Country Director

Job Title:

Country Director

Location:

Abuja, Nigeria

Contract duration:

2-year contract

Reporting to:

Director, Programme & Partnerships

Travel:

30% per year, with all travel expenses covered by the company

Open to:

Residents of Nigeria

DRS islooking for a Country Director for a not-for-profit organisation who will strengthen and grow the team; enhance the programme’s impact, and enable state and federal systems to own and integrate programming into education systems so that children can acquire foundational skills in perpetuity.

The Country Director will:

• Oversee programme operations and reporting, ensuring compliance with the organization’s policies, donor rules and regulations, MoE policies, and Nigerian law;
• Guide overall administrative and fiscal management of the programme;
• Travel to programme locations within the country;
• Work with the global team and key stakeholders to mould the strategic direction and oversee simultaneous government-led programmes across multiple states;
• Guide review processes, innovation, and learning to optimise impact and sustainability in the country;
• Lead continued expansion of programming in Nigeria by initiating new partnerships and projects;
• Represent the client in the Federal Government of Nigeria, donors, NGOs, private companies, Academia, and other relevant stakeholders;
• Spearhead Country Office fundraising and donor management;
• Monitor, evaluate and report on all program activities and progress as required;
• Will oversee a national team of Content and Training, Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation, Programmes and Partnerships and Finance and Operations sub-teams, and state teams across Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano and Kebbi; and
• Will report to the Director, Programme & Partnerships. They will oversee operations.

Responsibilities

Oversee impactful government-led programming (50%)

• Become an expert in programme delivery and methodology and the evidence behind the organization’s approach, including familiarity with related academic papers;
• ensure that the Nigeria programme provides technical services of the highest quality;
• Oversee and manage a team whose responsibilities include programme design, teaching-learning content development, innovation; programme management, and monitoring, learning and evaluation – all in close collaboration with government partners;
• Strengthen current systems and structures to ensure that programming remains impactful;
• Identify key concerns for programme impact and sustainability in Nigeria and initiate and manage the development of corresponding innovations and research in collaboration with the Global Measurement, Learning & Evaluation team.
• Coordinate skills training and provide mentorship to staff;
• Incorporate best practices and lessons learned from experience and research into programming.

Ensure sound operations and finances (20%)

• Create and monitor an annual budget for the Country Office and ensure that country office structures are supported by incoming revenue through country office budget planning and management;
• Supervise and support administrative staff, overseeing human resources, IT, procurement, operations, and finance;
• With support from the Global Finance and Operations teams, ensure compliance with financial procedures, approve expenditures, make accurate spending projections and ensure overall compliance;
• Oversee the management of project budgets and donor reporting, with support from the country office management and finance team and in coordination with Global Programmes and Partnerships;
• Coordinate office and country-wide meetings and trainings and oversee performance and salary reviews and contracting for locally-hired staff;
• Ensure application and compliance of security protocols and policies;
• In collaboration with the Security Associate, monitor the security situation in the country and its implications on programming and take necessary mitigation or responsive measures.

Guide programme sustainability and fundraising (10%)

• Develop country objectives and plans in line with organizational strategy;
• identify opportunities for scaling up and improving programming in collaboration with state and federal government;
• Lead programme design, budgeting and partner engagement (where applicable) for fundraising proposals in Nigeria;
• Manage grants and donor reporting for country-specific programming;
• Lead the development and execution of country-specific fundraising strategy;
• Build and lead relationships with local and global donors and partners focused on Nigeria;
• Coordinate the development of proposals for in-country donors.

Create and maintain strong government and external relations (20%)

• Maintain relations with the government and their partners and coordinate the work of the Ministry of Education/UBEC with other partners;
• Work with partners and political actors to take ownership of pedagogy and support the adaptation in the Nigerian context;
• Develop and maintain relationships with the government, donors and implementing partners for the country office to maximize its impact;
• Oversee targeted dissemination, and encourage scale-up or strengthening of programming;
• Represent the client in Nigeria.

Qualifications

• A Master’s Degree in Public Policy, Education, Management, Economics, or related disciplines. Experts with a Master’s in another field or a Bachelor’s degree must demonstrate exceptional leadership skills, seniority, and relevant experience in the educational system;
• 10-years of professional experience of a similar nature is required, especially on programmes involving multiple actors, including local authorities and government;
• A good understanding of the importance of scientific research for effective public policy development and the ability to communicate academic data to a non-specialist audience;
• proficient in budget management, specifically handling projects around $1.5 million and participating in multi-million-dollar donor-funded programs;
• Excellent managerial skills, including the ability to work with a diverse, dynamic team comprising professionals with varied skill sets and functional expertise;
• Good adaptability to a changing work environment;
• Professional experience in West Africa is advantageous;
• Perfect command of professional English is essential, oral and written well and speaking in public.