Country Director

Your mission

We are looking for an experienced, strategic leader with excellent networking, fundraising and people skills

Our Organisation

War Child Alliance (WCA) is a dynamic organization. We try to keep an informal ambiance within our office, with a lot of room for creativity, inspiration and self-initiative from employees. We practice what we preach: dynamic, innovative, integrity focused, and a drive to reach the highest possible results against the lowest possible costs. War Child offers a challenging job in an inspiring workplace.

Your Challenge
You will lead the development and implementation of the Country Strategy in line with War Child’s global strategy and relevant to the local context. This includes responsibility for financial health of country operations, security, team management and external representation. The Country Director is ultimately responsible for quality programme implementation, partnership management, and programme sustainability.

Against the background of significantly reduced funding into the aid sector, driving a need for INGOs to reimagine their role and ways of working, the CD will be responsible for bringing this reimagination process to life within the DRC operation, in a manner that involves staff and local actors. The DRC conflict as escalated significantly over the last few months. The CD will be required to demonstrate leadership in adapting the country programme to the changing context in line with the Global strategy.
The DRC is one of our growing operations as need increases and the CD will lead a process that brings more local actors/capacities into the operation and mobilise resources for a programme that reaches more children directly and indirectly.

The Country Director reports to the Regional Director and you will directly manage the DRC country Management team (CMT).

What you will do

• Lead strategy and planning: Lead the participatory development and updating of the country strategy and annual plans, and oversee the implementation, reviewing, and monitoring of the strategy and plan in line with the War Child Global Strategy while reflecting on the regional nature of the DRC conflict and working with other country teams in the Great Lakes region to ensure coordinated responses
• Manage programme delivery: Oversee high-quality, sustainable programming tailored to the local context.
• Develop partnerships: Build strong strategic partnerships and effective relationships with government agencies, local and international non-governmental organizations, and donors to ensure holistic, integrated, quality, and sustainable programs scaling of evidence based interventions as the center of the process.
• Drive fundraising efforts: Strengthen existing relationships and build new relationships with strategic partners and donors aiming at institutional fundraising.
• Represent War Child externally: Represent WCA in coordination platforms, meetings and events.
• Ensure security oversight: Overall responsible for security management, ensuring continuous context monitoring, risk analysis, regular updating of security plans, security decision making and incident management as needed.
• Oversee operations: Oversee and ensure that HR, Logistics, Supply and Finance management is carried out in accordance with local laws, WCA policies and procedures and applicable donor guidelines.
• Promote strong leadership: Foster and develop effective leadership within the country office, and a work culture that promotes staff well-being and creates space for staff participation in decision making.
• Uphold integrity and ethics: Promote and uphold the War Child Integrity Framework and "Do No Harm" principles, aiming at strong awareness and respect by War Child staff and partners of all relevant policies and principles in this regard.

Your profile

• Extensive leadership experience: An experienced and inspiring leader;
• Humanitarian background: At least 15 years relevant experience in an international/humanitarian context of which 8 years in a senior management position (e.g. as Representative or Country director);
• Experience in security management and context analyses;
• Experience in the Africa region, especially in conflict affected settings
• Crisis management experience: Experience in a similar/unstable and/or insecure environment;
• Team leadership in low-resource settings: Proven experience in working with diverse teams in a low resource environment;
• Relevant academic background e.g. psychology, pedagogy, community development, social sciences, international relations;
• Thematic expertise (preferred): Familiarity/qualification in any of our key thematic areas is an advantage;
• Local partnerships: Experience in working with local partners and preferably in our field of expertise;
• Financial oversight skills: Experience in financial management (including management of multiple grants);
• Multilingual communication: Fluency in English and French is an absolute must; preference for additional languages such as Swahili, Arabic;
• Strong interpersonal skills: Strong problem solving and social skills;
• Mission alignment: Proven affinity with War Child’s mandate;
• Regional preference: Preference for local or regional candidates

