Country Manager Senegal

Job Title:                                             Country Manager

Location:                                             Dakar, Senegal (on sight, remote work not possible)

Eligibility:                                            Senegalese citizens, or residents with valid residence and work permit

Contract duration:                              Full-time Permanent position

Report to:                                             Program & Impact Director

Starting date:                                      1^st of December

DRS is looking, on behalf of our client, an INGO, for a skilled Country Manager to play a crucial part in the Social Innovation Ecosystem Development and organizational growth and be part of the extended leadership team with other Country Managers. The specialist will report directly to Program & Impact Director and be responsible, in line with the overall long-term strategy for the organization, for strengthening our work, visibility, and impact, including increasing INGO relevance in Senegal and other Sub-Saharan African countries. This will include leading and developing the strategy and managing the operations in Senegal, and with the rest of the Global Management Team, be an active contributor to our overall strategy. The role can be considered similar to an Executive Director at a local level, and it is therefore required to act as a governance guardian and comply with local and global policies.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

1. Strategy, Program, and Ecosystem Development
   • Developing and implementing a locally relevant country strategy in line with the strategic plans and regional priorities to achieve the maximum social impact for social entrepreneurs, children, and youth.
   • Cultivate, develop and grow partnerships and widen INGO’s funding base (with existing and new partners) by developing and executing win-win collaborations together with our central partnership and fundraising team.
   • Continuing to build and promote a collaborative culture and efficient sharing of resources across teams, primarily with central functions, but also with the rest of the organization where cross-collaboration has been agreed.
   • Accelerating INGO’s impact on specific pressing and emerging issues in Senegal is in line with our long-term strategy for the organization.
   • Increasing INGO’s visibility in Senegal by proactively identifying and leveraging communication opportunities to build thought leadership around relevant issues.
2. People & Project Management
   • Work Leading the day-to-day work and long-term planning to achieve the country’s strategy and objectives and creating a positive atmosphere by inspiring others toward a common vision and fostering trust and ethical behavior. This will include team management, facilitation, and recruitment.
   • Project management of core projects and overall oversight of all programs & projects led by in-country Program and Project Managers, including overseeing and supporting in the planning of deliverables from direct reports and, at times, working on direct project management and execution.
   • Bring inspiration, energy, and excitement to the team and encourage everyone to reach their full potential while working in a very flexible team where we help each other.
   • Managing the budget and ensuring all financial and auditing processes are complied with and the operations run efficiently and effectively.
   • Leading the INGO’s operations and programs in Senegal to unleash the power of social entrepreneurship and innovation to create a better world for children and youth, in keeping with the organization's long-term strategy.
3. Reporting, Communication, and other responsibilities
   • Set Managing the monitoring and reporting of the progress of the local operations and program, and contributing to our processes to build, measure, and learn for continuously improving our impact.
   • Strengthening the organization’s networks in Senegal, with a focus on potential partners, the social entrepreneurship and child rights sector, and key opinion leaders.
   • Reporting to the Program & Impact Director and our CEO based in Sweden and providing recommendations for review of the Global Management Team and Board.

Qualifications and competencies:

Education

• Minimum Bachelor's degree in social sciences; Master's degrees are preferred.
• Fluent in English and French; possessing any other local languages is considered an asset.

Experience

• Minimum 5+ years of progressively responsible leadership or management positions, with a distinguished record of relevant accomplishments in the non-profit sector and/or business sector;
• Minimum 3 years of experience in fundraising or business development positions with demonstrated experience successfully fundraising for a non-profit from foundations and institutions. Experience from corporates, high-net-worth individuals, and the general public is a plus;
• Experience with effectively allocating resources;
• Experience in preparation, writing, and submission of high-quality proposals and reports, as well as extensive communication with donors, the central INGO functions, and partners;
• Proven track record of success in representing an organization with partners, government agencies, private sector organizations, media, and donors nationally and globally;
• Demonstrated ability to work sensitively with diverse people, cultures, and communities;
• Knowledge and experience of local ecosystem structure as well as the legal and political environment.

Competencies

• Evidence of being an entrepreneurial and strategic leader who is passionate about social change;
• A professional and resourceful style, the ability to work independently and as a team player, to take the initiative, and to manage multiple, sometimes conflicting priorities;
• Ability to see both the micro and macro perspective in terms of executing the global strategy into the local strategy;
• Ability to prioritize during conflicting periods of tight deadlines and follow through to deliver on time both in one’s own work and in teams;
• Ability to oversee and effectively manage financial resources and ensure financial sustainability, assess potential funders and partners and lead scan with critical thinking, and ability to work cooperatively to build networks and satisfy the needs of internal and external stakeholders;
• Tangible experience of having expanded and cultivated existing funding relationships;
• Ability to construct, articulate, and implement an annual strategic fundraising plan; Knowledge of or experience working with social innovations, entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurship development;
• Knowledge of current thinking and practices in the field of social entrepreneurship and the social sector in Senegal is a strong plus;
• Sensitive to cross-cutting issues and approaches such as gender, child protection, accountability, resilience, inclusion, and behavior change.

Skills:

• Effective team & people management and strong leadership skills;
• Strong organizational, time, and project management skills with attention to detail and deadlines;
• Ability to analyze local problems and pressing issues and able to contextualize our solution to them;
• Good IT skills and familiarity with Google Suite, MS Office, and remote, cross-functional online working;
• Ability to understand and use web-based applications and platforms;
• A collaborative “can do” attitude and a desire for continuous improvement;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, ability to influence and engage a wide range of funders and influencers and build long-term relationships - the holder of this post must develop and nurture relationships across a wide spectrum of stakeholders (Government, Donors, INGOs, and local NGOs, academic bodies, private sector entities and relevant local civil society, etc.).

Applications and updated CV should be submitted to m.gordeladze@developmentaid.org, under the title: DRS 11299 (ref. number). Due to the high number of applications received via DevelopmentAid website, we can reply to shortlisted candidates only. Please note that the above requirements can be modified during the recruitment process according to client's procedures.