Country Director at Operation Eyesight Universal

Job title

Country Director, Zambia

Job Type

National (this position is open only for Zambian nationals)

Reporting To

Global Director – International Programmes

Location

Lusaka, Zambia

Staff Supervised

4 to 15

Annual Operating Budget

Up to CAD 5 million

Organization

The Country Director reports directly to our Global Director – International Programmes (who is currently based in Hyderabad, India) and coordinates and works closely with our Director – International Programmes and Director – International Finance and Administration.

Additionally, the Country Director will have a functional relationship with our Technical Advisor, who is based in Accra, Ghana.

There will be functional relationships with various colleagues in the global office in Calgary and other country directors across Asia and Africa to ensure coordination, smooth functioning, efficient exchange of information and cross-learning.

Position Summary

To lead Operation Eyesight’s initiatives in Zambia and promote avoidable blindness-free communities regions in line with the Global Strategy.

Key accountabilities:

• Strategy – To drive forward the country programme strategy that embodies the values, vision, mission, and objectives of Operation Eyesight and ensure it is being delivered in all areas of the organization’s work with new and existing partners.

• Impact – To ensure that the Country Programme Team is making a significant positive impact for various target groups through delivery of high-quality programmes and ensuring that the processes of planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and learning are robust.

• Finance and Administration – To ensure that the financial management of the organization is accountable and transparent at every level and that all staff are fully aware of and compliant with the relevant finance and administration policies.

• Networking and partnership building – To represent Operation Eyesight at various forums and networking events to identify potential partnerships and to further take forward the organization’s advocacy agenda in the country.

• Resource mobilization – To identify fundraising opportunities in the country and submit quality concept notes and proposals in collaboration with the International Programmes Team and Advancement team.

• Oversight – To oversee Operation Eyesight’s interventions in Zambia as well as in neighbouring countries (Ethiopia and Malawi).

Primary Responsibilities

1. Leadership

Key deliverable: Demonstratable and inspiring leadership in promoting the

values, vision, mission, and goals of Operation Eyesight and in the implementation of the Country Programme Strategy.

• Clearly demonstrate a personal drive for the elimination of avoidable blindness on a sustainable basis and the promotion of gender equality throughout all work, ensuring you lead by example in representing the organizational values, mission, vision and goal.

• Lead the delivery of Operation Eyesight’s Country Programme Strategy so that Operation Eyesight staff are living the organization’s values and achieving its vision, mission and objectives, and supporting the organization’s overall global strategy .

• Lead the Country Programme Management Team in making key decisions regarding the implementation of the strategy and overall direction of Operation Eyesight.

• Lead the team in agreeing on the modalities for programming, finance, monitoring, evaluation and learning on each project.

• Lead the Country Programme Team in all work activities, ensuring the engagement of all stakeholders is held as the highest priority in the delivery of the projects.

3. 2. Governance

Key deliverable: The in-country Board of Directors of Operation Eyesight Zambia is well-functioning, active and providing support for the rest of the organization.

• Regularly update and involve the Board of Directors in the work, progress and challenges of Operation Eyesight, and support the Chair to convene quarterly meetings.

• Report to the Directors on a regular basis, measuring against the organizational strategy, targets and budget, and ensuring that Operation Eyesight complies with the highest standards of probity and good governance.

• Ensure that Operation Eyesight operates within the terms and conditions of all legal agreements with the government.

6. 3. Organizational Development

Key deliverable: Operation Eyesight continues to grow in capacity, including the quality of projects, finances, human resources, new project opportunities and strategic partnerships.

• Increase the overall income of the organization by securing new funding for projects through in-country and external funding initiatives.

• Identify technical capacity gaps, and take action to fill them wherever

possible through training or recruitment.

• Establish, develop and maintain excellent working relationships with the national government and other key stakeholders.

• Establish and maintain key partnerships with donors in the country.

9. 4. Programme Management

Key deliverable: Strong project management systems for planning, delivering and evaluating projects for clearly measurable impact.

• Ensure that robust systems of planning and delivering projects are in place and implemented, from design and inception to delivery and evaluation.

• Ensure project performance is monitored regularly and compared to targets, deliverables and budgets.

• Ensure that the planning, delivery and evaluation of projects complies with donor expectations and the terms of donor contracts, and that reporting to donors is of the highest standard.

• Ensure that project monitoring data is regularly reviewed at programme meetings by relevant project staff, that learning from the data is maximized, and that changes are made accordingly to project implementation strategies to increase the impact.

• Ensure that impact is effectively evaluated and measured to the highest

standard in all projects on a regular basis, and that learning from the data is maximized and new strategies are adopted to increase impact.

