption caused by the conflict that erupted in early 2023. Originally launched in 2022, NP’s work in Sudan focuses on strengthening the safety and security of conflict-affected communities in North Darfur, South Kordofan, and the Eastern Region.

Through Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP), NP partners with local communities to prevent violence and promote positive peace. Our programming builds community capacity in nonviolent self-protection, including protective accompaniment and presence, community-led safety initiatives, conflict de-escalation, and early warning and response mechanisms. With secured multi-year funding, this phase offers an exciting opportunity to shape a renewed and sustainable civilian protection programme.

ABOUT YOU

You are a passionate and experienced leader, with demonstrated experience in the humanitarian sector preferably related to protection of civilians which lies at the heart of NP’s mission. You are ready to live and work in a hardship location (Darfur), be flexible with travel and bring sound judgment and solid experience in complex risk management. You excel at connecting with people across diverse backgrounds and building trust. You have proven experience representing organizations with high-level authorities, donors ,media, and local communities.

You are skilled at ensuring operational and administrative systems effectively support successful programme delivery and you thrive in complex and rapidly changing humanitarian environments. A creative and solution-oriented leader, you can guide and motivate a team that is rapidly scaling up in multiple locations, ensuring the balance between programmatic demands and delivery with staff wellbeing.

As Head of Mission, you will be a member of the Global Senior Leadership Team, contributing to strategic direction and organizational development. This is an exceptional opportunity to lead a dynamic and growing country programme at a pivotal moment for Sudan and NP’s global mission.

KEY OBJECTIVES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Commitment to NP Principles

a) Demonstrate a commitment to NP’s mandate and principles
b) Maintain a positive image of the organization
c) All NP employees are expected to work in accordance with the organization’s guiding principles:

• Nonviolence
• Process-oriented
• Redemption and Healing
• Direct Action
• Independence
• Pluriversality
• Radical Connection
• Non-partisanship
• Accountability

These principles and beliefs shall guide our actions and relationships in protecting civilians in violent conflicts through unarmed strategies

Strategic development

• Maintain and communicate a coherent strategy for the long-term development of the mission, based on NP’s Strategic Plan and in alignment with NP’s core programming.
• Contribute to strategic thinking on NP’s potential role in the region, factoring this into NP’s strategy for the area of operations

Programme Implementation & Development

• Accountable for effective programme delivery, management, and monitoring, evaluation and learning.
• Coordinate with the Programme Development staff to identify new funding sources and negotiate funding opportunities to support programme implementation.
• Ensure that secured donor contracts and income are managed effectively and efficiently, in compliance with donor requirements and NP policies and procedures.

Representation, Advocacy & Donor Relations

• Cultivate donor relations to secure funding and strengthen NP’s positive reputation.
• Represent NP in coordination and advocacy fora, with agencies, government officials, UN representatives, local authorities and partners.
• Provide direction for in-country and regional advocacy work while contributing to NP’s global advocacy initiatives.

Safety and Security

• Ensure due diligence and compliance with NP’s Risk Management Plan, including final decision-making in-country security matters.
• Ensures that the Situational Analysis, Risk Register and Risk Mitigation Strategies are updated quarterly- or more frequently as the context requires.
• Reviews and approves Mission Specific Security Assessments prior to team deployments.
• Lead the Country Management Crisis Team in the event of an emergency.
• Responsible to report, in real-time, all security incidents to the Executive Director.

Financial & Operational Management

• Ensure legal compliance in all operational areas.
• Accountable for the management and reporting of financial resources and assets.
• Provide budget oversight, coordinating with program and finance staff to monitor expenditure and ensure appropriate burn rates.
• Approve expenses and ensure shared costs are appropriated allocated.
• Closely monitor potential funding shortfalls with finance/grants management and ensure corrective action undertaken as necessary.
• Oversee procurement, logistics, HR and administrative processes are implemented in compliance with NP’s policies and donor contracts.

Personnel Management

• Directly manages members of the in-country Senior Management Team (SMT)
• Lead recruitment processes, ensuring diversity and inclusion in alignment with NP’s principles and values.
• Communicate effectively, support and develop staff, provide constructive feedback, and adapt leadership style to achieve successful outcomes.
• Lead the in-country staff welfare committee, providing a mechanism for feedback and contributing to NP’s global staff welfare initiatives.

Other

• Serve as an active participant in NP’s global Senior Management Team
• Any other tasks as delegated by the line manager

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

Education, Knowledge and Experience

• Relevant university degree or higher education, preferably in management, social sciences or international development; or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum seven years of leadership and management experience.
• Experience as a senior manager in a complex emergency context, including security management.
• Demonstrated experience engaging with state, local, civil, and armed actors.
• Proven ability to work independently and solve problems in remote, challenging locations.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to analyse conflict, security and political contexts.

Skills

Independent Judgment/Analytical:

• Ability to set priorities, solve problems and analyse data.
• Discretion in handling sensitive information.
• Strong conflict analysis skills, with the ability to identify entry points and design prevention and protection strategies.
• Ability to work under pressure, independently and with limited supervision.

Interpersonal:

• Results oriented and solutions focused.
• Strong communication and leadership skills; able to motivate teams and work effectively in multicultural environments.
• Creative problem solver, skilled at building relationships across diverse actors including government, community leaders, military, police and non-state actors.
• Genuine commitment to living and working at the community level.
• Flexible and adaptable to changing contexts, both professionally and personally.

Language:

• Fluency in English, both written and spoken, required.
• Knowledge of Arabic is an asset

Information Technology:

• Good skills in Microsoft Office applications. Hardware IT skills an asset

Other Specialized Requirements

• Frequent travel to field sites, including areas with limited communications access.
• Ability to manage and make decisions in complex security environments where conditions can change rapidly.

SPECIAL NOTICE

Nonviolent Peaceforce is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against based on disability.

Nonviolent Peaceforce acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of employees, contractors, volunteers, interns, communities we work with, and other stakeholders and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities and government guidance and complies with best practices in the Humanitarian and Development sector.
NP expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We prioritise ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. NP 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 submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

NO FEE

We never ask for payment as part of our selection process, and we always contact candidates via our corporate accounts and platforms. If you are approached for payment, this is likely to be fraudulent. Please check whether the role you are interested in is posted here on our website.

Tagged as: Nonviolent Peaceforce, Sudan