Egypt: Country Director - AMERA

DETAILS OF THE POST
Africa and Middle East Refugee Assistance (AMERA) is seeking a dynamic human rights professional to lead its refugee rights program in Cairo, Egypt. The Country Director, ideally an Egyptian national and an Arabic speaker, will provide overall strategic leadership for the organisation in Egypt.
KEY FUNCTIONS
The AMERA Egypt Country Director is responsible for:
1. Providing strategic leadership for the organisation
2. Chairing the AMERA Egypt Senior Management Team
3. Representing AMERA Egypt at the most-senior levels
4. The effective overall management of the Egyptian AMERA staff
5. Ensuring resources are in place and used effectively to carry out the organisation’s strategy and planned activities
6. Working in partnership with the UK AMERA Executive Director and the UK Board to ensure their active engagement in the planning and implementation of the organisation’s objectives
7. Ensuring the overall high quality and ethical standards of legal, psychosocial and other services to refugees.

MAIN DUTIES
Providing strategic leadership for the organisation
· Inspire and lead the strategic development of AMERA Egypt within the context of a challenging social and political environment.
· Demonstrate vision and creativity that motivates staff to contribute effectively towards strategic objectives.
· Sets and maintains high quality standards consistent with AMERA Egypt’s achievements in its field.
· Cooperate with AMERA-UK and its other international partners on jointly agreed AMERA advocacy initiatives, in order to have the maximum impact on policies affecting refugees and asylum seekers internationally and in the programme regions.

Representing AMERA at a senior level in Egypt and internationally
· Develop and maintain strong and influential relationships with Egyptian government, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organisations and other key stakeholders.
· Provide the main public face of AMERA Egypt, particularly with the media, and raise its profile as a leading body speaking out for refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt.
· Work with legal counsel in representing the organisation to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for administrative purposes.
· Where appropriate to represent the organisation in international fora.
· Ability to inspire donors and transnational allies to partner with AMERA-Egypt.

The effective overall management of AMERA staff
· Ensure that the overall objectives of AMERA Egypt’s and annual strategic plans are implemented.
· Work closely with the Senior Management Team to develop the work of AMERA Egypt’s teams and to support, monitor and review their work.
· Ensure that AMERA Egypt’s human resources and other policies meet Egyptian statutory requirements, funders criteria and that they demonstrate best practice.
· Manage relationships with staff as an employer, through maintaining effective channels of communication, consultation and delegation.
· Ensure high calibre staff are recruited, motivated and developed so that they are able to contribute to AMERA Egypt’s goals.

Ensure resources are in place and used effectively to carry out the
strategy
· In coordination with AMERA UK, maintain strong relationships with key funders and ensure that AMERA Egypt develops an effective fundraising strategy.
· Ensure that appropriate resources (staff, finances, property) are secured with which to achieve agreed objectives.
· Ensure that accurate and timely financial and operational
reports are provided to funders, and when required to AMERA UK and the
UK Board
· Ensure that AMERA Egypt undertakes appropriate risk assessments and has effective contingency plans.

PERSON SPECIFICATION
The AMERA Egypt Country Director will be expected to demonstrate the following:
General:

Essential:
• Excellent organisational, managerial and communication skills
• An ability to inspire human rights professionals while simultaneously setting high standards for their work
• A commitment to equal opportunity and ability to work effectively and sensitively in a multicultural environment.

Highly desirable:
• Familiarity with human rights issues, specifically the techniques of advocacy and legal aid
• General professional knowledge in human rights law and an ability to acquire knowledge in new and specialised areas
• Experience in working for refugees and asylum seekers

Leadership:
Essential:
• Three years experience at a senior management level
• Track record of leadership of, or in, an organisation
• Skilled to identity strategic challenges and strategic options
• Able to demonstrate vision and creativity in responding to changing situations
• Able to demonstrate initiative and adaptability and to motivate others

Political and legal awareness:
Essential:-
• Knowledge and experience of working within an international context
• Familiarity with the role of civil society and non- governmental organisations
• High-level intellectual and analytical skills necessary for dealing with complex and detailed policy issues
Highly desirable:
• Broad knowledge of laws and conventions applying to refugees and asylum seekers
• Deep insight into the political systems in Egypt and in refugee countries of origin, of international refugee issues and how to influence them

Communication and personal skills:
Essential:
• Confident and persuasive orally with excellent presentation skills
• Sensitive to cultural differences, diplomatic and skilled at negotiating
• Fluent in written and spoken English
• Ability to work under pressure and to adhere to tight deadlines
• Able to work effectively with governing Boards

Highly desirable:
• Fluent in written and spoken Arabic

Management skills:

Essential:
• Supports achievement of collective goals by setting clear objectives for self and others
• Shows flexibility and can adapt to the needs of the situation
• Extensive experience of managing staff in a complex environment

Highly desirable:
• Able to use management information systems and IT effectively

Financial and Resource Management:

Essential:
• Experience in resource planning and management

Highly desirable:
• Experience in securing funding to ensure organisational viability
• Experienced and confident in analysing and managing complex budgets