Country Director, Myanmar

At the heart of Pact is the promise of a better tomorrow. A nonprofit international development organization founded in 1971, Pact works on the ground in nearly 40 countries to improve the lives of those who are challenged by poverty and marginalization. We serve these communities because we envision a world where everyone owns their future. To do this, we build systemic solutions in partnership with local organizations, businesses, and governments that create sustainable and resilient communities where those we serve are heard, capable, and vibrant. Pact is a recognized global leader in international development. Our staff have a range of expertise in areas including public health, capacity development, governance and civil society, natural resource management, poverty, fragile states, monitoring and evaluation, small-scale and artisanal mining, microfinance and more. This expertise is combined in Pact’s unique integrated approach, which focuses on systemic changes needed to improve people’s lives.

Program Delivery (PDEL) - Pact exists to help create a world where those who are poor and marginalized exercise their voice, build their own solutions, and take ownership of their future. The Program Delivery Team, contributes to realizing this purpose by: Forging smart partnerships and treating all people with dignity and respect; Applying organizational policies and regulatory compliance appropriately and consistently; Facilitating team spirit among colleagues and promoting the organization through communications; Influencing decision makers through focused, relevant communications; Continually striving to learn and share knowledge and find small ways to make the workplace more enjoyable for all; Cultivating and harvesting innovation; Contributing to the organization’s ability to think and act strategically at all times; Inspiring and spreading our desired organizational culture across the global enterprise.

The Country Director (CD) leads the successful development and implementation of Pact’s large and complex program in Myanmar, providing strategic direction and dynamic leadership to the country team, and representing Pact with the host government, donor agencies and leaders in the private sector. Key areas of responsibility include: program planning; new business development; timely and efficient program implementation, monitoring, and reporting; and compliance with Pact's policies and donors' award terms and conditions.

 

Responsive to the politically-sensitive context, the CD develops and implements the country office strategy  in cooperation with Pact’s senior management team and local and international partners. S/he effectively harnesses the expertise, experience and ideas of Pact’s diverse program support teams to channel them into impactful partnerships with the country program, and promotes learning from experience through research and contextual analysis to develop high-impact strategies that address immediate and long-term solutions to the most pressing development challenges. S/he oversees and improves implementing systems, policies and procedures for Pact operations in Myanmar and ensures effective financial oversight, staff security and human resource management.  The ideal candidate is a skilled communicator, able to develop and utilize strong relationships with team members, partners and donors in country, and build highly effective working relationships across the organization, including with headquarters units, other field offices, and Pact affiliates.   

 

The CD reports to the Asia Eurasia (AEA) Regional Director.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Formulate and plan, in consultation with key stakeholders, a clear vision of present and future program goals and strategies that can be clearly communicated to team members, beneficiaries, international partners, governmental counterpart- and donors.
• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions and resources to achieve country goal and objectives.
• Identify and evaluate new project funding opportunities that leverage impact and integrate initiatives and activities; support and direct related fund-raising activities with both institutional and private donors.
• Evaluate program priorities within the country and participate in regional prioritization.

Team Leadership

• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Recruit, manage, motivate, and onboard an informed, skilled and efficient team with an emphasis on excellence and achievement; encourage a team culture of learning, creativity and innovation, incorporating staff development strategies and performance management systems into the team-building process.
• Establish leadership and personal credibility with the Pact team, and implement by example an organizational culture of accountability, responsibility and quality of services.
• Coordinate effectively with other Pact initiatives and structures in Myanmar, including Pact's MFI operations and Smart Power Myanmar, Pact's rural economic development and rural electrification platform.
• Proactively explore social business opportunities in line with Pact's global transformation.
• Ensure human resource plans are available and consistent with Pact policies, including position descriptions, personnel orientation and professional development plans, personnel evaluation system and field personnel policy manual.
• Institute a disciplined culture of performance management and regular feedback between supervisors and their direct reports.

Program Impact, Monitoring and Evaluation and Learning

• Oversee program quality and impact by ensuring programs are based on sound design principles and utilize Pact and donor required monitoring, evaluation and learning systems.
• Gather evidence of program impact through robust agency standard procedures for data gathering, reporting and evaluating program outputs and outcomes.
• Lead country team to strive for impact at country and regional level leading to sustained change based on strong systems and incorporation of learning into programs.
• Ensure all interventions adhere to Pact's zero tolerance policy towards harassment and commitment to prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) and Do No Harm principles. 

Personal Leadership

• Demonstrate flexibility, resilience and an ability to maintain positive relationships and composure.
• Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
• Demonstrate awareness of his/her own strengths and development needs.

