Country Director, Sri Lanka

The starting salary package for this position is £64,424 GBP / approx. $83,518 USD including all allowances.

About MAG

MAG (Mines Advisory Group) is an international humanitarian organisation based in Manchester, UK, and working in 32 countries. We remove landmines and unexploded ordnance to release safe and productive land for communities, and work to reduce the threat of armed violence by supporting governments to safely manage weapons and ammunition. In 1997, MAG was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for our work campaigning for the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.

About the role

MAG is hiring for a Country Director to provide strategic leadership and representation for MAG in Sri Lanka, maintaining robust oversight of the programme to ensure quality delivery of MAG activities. Reporting to the Regional Director, you will be responsible for the effective integration of strategic, programmatic and operational management, ensuring compliance with contractual obligations and MAG’s mission and mandate in order to maintain the quality, relevance, and consistency of all programme activities. You will have a wide variety of strategic responsibilities including contract management, donor liaison, people management, security management, capacity building and risk management. You will be responsible and accountable for the delivery, effective management, monitoring and evaluation and development of the programme. As Country Director, you will spend time both in the capital, Colombo as well as our main operational base in Vavuniya.

About you

MAG will be looking for candidates with extensive experience working internationally at a senior management level in large-scale humanitarian or development programmes. You will be an excellent communicator, having experience in successful relationship development and negotiation with a range of stakeholders including local partners, government bodies, donors, and other NGOs with diplomacy and tact. You will be solution-focused, with the creativity and aptitude to respond to pressure with limited supervision, and overall commitment to MAG’s core values and strategic direction. Previous experience in the mine action sector is highly desirable, however we welcome applications from experienced leaders with other backgrounds including the broader disarmament, protection and humanitarian fields. In addition, experience within the region is desirable.

About the Sri Lanka Programme

MAG’s Sri Lanka programme addresses the problems faced by mine-affected communities by providing efficient, effective and safe clearance of land. The Sri Lankan civil war ended in 2009, but landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) continue to threaten communities in northern and eastern districts. MAG uses a mixture of manual and mechanical teams to maximise the efficiency of the land release process in country. By making land safe and returning it to the affected communities, MAG is helping people in Sri Lanka to rebuild their lives, livelihoods and futures following the civil war. MAG Sri Lanka extended its programme activities by adding Weapons and Ammunition Management (WAM) activities to the programme in 2019.

How to Apply:

Further information and how to apply:

For the further information on the role, the application pack and details of how to apply, please visit the MAG website at www.maginternational.org/work-for-us/vacancies by the closing date of 8th December 2024.

Candidates that have been successfully short-listed will be advised of this by mid-December. Due to the end of the year standdown period, interviews for the role will not occur until week commencing 6th January 2025.

MAG will support the successful applicant with any visa or work permit required, including application, administration and costs, however applicants will need to be able to obtain these within a reasonable time period to be considered for the role, due to programme needs.

Please note that as part of MAG’s commitment to safeguarding, this post is subject to background checks before an offer of employment is confirmed. For more information on MAG’s approach to safeguarding here and background checks here. You can also find more information in the candidate information pack, available on our website.

MAG is committed to the principles of diversity, equality and inclusion. If you think you would be suited to one of our roles we would welcome your application regardless of your background. We strive to provide an inclusive and supportive working environment where all employees feel respected and supported in fulfilling their potential.