SOS Children's Villages International is the umbrella organisation for over 130 SOS Children's Villages associations worldwide. As a non-governmental social development organisation we help children without parental care and families in difficult living conditions through services in care, education and health. We are looking to hire for our International Office in Casablanca, Morocco a committed
International Director, Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
The International Director MENA is the most senior representative of the General Secretariat in the specific region, directly reporting to the COO. The International Office in a region (IOR) consists of about 20 - 25 co-workers who are either located directly in the International Office, in Casablanca or virtually connected through other workplaces in the region. The teams of an International Office, Region, consist of both line managers and functional staff, who support the member associations in the region.
Main Tasks:
  • Guide the member associations in the region in their development to become self-sufficient strong members of the federation.
  • Build up legal entities and establish governance structure in countries where these do not exist yet
  • Set the direction for the region and all its employees toward the right mix of supporting and guiding Member Associations to realize the global strategy as well as implement policies and guidelines
  • Manage and develop the International Office, Region in accordance with agreed plans and objectives, ensure the performance and delivery of objectives according to agreed plans and also to the SOS principles and values
  • Be a strong and supportive member of the global team of International Directors, Region, and contributing to the global leadership team by bringing in the regional perspective and taking a share of the global leadership responsibility.
  • Insist on evidence-based improvements in Member Associations' capacity building and on delivery of requested information on time and of the requested
  • Review the progress made in the regions in the course of the annual review cycle
  • Support the crisis interventions and emergency response in the region
Required Competences and Skills:
Ideally, the candidate has more than five years of experience in an international senior management role with considerable management and leadership span and budget responsibility. The candidate has an understanding of and interest in local and global development issues.
  • Proven track record of managing and leading a larger organisation, delivering results according to agreed plans and developing co-workers and organisation adequately
  • Proactive decision making based on sound analysis and experience
  • Ability to systematically build team capacity, including recruitment and development of high-performing co-workers
  • Founded in a strong strategic approach, generally approaching the work from a strategic perspective rather than an operational perspective; ability to also handle operational tasks, integrating external developments and future needs into operational planning and day-to-day work
  • Being well versed and having direct experience in governance work
  • Proven multicultural/international experience
  • Ability to build strong relationships/networks and to work and cooperate effectively and in a spirit of partnership with line of command, peers, partners, stakeholders, and others who are not in the line of command
Language Skills:
  • Good  English, French and Arabic skills are a must
  • Any other language will be an additional asset
Start Date:
As soon as possible (2014)
Application Process:
If you are interested in this position, please send your e-mail application (detailed CV and motivation letter in ENGLISH) by 21 September 2014 at the latest. Please put "International Director MENA" in the e-mail subject line.