Country Representative

About Us  

GOAL has responded to the world’s major humanitarian crises since its founding in 1977, working with vulnerable communities in 15 countries across the globe with a dedicated team of 3,000 personnel. While GOAL continues to be an agile first-responder to humanitarian crises, it is also committed to working with vulnerable communities to help them survive crises and support them on the road to recovery. 

Country Context: 
The socio-political crisis in Sudan has triggered large-scale population movements, exacerbating the humanitarian situation in eastern Chad. Chad is currently hosting around 600,000 refugees. Since September 2023, GOAL has supported a health and nutrition project implemented by Alima (an International NGO) and Alert Santé (AS), a local NGO, in the Zabout refugee camp in the Sila Region.  
 
In January 2024, GOAL formalized a consortium with Alima, Alert Santé, and Shakal, a local NGO specializing in protection, to address the needs in Health, Nutrition, Protection, and Livelihoods. GOAL obtained registration in Chad in September 2024 and plans to commence operations in January 2025 with funding from Irish Aid. 
 

Role Overview: 
As the Country Representative, you will be the first employee on the ground in Chad, responsible for setting up and leading our operations. You will play a crucial role in establishing our presence, building strategic relationships, and ensuring the effective delivery of our humanitarian programs. 

 
Key Responsibilities: 

• Lead the establishment of GOAL’s operations in Chad. 

• Develop and implement strategic plans and annual operational plans. 

• Build and manage a high-performance team in a challenging context. 

• Ensure effective security and crisis management. 

• Oversee program development, strategic planning, and resource mobilization. 

• Develop successful proposals for major donors (e.g., USAID, EU, ECHO, FCDO, UN agencies). 

• Manage stakeholders and lead complex projects (6-12 months). 

• Represent GOAL and build strategic relationships with a wide range of stakeholders. 

• Ensure financial management, including budgeting, income, P&L, and cash flow. 

• Travel frequently to challenging and high-risk environments. 

Skills and Experience  

• Proven and significant leadership experience in international NGOs. 

• Previous experience at the Country Director level in the overseas humanitarian or development environment, proven experience as part of an in-country Senior Management Team. 

• Fluent in written and spoken French and English are essential  

• Understanding and previous experience in CHAD and or Region 

• Strong track record of achievements in humanitarian and international development. 

• Experience in operational planning, security, and crisis management.
  
  
• Proven experience in program development, strategic planning, and resource mobilization.

• Excellent communication, representation, and negotiation skills.
  
  
• Financial acumen. 

 Desirable: 

• Spoken Arabic.

Key Leadership Skills: 

• Decision Quality, Courage, Drives Results, Develops Talent, Builds Effective Teams, Business Insight, Cultivates Innovation, Collaborates, Organizational Savvy, Resourcefulness. 

 
General Abilities: 

• Forward-thinking and ability to solve complex challenges. 

We strongly encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every single requirement listed.  At GOAL we welcome people of all abilities and want to ensure that our hiring and interview process meets the needs of all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation to make your application or interview experience a great one, please just contact our Recruitment Team at recruitment.hq@goal.ie   

GOAL commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: 
GOAL is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive environment for all employees. We foster an inclusive culture where all voices are heard and valued, we are particularly eager to receive applications from women (and other underrepresented groups). We know that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.  

 
All employees share in the responsibility for fulfilling GOAL’s commitment to equal employment opportunity and equal treatment. GOAL does not discriminate against any employee or volunteer; or any applicant for employment or volunteering on the basis of age, gender identity, ancestry, political opinion, civil status, medical condition, ethnic background, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. 

Accountability within GOAL 

A commitment to GOAL values and GOAL’s integrity framework is critical to working with GOAL. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to adhere to the following key areas of accountability: 1) Comply with GOAL’s policies and procedures with respect to safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, confidentiality, do no harm principles and unacceptable behaviour protocols; 2) Report any concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult or any wrongdoings within our programming area; 3) Report any concerns about inappropriate behaviour of a GOAL staff or partner. 

Safeguarding 

Children and vulnerable adults who come into contact with GOAL as a result of our activities must be safeguarded to the maximum possible extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury and any other harm. One of the ways that GOAL shows this on-going commitment to safeguarding is to include rigorous background and reference checks in the selection process for all candidates. 

General Terms and Conditions 

This Job Description only serves as a guide for the position available. GOAL reserves the right to change this document.