The Country Director is a top-tier senior level position at AACS Consulting.  The Country Director (for Afghanistan) is responsible for providing strategic, financial and operational leadership for the company and will closely coordinate and work with the President and CEO of the company. 

Organizational Development:

Review and update organizational development strategies and processes;

Regularly and systematically assess programmatic and operational efficiency and effectiveness of the Company and propose sound solutions to optimize overall organizational efficiency and effectiveness;

Continuously assess the Company's posture against the current and upcoming market trends and dynamics, and proactively develop short- and long-term plans and strategies, and ensure the Company's compliance with the stated mission;

Take the lead in looking for alliances, partnerships, and investment opportunities and reviewing and advising contracts;

Design and implement staff learning and development programs;

Align and improve departmental functions, processes, and resource allocation;

Assess, weigh and make high-level decisions about Company policies and strategies;

Lead and facilitate the development and implementation of programmatic and operational policies and plans that best serve the Company’s short-term and long-term objectives;

Provide inspiring company-wide leadership, directly interacting and building relationship with all staff members;

Visibly improve and further develop the Company's culture;

Draft organizational policies and philosophies as and when required;

Conduct organizational, market-related, client-related and other similar reviews and assessments as required.

Business Development:

Craft short- and long-term business development action plans in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer and President of AACS Consulting;

Act as the Company’s face both online and offline, representing the best of AACS Consulting and advancing the image and reputation of the Company with clients, donors, vendors, and the Government of Afghanistan;

Identify opportunities to develop and strengthen relationships to advance the business of AACS Consulting. This can mean building cross-functional teams within AACS Consulting by connecting personnel across department lines or managing external vendor and supplier relations;

Develop in-depth knowledge of Company offerings and business interests to identify viable business opportunities;

Direct Business Development efforts by presenting market research on emerging market trends to leadership;

Earnestly develop and manage local and international strategic partnerships, networks, associations, and memberships to grow Company business;

Take the lead in developing quality business plans, proposals, and budgets for new project opportunities;

Manage and revise annual business plans and budgets as needed;

Conduct and coordinate meetings, calls, and communications between leadership, management, and clients in all project stages;

Maintain regular contacts with past, existing, and new clients to create and explore new opportunities;

Research and reach out to organizations and individuals to identify new opportunities;

Identify new markets and areas for Company business expansion

Attend conferences, meetings, and industry events to keep abreast of industrial and contextual dynamics;

Identify and establish understanding/contracts with in-house and remote experts for the technical proposals development in all service lines;

Manage proposal response process, including detailed RFP requirements, content creation, and gathering and finalizing inputs from various sources;

Review existing proposal development content and approach; propose improved proposal development approach that ensures smoother and more efficient proposal development process.

Operational Optimization and Facilitation:

Analyze internal operations and identify areas of process enhancement;

Directly oversee operations, HR, and accounting, and support the Company President on certain operational aspects;

Aggressively manage capital and expenses to ensure the Company achieves targets relative to growth and profitability;

Monitor performance and establish corrective measures as needed and facilitate the preparation of detailed reports;

Oversee operations and employee productivity, building inclusive culture ensuring team thrives and organizational outcomes;

Ensure effective recruiting, onboarding, professional development, performance management, and retention;

Oversee liaison work, legal, tax compliance, and all other compliance aspects of the Company;

Evaluate performance by analyzing and interpreting data and metrics;

Drive the Company's operating capabilities to surpass customer satisfaction and retention, and company goals;

Control company costs and introduce tactical initiatives to address theft and other losses;

Delegate responsibilities to ensure staff members grow as capable participants;

Employ various initiatives to coach employees to optimize their capabilities;

Prudently complete performance reviews for all operation team;

Design and implement business operations strategies, plans, and procedures;

Work with the human resources department to develop and implement staffing programs to attract the best applicants, create expert rosters, CV bank, etc.;

Oversee coordination of workshops, training, and events;

Act as the guardian of the Company policies and ensure that financial and administrative management systems, policies, and procedures are followed;

Ensure the maintenance of accurate and complete files of procurement;

Provide training and mentoring to local staff on operations, administration, logistics, and procurement.

Program Management Optimization and Facilitation:

Ensure appropriate liaison and optimal coordination with Afghan authorities about project implementation and the regulatory environment;

Facilitate the development of the projects as well as monitor and address risks;

Ensure close monitoring of activities and lead process and implementation;

Ensure the delivery of the quality/substance and timely delivery of projects;

Establish and manage mechanisms for the exchange of program information;

Ensure wide dissemination and visibility of program achievements;

Develop Project Implementation Manual for AACS Consulting;

Oversee the production of original in-house research and studies on commercial, development, and public sector domains and interventions;

Work with staff to develop programmatic performance measurements across all projects;

Instill a sense of accountability among team members by modeling tight oversight of individual and organizational standards.

Education:

Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Economics, Development Studies, or any other relevant field

Experience:

Substantial previous overseas experience in corporate (preferably in consulting sector). This must include significant leadership and management experience including management of national and international staff, project planning and implementation, and client relation.

Demonstrated experience in successful implementation of large projects in the areas of Research and Survey, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Management Consulting.

Demonstrated experience with cross-cultural communication and complex interpersonal relations; negotiating and working with foreign experts, managers, government officials, international staff, other non-governmental staff, etc.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in Dari, Pashto and English

Core Competencies:

Leadership and decision-making ability

Personnel management and team-building skills with an ability to delegate, follow-up and supervise as well as support

Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural communication and mediation skills

Understanding of company and program budgeting and financial management

Strong writing skills in English

Strong external representational skills

Excellent computer skills in MS Office, Project Management and Research software. Knowledge of accounting software is an asset