Near East Foundation – Country Director, Jordan & Syria

Country Director, Jordan & Syria

About Near East Foundation (NEF)

The Near East Foundation (NEF) is seeking candidates for a Country Director – Jordan and Syria to be based in its regional office in Amman, Jordan. For over 100 years, NEF has worked to build more sustainable, prosperous, and inclusive communities in the Middle East and Africa through education, governance, and economic development initiatives. Working through a network of country offices and local partners, NEF currently operates in ten countries.

Role: Country Director, Jordan & Syria

Location: Amman, Jordan

Salary: Depending on the type of contract (local or international), starting from 100,000USD plus generous benefits package.

The Role Job Summary

The Country Director is a key member of the Near East Foundation team. The Country Director is responsible for the effective management and implementation of NEF projects in Jordan and Syria. Working within NEF’s regional program structure, the Country Director will lead a team of technical and project management specialists in project delivery. The Country Director is responsible for overall leadership, administration, operations oversight, and management of the activity.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall team management, technical direction, administrative coordination, and financial and operations oversight;

• Recruitment of direct reports and coordination of all hires of non-direct reports in accordance with NEF’s policies and guidelines;

• Serve as the primary project representative and contact point for donor representatives;

• Work collaboratively with the project team and partners and coordinate closely to develop overall project strategy and direction and to develop and implement annual program work plans and performance milestones plans;

• Work closely with the NEF program development team and other NEF teams to ensure a smooth and rapid start-up of programs when needed;

• Oversee the timely and quality completion of all program technical and financial deliverables and reports (including quarterly, annual, and M&E reports) in accordance with funding agreement and guidelines;

• Leading project(s) changes including realignment of activities, budgets, and extensions when required;

• Adapt management systems in line with NEF standard operating procedures;

• Ensuring the safety and duty of care of staff as well as the security and appropriate use of project and NEF assets;

• Ongoing communication with project stakeholders (both internal and external) regarding project progress and challenges;

• Maintaining a positive working relationship with relevant government offices in Jordan on behalf

of NEF. The Country Director is NEF’s point of contact with line ministries in Jordan;

• Representing NEF in all relevant working groups personally or by delegating relevant staff; maintaining a strong engagement with development and other relevant aid communities;

• Assessing the implementation context, assumptions and changes in the operating environment to ensure that project/s focus, strategies and activities remain relevant, and recommend changes when required;

• Fostering open and transparent communication with Headquarters to ensure consistent information sharing and support;

• Ensuring that country-level programs are in alignment with NEF’s goals and strategic plan;

• Providing strategic leadership and motivational support to the country team/s through orientations, regular supervision, regular team meetings, learning and reflection events and an effective management of assessment plans and accountability goals;

• Contributing and/or leading business development and proposal writing for project expansion, transition and sustainability;

• Contributing to the design, expansion and diversification of NEF’s program in Jordan and Syria through effective engagement with donors and other relevant actors;

• Other duties as assigned.

Candidate Profile

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant fields of study;

• 10 years minimum of relevant work experience with development organizations;

• Proven track record in project management, project planning, implementation and oversight, including managing budgets;

• Working knowledge of the Jordan and Syria contexts including knowledge of relevant INGO coordination efforts;

• Experience in managing multi-donor-funded programs;

• Experience in effective people and team management, including implementation of code of conduct, safeguarding and anti-corruption measures;

• Experience in managing the safety of staff and assets;

• Understanding of the concepts behind, and practical application of, humanitarian and development codes and standards such as the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability;

• Fluency in English is essential; excellent verbal and written communication skills;

• Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment and with flexibility; to perform duties under pressure and meet deadlines in a timely manner; to work as part of a team complete assignments independently; to take instructions and criticism constructively; to exercise problem-solving skills; and to interact with co-workers, partners, donors and the public in a professional and pleasant manner.

• Ability to pass a comprehensive pre-employment background check.

Preferred

• Basic knowledge of conversational Arabic;

• Master’s degree in a relevant discipline;

• Experience working in similar humanitarian and/or development contexts outside of Jordan and/or Syria;

• Experience in inclusive finance, microfinance, or inclusive economic systems;

• Knowledge of blended finance mechanisms.

How to Apply

All correspondence, at this stage, should be via Oxford HR. To apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button on the job advert page, complete our online application form, and submit your CV and cover letter. Please provide a CV and cover letter in two different documents, which should be prepared before applying as they will be considered in the application process. The cover letter should be no more than two pages long and explain why you are interested in this post and how your skills and experience make you a good fit.

The document should be saved in PDF in the following format: Your First NameYour Last Name-Document Name-Date (mmyy) e.g., Pat-Jones-CV-112022-NEF or Pat-Jones-CoverLetter-112022-NEF.

Timeline

Closing Date: 16 January 2023

First stage interviews: 8–10 February 2023

Selection Process

All candidates will receive an update regarding their application after the closing date. We advise candidates to add the role email to their safe senders list and regularly check their spam folder.

Equality Statement

Equality and diversity are at the core of Near East Foundation (NEF) values. Staff are expected to work collectively and individually to promote a constructive and sensitive approach to others from a variety of backgrounds, where the work of others is valued and respected.

Queries

If you have any queries on any aspect of the appointment process, need additional information, or would like to have an informal discussion, please email at near-east-foundation-country-director@oxfordhr.com in the first instance.

About Oxford HR

Oxford HR operates globally - mainly within the international development and charity sectors. We carry out retained executive search mandates at board and senior management levels. We also offer human resource and organisational development consultancy.

Oxford HR has many years of experience in search as well as an extensive network of international development, social sector, corporate, public sector, and academic contacts from across the world. We carry out comprehensive and often international searches designed to meet the specific needs of our client.