Job Title: Country Director
Organisation: Farm Africa
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda with
significant national travel and some international travel
Location: Kampala, Uganda with significant
national travel and some international travel
Duration & hours: Three year full-time,
fixed-term contract
Salary: £50,000 - £55,000, plus benefits package
Reports to: Director of Operations and Business
Development
About US:
Farm Africa is a leading international NGO specialising in
Agriculture, Natural Resource Management and Market Engagement. Headquartered
in London, Farm Africa has an operational presence in Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya,
Tanzania and DRC. The organisation has a steadily growing project portfolio in
Uganda, with an annual operating budget of over £1.5m / $1.9m.
Our strategy has three pillars: agricultural expertise,
management and preservation of ecosystems, and the power of business to drive
prosperity. We focus on identifying, developing and sharing technically adept
and market-orientated agricultural and natural resource management practices so
that rural communities can sustainably produce more, and generate more income.
We also help rural communities to manage their natural resources sustainably so
that they can withstand climate change challenges and shocks and generate a
steady income for the future. Farm Africa works in partnership with rural
communities, governments, local and international organizations, and the
private sector to innovate, learn and share best practices for maximum impact
of our projects.
Purpose of the Role: The Country Director (CD)
position is a key role in the Farm Africa global senior management team which
comes together every quarter to share progress and review the strategic
direction of the organisation. In country he/she will set the strategic
direction of the Uganda country programme in line with Farm Africa's global
strategy and Uganda's national development plans. The CD will play a pivotal in
driving donor and partner relationships and funding opportunities; and ensuring
a healthy pipeline for the country programme that both builds on existing
initiatives and expands our technical and geographic presence.
On day to day basis the CD will also lead, manage and
provide practical guidance to the programme delivery, finance and country
office teams. In particular, the CD will support the Programme Manager in the
setting and delivering of project goals; ensuring quality and timely delivery
of project outputs, and long-term achievement of project outcomes; and
reporting. He/she will also be responsible for ensuring staff, volunteers and
beneficiaries are safeguarded; building the technical capacity of the programme
team; and ensuring that teams are aware of and are using key Farm Africa tools
(Programme Management Tool, Monitoring and Learning Plans, Budget Management
Reporting Tool). The CD will drive excellence in technical design ensuring
projects are designed where possible based on Farm Approaches papers.
Externally the Country Director is responsible for
developing and maintaining relationships with senior counterparts in partner
governments, donors and private sector and raising the profile of Farm Africa's
work carried out in country.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
The key responsibilities of the Country Director are:
To set the strategic direction of the programme in
Uganda and ensure a healthy programme pipeline
· Set the
strategic direction for the FA Uganda programme based on the FA mission and
values, and aligned with technical approaches developed within the organisation
· Develop
innovative programmes that build on our core competencies of Agriculture
(including livestock), Natural Resource Management and Market Engagement.
· Work with
the Business Development team to develop a proactive funding strategy based on
the donor opportunities
To be the key contact for new business for the
Business Development team in the UK. Responsible for feeding into the pipeline
and keeping team in UK up to date with progress as well as soliciting their
help and advice on identifying opportunities
· Identify
and develop new opportunities for Farm Africa to assist our core communities of
farmers and forest communities through grant funding, private sector
partnerships, commercial contracts and consultancies
· Play a
hands-on role in technical project design and preparing proposals for
submission, in close collaboration with other country programmes and relevant
departments in London (especially the Business Development).
· Oversee
development of high-quality, accurate, budgets to accompany funding proposals
with a minimum of 15% cost recovery.
· Be a
champion for evidence-based results across the portfolio, supporting teams to
generate credible evidence and reflect on how to achieve excellence,
representing lessons learned, and ensuring the future direction of the
programme builds towards feeding into policy
To ensure excellent in programme management and
delivery
· Ensure that
Farm Africa's projects attain the highest standards of delivery, effectiveness
and value for money and are delivered in accordance with Farm Africa and Donor
policies and contractual obligations.
· Ensure that
key project management tools are being used by the team to guide timely high-
quality project delivery
· Ensure a
100% burn rate against approved budgets and a minimum of 15% cost recovery
across the Uganda programme
· In close
collaboration with the global programmes leadership, be responsible for the
programme cycle in Uganda from beginning to end - and in particular deliver
excellent in contract management, project delivery and compliance processes
· Partner management,
and in particular partner due diligence, ensuring appropriate contracting
mechanisms are in place and that partners are held accountable for delivering
against them
· Work
closely with Farm Africa's head of monitoring and evaluation to ensure that
strong M&E plans are in place, delivered against, and used to effectively,
measure the impact of our work, improve project design and provide evidence to
influence external stakeholders
To ensure that Farm Africa Uganda is operating
efficiently, safely and in accordance with internal, legal and fiscal
guidelines and frameworks
· Oversee the
annual budget development process - ensuring that internal budgets are accurate
and aligned with contractual obligations
· Ensure that
cash flow for Uganda Programme is managed efficiently an in accordance with
agreed guidelines and timetables
· Ensure that
all staff are trained in, and fully understand, all financial and operational
processes and procedures and are operating in line with them
· Ensure that
the annual audit takes place, with key findings acted on as required
· Ensure that
Farm Africa is operating in accordance with applicable statutory and fiscal
frameworks in Uganda
· As overall
Security Focal Point for Uganda keep the global SMT updated on any security
issues as and when they arise
· Ensure that
appropriate Security Management Plans (SMPs) and Standard Operating Procedures
(SOPs) are embedded and adhered to in each field location; and updated as
appropriate
Leadership and line management
· Lead the
Uganda team, with a particular focus on staff development and proactive
performance management
· Ensure that
all staff are adhering to, and being managed in line with, Farm Africa's Staff
Handbook, and that it is up to date and reflects current statutory obligations
in Uganda
· Ensure that
the Ugandan team are fully conversant with their obligations and duties in
relation to Farm Africa Code of Conduct and Safeguarding policies
· Responsible
for the overall line management of the Uganda SMT, and ensuring Farm Africa's
Performance Management approach (induction, probation, mid-term and annual
reviews and one to ones) is in place and being cascaded through to all team
members
· Ensure that
all new staff are inducted, and existing staff are re-trained on annual basis,
on key policies and procedures including, in particular, the Farm Africa Code
of Conduct and safeguarding policy.
