Country Director, Timor-Leste

About ChildFund Timor-Leste

ChildFund Timor-Leste is a representative office of ChildFund Australia – an independent international development organisation that works to reduce poverty for children in developing communities.

ChildFund Australia is a member of the ChildFund Alliance – a global network of 12 organisations which assists almost 23 million children and their families in 70 countries. ChildFund Australia is a registered charity, a member of the Australian Council for International Development, and fully accredited by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade which manages the Australian Government’s overseas aid program.

Join us in realising our vision of a world without poverty where all children and young people can say: "I am safe. I am educated. I contribute. I have a future."

About the role

As the Country Director for ChildFund Timor-Leste, you lead all aspects of ChildFund’s strategy and operations in Timor-Leste. The Country Director provides leadership to the Senior Management Team (SMT) and builds a positive work culture in line with ChildFund’s Vision, Mission and Values. You cultivate effective working relationships with local partners, government, donors, and the local community. You work closely and collaboratively with the ChildFund Australia Management team, as well the ChildFund Australia Programs team, to ensure our programming and projects delivery is aligned with best practices in the sector.

This role is a permanent, full-time role based in our ChildFund Timor-Leste Country Office in Dili.

Key duties of the role

• Define and implement the Country Strategy for ChildFund Timor-Leste, in alignment with the ChildFund Australia Strategic Plan
• Lead and provide strategic direction for ChildFund Timor-Leste’s programs, to ensure the delivery of high quality, child-centred development programs
• Strengthen ChildFund’s Monitoring and Evaluation approaches and organisational learning culture
• Lead ChildFund’s commitment to localisation and locally led development approaches, review and strengthen partnership arrangements with local NGOs, and identify appropriate new local partnership initiatives
• Represent ChildFund in Timor-Leste by developing and maintaining effective working relationships with government, donor agencies, international NGOs, multilateral agencies, the ChildFund Alliance, and other key stakeholders
• Identify fundraising opportunities in collaboration with ChildFund Australia’s advisors, ensure adequate grants compliance relating to ChildFund Timor-Leste’s grants portfolio, and be responsible for Resource Mobilisation
• Manage the Dili Office of around 30 staff, including human resource development, program delivery, financial management, and legal and regulatory compliance
• Lead organisational policy development and compliance, and adequate risk management processes in the Country Office, as well as across project-implementing partners
• Contribute to the overall operational effectiveness of ChildFund Australia as an active member of the Country Office Leadership Team
• Promote strong Child Safeguarding, and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) practices, in line with ChildFund’s Safeguarding policies and procedures, to ensure that all staff are alert and responsive to any safeguarding risks and concerns
• Strengthen local partnerships and/or relationships through capacity sharing to support localisation and locally-led development
• Promote and integrate gender quality, disability, and social inclusion into day-to-day work

Qualifications & Experience

• Graduate degree in social sciences, economics, finance, public policy, international studies, management, health, education, child protection, or other relevant discipline
• Minimum of 7 years’ experience in the design, delivery and/or management of international development programs, with a focus on bottom-up, participatory, and community-driven programming
• Experience with and a commitment to locally led development and partnership approaches
• Demonstrated ability to engage at a high level with government officials, senior INGO and UN agency staff
• In-depth understanding of current development issues In Timor-Leste, at both the practice and policy levels
• Experience effectively running an organisation or office, particularly the management of financial and administrative systems, including grants, budgets, general office management, human resources, IT, and other systems
• Experience in grant management, especially with a diverse donor portfolio, including DFAT, MFAT, the EU, and others
• Experience managing disaster responses, and programs that influence policy design and implementation

Desirable Qualifications & Experience

• Demonstrated understanding of gender equality, disability, and social inclusion. OR Demonstrated experience implementing gender, disability, and social inclusion integration across project cycle

Skills & Qualities

• A strong leader and great role model for others who supports others in achieving their goals, and the goals of the organisation
• Excellent stakeholder management capabilities
• Exceptional problem-solving abilities
• An energetic, passionate motivator, creative thinker, with an entrepreneurial spirit
• Excellent communicator fluent in English and Tetun

Working at ChildFund Timor-Leste

Some of the benefits of working with ChildFund Timor-Leste include:

• A remuneration package continuously benchmarked against local employment conditions to ensure we offer competitive employment conditions appropriate to our sector
• You will have access to 15 days of paid annual leave. You are also entitled to personal leave, maternity leave and parental leave.
• ChildFund will cover health costs for you and your immediate family members. ChildFund will pay the contribution of social security to you and provide payment in December of each year of a thirteenth month salary.
• Our approach to learning and development will enable you to have the information, skills, and knowledge needed to do your job and to grow in your position. We build the capacity of our people and support you with on-the-job experience, coaching and formal training.

Location: ChildFund Timor-Leste, Dili

Employment: Full-time

Reports to: CEO, ChildFund Australia

Other Information: Must have full working rights in Australia.

At ChildFund Australia, all staff must remain alert and responsive to any child safeguarding or sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment (SEAH) risks. Staff will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to understand our Child Safeguarding and PSEAH policies & procedures, promote strong safeguarding practices, and conduct themselves consistent with these policies.

In line with our values, diversity of people and ideas is critical to our work and our success at ChildFund Australia. We strive for a team culture that is welcoming, inclusive, and supportive. Childfund is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and strongly encourages people from all backgrounds, abilities, and identities to apply for any vacancies.