What we offer

• Location : DRC - Goma
• Contract type: Local contract, salary grid and Terms & Conditions will apply. Expats will be offered an expat package.
• Contract duration: War Child Alliance will offer a 1 year contract with the intention to prolong into an open ended contract depending on mutual agreement and performance.
• Working hours: Full time, 40 hours per week.
• It is an unaccompanied role.
• Professional Development: Opportunities for capacity building and growth, both within the role and through War Child’s broader network.
• Meaningful Impact: The chance to make a tangible difference in the lives of children and families affected by conflict, contributing to long-term, sustainable change.
• Equal Opportunities: War Child is an inclusive employer committed to diversity and inclusion, respecting all individuals regardless of age, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, or physical ability.
• Workplace Culture: War Child is dedicated to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace that prioritizes safety and fairness for all individuals. We strictly prohibit any form of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying within our organization

Why You Should Apply

• Make a Real Impact: Your work will directly contribute to providing quality education to children who need it most, creating lasting change in their lives.
• Career Growth: Join a dynamic organization that values your professional development and offers opportunities for learning, growth, and innovation.
• Global Reach: Play a key role in scaling a ground-breaking programme that operates in multiple conflict-affected regions around the world.
• Collaborative and Mission-Driven: Work alongside passionate colleagues and partners united in a mission to protect children and help them thrive despite adversity**.**

How to apply

Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit their applications by May 13,2025. We are reviewing submissions on a rolling basis, so early applications are strongly recommended.
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By submitting your application you certify that all of the statements made in your application are true, complete, and correct and are made in good faith. You understand that falsifying, misrepresenting or intentionally withholding information will be grounds for rejection of your application or withdrawal of any offer of appointment or, if an appointment offer has been accepted, this will be ground for employment sanctions, such as, but not limited to, instant dismissal. In addition, you understand that you need to submit a Criminal Record Certificate and that, if you fail to submit it, no employment relationship can be established.

War Child is an international organisation, and we are committed to be a diverse and inclusive employer, placing human and child rights at the centre of our existence and work. We hire our new colleagues based on their talents, competences and shared values; we do not distinguish them based on their age, gender and gender identity, race, color, ethnicity, religion, culture, sexual orientation, disability etc.

The safety of children and youth is a paramount and essential to War Child’s work. War Child has a zero tolerance policy towards any form of abuse. To prevent placing children and youth at any risk this subject is addressed in our recruitment and selection procedures. Moreover, the accepted candidates will be required to state their commitment/ intent to be aware, consider and adhere to the minimum standards applicable in development and humanitarian settings, such as humanitarian values and principles, Sphere Humanitarian Charter, Standards in the Humanitarian Standards Partnership, Core Humanitarian Standard, International Humanitarian Law, Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Disaster Relief and IASC Six Core Principles Relating to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

Disclaimer

• Only applications received via our website are processed.
• If we appoint a suitable candidate before the given closing date, we reserve the right to remove the vacancy from our website before that date. In such a case, any responses received after that time are not processed.
• It could be that during our selection process the closing date for the vacancy is extended. If so, and you have not yet heard from us, your application will remain active.

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About us
The War Child Alliance is an international non-governmental organization committed to providing psychosocial support, child protection, youth empowerment programming and quality education to the children affected by armed conflict. We implement evidence-based interventions to empower key stakeholders—including governments, educators, caregivers, and communities—to foster children’s wellbeing, education, and self-determination. War Child has a presence in 19 countries: Jordan, Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territory, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, Colombia, Burundi, DR Congo, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Uganda, Ukraine, Germany, Sweden, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Learn more about War Child and our programmes https://www.warchild.net/

Safeguarding
War Child is committed to humanitarian values, standards and norms and we expect the same from job applicants. War Child is especially committed to safeguarding the children and youth we support and doesn’t tolerate any form of abuse. Because we want to prevent and deter any actions that place children and youth at risk, conduct references are an important part of our recruitment procedure. As part of the selection process, War Child will request standardized references in accordance with the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and a recent Criminal Records statement.
The safety of children is essential to War Child. War Child does not tolerate or accept any form of abuse. This subject is addressed in our recruitment and selection procedures.