Tajikistan: Central Asia Regional Director & Tadjikistan Representative - 12 months

1. Background

GERES - Groupe Energies Renouvelables, Environnement et Solidarités - is a French NGO working worldwide to help preserve the environment, limit climate change and its consequences, reduce fuel poverty and improve living conditions. To this end, it deploys development engineering and specific technical expertise, offering specialist advice on the themes of energy efficiency, energy management, clean, renewable energies, energy services and environmental management, particularly in the waste sector.

In Central Asia

Areas of intervention

Geographically speaking, GERES strategy in Central Asia is to focus on cold countries and areas specially where there is a significant solar energy potential to valorise.

First activities for GERES in Central Asia were developed in India (Ladakh) 25 years ago and have been operationally present until 2013.

GERES is working in Afghanistan since 2002 with a currently high volume of activities (GERES is leader of a consortium for an AFD funded program in Bamyan Province and is also implementing an EU project in Kabul). More recently, in 2010-2011 GERES has extended its activities in Mongolia and in Tajikistan (2011) and consider that those 2 countries are currently in a stage of development: 1 project in Tajikistan and 4 (including relatively small ones) in Mongolia.

In 2016, the region around 75 cumulates staff among which 9 expatriates.

GERES mission in Central Asia is plan to be coordinated from Tajikistan (Dushambe). Aiming at following-up and developing activities in other countries, the Regional Director will have to regularly travel and spend time in Afghanistan and Mongolia, plus possibly punctual missions in countries around in case of opportunities.

In Tajikistan

GERES has held a permanent representation office in Tajikistan since 2011.

GERES Tajikistan is starting in April 2015 a project called “**Pilot Initiatives for Green Homes in Tajikistan**” which is funded by the French Agency for Development and Fondation Abbé Pierre It aims reducing energy poverty and developing local economy through pilot initiatives in promoting green home construction and energy-efficiency in housing in Dushanbe city and its region.

2. Mission & objectives of the position

The regional Director is the head of GERES in Central Asia and the official representative. (S)he is responsible for the planning, management and implementation of the region program on the basis of defined strategies. (S)he manages and coordinates operations and human resources in the region relying on Country Representatives positions for Afghanistan and Mongolia.

(S)he works under the supervision of the Executive Direction based in the Headquarters in France and is the favored interlocutor of Headquarters services and other GERES branches.

4. Main Tasks

As Regional Director:

1.Overall management of GERES in central Asia

Strategy and activities management

· (S)he shares and participates in developing the strategy of GERES Central Asia declined for each country and oversees its implementation through all current actions. This is to be done in line with GERES global strategy, in collaboration with headquarters and Technical Assistants.

· (S)he ensures clear communication and coordination with GERES headquarters;

· (S)he actively contributes to develop activities in line with GERES strategy in the region by facilitating the emergence of ideas from the team and partners and by supporting the elaboration process of new projects.

· (S)he supervises and supports implementation of project(s) thanks to regular contact with the respective country directors and project manager(s) and by participating to field visits and coordination meetings for the project ; he/she is particularly involved in high level decision making for the projects when impacting HR, budget, activity orientation, relation with partners,….

· (S)he facilitates methodological and managerial capacity building to the national teams, with the support of technical advisers from headquarters and external experts.

Administrative and financial management/logistics.

· (S)he is responsible for the oversight and directing the appropriate mobilization, use and management of financial, logistics and other resources in the mission in line with GERES policies and donor requirements.

o regional budget establishment and follow-up with the responsibility to make it balanced

o cash-flow management for the region

o Make sure together with country directors and representatives that new project budgets are consistent with GERES HQ recommendations and alert HQ in case of any risk detected through regular follow-up of expenditure level and resources mobilization.

o ensuring respect of procedures and making sure that audits are managed in compliance with donor requirements.

