Country Director

Job ProfileRelief International has been operational in the Afghanistan delivering integrated programming in Health and Protection, with cross-cutting components in WASH, Nutrition, Livelihoods, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), and Peacebuilding. RI works in both development and humanitarian contexts, providing direct implementation and working through national partners.RI is the implementor of UNICEF's "HER" project in Afghanistan, funded by the World Bank, which aims to improve the quality and utilization of essential health and nutrition services nationwide. The project, implemented with partners like WFP, provides primary and secondary healthcare, strengthens service delivery, and enhances access to nutrition services for vulnerable populations, including free treatment and supplies to maintain the public health system. RI also provides nutiriotn services, health staff capacity strengthening, and outreach services. As well as emergency response across a number of provinces in country. As the Country Director (CD), you will lead Relief International's operations in Afghanistan with full accountability for strategy, programming, finances, partnerships, representation, and internal operations. You will drive RI's mission to deliver impactful, locally relevant programming while ensuring compliance, risk mitigation, financial sustainability and a high-performing and inclusive team culture.This role demands both strategic vision and operational oversight, with strong leadership to build resilient systems, maintain stakeholder trust, and ensure programmatic excellenceKey ResponsibilitiesStrategic visioning and resource mobilizationLead the development of medium and long-term country strategic plans maintaining program focus with RI's strategic goals.Develop alliances with Partners, external donors, key stakeholders to ensure adequate funding and sustainable impact to communities in Afghanistan. Contribute and advocate for policy change in line with program goals.Quality Program Operational DeliveryIdentifies and resolves complex technical, operational and organizational problemsEnsure all programming is on track and healthy burn rates areImpacts the organization's results by ensuring the funding of projects, quality and on time operational services delivery and developing policies and plans.Develops and leads relevant country specific objectives driven by local context, and guided by organizational objectivesLeadership in ensuring effective and proactive relationships externally regionally and globally with donors, partners, communitiesWill be a people leader and manage other leaders, or specialized teams, have oversight and responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of a wider team in multiple and geographically spread contextsChange ManagementRelief International will lead and support the planning and implementation of the change, as required as part of effective implementation of RI grants andEnsure operationalization of envisioned planning in alignment with Relief International, policy and procedures, legal frameworks, and mitigating risks to theEnsure continuity of high-quality program implementation and program growth during the transition process.External RepresentationEffectively liaise with donor governments and other lead agency representatives, as well as counterparts within partners and other key stakeholderMaintain a suitable image for Relief International and protect RI's interest andMaintain an appropriate image of RI to all external entities and protect RI's interests and assetsMaintain best possible relations with relevant authorities and ensure RI registration, permits, and clearances are all up to date and enable effective program implementationConduct effective ongoing liaison with donorsRepresent RI by active participation in meetings of the humanitarian and development community, including all relevant Clusters and interagency foraFacilitate visits by donors, HQ staff, Board members and others, as requestedServe as a link, along with relevant country staff, between RI and project counterparts and partnersProgram, Financial, Risk and Security ManagementOversee project implementation, including allocation of resources and timely spending in accordance, ensuring that appropriate controls are maintained at all levels, by working with country SMT.Serve as overall responsible for safety and security of staff, and drive a culture of security management linked to duty of care and acceptance approaches.Ensure that team members are effective and efficient and contribute the necessary work to ensure their programs are a success. Provide feedback to staff to ensure optimal performance.Ensure adequate support to each program, including but not limited to strategic vision and technical input and advice to bolster and improve program quality and innovation. Ensure overall audit compliance, financial transparency through supervision and direction of financial and administrative staff.Drive risk management through all areas of implementation and planning.Team Leadership s HR OversightProvide leadership and management of Ensure timely and quality staff performance management of directly managed staff, making sure all country team follows best practices in this regard.In partnership with HR team, ensure that the recruitment, performance management, benefit entitlements and termination of national staff are accordance