Chief Executive / HI National Association director

Humanity & Inclusion / Handicap International (HI) is made up of a network of national associations forming a Federation. The Federation:

• implements social missions common to the federal network;

• decides the federal network's multi-annual strategy;

• defines the policies and operating procedures that apply to the network as a whole.

The National Associations (NAs):

• mobilise the resources needed to implement these social missions;

• develop HI's brand image in their country;

• represent and transmit the federal network's values and positioning;

• as members of the Federation, participate in its governance.

This interdependence between the Federation and the national association is reflected in the dual line-reporting of the NA director, who is jointly recruited and assessed by the chairperson of the national association and the Global Managing Director (of the Federation).

Priorities/objectives of the post

• The NA director helps define the federal network's joint strategy and implement its mandate.

• He/she develops HI's national base in line with the federal network's strategy, with a particular focus on meeting private fundraising objectives and mobilising the resources needed to ensure the smooth operating and correct implementation of the Federation's operational mandate.

• He/she is responsible for the NA's day-to-day management, ensuring that the individual action plans of staff members are drawn up and carried out.

• He/she ensures that the NA team complies with federal principles and that the functional relations between national association staff and their contacts within the Federation satisfy defined operating procedures.

Key responsibilities

1. Strategic steering

• Draw up a multi-annual development plan in coordination with the federal divisions concerned, and in phase with the federal network's strategy.

• Adjusting the NA's activities as necessary to ensure they remain consistent with the Federal Action Plan.

2. Governance

• Assist the NA's chairperson to ensure that the proceedings and official documents relative to national governance (legal provisions, constitution of and changes in the national Board of Trustees (BoT), preparation and follow-up of meetings, constitutive documents and decisions of the national BoT and/or General Assembly) are in conformity with the country's laws on associations.

• To this end, and in liaison with the Global Managing Director or one of the deputies, seek to ensure that the framework and prescribed practices on which the national association is required to decide are always as compatible with and favourable to the rules and methods adopted by the federal network as possible.

• Assess with the Federal Executive Division the issues raised, the risks incurred and the solutions possible in the event that a satisfactory level of compatibility not be found.

• With the Global Managing Director or one of the deputies, and in close liaison with the national chairperson, establish regular contacts in order to ensure that the national Board of Trustees has a clear understanding of HI network issues.

3. Budget and financial responsibility

• Supervise the construction of a draft budget by the national association's activity managers in liaison with the federal personnel concerned.

• Where necessary, arbitrate with the Federal Executive Committee, before presenting the budget to the national BoT.

• Monitor the budget and ensure it remains within the defined framework; inform the Federation and the national BoT of any changes liable to affect budget estimates and planned developments, notably with regard to HR costs (job creations).

• Focus particular attention on achieving set objectives for private and institutional fundraising.

• Facilitate the auditing of the annual year-end accounts.

4. Interface between the national association and the federal HI network

• Maintain a good level of knowledge of the activities of all the other national associations and of the network;

• Develop a relationship of mutual aid and collaboration with NA counterparts;

• Take part in the International Coordination Committee made up of the other national directors and the Global Managing Director, in accordance with the mandate given to this regulatory body of the federal network;

• Contribute towards the federal network’s debate on issues concerning international positioning, strategy, and the development of HI's mandate thought various Federal executive committees.

Team supervision

• Represent and transmit HI’s values, political positioning and internal policies so that they are properly understood and appropriated by the NA team.

• Ensure interaction between the national association’s activity managers and their contacts within the Federation in accordance with internal accountability principles. The principle of accountability ensures the transmission of information essential to functional relations and cross-sectoral interaction within the federal network, thereby enabling everyone to effectively contribute towards its smooth-running

• Together with the federal director concerned and, if necessary, with the Global Managing Director or one of the deputies, examine and negotiate ways of resolving any difficulties encountered, before referral to the national BoT.

• In collaboration with the federal divisions concerned, recruit the NA's activity managers who will implement planned activities.

• Ensure the introduction of human resources practices and procedures that are compatible with legal requirements at national level and the HR practices of the federal network.

• Guarantee the transparency of pay policy and its coherency with agreed federal policy;

• Maintain a good social climate and keep the teams motivated.

6. External representation and influence

• Represent and defend the specificities of the federal network’s identity, mission, scope of action and principles of intervention.

• Organise the representation of the national association and the federal network in national forums and networks in order to extend knowledge of HI's operations and promote the positioning of HI’s practitioners

• Develop the federal network’s brand image and visibility at national level.

• In close collaboration with the federal Advocacy and International Relations manager, contribute towards promoting the political positioning of the federal network and increasing its influence, in order to advance the causes identified in the federal network’s strategy.