Country Director, Philippines

Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) invites applications for a C__ountry Director, Philippines to join our dedicated and talented MEDA team in our mission to create business solutions to poverty.  We are looking for an individual excited to build MEDA's portfolio in Southeast Asia Region and to successfully manage our current programming in the Philippines.

Our ideal candidate:

• Has regional and Philippines specific experience managing donor-funded projects.
• Shows a proven track record of working with and cultivating strategic partnerships with a diverse range of partners, including the public sector, private sector, multilateral organizations, and civil society, with a strong ability to ability to establish and maintain solid and productive relationships with these various stakeholders.
• Demonstrates strong management, financial and leadership skills
• Has understanding and experience in the agri-food market sector and development finance

Job Status:  3 Year full-time contract

Start Date:   Sept-Oct 2023

Location:  Philippines; onsite presence required in Davao City a minimum of 2 days per week (team is in Davao), up to 3 days work from home/remote work possible

Criteria:  Opportunity is available for national applicants or those with a Philippines residency and work visa

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

RIISA (Resilience and Inclusion through Investment for Sustainable Agrikultura) is a five-year program targeting women and men cacao smallholder farmers in Mindanao. RIISA responds to multiple challenges in the Philippine cacao sector and draws on MEDA’s experience in market systems development, gender lens investing), gender equality and social inclusion, and environment and climate change. RIISA will respond to these challenges by piloting an innovative market systems approach aimed at identifying cacao market system gaps, mobilize investment capital and strengthen local capacity, and gathering learning that can be replicated by local ecosystems to strengthen the enabling environment.

ABOUT MEDA

MEDA’s work is built on a foundation of Mennonite business roots and faith-based values, within the global context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We believe business solutions are effective interventions to address poverty. Through a market-systems approach and strategic partnerships, MEDA enables access to finance and provides business and technical expertise to build transformative agri-food market systems that create decent jobs, allowing traditionally excluded groups to become active participants in a sustainable economy. MEDA welcomes all who share our values and want to join us in our mission. To find out more about MEDA, please visit our website at www.meda.org.

**RESPONSIBILITIES
**

Project Management & Leadership: 60%

• Lead country teams with full accountability for portfolio results
• Prepare and/or review and approve annual work plans and budgets, track and manage performance against targets, actively manage variances, and identify areas for improvement or
• Ensure implementation adheres to donor contractual requirements, MEDA’s strategic objectives, and MEDA’s policy and
• Ensure timely preparation, review and submission of financial and narrative reports
• Provide oversight to project finance systems and processes including the review and authorization of transactions, observing strong financial controls, and minimizing exposure to risk
• Ensuring effective and efficient management of project’s planning, monitoring, evaluation, performance and reporting requirements and timelines
• Active management of client, subcontractor and direct/indirect partner relationships
• Lead and manage the performance of staff ensuring acquisition, retention and development of a strong team
• Communicate the overall objectives of the long-term program so that each staff member aligns her/his work accordingly
• Communicate with program management, technical, human capital, finance and legal staff based in North America to ensure effective project implementation

Strategy, Partnership, policy engagement and Business Development: 20%

• Responsible for executing MEDA’s country strategy and ensuring alignment with regional and/or corporate strategies

• Raise MEDA’s profile in country and contribute to the positioning of MEDA as a leader in building transformative agri-food market systems that create decent work among development stakeholders, including public, private, civil society and INGO

• Identify and foster partnerships with agri-food market actors to co-create long-term impact-focused initiatives that align with MEDA’s overall strategy and with the development aims of the country

• Prepare regular intelligence briefings to inform MEDA’s country strategy and partnership and business development activities in country

• Support proposal development processes and programmatic design

Representation and Compliance Management: 20%

• Act as MEDA’s in-country representative for financial, legal and key relationship management matters
• Ensure country operations are compliant with local laws, the Project Contribution Agreement, and MEDA’s policies, procedures and standards in coordination with MEDA Finance, Legal and Human Capital
• Implement MEDA security protocols

REQUIREMENTS

Position Qualifications

Education: University degree (ideally Masters) in International Development, Business Administration, or related field.

Experience: Proven track record of at least ten years of senior level leadership and management of complex, large scale, multi-million dollar economic and enterprise development initiatives (or similar private sector experience). Experience in strategic planning, proposal development, convening multiple stakeholders for collaborative achievement, guiding multiple working groups toward a unified goal.

Technical: Project and professional management experience, staff management experience, overseas and/or international experience relevant to the region, experience with donors, bi- and multi-lateral government agencies, relevant government agencies, non-governmental organizations and other development agencies.

Project Requirements: Experience/expertise in at least one of MEDA’s areas of technical focus, including market systems, investment, vulnerable populations, financial services, blended finance, SME financial services and environment/climate change.

Additional Qualifications

• Appreciation and support of MEDA’s mission, vision and values
• Understanding and appreciation of business principles, international development and MEDA’s approach of creating business solutions to poverty
• Excellent skills in relationship management, including building relationships, networking and presentation, negotiation and interpersonal communication
• Proven team leadership abilities with a multiple field office environment and relationships with North American-based HQ specialists and management
• Fluency (written and verbal) in English is required
• Proficiency in regional languages is an asset
• Functional experience in marketing, business planning, business growth advisory service or related areas
• Direct private sector experience is desirable
• Demonstrated ability to mobilize stakeholders into partnerships and alliances, lead and facilitate collaborative processes
• Demonstrated donor relations reporting, relationship management and ability to monitor grants
• Excellent report writing and review skills

This job description may be reviewed, revised and updated as required to meet department and/or organizational objective

APPLICATIONS  WILL BE REVIEWED ON A ROLLING BASIS

MEDA is an equal opportunity employer and accommodations are available during all phases of the recruitment process. We ask that any applicants requiring accommodation make their needs known in advance.