Job Description

Job Title: Country Manager Albania

Work Location: Albania*

*Visits would need to be made to our hospice partners depending on the need (at least twice per month) and they are based in Tirana and Durres. Also, occasional visits to Hospices of Hope’s Head Office (Otford, Kent, England) to keep in touch with the team and for any necessary trainings, etc.

Contract: Initial 1-year contract

Organization

Hospices of Hope is an international charity and network, founded in 1991, that has been responsible for leading the development of hospice (palliative care) services and education in South and East Europe. It continues to provide advocacy, technical expertise, training and funding in order to fulfil its mission to enable all those who need this type of care in the region to receive it.

The charity is registered in England and Scotland and has a sister organization in the United States (New York) and a branch in the Republic of Moldova. It currently has country partners in Romania (Hospice Casa Sperantei, Emanuel Hospice), Serbia (BELhospice), Albania (Ryder Albania) Greece (Merimna and Nosilia) and Ukraine (St Panteleimon Charity Fund supporting Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Palliative Care Centre) which are independent legal entities, registered within their respective countries and part of the Hospices of Hope Network.

The head office of the charity is in Otford, near Sevenoaks, Kent, UK, and there is a branch office in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is governed by a Board of Trustees and is registered with the UK Charity Commission.

Hospices of Hope Moldova has an office in Chisinau and supports palliative care in Moldova through grants to organizations providing palliative care (currently in Orhei, Taraclia, Ocnita and Soroca). It has also developed a palliative day center in Chisinau.

Hospices of Hope has been working in Albania with Ryder Albania Association since 2018 to develop palliative care services for terminally ill adults.

Ryder Albania Association is a registered Albanian charity and the first provider of palliative care services in the country with multidisciplinary teams in Tirana and Durres. For 30 years Ryder Albania has been providing valuable medical, social, and psycho emotional services to those affected by terminal cancer or other incurable illnesses and their families. The services provided are free of charge for the beneficiaries. Yearly, over 700 patients and their family members are benefiting of the services provided within the organization.

Job summary

The country manager (Albania):

Will primarily focus on overseeing the fundraising and strategic direction to help provide sustainability of the palliative care services currently being provided by Hospices of Hope’s partners.
Takes responsibility for assisting the CEO and Development Team in supporting and developing palliative care services in Albania through Hospices of Hope’s partners.
Supports and develops palliative care services and palliative care education in Albania to meet the needs of terminally ill patients and their families and health care professionals involved in this field, within the authority delegated by the CEO/Hospices of Hope Board.
Deals at a national level with government ministers, authorities and other agencies in pursuit of the above aims.
Works closely with the managers of the grantee organizations to ensure that any services supported by grants made by Hospices of Hope are well run and that there is adequate accountability and transparency in all dealings with these organizations.
Participates, in liaison with the CEO and Development Team, in securing the necessary funds to sustain the services currently supported by Hospices of Hope.
Develops strategy proposals in cooperation with the CEO and Development Team and ensures that agreed strategies are implemented and that strategic goals are achieved.
Takes responsibility for administration of grants provided by Hospices of Hope and reporting to Hospices of Hope.
Works closely with the Finance officer to ensure complete transparency and accuracy in all financial areas of the operation.

About the team

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), you will work closely with the Development Team, Ryder Albania Team and Hospices of Hope’s Network Partners.

Hours

Full time (part-time will be considered minimum of 3 days). Usually worked Monday to Friday (flexible hours). This position involves some evening and weekends due to travel requirements, meetings and events for which TOIL (time off in lieu) may be claimed.

Salary
Competitive Salary package (dependent on qualifications and experience).

Responsibilities and requirements

Development

To assist the CEO and Development Team in forming the strategy for supporting and developing palliative care services in Albania, in order to increase access for patients and families to high quality, holistic and free of charge care at the end of life.
To assist the CEO and Development Team in identifying medical teams/personnel and organizations in Albania that can help achieve this goal.
To work with government, authorities and other local agencies to improve funding and legislation relating to palliative care.