• Ensure that Operation Eyesight is able to clearly demonstrate the impact of its work through annual impact assessments and promotes and disseminates its impact and learning to partner organizations, target groups and stakeholders. This includes contributing to paper publications and presentations at conferences/seminars and developing position papers with the overall guidance of the International Programmes Team.

• Using the learning and achievements of past projects, develop new project proposals, ensuring that the key stakeholders and relevant staff members are involved in the process.

11. 5. Performance Management

Key deliverable: There is a shared understanding of, and drive towards,

excellence within all areas of Operation Eyesight, and quality related priorities and actions are reviewed and implemented across the organization.

• Develop and maintain an organizational culture of learning and reflection, leading to changes in programme delivery.

• Ensure that robust organizational learning processes are in place which capitalize on lessons learned, are communicated effectively and develop the organization’s capacity for making real change in the lives of target beneficiaries.

• Focus on quality in every area of the work by effectively managing Operation Eyesight’s internal performance systems such as Monitoring & Evaluation and individual annual performance reviews.

• Ensure all staff members within the organization have the capacity to support their teams and partner hospitals and have clear personal development plans and targets to ensure the highest level of motivation and passion across the organization.

• Ensure staff job descriptions deliver the organizational strategic objectives and personal/professional objectives, and agree on measurable targets for each staff that they, in turn, manage.

• Facilitate monthly monitoring meetings to discuss progress against objectives and targets with each line report, reviewing areas of success and weakness or areas requiring further support and training.

• Conduct annual appraisals based on personal objectives and targets and recommend performance related pay to the Global Director – International Programmes.

• Support individual learning and development plans to foster and encourage talent and new leadership potential throughout the organization.

13. 6. Financial Management

Key deliverable: Operation Eyesight’s Finance Administration Policy is adhered to and the Finance Manager is supported to hold all staff accountable for expenditures and financial reporting.

• In conjunction with the Finance Manager, ensure that there is a robust internal control environment, including sound policies and procedures that safeguard staff and the assets of the organization and funding partners, and thus improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization.

• Evaluate and make any necessary changes to the cost base or the country programme budget with the aim of ensuring the greatest impact and return on investment.

• Ensure that established policies and procedures on human resources, administration, finance and programmes are understood by staff, implemented and regularly reviewed.

• Ensure that Operation Eyesight complies with donor terms and conditions agreements and budget thresholds.

• Carry out routine monthly or quarterly spot checks on petty cash, purchase orders, asset registers and other supporting documentation.

15. 7. Human Resources

Key deliverable: Operation Eyesight is a healthy and safe environment, and it is fully staffed with properly trained and skilled members of staff who are supported to achieve the best they can for the target groups and the organization as a whole.

• Ensure that health and safety are prioritized in every area of Operation Eyesight’s work, especially in road safety.

• In conjunction with the Global Director – International Programmes, ensure that the Country Programme team is fully staffed with the best people for each post, irrespective of their background or gender.

• Support the Global Director – International Programmes to review and implement the Learning and Development Plans.

• Ensure all key human resources policies, such as the Equal Opportunities Policy and Child Protection Policy, are living documents that are clearly reflected in the day-to-day work of the organization.

• Ensure that the Conditions of Service or all the clauses in employment contracts are upheld by all staff and reviewed annually.

• Ensure internal employee well-being is reviewed and supported throughout all work and activities. Create space and time to explore and develop well-being and lead by example in focusing on staff well-being for all Operation Eyesight employees.

Educational Experience

Master of Public Health (MPH) or Master of Health Administration (MHA) or MBA in Healthcare with a concentration in community health, health management or other related disciplines.

Work Experience

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in the development sector with at least five years at a senior leadership level with medium to large INGOs or NGOs or with other development agencies.

• Demonstrated technical expertise in project, budget and resource management.

• Ability to provide strategic direction to the Country Programme Team and support on-the-ground programme implementation.

• Ability to use data and its analysis for decision making around programme strategies and policy interventions.

• Experience developing funding proposals and reports for grants, foundations, private donors and public funders.

• Experience in the management of large institutional grants, and its effective utilization.

• Proven track record of strong management skills with complex programs.

• Ability to recruit, mentor and manage high-performing teams.

• Outstanding written and oral communication skills in English.

• Good presentation skills and experience.

• Ability to pragmatically solve problems and plan a course of action using analytical, conceptual, strategic and forward-thinking abilities to achieve an effective resolution.

• Experience in engaging with a wide range of stakeholders including advisory groups, coalitions, forums, foundations and practitioner groups.

• High achievement orientation. Is able to think outside the box in identifying solutions to challenges/gaps in programme delivery.

Working Conditions and Job Requirements

• Headquartered in Lusaka, Zambia.

• Frequent travel to country programmes and project locations within the country.

• Flexible working hours to accommodate Calgary office hours (Mountain Time).

• Act as an ambassador for Operation Eyesight in a variety of professional and social settings.