About Care:

CARE is an international NGO with local staff and community partners in 100 countries. We create local solutions to poverty and inequality, and we seek dignity for everyone every day and during times of crisis.  These solutions have a broad range, from disaster response to food and nutrition to education and work for women and girls to healthy mothers and children.

The Deputy Country Director – Program (DCD-P) is responsible for ensuring that CARE’s programs in the country of her/his assignment contribute to CARE’s vision of “a world of hope, tolerance and social justice, where poverty has been eliminated and people live with dignity and security”.

The DCD-P is expected to provide strategic leadership in the areas of program development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and ensure that CARE’s programs and projects make a significant contribution to reducing poverty and social injustice.

The DCD-P will meaningfully contribute to and progress the strategic management decisions and actions resulting from the implementation of the business plans that were developed as a result of the country presence review. In close collaboration with other senior staff of the SMT ensure the development, preparation, coordination, monitoring and documentation of the outcomes linked to the implementation of the Shared Delivery Model; ensuring an integrated approach to the change management processes and taking the necessary actions to support and lead the implementation of the reform initiatives.

The DCD-P is responsible for overseeing the development of program strategies appropriate for the specific environments in which CARE works S/he manages a team of professionals focused on the design, funding, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programs and projects (including emergency programs) that effectively address the underlying causes of poverty in line with CARE’s Programming Principles and CARE USA’s Program Strategy Frameworks and the Five Bold Moves. S/he must also ensure that systems, capacity/resources and people are in place to ensure the proper management of those projects and programs.

The DCD-P is responsible for overseeing the development, testing and implementation of new and innovative program approaches appropriate for the context of the CO. S/he works closely with, and is supported by the program units at regional and CARE USA HQ levels, as well as with other interested CARE International members. The DCD-P is a key member of the Country Office Senior Management Team and as such is responsible for leading and supporting CO initiatives. S/he is responsible for (along with the CD) maintaining good working relationships with host government officials, donors and other partners.

S/he may be required to become Acting CD when the CD is out of the country. The position is based in Kabul, Afghanistan with maximum 50% travel to the field. This is an unaccompanied position, and the operating context in Afghanistan requires the Deputy Country Director to espouse, at all times, the Safety and Security Principles of CARE and comply with Security Key Performance Indicators. Whilst CARE commands good respect and rapport with the community and other stakeholders, the operational complexity imposed by emergencies, both conflict and natural, makes Afghanistan an unstable country.

The current security rating for Afghanistan is Extreme , requiring the DCD to be strong in analysis and able to work closely with field based national staff and the security team to ensure that staff safety is our first priority, and that we support the safety and security of our partners to the greatest degree possible. The position is demanding and at times highly stressful requiring the DCD to lead and manage the program team in situations of high pressure and stress. Hostile Environme