Technical Director

Job Title: Technical Director

Organization: Action Against Hunger Canada / Action contre la Faim Canada

Report To: Chief Executive Officer

Location: Toronto, ON (Hybrid)

Job Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Start Date: November 2024

Work Hours: 37.5 per week

Salary: CAD 100K – 120K

ABOUT ACTION AGAINST HUNGER

Founded in 1979, Action Against Hunger is a global humanitarian organization that takes decisive action against the causes and effects of hunger. Our mission is to save the lives of severely malnourished children while helping communities become self-sufficient. Recognized as a world leader in the fight against malnutrition, Action Against Hunger has pursued its vision of a world without hunger for almost four decades, combating hunger in emergency situations of conflict, natural disasters, and chronic food insecurity. With more than 8,000 staff in nearly 50 countries, our programs in nutrition, food security, livelihoods, water, sanitation, and hygiene, reach more than 20 million people each year.

ABOUT ACTION AGAINST HUNGER CANADA

With an annual Budget of $46million and a staff strength of nearly 40 people, Action Against Hunger Canada (est. in 2006) works tirelessly in the fight against hunger globally through our specialized nutrition technical programs that build the knowledge and skills of nutrition and public health professionals worldwide for the detection, treatment and prevention of malnutrition. We are a leading recipient of funding from Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and advocate for changes to policy and practice in support of better nutrition and increased food security. Our collaborative programmatic model brings together communities, civil society, government, and the international assistance community to work jointly on fundamental public health issues that contribute to hunger in this world.

Our leading-edge programs have been built on the foundations of technical excellence, rigour and innovative practice over many years. We are experts in nutrition information systems, emergency nutrition and gender equality. Action Against Hunger Canada plays a hosting role to two significant global programs (SMART and the Global Nutrition Cluster Operations Team Programme Support) that provide guidance, tools and training in the areas of nutrition data collection and analysis and best practices for emergency nutrition service delivery for hundreds of Governments, civil society organizations and international organizations worldwide. Our programs support the capacity of public health professionals who deliver lifesaving and long-term initiatives in communities globally. We also work towards sustainable transformative health system strengthening in all our efforts to ensure a long-lasting impact together with our partners, including members of the Humanitarian Coalition. As a member of the Action Against Hunger International Network, we also provide a range of technical support for the mainstreaming of gender equality across our programs and operations worldwide. Our commitments towards a gender transformative approach are integrated into our core health programming and our technical support to our International Network.

To learn more about Action Against Hunger, visit our website at www.actionagainsthunger.ca

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Technical Director is responsible for the development and execution of the organization’s technical strategy, setting departmental goals, and ensuring the effective and efficient delivery of technical services. This includes the design, oversight, and expansion of the nutrition, gender, and technical advocacy portfolio, resource mobilization, partnership building as well as capacity building for internal and external stakeholders.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Programme Development, Implementation and Evaluation

Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive technical strategy for Action Against Hunger Canada and international initiatives hosted by the organization (SMART and GNC Operations Team Programme Support).
Provide strategic guidance on the development of new nutrition programs to ensure cohesion and integration of SMART and GNC services.
Ensure alignment of technical strategies and programming with the International Strategic Plan 2021-2025 of Action Against Hunger International Network.
Identify opportunities to integrate Action Against Hunger Canada's technical services into its International Network programs.
Collaborate with the Programs Department to unite technical and program teams for effective program design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, ensuring successful integration.
Lead on the technical components included within the broader programming portfolio of the organization by liaising with the Programs Department and Finance Department to ensure a clear decision-making and effective resource allocation process for the successful attainment of programmatic and overall organizational objectives.
Coordinate the monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes for all programs implemented by the Technical Department.
Ensure robust financial management of all programs and initiatives under the Technical Department.
Ensure the highest quality of technical services delivered through GNC and SMART, and continuously seek creative solutions to enhance their delivery.
Integrate the organization’s gender technical expertise into the Technical Department to make gender a core component of nutrition technical programming. Identify new opportunities to expand the reach of this expertise within the International Network, particularly in projects that are led or supported by Action Against Hunger Canada.

