Practical reality note:
This position is based in Geneva and requires applicants to be fully prepared for the realities of living and working in a high-cost international city, including potential constraints on partner employment and the wider practicalities of family relocation. The role also entails regular international travel, significant operational pressure and therefore requires a high degree of flexibility and readiness to meet these demands.
Core responsibilities
- Lead operational strategy, portfolio planning and country programme development in line with FSD's mandate, risk appetite and approved institutional strategy.
- Oversee the full programme cycle across FSD operations: context analysis, programme design, proposal development, contract negotiation, start-up, implementation oversight, adaptation, reporting, review and close-out.
- Lead institutional donor engagement for operational matters, including proposal quality, contractual compliance, visibility obligations and coordination with government and multilateral donors.
- Direct operational performance management across country programmes, ensuring delivery against objectives, budget, timeline, quality, safety and compliance requirements.
- Maintain oversight of operational risk, duty of care, health and safety, security management, technical SOP compliance, escalating critical risks to the CEO as required.
- Ensure programmes comply with (and therefore needing knowledge and experience of) applicable law, donor conditions, application of FSD policy, international standards and relevant national regulations.
- Provide executive support to, and monitoring of, country leadership on programme structure, staffing, technical capacity, assets, procurement planning and operational readiness.
Functions and Activities
- Line manage or functionally supervise relevant HQ operations staff and provide clear leadership, coaching and performance oversight to country management on operational matters.
- Work in close partnership with the CFO on budgeting, financial forecasting, cost recovery, grant controls, audit readiness and resource allocation.
- Contribute to institutional governance, risk management, internal control, quality assurance and policy development, including support to board papers, audits and senior management review processes.
- Represent FSD externally with donors, partners, authorities and sector networks, and contribute to organisational positioning on mine action, explosive ordnance risk reduction and related recovery or resilience programming.
- Support innovation, learning and continuous improvement across FSD operations, including new methods, technologies, partnerships and evidence-based programme design.