General Description:
Reporting to the Senior Regional Vice President, the Regional Director (RD) has a broad and rewarding role as a representative of Operation Smile (OS) providing leadership and support to their assigned countries within the sub-Saharan region. They are ultimately responsible for Operation Smiles’ programs and development within their assigned countries and will be held accountable by the Senior Regional Vice President for country deliverables, set out in the multi and annual yearly plans. As part of a regional Sub-Saharan team, the RD will play an important role as contributor to the success of the region as a whole and as part of a supportive and cohesive senior group, driving the region collectively towards its overarching programmatic and fiscal goals. These goals are set out in accordance with the strategic direction of the global organization.
Each country is unique in its stage of programmatic and operational development. This will be reflected in the deployment of relevant expertise to support the different requirements by country. Working closely with Country Managers and Regional Medical Officers (RMO), the RD will ensure that country programs are designed and implemented to meet the highest standards and OS Global Standards of Care, delivering safe surgical programs which are aligned with the country programmatic goals.
The RD will support where required, active and broad participation by volunteers and donors in year-round activities and will establish sound working relationships with staff, volunteers, the Ministry of Health, regional health offices, Hospital partners, professional associations, and other country stakeholders/partners. Education is a key strategic pillar for Operation Smile. The RD will support visiting Professorships, surgical programs and educational initiatives, both short term and long term to build sustainable models with our hospital partners.
Within Operation Smile, the RD will be expected to collaborate and communicate with multiple stakeholders in finance, quality assurance, logistics and fundraising and communication as relevant, to provide a holistic and all-encompassing framework for the successful management and growth of these countries.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & ACCOUNTABILITY:
Leadership & Management
As a senior member of the regional team, the RD is expected to lead by example, through professional leadership and clear line management in their day-to-day workload. Working with Country Managers, the RD will guide these countries so that their country activities are implemented and aligned with Operation Smile’s programmatic and organizational goals.
The primary areas of focus will be strategic planning, program and budget development and implementation with a secondary focus on business operations. The RD will hold each country accountable for their activities and related expenditure as they will also be held to account by senior leadership.
Strategic Planning, Program Development & Program Implementation
The RD will:
- Work with global, regional and program country representatives to create and update strategic work plans with aligned budgets on a multi-year and annual basis, re-evaluating more frequently as necessary.
- Support executive leadership, global staff and program country foundations in the successful design, execution, and evaluation of programs.
- Understand both excellent performance and implementation and underperformance with reasons for this.
- Be fully conversant with the program activities budgets assigned to each and will hold regular updates with the Regional Finance Director to ensure all is on track.
- Support the submission of quarterly program reports to OS HQ with all relevant requirements.
- Support requests for annual or six-monthly program reports for significant donors as required.
Finance
The RD will:
- Thoroughly understand the budgeted activities and costs being able to communicate and report to relevant stakeholders.
- Support the Regional Finance Director, Finance Managers and Country Managers to make certain that the financial management in the country ensures operational effectiveness. This will require adherence to the fiscal processes that guarantee relevant and timely monthly reporting and appropriate fund transference with OSI on a quarterly basis.
- Working with OS Finance, support the identification of efficiencies and opportunities to bolster operational effectiveness and impact.
Operations
The RD will:
- Serve as a liaison and primary point of contact for various departments at Operation Smile HQ for all matters related to program country operations.
- Champion the adoption of global operating standards, while ensuring proper alignment within each local country context.
- Working with the regional leadership, ensure that human resources, legal and financial operations at the assigned country levels are executed in a timely and efficient manner and are compliant with global and local regulations.
- Work with the Country Manager to workforce plan to support the five-year country plans and activities; to support growth and to manage appropriate staffing levels in all areas of the team. Additionally, collaboration with JD’s, salary bands, salary increases, staff communication and recruitment will be required to support the Country Managers with their HR needs.
Stakeholder Engagement
The RD will:
- Serve as a global ambassador and representative of the organization for local, regional, and international stakeholders as required.
- Support as required by the Senior Regional Vice President and Country Manager, board development, pertinent advisory groups and other stakeholder engagement in country.
- Work in concert with Operation Smile colleagues globally and in the region to build and maintain relationships with external partners including NGOs, government institutions, universities, and donors.
Development/Fundraising
- RD’s will be expected to support donor reporting, with country managers for all funding sources – restricted annual and multiyear from corporates, OSI and from Partner Countries
- Working with regional support and with country managers, leverage existing contacts and build new ones to create strong donor relationships to support local fundraising in country.
- Plan and implement fundraising events as relevant or requested to bring awareness of Operation Smile’s work and to garner new relationships.
- Support and plan donor visits as required.
Travel
All countries managed within this JD will require travel to both their offices and to the field. It will necessitate hands-on management with the country teams in the field for both educational and supportive purposes and to surgical programs. Some countries will require more travel than others.
Additionally, international travel to OSI based in Virginia Beach, USA will be required at Regional VP request.
Strategic Initiatives & Special Projects
There is scope within this JD for strategic initiatives and special projects, both by country and within the region. Internal facing special projects will contribute to the improvement of the regional and organizational efficiencies and will be made by request from OS senior leadership.
External facing special projects might include collaborating with MOHs to develop national cleft care protocols, national surgical anesthesia, and other health systems strengthening programs on an as needed basis.
As a Regional Director, you are required to perform the duties and functions listed above. However, your duties and functions may be added to or changed from time to time at the organization’s sole discretion as the regional infrastructure expands and as circumstances require.
QUALTITIES AND SKILLS REQUIRED:
- Experience within the NGO sector an advantage.
- Clinical background an advantage.
- Highly motivated with proven ability to lead, coordinate, and facilitate programmatic operations, projects and teams with a high level of computer literacy.
- Experience with budget, financial management and reporting
- Proven ability to work across cultures exercising diplomacy and tact.
- Highly capable verbal and written communicator.
- Oral, written, public speaking and presentation language skills are required.
- Ability to travel throughout the region as well as internationally, to include Operation Smile Headquarters.
- Fluent in English, and French
- Bachelor’s degree and/or Master’s degree in public health/international development