Diversification and Securing of New Partnerships and Funding

Identify and cultivate relationships with new partners for global, regional or national technical programming.
Cultivate new donors and diversify the funding base to secure stable funding for the Technical Department portfolio, while also increasing donor exposure to the organization’s work and hosted international initiatives.
Lead the development of a sustainable business model for delivering our technical professional services, including nutrition and gender.
Actively explore ways to diversify Action Against Hunger Canada partnership opportunities for the evolution and growth of the Technical Department.
Establish formal partnership strategies and agreements with prioritized partners.
Develop and promote with institutional and private donors new and innovative project concepts and budgets.

Representation and Communication of Action Against Hunger’s Work with External Stakeholders and Partners

Proactively develop and manage relationships with Canadian and international donors, as well as the Canadian government, regarding our technical programming. This includes providing technical representation, delivering presentations on the organization’s approaches and ways of working, and offering capacity building as needed to enhance the visibility and credibility of Action Against Hunger Canada and its International Network.
Actively represent Action Against Hunger Canada with International and Canada-based nutrition, gender, and health organizations and/or networks/coordination mechanisms including the participation in relevant technical working groups, conferences, and other coordination efforts as relevant to our work.
Provide leadership on the development of communications and marketing strategies for the Technical Department in close collaboration with the Fundraising and Communications team.

Team Management

Ensure that all human resource management processes for the Technical Department are conducted in compliance with Action Against Hunger Canada's HR policies.
Ensure professional development objectives for Technical Department staff are identified, planned for, and actioned on in collaboration with Human Resources.
Conduct mentoring and/or coaching for direct/indirect reports as required.
Unite the Technical Department by strengthening collaboration between the SMART and GNC teams and enhancing their complementarity.

Coordination within the Action Against Hunger International Network and Hosted Initiatives

Serve on and actively contribute to the Technical International Management Group (IMG).
Serve on and actively contribute to the GNC Programme Leadership Team, influencing and supporting its strategic direction.
Interact and liaise with UNICEF as the lead of the GNC Programme Team on strategic and operational topics to ensure GNC’s smooth and effective functioning.
Identify common areas of interest and priorities, such as gender, localization, and climate change, between Technical and other IMGs and GNC to facilitate the exchange of information and best practices and explore avenues for collaboration.
Provide support and guidance to Technical Department personnel in managing and coordinating relationships with the leadership of Action Against Hunger’s regional and/or country offices to ensure smooth implementation of activities and foster synergies between teams.

General

Attend planning sessions, team meetings and annual performance reviews as required.
Proactively exchange and collaborate with Action Against Hunger Canada employees and the International Network.
Ensure an ongoing process of personal and professional development and learning.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Collaboration: Collaboration involves effectively working with others, being a team player, and enhancing the quality of work by contributing effectively to others' efforts. It entails fostering cooperation and partnerships among individuals and groups, both within and outside the organization. Collaboration is the mindset of "What’s in it for the team and the organization?" versus "What’s in it for me?”.
Communication: Communication is the ability to convey and receive information clearly and effectively with the consideration of the audience and their points of view. It includes active listening and employing tact and diplomacy in all forms of communication, whether verbally or in writing, to transmit ideas and information effectively and ensure comprehension by the intended audience.
Flexibility and Adaptability: Flexibility and Adaptability is the ability to swiftly adapt one's behaviour to meet the evolving demands of a dynamic work environment. It involves recognizing and valuing diverse and conflicting perspectives, adjusting one's approach as circumstances evolve, and embracing changes in organizational or job requirements with ease.
Initiative: Initiative is the ability to assess situations, address conflicts, and proactively act on future opportunities or problems. It is the strong inclination toward taking action and actively engaging in tasks rather than merely contemplating them.
Integrity and Trust: Integrity and Trust is the demonstration of respect, honesty, and transparency in all interactions to earn and maintain credibility and confidence. It entails a commitment to being reliable and accountable for own words and actions.

