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Search for Common Ground is looking for a Country Director to steer its program and operations in DRC, as well as lead on fundraising, strategic orientation, and donor relations. DRC is Search for Common Ground’s largest country program in terms of revenue, portfolio, staffing and geographical reach. This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic leader with experience managing conflict transformation, governance or human rights programming in fragile contexts.

About Acción contra el Hambre in Syria

Acción Contra el Hambre is the Spanish branch of Action Against Hunger, an international non-governmental, private, apolitical, non-religious and non-profit organization created in 1979. Its goal is to combat hunger and dangerous situations that threaten men, women, and children. Currently, 500 ex-pats and more than 5 000 employees are working for Action Against Hunger in more than 46 countries in projects concerning four areas of focus: nutrition, health, food security, and water and sanitation.

When violent conflict broke out in Syria in 2011, Action Against Hunger’s teams pivoted to provide emergency support for the thousands displaced by the country’s growing civil war, ensuring that displaced families have access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as overseeing the distribution of emergency hygiene kits, and building latrines. Action Against Hunger’s teams remain committed to helping displaced families, both within Syria and in the neighboring countries to which so many Syrians have fled. 

About the Role

The Senior Partnership Manager is accountable to the Country Director. They will have five to six direct reports, including the Partnership Financial Controller, Compliance Coordinator, MEAL Coordinator, and a Deputy Partnership Manager. The Senior Partnership Manager is responsible for the coordination with partners in Syria to ensure program implementation while being the main liaison between the organization and the donor 

Purpose of the Role

The Senior Partnership Manager oversees the overall implementation and coordination of multiple program management. The duties include project cycle management, supervision of the technical, logistical and financial aspects of the program, HR management, context development monitoring, and external relations.

Duties and Responsibilities

Funding Implementation and Coordination of Partners 

• Provide managerial, organizational and technical leadership to ensure the program’s implementation is on schedule, on budget, well-coordinated on the ground, and in compliance with American/European rules and regulations. 
• In coordination with mission departments, ensure that the organization fulfills its obligations under the program agreement and ensure timely budget allocations and instructions to partners. 
• Use monitoring and evaluation (M&E) data and feedback to make strategic adjustments to the program work plan. 
• Promote and ensure the functioning of a MEAL system that feeds back into the planning process. 
• Ensure that partners establish beneficiary feedback mechanisms for all sectors, locations, partners, and activities and comply with the Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse requirements and implementation plan. 
• Develop and follow up on a risk management analysis and continuously promote the adoption of the needed mitigation measures and compliance controls. 
• Lead the programs’ technical teams and provide technical assistance. 
• Ensure continuous and priority focus to the Emergency Response and Rapid Response Mechanism. 
• Ensure the expansion of market assessments in target locations associated with local procurements. 
• Promote information exchange among the partners and with the donor agency.
• Lead the establishment of the Program Technical Unit (CTU)/working groups and actively participate in the elaboration of ToRs and action plans. 
• Establish the Steering Committee (CSC), lead it and report on a regular basis on progress to CSC on behalf of the CTU.
• Represent the partners in front of the donor, the necessary coordination bodies (at regional and international level, as required) and internal/external audit, third party monitoring and controls. 

Coordination of Members

• Providing safety and security information to all partners in order to maximize information sharing. 
• Monitor the evolution of the context, its impact on implementation and activity progress. 
• Contribute to the context analysis to AAH’s mission monthly sitrep development and exchange with the partners and donor agency. 
• Gather information about new challenges, limitations, discuss the possible solutions in the country and share within the multiple members. 

Management and Supervision of the Program Coordination Team  

• Motivate staff through ongoing communication, team-building incentives, and regular feedback. 
• Coordinate and follow up on activity planning of all the Programme Coordination Team’s members. 
• Participate actively in the Mission Coordination meetings, and in the HQ (when requested). 
• Supervise and participate in the Programme Coordination team recruitment, set their priorities and workplan, overview their daily routine and specific objectives and tasks delivery, and evaluate their overall performance. 

Compliance and Reporting

• Ensure all financial, logistical and administrative requirements from donors are fulfilled by all members. 
• Ensure timely reporting to the mission, partners and donor agency. 
• Draft and finalize any possible amendments, communication messages to the partners and donor’s agency, and ensure clear communication channels with partners and within the mission. 

Skills and Experience

Education and previous experience

• University degree in International Affairs or any relevant Sciences.
• Minimum 5 years in INGO senior management/coordination level. 
• Fluency in English required, Arabic language skills beneficial. 

Technical knowledge

• Knowledge of Major Donors’ guidelines and regulations. 
• Strong networking and representational skills. 
• Strong coordination and organizational planning, as well as team management and leadership. 
• Knowledge of AAH technical areas of work is desirable. 
• Logistics and administration of humanitarian organizations. 
• Experience in Project Cycle Management, and in data analysis and reporting. 
• Security management in complex security contexts.
• The capacity to act as a spokesperson.

Humanitarian sector knowledge

• Experience in the identification, negotiation, and management of emergency response projects.
• Humanitarian diplomacy, negotiations skills for conflict environments.

Organization knowledge

• General knowledge of the organization
• Effective and efficient implementation of multiple concurrent activities.
• Can work under pressure and in complex environments.