Iraq: Deputy Country Director, Iraq

Heartland Alliance International-Iraq (HAI) is seeking a Deputy Country Director for its Iraq program, based in Sulaimaniya, Iraq.

THE ORGANIZATION

Heartland Alliance International (HAI) is a service-based human rights organization committed to protecting and promoting the rights of extremely vulnerable populations through an inclusive approach to comprehensive health, legal, social and economic justice. It currently works in 12 countries.

One hundred percent of HAI programs apply a progressive, holistic approach to protecting and promoting the rights of extremely vulnerable populations that are frequently excluded or forgotten by more traditional development programming. HAI is an industry leader in several specialized program areas such as children who have been trafficked, engaged in armed combat, have suffered or are at-risk of suffering violence of some form, and those that have been orphaned/separated from their families; women survivors of discrimination, violence, and trafficking; institutionalized individuals; female sex workers; survivors of trauma and torture; mentally ill individuals; displaced individuals; and indigenous and other ethnic and cultural minorities that have suffered violence and/or discrimination.

HAI is an affiliate of Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, a Chicago-based non-profit organization that has been promoting human rights and dignity in the United States for 125 years. It is one of the United States’ largest direct service human rights organizations. The Iraq program is Heartland Alliance’s first international program and celebrated 10 years of working in Iraq in July 2014.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

General Management, Financial Management & Administration

• Works with the Country Director and Director of Finance and Administration to develop spending plans for each program and help ensure program compliance with all federal contracting regulations, as well as generally accepted accounting principle;
• Supervises programs department, assures promulgation and compliance with security, vehicle and personnel policies, oversees personnel management, and directs the production of timely and accurate reports;
• Serves as Acting Country Director whenever the Country Director is out of the country, including communication and coordination with Heartland Alliance International (HAI) HQ in Chicago;
• Supervises programs department, assures promulgation and compliance with security, vehicle and personnel policies, oversees personnel management, and directs the production of timely and accurate reports;
• In coordination with the Country Director, provides supervision and technical assistance to program and administration staff;
• Works full-time outside of the United States, including areas that might be considered dangerous; and
• Other duties as assigned by the Country Director.

Program Coordination, Grant Management and Development

• In coordination with Country Director, interacts with project managers and staff to ensure effective program implementation, accurate data collection for reporting, quality program implementation;
• In coordination with Country Director, provides supervision to existing programs, assuring compliance with grant and contract requirements, and that deliverables are being met;
• Assists Program Managers in monitoring and evaluation of all Iraq programs;
• In coordination with Country Director and others designated by the Country Director, participates in program development activities, including:
  • Drafting of proposals particularly in the areas of rule of law, mental health services for victims of torture and other forms of abuse, implementation of various laws to support vulnerable populations and other areas to be determined in consultation with Country Director;
  • Preparing budgets for proposals and other documentation;
  • Maintaining up to date donor mapping for funding opportunities and, together with the Country Director, meeting with donors and potential donors; and
  • Meeting with LNGO and government partners and conducting needs assessment.
• In coordination with the Program Managers and Country Directors, assists in review of monthly, quarterly and annual reports to ensure compliance with all relevant standards and associated reporting across all projects; this includes ensuring conformity with relevant donor requirements, HAI internal regulations and development of good practice standards, including grant and sub-grant reporting;
• Participates in annual planning of strategic goals; and
• In coordination with Country Director, maintains appropriate relationships with government entities, non-governmental organizations, and civic associations.

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience: M.A. in International Relations or related field (such as Political Science, Economics, Social Work or Law (JD), and 7-10 years of relevant management experience (or equivalent combination of education and experience) such as:

• Project management and project design experience, including financial and personnel management;
• Experience working with NGOs, the UN, USAID or other U.S.-government agencies;
• Experience working in developing countries and disaster/conflict environments including diverse cultural and linguistic settings;
• Ability to live and work in a conflict/post-conflict environment with limited physical amenities;
• Knowledge and understanding of the unique, complex operating environment in the Middle East;
• Experience implementing international human rights programming (in Iraq preferred);
• Experience working with and developing the capacity of local CBOs/NGOs; and
• Knowledge and understanding of basic M&E concepts.

Business, mathematical, analytical skills

• Excellent Excel skills required, experience with QuickBooks a plus;
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions;
• Ability to synthesize complex or diverse information, collect and research data, use intuition and experience to complement data and design work flows and procedures;
• Understands organizational and strategic implications of decisions;
• Ability to develop and implement cost saving measures;
• Ability to responsibly manage organizational resources; and
• Ability to align daily work with strategic goals.

Communication and Leadership Skills

• Exhibits confidence in self and others;
• Has an ability to foster effective communication and teamwork with staff from a range of economic, cultural, ethnic and social groups;
• Inspires and motivates others to perform well;
• Effectively influences actions and opinions of others;
• Accepts feedback from others;
• Demonstrates the ability to lead strategic planning, program development and evaluation;
• Gives appropriate recognition to others;
• Excellent oral communication skills: speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; listens and gets clarification; responds well to questions; demonstrates group presentation skills; participates in meetings;
• Effectively communicates utilizing a variety of technologies such as phone or video phone (i.e. Skype);
• Effectively communicates with non-native English speakers;
• Excellent written skills: writes clearly and informatively; edits work for spelling and grammar; varies writing style to meet target audience needs, including cross-cultural needs; presents numerical data effectively; able to read and interpret written information;
• Effectively communicates and manages electronic communication such as email, Blackberry (or other PDA);
• Ability to remain composed and professional in difficult circumstances; and
• Policy, advocacy and community organizing experience a plus.

Resilience: This project will address very difficult and sensitive social issues. Interested applicants should have a strong commitment to addressing women’s rights with cultural sensitivity, respect, and confidentiality. Moreover, flexibility, a sense of patience, and willingness to challenge professional social norms are a plus.

Location: Heartland Alliance International’s Iraq program is headquartered in Sulimaniyah, a city of nearly one million people in northern Iraq’s Kurdistan Region (IKR). The organization provides secure housing and work-related transportation when traveling throughout the IKR.

Language: English fluency in reading, writing and speaking required; knowledge of Kurdish and/or Arabic a plus.

Please include a cover letter, in English, stating why you want to apply for this position and describe 1) your interest in this type of work; 2) your professional and education experience, including international work in human rights; and 3) your commitment human rights. Also please include two professional references in the References section of your application.

To view the full description for this position and TO APPLY, please visit:

http://chk.tbe.taleo.net/chk01/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=HEARTLANDALLIANCE&cws=1&rid=3218

OR

http://www.heartlandalliance.org/whoweare/careers/

Please note that we do not consider resumes sent by email, fax or postal mail.