Country: Papua New Guinea
Closing date: 18 Jul 2016
Our programme includes mature work where we have national-level influence and are enjoying outstanding success with innovative approaches to improving access to education and health services. It also includes newer areas of work, where there is ample scope to develop new thinking and programming opportunities around gender and social accountability-related issues. The programme has grown significantly over the last two years, with an increasingly diverse and stable funding base in place. We see huge potential for this growth to continue. **
For the right individual this could be a transformational career opportunity.
Put simply, this is a hugely important role and your leadership will be critical to our success in bringing people together to fight against poverty and make a real difference to the lives of people in PNG. About the role**
We are looking for an experienced, senior leader with practical experience in international development ideally in insecure and complex environments. You will ensure delivery of VSO’s current programmes and commitments while developing ambitious plans and funding strategies to maintain and grow our presence in PNG. It will appeal to a highly motivated individual with strong leadership skills and qualities. You will be responsible for leading a team of staff and volunteers to develop and implement high-quality programmes and projects to bring about positive change for the people of PNG. We would expect you to build on excellent relations with government authorities, the donor community, and other important actors including within the corporate sector. You will also be expected to meet ambitious funding targets to maintain and grow the programme.
We work with state and non-state partners primarily in the fields of Education and Health, although increasingly we are developing work around gender and social accountability. We work with the most disadvantaged communities, and draw on our unique competencies in different forms of volunteerism and active citizenship.
About You
As an experienced and entrepreneurial leader looking for a new challenge, you will be a strategic thinker with strong leadership skills. Your energy, determination and adaptability will be crucial. You will be politically sensitive and have excellent representational, networking and donor engagement skills and experience. You will have experience of managing complex programmes and operations, ideally within challenging and insecure environments, and of securing and managing funding contracts from institutional donors (especially from the Government of Australia) and the corporate sector. You will have outstanding financial management understanding and experience. A firm understanding of VSO and volunteerism will be advantageous.
You will understand development issues in complex and rapidly-changing contexts like PNG and have sectoral knowledge in some or all of the fields of education, health, gender, and social accountability. You will have practical experience of gender-sensitive development programming at a project or community level, including through advocacy. Ideally you will have an experience of working and living in PNG. There will be substantial travel within the country and occasional travel within Asia and to Australia and the UK.
Candidates should be fully aware of the challenges of living and working in PNG, including the security context and poor infrastructure/facilities. Children accompanying to post is not recommended due to medical and security issues. Resilient and self-reliant individuals find PNG to be a fascinating and unique location in which to live and work, but for the unprepared it can be a challenge.
This post is open to both international and national applicants. Competitive salary and benefits including relocation allowance will be offered to a successful candidate. National applicants are encouraged to apply.
The appointment will be made subject to satisfactory references as well as eligibility and clearance from the relevant authorities to work in PNG.
Closing date: 18/07/2016
Interview date: 25/07/2016 onward
How to apply:
If you’re interested in applying for this role, please visit our website https://www.vsointernational.org/about/careers to find for the Latest employee jobs “Country Director Papua New Guinea” and download the job description to read more details about the position and the skills and experience we’re looking for. To submit your application, click on ‘MAKE AN APPLICATION’ or click https://vso.secure.force.com/jobopportunities/Job_DetailsPage?jid=a0mD000000Au8qgIAB