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SEARCH FOR COMMON GROUND

Country Director - Pakistan
Based in Islamabad, Pakistan

Job Description/Announcement

The Organisation
Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is an international non-profit organisation that promotes peaceful resolution of conflict. With headquarters in Washington, DC, SFCG’s mission is to transform how individuals, organisations, and governments deal with conflict - away from adversarial approaches and toward cooperative solutions. SFCG seeks to help conflicting parties understand their differences and act on their commonalities. With a total of approximately 400 staff worldwide, SFCG implements projects from 28 offices in 20 countries. SFCG’s programmes are in Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East and the United States.

Summary of Position
The Country Director-Pakistan will manage and implement a new, multi-faceted conflict transformation programme in the country. A central component of the job is working with diverse stakeholders, who are often of opposing political and religious views in what is a volatile political and security environment, while projecting SFCG’s commitment to being a balanced, unbiased organisation and promoting positive, constructive and vibrant Muslim-Western relations. The key qualities needed in this position are a profound knowledge of Pakistan, the ability to function as both a conflict resolver and social entrepreneur, and demonstrated leadership skills in team-building and fundraising. This position reports to the Director of the Partners in Humanity (PiH) programme, which is dedicated to improving Muslim-Western understanding. The Country Director – Pakistan position is based in Islamabad, Pakistan, while the supervisor is based in Washington, DC.

Responsibilities
•Manage the implementation of the conflict transformation programme in Pakistan within the overall vision and goals of the organisation
•Oversee the establishment and management of SFCG-Pakistan's projects while managing project priorities, and developing plans and long-term strategies
•Take full responsibility for the financial management and health of the SFCG-Pakistan programme, including budget management, financial reporting and budget monitoring
•Recruit, manage and evaluate SFCG’s programme and project staff in Pakistan
•Oversee ongoing capacity-building efforts in national staff members, particularly in areas of programme and budget management
•Monitor and evaluate the results achieved by the different projects and the programme as a whole, supported in part by the Institutional Learning Team in Washington, DC
•Serve as SFCG’s representative in Pakistan
•Work with public and private actors, the media and disadvantaged communities on institutionalising conflict transformation and mediation
•Develop and maintain relationships with international and local trainers, partner organisations, other NGOs, media, donors, clients, key government officials, etc.
•Ensure compliance with donors' rules and requirements
•Oversee the management of grants and budgets and maintain regular reporting to supervisor
•Raise additional support for this programming through proposal and report writing and other channels as necessary
•Identify new opportunities for SFCG involvement in Pakistan, as appropriate
•Stay abreast of the international conflict resolution field to ensure that the programme’s work remains innovative and professional
•Maintain local administrative policies and procedures, ensuring that they comply with SFCG policies
•Develop and maintain security and evacuation policy
•Be directly engaged in the continuing development of the organisation, its mission and its staff, through the sharing of experience and knowledge, particularly contributing to its Institutional Learning efforts

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties.

Qualifications

•At least five (5) years of experience in international relations, peace-building, development, journalism and/or related fields, including democracy and governance issues and civil society strengthening
•Bachelor’s degree in a related area required (Master’s degree preferred)
•Extensive experience working in and/or knowledge of Pakistan and the political, social and cultural issues affecting the region
•Knowledge of and experience in conflict resolution, negotiation and mediation
•Significant experience in project management at a high level in a non-profit environment
•Demonstrated experience with budgeting, project development, fundraising, proposal and report writing, and grants management
•Demonstrated financial management and programme administration experience
•Ability to successfully manage and inspire a team in the field of conflict resolution, international development or related fields
•Excellent managerial skills, interpersonal and networking skills, as well as the ability to conduct professional working relationships
•Dynamic leader with creative problem-solving skills
•Knowledge of major donor rules and regulations, and the ability to manage and prioritize multi-donor funding
•Proven ability in convening and facilitating multi-party meetings and ongoing dialogues
•Demonstrated experience in setting up and managing monitoring systems and initiating regular evaluations of the programme
•Ability to work with people at all levels, ranging from high-level officials to community leaders
•Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills
•Written and oral fluency in both English and Urdu
•Ability to function as a social entrepreneur
•A team spirit

To Apply: Please send a cover letter and current resume to employment@sfcg.org or fax to 001 (202) 572-6287 with the subject heading: Country Director - Pakistan. Please be sure to include projected start date, and to mention you found this posting on Idealist. Position is open until filled. No phone calls please. Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. Please see our web site www.sfcg.org for full details of our work.