Requisition ID: req58998 Job Title: Country Director, Colombia and Venezuela Sector: Senior Executive Leadership Employment Category: Fixed Term Employment Type: Full-Time Open to Expatriates: Yes Location: Bogota, Colombia Work Arrangement:In-person Job Description The humanitarian crisis in Venezuela continues to intensify. Venezuelans face hyperinflation, which puts basic goods and services—including health care and food—out of reach. Shortages of medical supplies make it difficult to diagnose and treat communicable diseases, sexual and reproductive health needs, and more. The lack of food has caused hunger and malnutrition. Between 2015 and 2018, more than three million Venezuelans left the country in search of goods and services, mainly in neighboring countries. The IRC has responded to the crisis by supporting Venezuelans across the migration path, including in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. In Colombia, the IRC works in the areas of health, protection, education, and multi-purpose cash assistance in Cúcuta, Medellín, Cundinamarca, Norte de Santander, Nariño (specifically Ipiales), and Valle del Cauca (especially in Cali). In Venezuela, the IRC has been implementing programs through local organizations. The IRC works to strengthen the capacity of local partners to provide access to quality sexual and reproductive health services, nutrition, basic needs, and dignified livelihoods for the migrant population. Job Overview The Country Director will provide the strategic vision and leadership for the country program with the primary focus on ensuring IRC Colombia and Venezuela programs meet the expressed needs of the beneficiaries we serve. S/he is responsible for ensuring the delivery of quality programs, maintaining/expanding donor and government relations, fundraising and budget management, security and operations management, and developing a motivated and professional team. Success in this position requires an individual with exemplary leadership abilities who deploys strong communications and interpersonal skills effectively, both internally and externally. The successful candidate will enjoy developing networks to build partnerships and diversify program resources. Given the operating environment, the Country Director is expected to be attentive to risk management. S/he will be directly responsible for the overall coordination and strategic direction of the country program; providing oversight and coaching for directly supervised senior managers; leading country program teams to identify, design and deliver responsive, high-quality programs; ensuring efficient management of public grants and private funds for results, compliance and focused, timely reporting; and oversight of financial management and compliance systems. Reporting to the Head of Region, LATAM, this position receives support from regional and headquarters staff in the areas of program quality, new business development, safety and security management, finance, operations management, and external affairs. The Country Director CD is additionally expected to actively participate in defining the IRC’s public advocacy positions. Major Responsibilities: Leadership and Representation • Develop a vision and carry out strategies that result in contextualized high-quality programs that meet the identified needs of clients. • Lead the country program by maintaining open and professional relations with colleagues, promoting a strong team spirit and providing guidance, oversight and resources to enable staff to perform successfully. • Initiate and sustain strong, mutually beneficial, and authentic partnerships with other regional leaders. • Ensure that the IRC remains a partner of choice for major international (institutional and non-institutional) donors. • Seek out and pursue opportunities to raise the profile of the work of the IRC and its partners, as well as the lives and the needs of the people IRC seeks to serve. • Play a leadership role in efforts to improve humanitarian response coordination. Staff Management, Learning and Development • Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, and providing regular and timely performance feedback. • As part of a succession plan, identify, train, and develop the capability and capacity of staff to successfully transition roles and responsibilities, by end of the assignment. • Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Stewardship and Operational Management • Drive operational excellence to achieve optimal efficiency and cost-effectiveness in all functions and operations of the country program. • Oversee the development, deployment and utilization of financial and operational policies, procedures, and systems to deliver compliance with IRC and donor requirements. • Ensure responsiveness and appropriate levels of in-person and remote support to all offices, especially in the areas of HR, finance, and supply chain. • Provide timely and effective oversight of the country program’s financial position. • Maintain effective and coordinated budget monitoring processes for grant funds and discretionary funds. Communications • Model and encourage active practice of the principles of the “IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct” throughout the country programs. • Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that encourages open, honest, and productive communication among IRC staff and with partner organizations. • Maintain open communication with regional management staff and technical advisors, and HQ departmental staff. Key Working Relationships: Position Reports to: Head of Region, Latin America Position directly Supervises: A senior management team responsible for programs, operations, finance, P&C, and security. Key Internal Contacts:  Country Program: All staff  Region: Latin America Support Team  HQ: Crisis Response and Recovery Department (CRRD), Ethics & Compliance, Operations and Strategy, Finance, External Relations and Global Communications, Technical Excellence, Awards Management Unit and General Counsel. Key External Contacts:  Partner organizations  Host country government officials.  Public and private donor agencies  International and national NGOs  UN agencies  Foreign governments. Job Requirements: Education and Work Experience: • A university degree in a relevant field and/or 12 years of progressively responsible international work experience, including leadership at the Country Director level of multi-site, multi-sectoral operations in a complex operating environment. • Experience working in conflict/post-conflict or disaster response situations. Demonstrated Technical Skills: • Superior communication skills, verbal and written, in Spanish and English is preferred. • Experience in managing security in a complex and fluid security context. • Proven ability to negotiate and work with partner organizations. • Strong budget and fiscal oversight capacities. • Extensive representation and fundraising success, including prior experience with European, US, and other international donors. • Established capacity to handle stressful situations in a healthy, constructive manner. • Ability to respond to multiple priorities in a timely manner, producing high-quality outcomes. • Prior work experience and a keen understanding of political complexities in the Latin America region is preferred. Demonstrated Managerial/Leadership Competencies: • Demonstrated successful leadership and management experience with a multi-disciplinary team in cross-cultural settings, including active mentoring and coaching. • Effective in developing high-potential staff to achieve career growth and maximum contribution. • Proven experience in managing high-quality programming that meets the needs of clients. • Proven experience delivering appropriate levels of oversight of a portfolio consisting of a variety of complex, high-value donor-funded projects. • Experience building personal networks at a senior level, resulting in securing new opportunities for the organization. • Opportunity-awareness. A successful innovative approach to unpredictable programming, operational, and funding contexts. • Ability to dispassionately represent program context, constraints, and successes to media, government, and other senior audiences. Languages Required/Preferred: • P rofessional fluency in written and spoken Spanish • English language skills are a definite advantage. Computer/Other Tech Requirements: • Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. • Working knowledge of file sharing protocols such as Box, SharePoint, etc., an advantage. Ability to Travel:This position is based in Bogota, Colombia and is fully accompanied with an estimated 30% of the Country Director’s time spent in other locations in Colombia and the region or outside for workshops, representation, and conferences. Professional Standards #LI-4