Country Coordinator, Somalia at Interpeace

Position within the Organization

The Country Coordinator is a member of the Programme Management Unit which manages and implements all of Interpeace’s active and ongoing programmes around the world. The Programme Management Unit is led from the Headquarters office in Geneva, although team members are based in various locations including in East and Central Africa, West Africa, Europe and the MENA region.

The Country Coordinator reports to the Head of Programmes East Central Africa and coordinates Programme Manager/s and all programmatic staff for Interpeace’s programme activities in Somalia.

The Country Coordinator draws on support from the Programme Management at HQ, Programme Development, Global Operations and Programme teams (Managers and/or support officers).

Purpose and General Overview

The Country Coordinator provides unity of mission, coherence and optimized budget management across the programmes in the Somali region.

• Provides overall coordination and support the strategic direction within the programmes in Somalia necessary to enable Interpeace to implement its mandate
• Coordinates and supports in the development of the programme portfolio to ensure its relevance to the country and also its financial viability and sustainability
• Coordinates and Manages existing programmes ensuring high quality, on budget delivery of all agreed outputs

The duties of the Country Coordinator cover 5 areas:

1. Strategic Engagement
2. Programme Management & Development
3. Management – institutional coherence
4. Representation
5. Management of Personnel and Resources

Duties and responsibilities

Strategic Engagement

• Identifies and proposes country-level dimensions of Interpeace programme strategy
• Proceeds with horizon scanning for new partners at implementation level
• Identifies ways to grow the country portfolio and to maximize its impact
• Coordinates and supports in providing regular reporting to the Interpeace Headquarters on relevant factors and changes in the context and programme
• Ensures the implementation of the Interpeace Country programme strategy in line with the overall Interpeace Strategic Plan
• Provides leadership according to Interpeace’s values, vision and mission at the country level

Programme Management and Development

• Identifies and advises on refreshing/renewing existing programme work at country/region level
• Ensures timely forward-looking consideration and delivery of options to secure funding for extended programme work where relevant
• Supports formulation of new proposals in coordination with the Programme Development Unit
• Oversee and coordinate the programme portfolio to ensure the highest level of project quality and accountability
• Coordinate the production of timely quality programme reports in line with Interpeace and donor requirements

Management – institutional coherence

• Compliance of programmatic work across country programmes with Interpeace internal controls
• Ensures regular flow of information about the country work to HQ

Representation

• Regularly engages at Tracks One to Three, at country level
• Engages with local partner organizations and diplomatic representatives
• Occasional media engagement when required
• Engage and support the relationships with implementing partners, while also providing strategic guidance, capacity building, and programmatic support to ensure high level of coordination and convergence across the country programme

Management of Personnel and Resources

• Supervises and develops up to 20 staff
• Creates an enabling work environment that fosters learning and innovation, where staff members can achieve their potential, demonstrating gender-responsive and non-discriminatory behavior and attitudes
• Monitors, evaluates and documents the individual performance of direct reports through a staff development lens
• Mentors and coaches staff members
• Accountable for budget of circa $2 million
• Is responsible for the financial health of the portfolio
• Manage and develop a team of key programme personnel within the framework of Interpeace, including programme managers and senior programme advisors
• Delivers all activities and achievement of results in annual workplan for country programme

Qualifications:

Education

• Advanced degree in peace-related studies, social or political science or other relevant fields

Experience

• Five to Seven years of experience in peacebuilding, political and/or developmental work with increasing management responsibility
• Experience in the Somali region desirable
• Demonstrated effectiveness and substantial experience with short and long-term planning; financial, personnel and program management.
• Demonstrated experience in conflict resolution/Peacebuilding, advocacy, partnership management, proposal writing and programme management
• Developed ability of raising the profile of an organization, strategically networking with government agencies, donors and other international agencies, and using the media to generate profile

Competencies

• Advanced knowledge of current thinking on peacebuilding issues and methods; and demonstrable ability to anticipate emerging needs and integrate them swiftly into priority programme setting
• Well established and practiced organizational and planning skills; and extensive knowledge and experience of project cycle management including using project planning and management tools
• Strong commitment to supporting local peacebuilding initiatives and to the values and working principles of Interpeace
• Strong writing and communications skills in English; Arabic is an asset
• Interpeace Competencies
  • Collaboration and Weaving
  • Communication
  • Drive for results
  • Adaptability and Continuous Learning
  • Respect for Diversity

Success factors

• Strong commitment to supporting local peacebuilding initiatives and to the values and working principles of Interpeace
• Excellent social and inter-cultural skills, outstanding communication skills to a variety of stakeholders from different backgrounds
• Creative team player with a commitment to inclusiveness and consensus building
• Exceptional skills in coordinating complex and sensitive processes and designing participatory processes
• Balanced and calm personality with tact and a high adaptation capacity
• Identifies with and is committed to Interpeace’s core values and working principles
• A strategic manager who is accountable, leads by example, mentors and empowers a team and works to create work-life balance

Interpeace values diversity among its staff and aims at achieving greater gender parity in all levels of its work. We welcome applications from women and men, including those with disabilities.