Description

Position Title: Country Director 
Location / department: Armenia – Yerevan with travel to project sites
Length of contract: 12 months, with 3 months trial period. Possibility to renew. Mission East is seeking candidates with an interest in long-term commitment, in keeping with its development approach in Armenia 
Responsible to: Desk Officer Armenia located in Brussels
Line Management of: Country Office Staff of 14 in Yerevan and Management of visiting consultants.
Position Type: This is a position for an Armenian national only.

Background    
Mission East, founded in Denmark in 1991, is an international NGO, carrying out relief and development programmes in Eastern Europe and Asia. Mission East has been working in Armenia since 1992 initially implementing relief projects and then in improvement of healthcare facilities. Since 1997 the focus has been largely on children & youth with disability, developing rehabilitative care, inclusive education, and vocational education.  Lately, Mission East is also involved in projects to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS, maximizing labour migrants’ involvement in local development and in assisting Syrian refugees in Armenia. The position of Country Director provides an opportunity to work with a dynamic and diverse team in a variety of projects in special needs, inclusive education and migrant/ refugee sectors as well as supervising Mission East in its management function on a Global Fund HIV/AIDS programme. The successful candidate will be an experienced leader qualified to support an increasing developmental programming approach in a sensitive environment. More information on Mission East can be found at: www.miseast.org and for Mission East Armenia: http://www.miseast.org/armenien/armenia-dk-page 

Overall responsibility
As Country Director you will be responsible for the Mission East staff and programmes in Armenia. 
Responsibilities include: the design and implementation of the programme in line with Mission East organisational and country strategy; the management of donors and NGO liaison in country; the development of country strategy. You will continue to develop a high level of partnership with local NGOs, government and business. In addition you will be responsible for sourcing funding in close coordination with Mission East Headquarters, and for managing in-country donor relationships. 

Key tasks and responsibilities 
Strategic Leadership
- Update and maintain Mission East Armenia country strategy, identifying trends and developments, new areas of project involvement, and new donors to support strategic direction.  
- Oversee needs assessments and project evaluations.

Liaison
- Appropriate and detailed liaison with other NGOs, donors, and governmental officials, for excellent coordination and representation.
- Ensure that Mission East’s programming conforms with governmental strategies and Armenian law; and collaborates/ coordinates with government programmes where possible.

Fundraising and Communication
- Seek external and in-country funding for current and potential new projects and programs, including Diaspora networks
- Personally follow up on key stakeholders, big donors, understand and influence their decision making.
- Lead fundraising campaigns in Armenia including social media and website, in close coordination with Mission East Headquarters.

Project/Program Management and Development
- Coordinate proposal design and writing 
- Assume overall responsibility for success of Mission East projects and programs.
- Oversee needs assessments for new projects, and assessment / identification of project partners.
- Oversee monitoring and evaluation of projects, recommending modifications and new activities.
- Visit project sites on a regular basis and support good practice in community liaison and participatory development methodologies appropriate to Armenian context.

Reporting
- Hold responsibility for internal reporting and communications as per Mission East requirements and procedures.  
- Ensure timely delivery of quality reporting to donors and external partners as appropriate, including narratives, budgets, work plans.

Staff Management
- Line management of key staff (the operational team including the Project Co-ordinators, Finance manager, HR/Administration coordinator, national support staff), including staff development
- Conducting staff performance appraisals and oversight of performance management.
- Participate in determination of ongoing/future staff requirements and recruitment processes, ensuring compliance with ME policy.

Health & Safety and Security Management
- To be responsible for the safety and security of all national and international staff.
- Oversee security and Health/Safety management system in Armenia.
- Lead security planning and field security management.
- Oversee awareness and implementation of Mission East security policy and procedures through field staff, including regular risk assessments.
- Oversee awareness and implementation of Mission East health and safety policy

Selection Criteria
The successful candidate will have demonstrable leadership experience and will be able to prove a track record of securing programme funding and a strategic involvement in development work cooperating with different local partners and government entities.

Qualifications required 
Education should be of degree level or higher, preferably in the social sciences or development.

Experience required
Experience in an international relief or development setting, preferably with a non-governmental organisation and in a range of sectors relevant to Mission East Armenia portfolio. This should include senior management experience and must include management of staff, project planning and implementation, and budget management. 
Experience in securing funding through donor liaison, preparation of large development project proposals, including budgets, log-frames, and work plans.
Experience of fundraising through social media and website development is an asset.
Leadership experience in a humanitarian/development NGO setting, including strategy development and coordination
Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills to negotiate and work with foreign experts, managers, government officials, national staff, other non-governmental staff, community elders etc.

Necessary Skills and Competencies
Leadership and personal impact with demonstrated capacity to motivate and influence others
Familiar with marketing techniques
Demonstrated capacities to raise funds and develop new donors portfolio to secure programme funding
Presenting and communicating skills
Ability to manage programme with high work quality 
Excellent spoken and written English
Excellent social media & computer skills
Agreement with Mission East’s Organisational Values.

Application procedure    
To apply for this position, please visit www.miseast.org/apply, where you will be able to complete an application form. 
Please ensure that all sections are fully answered in English as candidates will be initially screened using data submitted on the online form.
The closing date for this position is June 15th 2016