Country Director – Türkiye

JOB ADVERTISEMENT – Country Director – Türkiye

SCI employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3:  the role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE: 

Since 2013, Save the Children has been a pivotal force in Türkiye, supporting vulnerable populations, particularly refugees and asylum seekers. Our comprehensive programs encompass child protection, mental health and psychosocial support, early childhood care and development, non-formal education, and livelihoods. Following the 2023 earthquakes in Southeast Türkiye, we have significantly expanded our efforts to address the urgent humanitarian needs of both refugee and host communities in the hardest-hit provinces. In collaboration with the Government of Türkiye and our partners, we are delivering critical assistance to thousands of earthquake-affected children and their families, while also contributing to long-term recovery efforts.

As the Türkiye Country Director, you will lead our operations in Türkiye, ensuring the delivery of high-quality programs and advocacy aligned with our strategic vision. In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, you will be expected to adapt and extend your working hours as necessary.

As a member of the Regional Leadership Team (RLT), you will share accountability for Save the Children’s emergency, humanitarian, and development programming in the region, managing an annual budget of approximately USD 300 million and overseeing nearly 2,500 staff. Together with Save the Children Members and other regional organizations, the leadership team will drive growth in the quality and scale of our regional programs to achieve our ambitious goals and breakthroughs for children.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports To: Regional Director, Middle East and Eastern Europe

Number of people managed in total: 6

Total number of staff: 89

Team Manager (manager of multiple teams): Yes

International Travel Requirements: International and in-country travel: 25%

Budget: USD 6 million p.a.
 

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

As a member of the Regional Senior Leadership Team, contribute to strategic development and delivery of international programming, in both humanitarian and development contexts, in line with the Save the Children mandate, strategy and theory of change.

Strategic leadership:

• Provide vision and direction for the Türkiye country programme.
• Build and lead a high-performing Senior Management Team (SMT) to deliver against strategy and model expected behaviours and values.
• Accountable for the leadership and management of staff and programmes in Türkiye.
• Lead the implementation of the Country Strategy and ensure ongoing review of progress against key objectives, indicators, and targets.
• Engage Save the Children staff, partners, and other stakeholders to foster shared ownership and collaboration.
• Maintain strong collaborative relations with Turkish national/local government entities, civil society organisations, and donor representatives.
• Actively network and lead management-level dialogue with members, donors, and other INGOs.
• Grow the funding base for the country programme and liaise with bilateral and multilateral donors in Türkiye.
• Ensure the organisation's focus remains on the rights and needs of children.
• Contribute to regional and global knowledge and learning.

Human Resource Management

• Attract and retain high-calibre staff with appropriate gender and ethnic diversity.
• Proactively develop and coach staff to optimise their potential in pursuit of Save the Children’s objectives.
• Implement HR policies and procedures at the country level, in line with organisational guidelines and local labour laws.
• Ensure consistent implementation of strong performance management systems throughout the country team.
• Create an environment of continuous learning, encouraging staff to grow, develop, and be accountable for their commitments.
• Serve as a role model and lead the way on new values and ways of working.
• Foster a collegial, supportive, and respectful culture within the Türkiye team.

Programme Development and Management

• Ensure programme interventions align with technical best practices, SC common approaches, and emerging national policies.
• Develop and maintain efficient operating systems, ensuring compliance with all Save the Children International standards and procedures.
• Drive efforts to grow the country programme to become the leading INGO addressing children’s issues in Türkiye.
• Develop strong programme designs and operational plans that address significant issues facing children, aligned with Save the Children’s strategy and theory of change.
• Implement effective monitoring and evaluation systems in line with policies and guidelines.
• Prepare for and implement rapid, effective responses to major emergencies affecting children, building relationships with key humanitarian and development partners.
• Deliver programmes and advocacy in line with the country strategy, operational plans, budgets, and Member requirements, resulting in significant impact for children.

Security and Risks management

• Improve identification, management, and communication of key organisational and operational risks and mitigations, in line with the Save the Children risk management framework.
• Maintain effective safety and security management systems, ensuring compliance with global/regional standards.
• Ensure compliance with global policies and standards, including Safety and Security, and Child Safeguarding.
• Maintain, document, and communicate up-to-date analyses of the changing security context.
• Ensure all staff adhere to security, fraud, compliance and safeguarding guidelines.

Financial and Admin Management

• Ensure effective financial budgeting and management systems, processes, and controls are in place and compliant with operating standards and local legal requirements.
• Ensure Save the Children and donor-compliant procurement and asset management systems, processes, and controls are in place.
• Assess partner organisations in relation to financial management and governance standards, supporting them to address capacity weaknesses.
• Ensure compliance with all host government requirements regarding registration, taxation, labour law, auditing, and fraud.
• Follow up on recommendations from audits of operations and take appropriate actions where necessary.

Other: Any other duties as assigned by the Regional Director

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength

• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Master’s degree or equivalent professional experience in relevant fields
• Experienced leader with senior positions in complex, high-profile, multinational organisations.
• Strong understanding of key trends in international and humanitarian development.
• Proven track record in building strong partnerships with government entities and networking with donors and key senior stakeholders.
• Successful history of securing new large-scale funding and/or funding for innovative programs from donors.
• Experience in building and overseeing media, marketing, and public relations strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to recruit, lead, and develop high-calibre specialist senior staff with diverse backgrounds and expertise.
• Experience in leading organisational change resulting in significant outcomes for the organisation and its stakeholders.
• Ability to manage and motivate self and others to respond effectively to significant and complex crises, requiring swift action and rapid changes in priorities.
• Innovative approach to solving highly complex issues and galvanising buy-in to solutions at all levels.
• Strong understanding of programme, financial, and operational management processes.
• Experience and knowledge of the context and actors in the MENA region.
• Commitment to Save the Children’s vision, principles, mission, and values.
• Experience of crisis management / security management in complex environment
• Experience working in Türkiye and/or proficiency in Turkish language is highly desired.

Position holder will be based in Istanbul therefore legal right to work in Türkiye is necessary at the time of application. Applications will be evaluated in a rolling basis.