Afghanistan: Head of Delegation - Kabul

Duration: 12 months

Location: Kabul, Afghanistan

Status: Non-accompanied

Terre des hommes does not set closing dates for this position; recruitment is on-going until the position is filled. 

Tdh:

Terre des hommes Foundation (Tdh), with headquarters in Lausanne and an office in Zurich, is the leading Swiss organisation for child rights. In 2022, we supported 2.6 million children and members of their communities around the world. We trained people who in turn supported a further 4.5 million children and members of their communities.

Context:

Terre des hommes (Tdh) has been working in Afghanistan since 1995. In 2022, Tdh provided humanitarian assistance and protection to very vulnerable children and families who often did not have at all access to basic services in 6 provinces: Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar, Herat, Kandahar and Kabul.

In Afghanistan, Tdh's work focuses on two main components: maternal and child health and child protection. Since August 2021 and the regain of power by the Taliban, Tdh has also integrated a multi-purpose cash component to meet the basic needs of the population. Indeed, due to the economic crisis generated by this political unrest, combined with international sanctions and constant natural disasters, the entire public system has collapsed. Today, the population depends almost exclusively on humanitarian aid - which is diminishing - to meet its basic needs as well as to access health and education services.

It is estimated that, out of a population of over 42 million people, 29.2 million are in need of humanitarian aid. As families struggle to make ends meet, children and women suffer directly from the consequences of the deteriorating overall humanitarian situation. Negative coping mechanisms include the reduction of expenditure considered non-essential, such as maternal, newborn and child health care (MNCH), and/or the involvement of children in harmful practices to contribute to household expenditure, in particular child labour for boys and early marriage for girls.

As well as facing a dramatic political, economic and human and women rights context, Afghanistan is also having to cope with a steady increase in the number of internally displaced persons and returnees. A humanitarian disaster is currently unfolding on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, as undocumented Afghans are being sent back from Pakistan. It is estimated that this current situation will develop into an protracted humanitarian crisis that Afghanistan will have to face in the coming months and year.

Responsibilities:

• Under the supervision of the Deputy to the Operations Manager, he/she ensures the proper functioning of operations at the national level; as such he/she represents the Foundation in the assignment country.
• He/She directs and supervises all activities connected to the Tdh projects in his/her assignment country in line with the SP (Strategic Plan) and strategic orientations.
• He/She represents Tdh (including legally) and promotes the entirety of its remit in the assignment country.
• He/She demonstrates ethical and exemplary leadership in order to maintain the Foundation’s good reputation and leads all the delegation’s collaborators in a shared vision in compliance with the Foundation’s strategic orientations. In collaboration with the programs and expertise, he/she develops the Strategic Plan of the Delegation’s operations in compliance with the general reference framework.
• He/She develops and guarantees the implementation of the Delegation’s Annual Operational Plans (AOPs) in compliance with the Strategic Plan and internal processes (budgetary management, HR and logistics management, quality and accountability).
• He/She guarantees the implementation of an operational risk-management system for the Delegation.
• He/She supervises and supports all staff attached to the Delegation.
• He/She ensures the Delegation’s internal and external communications.
• He/She feels accountable to the beneficiaries, collaborators and donors.
• He/She makes sure that his/her teams and partners have learned the security policies and the general code of conduct and comply with them at all times.
• He/She is responsible for the security of the Tdh teams under his/her responsibility and is in charge of the security rules and the contingency plans of the country or countries under his/her responsibility.
• Manages and assumes ultimate responsibility for the risks and access aspects of the mission.

The full job description will be shared with the candidates selected to start the recruitment process.

Profile:

Education:

• Relevant University degree

Experience, Skills & Competencies:

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in a similar position (managing a delegation).
• Reliable and independent with a strong organizational capacity, decision-making and conflict resolution.
• Experience in developing partnerships, identifying new opportunities, and mobilizing resources.
• An excellent capacity of and ease in speaking in public (conferences, workshops) in English and adapt to his/her audiences (governments and local authorities).
• Excellent interpersonal qualities: integrity, a capacity to judge and diplomacy.
• Proactive, rigorous and a results-driven attitude.
• The ability to identify difficulties, foresee risks and inform the management with substantive recommendations.

Languages:

• Full professional proficiency in English is mandatory;
• Dari and/or Pashto is an asset;
• French a plus.

IT Know-How:

• Full proficiency with Microsoft Office Environment.

Salary:

Expatriate contract under Swiss regulations between CHF 5’500.- and CHF 6’000.- net /month according to experience x 13 times, Vacancy: 25 days annual leaves local accommodation and transportation, Health insurance, accident and medical repatriation insurance, return flight.

Tdh Global Code of Conduct and Risk Management Policies:

• Fully complies with Tdh’s Global Code of Conduct and systematically reports any breach to the Code through the whistleblowing procedure: raises awareness within the Foundation on abuse and violence and the rights deriving therefrom, respecting the rights and dignity of children, members of the communities and our own Staff
• Commits to respecting Risk Management Policies including: Safeguarding Policies (Child Safeguarding Policy, Policy on the Protection against Sexual Exploitation and the Directive on Staff Misconduct at the Workplace), Safety and Security Policy and Anti-Fraud/Corruption and Prevention of the Financing of Criminal Activities Policies
• Commits to reducing the risk of abuse and harm by developing a culture of open and informed leadership within the organization and in our work with children and the communities in which we intervene in.

We offer an exciting and varied work, useful and meaningful, in a team that wants to make a difference for vulnerable children.

Are you interested? Do you want to face this challenge?

How to Apply: 

Please applying directly online: http://www.jobs.net/j/JzuAbbMy?idpartenaire=20007

Application files sent through our official website will be processed only if complete (CV + cover letter). Additional documents (diplomas, work certificates, etc.) will be requested at a later stage.

We will be in touch with the shortlisted candidates only in the selection process – with the large number of applications received, we unfortunately cannot provide personal follow-up to the larger candidate pool. Thanks for your understanding.

For any questions you can consult the FAQ below the job advertisements.