CORE LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

Building and Leading Effective Teams: Building and leading effective teams entails setting a clear vision and direction that unites and engages team members toward common objectives. It involves providing proactive leadership, and empowering team members through effective delegation, coaching, and constructive feedback, while fostering a culture of understanding, inclusivity, and innovation.
Coaching and Developing Others: Coaching and Developing others involves a genuine commitment to assisting individuals to learn and grow in their roles and on their career paths through coaching, continuous feedback, and sharing of personal experiences.
Emotional Intelligence: Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one's own emotions and the emotions of others effectively. It encompasses abilities like empathy, self-awareness, and interpersonal sensitivity, which are instrumental in fostering constructive relationships and effectively navigating the dynamics of a professional environment.
Compassion and Sensitivity: Compassion and Sensitivity is demonstrated by approaching situations and interacting with others with a deep understanding of their emotional state, well-being, and needs, coupled with a genuine willingness to provide support. It involves showing kindness, empathy, and attentiveness to the feelings and experiences of others and utilizing this understanding to foster a supportive and harmonious work environment.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Master's Degree in nutrition, public health, or related development studies.
Minimum of 10 years with an international organization working on nutrition and specifically nutrition information systems programming.
Demonstrated field/country level experience directly managing nutrition humanitarian/development programmes.
Demonstrated understanding and/or practical experience working with humanitarian cluster coordination mechanisms.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND OTHER ATTRIBUTES

Excellent written and verbal English skills. Fluency in French or Spanish will be considered a strong asset.
Demonstrated commitment to Gender Equality and a solid understanding of the complexity of Gender Based Violence in humanitarian emergencies.
Demonstrated understanding of the creation of an enabling environment for Gender Equality and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) in the workplace and in humanitarian or development programming.
Strong understanding of current humanitarian trends and the architecture of the humanitarian system.
Demonstrated coordination experience at national, regional or global levels. Previous coordination experience and knowledge of the cluster system are highly desirable.
Demonstrated experience in securing funding from USA, UK, or European-based institutional donors and administering donor compliance rules.
Strong partnership-building, negotiation and influencing skills.
Strong computer skills and knowledge of MS Office applications.
Demonstrated capacity in working in a cross-cultural environment.
Demonstrated commitment to the mission, vision, and values of Action Against Hunger Canada.
A solid understanding of Adult Learning Principles as well as training design and delivery is preferred.

WORK CONDITIONS

Required to travel internationally, typically to the Americas, Europe, Central and South Africa, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, for coordination and management meetings of intermediate duration (1-2 weeks).
Required to complete computer and desk-based tasks for long periods.

At Action Against Hunger Canada, we are dedicated to cultivating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We actively welcome applications from individuals from BIPOC communities, LGBTQ2S+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity-deserving groups. If you are invited to proceed with the selection process, please inform our human resources representative of any accommodation or special measures you may require.

Action Against Hunger Canada is committed to promoting the well-being of people around the world and focuses its efforts on saving lives through the elimination of hunger. To that end, we uphold the principles of Independence, Neutrality, Non-discrimination, Unrestricted Access to Humanitarian Assistance, Professionalism, and Transparency in all our operations. We have ZERO TOLERANCE towards any behaviour violating our Code of Conduct, including workplace violence, harassment, sexual harassment, any form of exploitation or abuse, corruption, fraud, and any behaviour lacking integrity.

Action Against Hunger Canada is committed to safeguarding children and adults in the communities where we work. Our safeguarding commitment is to ensure that children and adults are protected from both deliberate and unintentional harm or abuse caused by Action Against Hunger Canada staff, including the Prevention from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA).

In an effort to safeguard children and adults in communities that we work with, our offers of employment and volunteering are conditional on successfully clearing background checks that may include, but are not limited to, criminal record, vulnerable sector, and employment reference checks. Additionally, Action Against Hunger Canada participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. As part of this scheme, we will request information from your previous employers regarding any findings of sexual exploitation, abuse, and/or harassment during your tenure, as well as any ongoing investigations at the time of your departure. By submitting an application, you confirm your understanding and acceptance of these background checks and provide your consent for the collection and disclosure of your personal information for the purpose of these background checks.

If you are interested in this position, please apply online by October 25, 2024.

We thank all applicants for their interest in this opportunity; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.