Kyrgyzstan: Central Asia Regional Director (M/F)

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 an historical high volume of activities (GERES has been leader of a consortium for an AFD funded program in Bamyan Province which has just phased out and is also implementing an EU+AFD important project in Kabul).

More recently, in 2010-2011 GERES has extended its activities in Mongolia and in Tajikistan (2011) : currently 1 project in Tajikistan and 3 in Mongolia including an EU Switch project since beginning 2018. There is a clear ambition to develop other countries of intervention in the sub-region for the future.

GERES has held a permanent representation office in Tajikistan since 2011. GERES Tajikistan has started 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. A second phase of that project will run from mid-2018 to mid-2020.

In Mongolia, GERES has been working for some years only on agriculture (offering infrastructures enabling to produce and store vegetables despite the extreme cold). In 2018 the EU project is offering GERES to develop activities related to energy in habitat, taking profit of its experience in the region.

In 2018, the region cumulates around 35 staff among which 4 expatriates. It is important to consider that this relatively small number of staff is due to the fact that GERES is in most of case coordinating projects with local partners who are operationally implementing a big part of activities in the field. In that perspective being strong in coordinating partnerships is a key success factor.

). 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. Geographical localisation for Regional Director within the sub region is still under an open reflection.

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 representative/directors positions for Tajikistan and Mongolia and Afghanistan. The regional director will pay a specific attention to Afghanistan where no country director is locally assigned but a senior national staff is occupying the position of deputy country representative.

(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 and with the GERES expertise Unit (GEX)

· (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 is the one responsible for relevancy and quality of intervention in coherence with GERES Associative project and mandates.

· (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 ensure respect of procedures and make 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 and policy 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 and facilitate experience sharing among regional colleagues.

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 contributes to writing project proposals, feasibility studies liaising with GERES headquarters technical advisers or external experts. (S)he is responsible to ensure the quality of proposals.

3.Security Management

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

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

· (S)he ensures that Security General Policy, systems and procedures 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.

4.Being part of GERES Executive governance (CODIRE)

GERES Executive governance involves HQ Unit managers and regional Directors. They are part of an executive board lead by the executive director with the objective to work on strategic issues for GERES.

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 resources 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 in the sub region with regular travels to countries of intervention and new countries where activities can be developed.

· Monthly living allowance of 330 €

· 1 return tickets per year between geographical localization of the position 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

To apply, register your candidacy (CV + LM) on the following web page: http://job.geres.eu/?action=ref&id=60

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

Deadline for application is on 24^th of September 2018.