Corporate leadership and organisational
representation
· As a key
member of the FA senior management team, provide broader leadership across the
organisation, contributing to the overall strategy and future growth
· Ensure
outstanding communication of programme information across the organisation,
working closely with the other directors and senior managers on internal
learning and knowledge management
· Work
closely with Farm Africa's head of monitoring and evaluation to develop
knowledge products from our projects and externally showcase results
· Working
with the Programme Quality Team, lead our external influencing of policy and
the dissemination of learning and knowledge in Uganda to ensure Farm Africa is
seen externally as an expert in our chosen sectors of Agriculture, Natural
Resource Management and Markets.
· Build,
strengthen and manage relationships with key stakeholders including donors,
governments, private sector actors and other NGOs in Uganda and the wider
region
· Work with
the communications and advocacy team to increase visibility and identify and
maximise opportunities for media coverage of Farm Africa's work
· Represent
Farm Africa externally in Uganda and internationally, providing thought
leadership and influence to help achieve our mission and goals
Carry out any other duties as assigned by
the Director of Programmes.
· These
essential functions are not to be interpreted as a complete statement of all
duties performed. Employees will be required to perform other job related
duties as required. All work responsibilities are subject to having performance
goals and/or targets established.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
Essential education, qualifications & other
knowledge
· The
applicant for the Farm Africa Country Director role must hold a Degree in a
relevant discipline
· A detailed
understanding of the socio-political and economic climate and institutions in
Uganda and the region
· Country
Director in an International NGO with a clearly evidenced proven track record
of having made a strategic contribution to the organisation's aims and
objectives
· Strong
track record in conceptualising and generating funding for new programmes both
from, and in partnership with, a wide range of stakeholders including
governments, institutional funders and private sector, governments and NGO's
· Experience
in programme design using tools such as theory of change and linear log frames,
and designing M & E frameworks
· High level
of expertise in agriculture, agricultural economics, natural resource
management or closely related field in a developing country context
· Significant
experience of managing operational teams in complex environments, including an
in depth understanding of operational and delivery risks
· Significant
demonstrable experience of delivering rural development projects to time and
budget in Sub Saharan Africa
· Experience
of working with multiple partners and stakeholders including grass roots
communities, private sector, governments and NGOs
· Proven
track record as thought leader and influencer
· Understanding
of key gender dynamics and constraints in rural sub-Saharan Africa, and
approaches to delivering changes in behaviours and attitudes in this area.
· High
intellectual capacity with strong analytical
skills
· Mature and
positive leader, able to manage and work in an international environment with
strong inter-personal
skills
· A
pro-active creative thinker with demonstrable ability to adapt to a constantly
changing
environment
· Strong
written and verbal communication skills in English with the ability to engage
with a wide variety of external and internal
stakeholders
· Ability to
prioritise and delegate a constant and demanding
workload
· Strong
people management skills, including an excellent understanding of team
dynamics, and the ability to lead and motivate
others
· Confident
and competent with Microsoft Excel - with the ability to manage and develop
complex budgets.
· Ability to
motivate and develop individuals and teams for high
performance
· An
outstanding networker, able to build and maintain key
relationships
· A team
player
· A
willingness to learn
Desired education, qualifications & other
knowledge
· Experience
as Country Director in Uganda
· Knowledge
of key donors in agriculture, climate change, resilience, market engagement.
· Knowledge
and experience of M4P approaches to development
· Significant
demonstrable experience of delivering projects to time and budget in Uganda
· Commercial
experience in agriculture in Sub Saharan Africa
Our Values
Investing in smallholder farming is the number one way to
combat poverty in rural Africa. Farm Africa is a leading NGO specialising in
growing agriculture, protecting the environment and developing businesses in
rural Africa.
EXPERT. Deep expertise and insightful evidence-based
solutions are at the heart of everything Farm Africa does.
GROUNDED. Positive change starts with Africa's
people, so our experts work closely with local communities, engaging them in
every level of decision-making.
IMPACTFUL. We take a long-term view so we can deliver
lasting changes for farmers and their families.
BOLD. We model innovative new approaches and are
not afraid to challenge strategies that are failing.
If you are interested in this role please visit the jobs
page of our website for more information and details of how to apply www.farmafrica.org/jobs/jobs
How to Apply:
If you would like to apply please submit your CV and a
covering letter that explains why your skills, qualifications and experience
are relevant to the role to recruitment@farmafrica.org
Deadline: Monday 12 October 2020 by 9:00 am East Africa
Time
NB: Farm Africa will not accept third party applications and
recruitment consultants are respectfully asked not to get in touch with regards
to this role
