Country Director- Mali

Organization Background

Founded in 2011, the International NGO Safety Organization (INSO) is an international NGO that supports humanitarian aid workers by establishing safety coordination platforms in insecure contexts. INSO provides registered NGOs with a range of free services, including real-time incident tracking, analytical reports, safety-related data and mapping, crisis management support, staff orientations, and training. INSO provides daily support to more than 1,500 NGOs operating in 24 of the world’s most insecure countries. INSO is registered in the Netherlands, with its headquarters located in The Hague, a city renowned for its international focus on peace and justice.

INSO in Mali

INSO launched in Mali during 2013 and has since provided services supporting the delivery of humanitarian aid and preserving the safety of staff. More than 200 national and international NGOs benefit from INSO services in country through its coordination office in Bamako and field presence in Gao, Mopti-Sévaré and Timbuktu.

Job Summary

As the Country Director, you will provide direct leadership, coordination, representation, supervision, and management to all staff and services and set the strategic framework for the Mali platform. You will have solid program and people management skills and be a confident leader, communicator, consensus-builder and networker. You will also combine a keen intellect and analytical skills. Working for INSO in Mali means joining a dynamic and talented team where you will directly support humanitarian efforts through advice and analysis that helps keep our partners safe.

This position is based in Bamako and reports to the Regional Director - West Africa.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Program strategy and management

• Manage the Country Office team, including direct supervision of senior management and oversight of the program, operations, and finance teams.
• Provide dedicated, effective leadership across and ensure cohesion across all functions.
• Develop overall strategy and annual planning.
• Steward INSO resources effectively in compliance with internal and donor policies.
• Liaise with Regional Director and HQ technical referents.
• Responsible for safety and security of the staff, program and assets.

Representation

• Maintain and build the acceptance of INSO with national and local authorities.
• Effectively represent and protect INSO’s principles of independence, impartiality, and neutrality; promote INSO as an integral member of the humanitarian community.
• Maintain donor engagement and track country-specific funding opportunities.
• Produce high-quality, compelling donor proposals and reports that underscore INSO’s impact.
• Engage with third parties, including authorities and UN agencies.
• Participate in external coordination activities related to humanitarian safety, coordination and access.

Program support and monitoring

• Oversee delivery of INSO services, ensuring program objectives are met and quality maintained.
• Deliver strategic analysis to senior humanitarian leadership.
• Lead crisis management support to NGO partners or the NGO community during critical incidents.

Mandatory Requirements

Essential

• 3 years relevant work experience as an NGO Country Director or equivalent senior management experience in conflict/post-conflict contexts.
• Experience with project development and management, donor liaison, reporting and compliance.
• French fluency and strong working knowledge of English.
• Proven analytical skills.
• Solid understanding of principles and practices in broad humanitarian action, NGO safety and risk management, humanitarian access and civil-military coordination.
• Excellent networking, diplomatic, and representative communication skills.
• Master’s Degree-level of education or equivalent work experience.

Nice to Have:

• Recent experience in Sahel region.
• Direct experience/involvement in a crisis management role.
• Experience in an interagency role.
• Previous INSO experience (as a team member, member of INSO’s country advisory board or beneficiary).

Core Competencies

• Problem-Solving – Identifies issues quickly and proposes effective, practical solutions.
• Communication – Conveys information clearly and collaborates well across teams.
• Organization – Manages tasks, priorities, and workflows efficiently.
• Accountability – Takes ownership of actions and follows through reliably.
• Resilience – Performs effectively under pressure and tight deadlines.
• Integrity – Maintains confidentiality, ethical conduct, and awareness of conflicts of interest.

INSO’s Safeguarding Policy

INSO is fully committed to safe recruitment, selection and vetting of all potential new staff, trustees and volunteers. We ensure rigorous compliance with our Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policy throughout the recruitment process. INSO is a member of the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, and the selected candidate will be required to undergo the relevant misconduct disclosure checks as part of the final hiring steps.

Terms & Conditions

Twelve-month contract, monthly salary of €6500, 4 calendar days annual leave per month and 7 days of R&R every 3 months with €1250 R&R allowance each cycle, global medical coverage (excluding USA), and USD $200,000 AD&D coverage

Kindly be aware that, due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may not be able to provide individual feedback to candidates who are not shortlisted.

How to apply

Interested in this opportunity? We encourage you to apply here!