Background

NRC has been working in Burkina Faso since 2019, with staff dedicated to assisting people affected by conflict and displacement. Its humanitarian interventions are based on its programming expertise in the Core Competencies of Shelter, Site Management, Education, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Protection from Violence, along with Information Counselling and legal Assistance (ICLA) to vulnerable displaced people. NRC has a presence in two primary areas – Liptako/Soum (Dori office) and Goulmou/Sirba (Fada office), with several field offices in hard-to-reach areas and in partnership with national and international organisations. 

NRC is transitioning into a Central Sahel multi-country operating model, presently for Burkina Faso and Niger, with one unified Country Office led by a Multi-Country Director based in Niamey, shared strategic/technical functions (e.g., HoP, CCS, Advocacy, Risk & Compliance), and field operations decentralized through Area Offices.

What we are looking for

To achieve its Central Sahel strategic objectives under the multi-country model, NRC is looking for an experienced and dedicated Country Representative to ensure strong country-level representation, government and donor liaison, and high-quality operational stewardship of support services in Burkina Faso.

An ideal candidate will be a passionate and committed humanitarian leader, with proven senior management experience in a humanitarian/recovery context and the credibility to act as NRC’s key counterpart with authorities, donors, and strategic stakeholders. 

NRC is particularly looking for a strategic thinker and strong relationship-builder who combines sound judgment, integrity, and a solutions-oriented mindset with the ability to ensure compliance, risk awareness, and effective internal controls while enabling efficient field delivery through strong coordination across functions

What you will do

The purpose of the Head of Support - Country Representative role is to ensure that all support functions in Burkina Faso are providing high quality and efficient backing to enable impactful programme implementation, while also serving as NRC’s legal and official representative in-country and leading country-level liaison, representation, and external engagement within the Central Sahel multi-country structure. 

Roles& responsibilities 

• Serve as NRC’s legal representative in Burkina Faso, ensuring legal registration, statutory compliance, and appropriate management of official documentation, authorisations and country-level legal obligations.
• Lead NRC’s official country-level representation with host government, regulatory bodies, local authorities and other formal counterparts, as well as local partners, and maintain constructive working relationships that protect NRC’s access, acceptance and operational continuity.
• Lead country-level donor liaison, relationship management and external engagement in Burkina Faso, in alignment with the multi-country strategy and in close coordination with the Multi-Country Director, Head of Programme and Advocacy functions.
• Ensure strong internal controls, segregation of duties and delegated authorities across the Burkina Faso support platform, including sound risk awareness, anti-corruption compliance, duty of care and safeguarding standards.
• Provide operational stewardship of the Burkina Faso support platform, ensuring Finance, HR/Admin, Logistics and country-based enabling functions deliver timely, compliant and high-quality services to Area operations and programme implementation.
• Support grants compliance and operational readiness by ensuring country-level planning, budgets, procurement, HR setup, reporting inputs and audit preparedness are aligned with donor requirements and internal standards.
• Ensure effective coordination between Coordination Office functions and Area Offices through structured communication, service planning and follow-up mechanisms, while maintaining clear role boundaries.
• Support country-level advocacy and communications engagement by enabling appropriate access, relationships and coordination for approved messaging and representation opportunities in Burkina Faso.
• Represent Burkina Faso operational priorities in multi-country management discussions and contribute to decisions affecting support structures, resource allocation, compliance, risk management and country operational set-up.
• Act as delegated country lead when required, in accordance with approved delegation arrangements, powers of authorization and management instructions from the Multi-Country Director.

What you will bring

1.Professional competencies

• Minimum 4 years’ experience from a senior management position in a humanitarian / recovery context.
• Experience from working in complex and volatile contexts.
• Allocation of resources and costs expertise, including support budget oversight and internal controls.
• Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities.
• Strong knowledge of leadership skills/profile and ability to build trust and influence across functions.
• Experience in representation, external liaison and stakeholder management in a humanitarian context.
• Fluency in French and English, both written and verbal.
• Valid driver’s license.

Context related skills, knowledge and experience

• Knowledge of the Burkina Faso / Central Sahel context and country-level governmental and administrative engagement requirements.
• Experience in advocacy, representation, and donor engagement.
• Experience operating within a matrix-managed / multi-country structure, with clear respect for role boundaries, delegation, and coordination mechanisms.
• Strong understanding of compliance, risk management and internal control expectations in humanitarian operations.

2.Behavioral competencies 

• Strategic thinking
• Managing performance and development
• Empowering and building trust
• Managing resources to optimize results
• Communication with impact and respect 
• Coping with change / Handling insecure environment (as relevant to context)

Leadership profile competencies: 

• Build meaningful relations; 
• Act with integrity; 
• Empower people; 
• Deliver results

Please download the detailed job description to learn more about the position Burkina Faso Head of Support - Country Representative - JD .pdf

What we offer 

• Duty station: Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso 
• Contract(Resident/National): 12 months with possibility of extension 
• Salary&Benefits: Grade 11 on NRC’s BurkinaFaso National Salary scale 
• NRC is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to diversity without distinction to age, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, and physical ability. 
• We think outside the box, encourage ideas, and give responsibility to all employees at all levels. You will have many opportunities to be heard and take the initiative. 
• Find out more about the benefits of working for NRC https://www.nrc.no/career/what-we-offer/

At NORCAP, we work to better protect and empower people affected by crises and climate change. With expertise in the humanitarian, development and peacebuilding sectors, we collaborate with local, national and international partners on finding solutions to meet the needs of people at risk. NORCAP is part of the Norwegian Refugee Council.