Country Manager, Senegal & Guinea

Organisation overview:

About Self Help Africa & United Purpose

In late 2021 Self Help Africa (SHA) and United Purpose (UP) merged. This merger extended our global footprint to 20 countries – with development programmes in fifteen countries across Africa, in Bangladesh and in Brazil – together with administration, management, support and business development teams in Ireland, the UK and in the United States.

In all jurisdictions apart from Brazil and Bangladesh we are trading as Self Help Africa, with separate trading identities – Self Help Bangladesh and Self Help Brazil – created for these programmes.

In early 2023 we launched a new five-year organisation strategy, which defines our shared mission as the alleviation of hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impact of climate change through community-led, market-based and enterprise-focused approaches, so that people can have access to nutritious food, clean water, decent employment and incomes, while sustaining natural resources.

Our wider organisation also includes social enterprise subsidiaries Partner Africa, which provides ethical auditing and consultancy services, TruTrade, an innovative trading platform in East Africa, and CUMO, Malawi’s largest micro-finance provider.

Our three values are:

• Impact: We are accountable, ambitious and committed to systemic change
• Innovation: We are agile, creative and enterprising in an ever-changing world
• Community: We are inclusive, honest and have integrity in our relationships

Job Purpose:

The Country Manager will take ownership for growing operations in Senegal and Guinea. This will focus on growing the funding base and exploring new income streams to increase our footprint and maximise our impact through securing and implementing new projects. The Country Manager will collaborate with international organisations, government, national organisations and the private sector to design and finance innovative programmes that strengthen agricultural value chains, support entrepreneurs and their businesses and drive rural economic development to reduce poverty.

Key Responsibilities:

New Business Development and Stakeholder Relationship Management:

• Responsible for building relationships in-country to identify new opportunities and leading the process of winning funding for new projects.
• Build in-country partnerships to expand our footprint and impact in Senegal and Guinea.
• Work to forge strategic alliances and seeking out new business opportunities.
• Represent the organisation in national, regional and international fora and build the organisation’s profile.

Programme Management & Operations:

• Work with the wider country programme team to develop, present and implement the strategic vision, overall goals and objectives for the organisation.
• Oversee the implementation & strategic direction of all programmes in Senegal and Guinea, ensuring we meet all key targets and responsibilities towards donors and project objectives.
• Work with the programmes teams to ensure all programmes are effectively monitored and evaluated so we can demonstrate our success, impact and value for money.
• Work with the programmes teams to vet and manage any implementation partners.
• Ensure that the organisation is recognised as thought leaders in environmental conservation in Senegal.
• All donor reporting requirements are met (both narrative and financial).
• Provide technical expertise related to gender and development for the country programme, supporting the wider regional cluster where possible.
• General day to day management of Dakar and Bignona offices.
• General day to day management of vehicle.
• Ensure we comply with Senegalese legal requirements e.g. leading on the development of the Investment Programme and NINEA registration for Bignona office.

Development, Leadership and Staff Management

• Manage a large and diverse team, providing direct line management to members of the programmes and logistics teams.
• Ensure efficiencies in the operation of a joint country team through the use of shared services.
• Oversee talent acquisition, with a particular focus on championing local talent.
• Be the main point of contact for Senegalese human resources by keeping abreast of legislation and advice the Regional Director where necessary.
• To build the capacity of other staff in proposal writing, project reporting and profile documentation.

Finance, Audit and Risk

• Oversee the financial management and will ensure programmes are delivered in a cost-effective manner, ensuring a value for money approach and that major costs are successfully recovered from programme funding.
• Ensure a culture of accountability and adherence to group policies and staff welfare & security.
• Ensure compliance with all in-country legal, programme and donor requirements.
• Ensure timely narrative and financial reporting to donors in collaboration with Project managers, Finance manager and Regional Director.
• Provide donor grant management for Senegal and Guinea projects, and support project managers, finance team, partners and sub grantees on donor guidelines and contractual obligations, particularly on reporting, co-funding, procurement and visibility requirements.
• Co-ordination and maintenance of the Monthly Project Status Summary Report (PSSR) & act as a key point of contact with HQ in relation to the PSSR.
• Analyse all project budgets each month, develop the overhead allocation template, and allocate overheads for the entire country programme.
• Keep track of staff costs, analyse budget each month and allocate staff costs for the entire country programme based on budget availability.

Representation:

• Assist the Regional Director in building donor relations and in attending meetings with donors as appropriate and required.
• Represent the organisation with important stakeholders in Guinea, Senegal and Cameroon.

Communications:

• Develop communications materials to share with external and internal stakeholders, and build the capacity of the programmes team to develop such materials.
• Ensuring documentation is translated into French for francophone staff (appraisal form, annual leave request, code of conduct etc.)

Safeguarding:

• To comply with organisational safeguarding policies and practice and all other related policies and procedures.
• To ensure that the safeguarding policy and reporting channels are known, understood and used by staff.
• To work in a safe, respectful and nurturing way which prevents harm and promotes well-being across all programmes and partners.
• To work in a way that demonstrates the values of the organisation at all times.

Other:

• Other tasks as agreed with the Regional Director.

Knowledge, Experience and Other Requirements

• Relevant degree qualification or similar academic achievement.
• Minimum of four years’ senior management experience.
• Previous experience running multi-sectoral teams to deliver complex programmes either in a development or private sector setting in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Proven ability to secure new income opportunities through proactive and sustained business development.
• Proven ability to develop, implement and adapt organisational and business strategy.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, both in formal and informal settings.
• Strong financial analysis and management skills.
• Fluency in English and French.