Influence & Representation

• Lead and coordinate politically-astute, professional, diplomatic, high-level representation with both state and non-state actors.
• Serve as the country new business development lead, linking with relevant Pact Headquarters departments, including Opportunity Development and Global Engagement, focusing on a variety of donors including the private sector.
• Represent the program with current donors, the government of Myanmar, private organizations, non-governmental organizations and other multi-lateral and bilateral organizations working in Myanmar and in the region.
• Liaise with donor personnel on funded activities. This includes the donor's technical representative, the Agreement Officer, and other point personnel from designated donor representative departments and offices.
• Liaise with Pact Headquarters departments, including Program Delivery, Agreement Management, Finance and Compliance & Accountability staff to monitor donor regulations and policies for changes affecting the program.
• Coordinate with other donors and implementing partners on common objectives and activities, as needed.

Program Operations and Compliance

• Strengthen and maintain financial management systems in line with Pact's global policies and procedures; ensure such systems are consistent with donor rules and regulations.
• Oversee and coordinate technical support to improve the systems of internal control and financial management of Pact staff.
• Ensure that the accounting system is maintained and upgraded on time to ensure production of efficient and effective financial reports for Pact Myanmar, Pact Headquarters and donors.
• Ensure preparation and submission of complete and accurate financial reports and cash requests to Pact Headquarters and donors.
• Oversee month-end financial summary reports for country office financial management.
• Lead budget development and preparations for cost extensions and program revisions with the objective of full cost recovery and realistic cost projections.
• Manage country office budget ensuring all costs incurred by Pact Myanmar have been provided for, including compliance with local laws.
• Review and monitor program budgets vs. actual expenditures through reports generated from Pact Myanmar's financial system and those generated from Pact's global financial management system.
• Undertake regular analysis of contracts and agreements that Pact Myanmar has received and lead the preparation of budget amendments for negotiation with donors.
• Supervise and manage directly the Pact Myanmar Director of Finance and Operations. Coordinate with appropriate Headquarters finance personnel, including regional financial advisor.

 Personnel/Administration

• Oversee management policies and ensure that policies and procedures (new and existing) are clearly communicated to staff and are respected.
• Ensure that all required documentation is available and stored as per Pact regulations.
• Provide financial and administrative information, as required, to Pact Myanmar staff, donors and Pact Headquarters.
• Ensure compliance with all donor-related, Pact and project-specific policies.
• Supervision of senior management staff, including COP and others.

 

Security

• Manage security and safety of the country team and Pact assets according to best practices, Pact operating standards and field realities.
• Liaise with the AEA Regional Director and Global Security Advisor on crucial events, high risk periods, and incident reporting or security policy changes.

• Master's degree or higher and at least 10 years of demonstrated experience as a team leader/senior manager of multi-sectoral, multi-donor, multi-partner funded program portfolio (or equivalent).
• Prior experience in setting country level strategy with annual implementation plans and resource managing towards the strategy.
• Demonstrated track record of successful business development in multiple sectors that includes securing new sources of funding and leverages professional networks to generate innovative responses to development that combine public, private and social sector actors and funders.
• Experience managing USAID contracts or cooperative agreements, as well as a thorough understanding of USAID business practices, required.
• Demonstrated experience/knowledge of leading or managing large integrated development programs in areas such as livelihoods, community empowerment/governance, maternal and child health, rural electrification and conflict transformation.
• Understanding of and experience with a variety of donors, including USAID, UN/UNDP, DfID, DFAT, foundations, and other donor government agencies. Experience working with multi-donor trust funds a plus.
• Highly adaptable, with proven experience in politically complex contexts. Skilled and adept in mediation among competing interests.
• Outstanding human resource and staff management skills and experience.
• Outstanding program management skills, as well as experience with establishing and maintaining operations systems (general management and administration).
• Experience in Southeast Asia, preferably in Myanmar or a similar country context.
• High level written and oral communications skills, including fluency in English.
• Ability and willingness to travel on short notice.

A successful CD for Pact Myanmar will provide effective leadership to the Pact team. S/he will have high emotional intelligence, constructive mentoring skills and proven experience in capacity building; be committed to long-term program sustainability and the delivery of high-impact activities at the community level; effectively represent programmatic priorities of the team to donors and regional counterparts; have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability; thrive in an evolving and challenging environments, gracefully handling difficulties; and make effective written and verbal communication a priority. The ability to facilitate dialogue among a diverse group of individuals with various skill sets and working styles is essential.