International Alert - Interim Director of Programmes

Interim Director of Programes 6-month Contract December 2020

Contents The Opportunity

03

About Alert

04

Job Description

05

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

06

Deliverables

07

Person Specification

08

Summary Terms and Conditions

09

How to Apply

10

About Oxford HR

11

2 | International Alert Interim Director of Programmes

The Opportunity Job Title:

Interim Director of Programmes

Duration:

6 months Contract

Expected start:

mid-January 2021

Location:

UK

International Alert (Alert) are one of the world's leading peacebuilding organisations, with over 30 years of experience laying the foundations for peace. We work with people directly affected by conflict to build lasting peace.

Experienced and respected, we have a proud track record of achieving change in fragile and conflict-affected countries and territories.

Our vision is that people and their societies can resolve conflicts without violence, working together to build sustainable and inclusive peace.

We are seeking a seasoned manager and leader to help Alert bridge a critical transition. We will be implementing a major change process, embodied in our 2021-22 Resilience Plan, so that Alert can assure its impact, raise its influence, and be competitive during a challenging period. This role heads up our Programmes Department, which includes our regional and country programmes and our specialist teams focused on peacebuilding best practice and impact learning.

Reporting to the CEO and serving as a member of Alert’s Executive Team, the Interim Director will concentrate on providing management support and leadership to our Programmes Department, working with our Programmes Leadership Team. This will include a focus on steady, inclusive management and coordination across different teams and functions globally, as well as specific change management responsibilities arising from the Resilience Plan.

You will have proven senior management capability, a participative approach to leadership, and an appreciation of both strategy and practice. You will have a solid track record of working well with people, overseeing budgets, liaising with donors, and heading up programme operations in leadership positions in the aid sector – including in countries struggling with conflict. All of this will add up to an ability to hit the ground running and help Alert continue its mission to build peace through better understanding of conflict.

3 | International Alert Interim Director of Programmes

About Alert For over 30 years, International Alert has been working to build positive peace and reduce violence, working across conflict lines and with all parties to conflicts.

Experienced and respected, we have a proud track record of achieving change in fragile and conflict-affected countries and territories.

Vision

Our vision is that people and their societies can resolve conflicts without violence, working together to build sustainable and inclusive peace.

Mission

Our mission is to break cycles of violence and to build sustainable peace by: • working with people directly affected by violent conflict to find lasting solutions; • shaping policies and practices to reduce and prevent violence, and to support sustainable peace; • collaborating with all those striving for peace to strengthen our collective voice and impact.

We focus on solving the root causes of conflict with people from across divides.

From the grassroots to policy level.

We bring together communities divided by conflict to find ways of resolving their differences without violence. And we advise companies, governments and international organisations on how their policies and operations can better support peace.

It takes a lot of people working together to build lasting peace. And it takes time – sometimes decades. But we know it is possible.

4 | International Alert Interim Director of Programmes

Job Description Job Title:

Interim Director of Programmes

Reports to:

Chief Executive Officer

Management Responsibility: 3 then 2 Regional Directors, 2 Directors of Peacebuilding Advisory Unit (job share), The Impact and Learning Team (TBD) Job Location: London Grade and level: 1 Contract Duration:

6 months

The purpose of this post is to provide strong management and leadership to help Alert bridge a critical transition. You will concentrate on providing management support and leadership to our Programmes Department, working with our Programmes Leadership Team. This will

include a focus on steady, inclusive management and coordination across different teams and functions globally, as well as specific change management responsibilities arising from the 2021-22 Resilience Plan.

5 | International Alert Interim Director of Programmes

Key Tasks and Responsibilities Reporting to the Chief Executive, the Director of Programmes has the following key priorities:

Strategy Implementation •

With the support of Executive Team colleagues and the Programme Leadership Team, oversee delivery of change commitments impacting the Programmes Department under the Resilience Plan 2021-22, including regional restructuring, rebooting the policy/technical assistance team, and developing an impact learning function and team.

Leadership and Management • • • • • •

Line manage the current three Regional Directors (Africa; Asia; Europe & MENA), the Director of the Peacebuilding Advisory Unit (our technical and policy team; this post held as a job share); and a senior position focused on impact learning and DME Lead the merger of the Asia and Europe/MENA regions in March 2021 into a ‘global’ programme portfolio, including the recruitment of a new Regional Director for the merged region Serve as the representative for the Programmes Department on the Executive Team and engage in organisational decision-making across a range of issues Provide overall leadership and management of the Programmes Department, currently consisting of teams focused on our country programmes, policy/technical assistance, and impact learning/DME Manage the Programme Department’s budget (currently representing around 80% of organisational expenditure) Liaise as necessary with other organisational teams and stakeholders, including the trustees, Finance, HR, IT, Advocacy and Communications, and Resource Development

Advocacy and Communications • •

As agreed with the CEO, represent International Alert with key external stakeholders, including funding partners, policymakers and others.