with national laws and Relief International policies, building a culture of transparency and equity among theModel a culture where all staff across the different layers of the country's mission are held accountable for their performance.Build a positive work culture that fosters commitment to the mission, drives high performance, and ensures a healthy work environment that prioritizes duty of care to staff including but not limited to security and mitigating risks of excessive stress and burnout in the workplace.Compliance, Governance & Internal ControlsEnforce adherence to internal policies, donor regulations, local labor law, and ethicalOversee safeguarding, incident reporting, and ethical conduct across all levels of theOversee program operations and reporting, ensuring compliance with RI policies and procedures, donor regulations and local lawsEnsure that programs have appropriate legal representation and the desk is informed of all legal casesOversee all internal and external auditsOversee the preparation of annual work plans and budgetsReport regularly to Desk Director, providing timely updates of all situations and project developmentsCreate and maintain an environment that prevents sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) of beneficiaries, by clearly defining the standards of behavior that are expected of RI staff, as described in the organizations Code of Conduct; Ensure that mechanisms supporting these standards and principles are promoted, disseminated, and integrated into personnel requirementsEnsure the existence and proper understanding of a complaint reporting system to address suspected abuses, and irregularities regarding staff, property or practices and participate in any investigations as directed by Global SupportEnsure all donor/supporter contractual terms and conditions are fulfilled in line with RI’s project funding management guidance andBehavior and ConductEnsuring the highest standards of behavior inside and outside of work promotes the values in RI's code of conduct and safeguarding policiesBe a model for ethical conduct standards for other team membersEnsure your own actions and the actions of the teams' members they manage do not impact the safety of the RI team and the vulnerable communities weEnsure external stakeholders are aware of RI conduct and reporting mechanismsReport any concerns and ensure a well-functioning Incident Management Team at country level.Person SpecificationThis position demands a dynamic individual with a demonstrated ability to achieve results in a demanding and fast paced environment.Skills, Knowledge And Expertise Required For The Role.Master’s degree in a relevant field or bachelor’s degree with commensurate work experience.Minimum of ten (10) years professional experience in lead management implementing emergency response programs in a conflict setting with at least 5 years of senior management experienceMaster’s degree in a relevant field or bachelor’s degree with commensurate work experience. Ability and willingness to travel as needed.Solid background and knowledge of Rules and Regulations of UN, EU, and other donorsDemonstrated record in collaborating with local governments, rural communities, other NGOs U.N. Agencies and other international emergency response and development actors. Excellent interpersonal, communication, public speaking, and strategic planning skills required.Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, tasks efficiently.Excellent time management skills and resourcefulness with strong attention to detail.Proven leadership skills and experience of managing multidisciplinary teams.Practical experience of applying development issues at a project or community level coupled with impact assessment and evaluation of poverty reduction and social change.Evidence of understanding the challenges of donor and grant/contract management and the implications for program managementProficient English language writing and verbal skillsDesirable criteriaPrevious experience in countrySector experience in Health and emergency response, and any experience in Protection, WASH and/or Livelihoods sectors also a plus Experience implementing/ overseeing program implementation of UN and EU grantsExperience working in the early recovery and/or development space Advocacy and media engagement experienceRI ValuesGuided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as well as “Do No Harm,” Relief International Values:Integrity AdaptabilityCollaboration InclusivitySustainabilityHow To ApplyTo apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button in the job advert page.You will be asked to upload a CV and Cover Letter.The cover letter should be two pages and explain why you are interested in this post with Relief International and how your skills and experience make you a good fit.Closing DateMonday November 07, 2025.As a humanitarian organization, Relief International is committed to the safeguarding of all those we come into contact with through our work. We are committed to the core humanitarian principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. Relief International expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and uphold the values and behaviors outlined in the Code of Conduct.Recruitment to all roles in Relief International include a criminal records self-declaration, references, and other pre-employment checks, which may include police and qualifications checks.