· (S)he makes sure that GERES is respecting legal obligations in the countries

Human resources management

· (S)he recruits, supports manages and evaluates country Directors and representatives

· (S)he supports actively country directors and representatives for the management of countries and projects’ teams

· (S)he contributes, liaising with HQ HR service, to the amelioration of HR management tools for countries

· (S)he builds a strong identity within the team in the region and ensures that staff develop a sense of belonging to GERES,

2.Representation, networking and fundraising;

· (S)he ensures linkage and feedback with HQ, distributes information to all regional field locations

· (S)he represents GERES at regional level and take part to the GERES institutional representation in countries during visits.

· (S)he oversees partnership agreements and yearly assesses them

· (S)he assesses possible regional or national strategic partnerships, and proposes his/her ideas to Executive Direction that keeps the final decision (go/no go) on partnership development;

· (S)he supports national teams that are in charge of local partnership development and cooperation with the local authorities.

· (S)he encourages and supports country directors and representatives in identifying and prospecting for financial partners and liaises with Executive Direction for final decision on financial opportunities and the way to mobilize the identified potential resources

· (S)he facilitates the process of drafting of project documents, feasibility studies liaising with GERES headquarters technical advisers or external experts. He is responsible to ensure the quality of proposals.

3.Security Management

In liaison with Country directors or representatives, specially for Afghanistan:

· (S)he continuously monitor and analyses the security context in the region

· (S)he ensures that systems and procedures decided by countries and HQ are properly implemented

(S)he could be asked to punctually become the security focal point for Afghanistan in case of temporary competencies absence in the country.

As GERES Tajikistan representative

• Institutional representation in Tajikistan: is responsible for the official representation of the NGO in the country and looking out for opportunities, has an active participation to development coordination forums,

• Fundraising & Development: identifies and prospects for financial partners in Tajikistan to develop the GERES Tajikistan operation and co-fund ongoing projects; Maintains relationships with existing donors and responds to their requests regularly and keeps updating them about the work of the organization; manages mission knowledge management; guides the process of drafting of project documents, feasibility studies…;

• Management of GERES Tajikistan: implements and develops the strategy of GERES Tajikistan in line with GERES global strategy, and oversees its implementation through all current actions; Operational and financial planning; responsible for the overall management of the human resources of GERES Tajikistan (6 persons); ensures and implements security procedures for GERES Tajikistan;

• Coordination and monitoring of activities on the mission: coordinates the work of GERES team in Tajikistan and partner NGOs on activities included in GERES contractual commitments to its funders; provides methodological support to the teams,

• Administration of the office: responsible for the following and the update of the GERES Tajikistan policy, rules, procedures and regulation according to the Tajik law, prepare annual budgets (project and operational) and monitors these budgets throughout the year; monitors the local administration on financial and accounting operations

5. requirements

· Master’s Degree or equivalent in management, international development or other relevant field with minimum of five years’ experience in a senior management/coordination role.

· Good human resource management skills, organizational, leadership and training skills

· Advanced knowledge of donor guidelines and procedures and proven experience in programs development and supervision (proficient in Project Cycle Management) with good knowledge of operational needs (logistics and finances).

· Comfortable with high-level governmental/institutional relationship

· Team player with capacity to work in a multicultural environment

· Fluency in written and spoken English and French are essential; Russian speaking would be an asset.

· Organization and attention to detail especially meeting deadlines

A previous experience working in Central Asia region would be an asset

6. contract conditions

· French fixed term contract (CDDU) of 12 months, renewable;

· Salary based upon profile, experience and GERES salary grid;

· Position based ideally in Dushanbe with regular travels to Afghanistan and Mongolia

· Monthly living allowance of 330 €

· 1 return tickets per year between Tajikistan and home country to go and come back there

· 26 days of paid leaves per year health, retirement, and unemployment insurances costs (partly); repatriation insurance

7. to apply

To apply, register your candidacy (CV + LM) on the following web page: http://job.geres.eu/?action=ref&id=12

Or go directly on our website www.geres.eu, within page About us / Recruitment, select the Central Asia Regional Director and Tajikistan representative