Supports the Communications and Advocacy Team, the subject experts and wider teams to form policy key messages and plays a leading role in external communications and advocacy

6 | International Alert Interim Director of Programmes

Deliverables • •

•

• • •

• •

Serve as the representative for the Programmes Department on the Executive Team and engage in organisational decision-making across a range of issues Provide overall leadership and management of the Programmes Department, currently consisting of teams focused on our country programmes, policy/ technical assistance, and impact learning/DME Line manage the Regional Directors (Africa; Asia; Europe & MENA), the Director of the Peacebuilding Advisory Unit (our technical and policy team; this post held as a job share); and a senior position focused on impact learning and DME Lead the merger of the Asia and Europe/MENA regions into a single ‘global’ portfolio in March 2021, including recruitment of a new Regional Director Manage the Programme Department’s budget (representing around 80% of organisational expenditure) Liaise as necessary with other organisational teams and stakeholders, including the trustees, Finance, HR, IT, Advocacy and Communications, and Resource Development As agreed with the CEO, represent International Alert with key external stakeholders, including funding partners, policymakers and others With the support of Executive Team colleagues and the Programme Leadership Team, oversee delivery of change commitments impacting the Programmes Department under the Resilience Plan 2021-22, including regional restructuring, rebooting the policy/technical assistance team, and developing an impact learning function and team.

7 | International Alert Interim Director of Programmes

Person Specification Essential Requirements • • • • • • • • • •

A Master’s Degree in a relevant subject (or equivalent senior level experience) A strong background and keen interest in leading organisations through largescale change.

Several years’ experience of senior management, ideally including experience of managing teams dispersed throughout the world Experience of delivering on the strategic direction and change initiatives of a global organisation.

Experience of working in an international context (not for profit, public, private sector) – ideally including in a conflict context Good understanding of the current funding environment and experience of successful fundraising from a range of institutional and non-institutional donors Proven competence in budgeting and financial management Excellence in strategic planning and implementation Proven inspirational and inclusive leadership across a range of nationalities and cultures Strong emotional intelligence and self-awareness

Desirable Requirements • •

Language skills – especially French and/or Arabic A broad background of experience and theoretical knowledge in conflict and peacebuilding issues combined with knowledge of conflict resolution practice in a variety of settings

8 | International Alert Interim Director of Programmes

Summary Terms and Conditions Pension:

All staff receive a pension contribution which is equivalent to 10% of their gross salary. The post-holder will be automatically enrolled into the Alert Pension scheme which is with Scottish Widow but can choose to opt out.

Leave entitlement:

25 working days per year plus 8 English statutory holidays and 3.5 days over the Christmas period.

Salary Range: £65k-£75k.

Notice period:

There will be an initial 1-month probationary period during which notice will be one month on either side. On successful completion of the probationary period, notice will be 1 months.

Working hours:

Full time staff are expected to work a standard 35-hour week, with some flexibility around start and finish times to be agreed with the line manager. All staff are required to work core hours 10am – 4pm.

Sport’s club membership:

Staff can take advantage of subsidised membership of a local sports club.

9 | International Alert Interim Director of Programmes

How to Apply All correspondence, at this stage, should be via Oxford HR. Before applying, please check that you can answer yes to all the following questions: • Have you worked in senior management roles in international organisations managing teams dispersed throughout the world, including those in conflict contexts?

• Do you have experience in leading organisations through large-scale change?

• Are you based in the UK and available to start a 6-month contract by January 2021?

There you will need to complete a short application form and submit an up-to-date curriculum vitae/resume (of no more than 2-3 pages) in MS Word, and a supporting statement. Please provide a CV and cover letter which should be prepared before applying as they will be requested in the application process.

If you can answer yes to all the above questions, then please click here to apply.

The statement should be no more than 2 pages long – bullet points are acceptable. It should explain: • why you are interested in this role • why you are interested in International Alert • how your skills and experience make you a good fit.

• For guidance on preparing a statement, please see here.

Timeline

Safeguarding

If you cannot answer yes to these questions, please do not apply, as we will be unable to progress your application.

Closing Date: Virtual Interviews:

14th December 2020 at midnight GMT Before 30 December tbc

Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, so early applications are encouraged

Selection process

All candidates will receive an update regarding their application after the closing date. We advise candidates to add the role email to their safe senders list and regularly check their spam folder.

This post is open to anyone with the existing right to work in the UK. Female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.

International Alert is an equal opportunities employer. All applicants will be judged strictly based on merit.

We are committed to protecting children and vulnerable adults from any harm when engaging with International Alert or its partners, and we expect all our staff to abide by our safeguarding policy.

COVID-19

International Alert has made some changes to the way we work in response to the Covid-19 pandemic to minimise the risk to our employees and the people we work with. We have committed to working from home as the default until June 2021. We have reduced the opening days and times of our offices to between 10am and 4pm on Mondays and Wednesdays, in compliance with government guidelines. We are continuing recruitment online and conducting all interviews via video conferencing platforms, and will make reasonable adjustments as required to support candidates.

Queries

If you have any queries on any aspect of the appointment process, need additional information, or would like to have an informal discussion, please email Karen Twining and Razane Cherk in the first instance at AlertDOP@oxfordhr.co.uk.

10 | International Alert Interim Director of Programmes

About Oxford HR Oxford HR operates globally - mainly within the international development and charity sectors. We carry out retained executive search mandates at board and senior management levels. We also offer human resource and organisational development consultancy.

Oxford HR has many years of experience in search as well as an extensive network of international development, social sector, corporate, public sector, and academic contacts from across the world. We carry out comprehensive and often international searches designed to meet the specific needs of our clients.

11 | International Alert Interim Director of Programmes

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12 | International Alert Interim Director of Programmes