Management

To provide vision, inspiration and leadership to Hospices of Hope’s partner in Albania, particularly the fundraising and financial staff.
To recruit and train members of non-medical staff as necessary and encourage the use of volunteers.
To mentor non-medical members of staff to increase efficiency and knowledge with a view to increasing the chances of self-sustainability.
To ensure good communication within the Hospices of Hope Network.
To manage the relationship with grantees (the heads of the supported organizations) and ensure that they uphold the standards and recommendations laid out in the grant agreement.
To promote the values of the charity at all times.

Fundraising

To work with the Senior Management Team (SMT) and fundraising staff to set a fundraising budget, inspire the team, supervise their work and brainstorm new ideas and prospects.
To develop and implement a long-term fundraising strategy tailored to local corporate and individual donors as well as securing international partnerships.
To develop and implement a digital fundraising strategy to incorporate online campaign, social media and digital engagement.
Manage and develop a database of prospective and current donors to increase the income.
Manage and develop a series of annual events: from coming up with an idea to planning and execution.
Communicate with the mass media to promote the organization and events.
Manage a develop the organizations social media, newsletters, promotional videos and website.
Work to develop and deliver marketing and promotional materials in Albanian and English.
To network with local business leaders in order to gain company sponsorship and support – building on current support and developing new.
Develop individual relationships with major donors and community fundraisers.
To contact government agencies, ministries etc in order to improve government contributions to palliative care.
To establish links with the Diplomatic Community in Albania (British, US, Austrian, German, French, Polish, Dutch, Italian and others) in order to get business lists, contacts for AID agencies and other NGO’s supporting Albania, and encourage Ambassadors to support the charity and host an event.
To help identify opportunities to apply for grants from European, US and other sources and assisting the Development Team with applications.
To encourage donors to continue to support the charity by communicating our appreciation, by keeping them informed of the work of the charity and by explaining how we use the funds to provide the best possible care and support for people living with a terminal or life limiting illness in Albania.
To develop understanding and a shared commitment to the aims of the charity by effective communication with the general public, partner organisations, national and local politicians and the media.

Financial

To participate in the budget setting process and monitor budgets on a monthly basis.
To report financial information to the CEO and Development Team.
To ensure that that accurate records are kept of income and expenditure and that any anomalies are reported immediately to the CEO.

Administrative

To participate in the reporting mechanisms for grants in liaison with the Development Team.
To ensure that quarterly reports on progress and financial reports as required are sent to the CEO and Development Team of Hospices of Hope.
To ensure that all activities carried out by Hospices of Hope Albania are strictly in line with the legislation and rules laid down by the government.

Other

To strengthen partnerships with other agencies involved in providing palliative care and/or palliative care education in Albania.
To attend meetings of the Hospices of Hope Board in UK from time to time as requested.
To work within agreed guidelines, protocols and the charity’s policies and procedures.
Exercise discretion in the handling of confidential or sensitive financial or general charity information.

The above job description is a guide to the work the job holder may be required to undertake but does not form part of the contract of employment and may change from time to time to reflect changing circumstances.

Limits of Authority

To operate within the ethos and aims of Hospices of Hope, adhering to budget parameters and the Hospices of Hope’s confidentiality agreement.

Who you are

The ideal candidate will be an enthusiastic self-starter with a strong understanding of the challenges faced by terminally ill patients and children with life-limiting illnesses in this region. You will have strong planning and organizational skills and have the ability to deliver results under challenging circumstances. You should have the ability to work effectively with people at government level, from different cultures, private and voluntary sectors and with evidence of ability to influence and secure sustainable results. You should have the ability to create project plans and budgets and interpret other financial information. You should be familiar with researching and writing funding proposals. You should be willing to travel and work outside of normal office hours and work towards securing financial support to meet agreed deadlines. You should lead by example and help bring about positive change.

Qualifications

Preferably degree educated and/or management experience at senior level (previous experience in a charity or health care organization would be an advantage but not essential)
Previous fundraising management or relevant experience in management, marketing, PR or sales (5-7 years)
Sound knowledge of the charity sector in Albania
Proven experience in developing donor networks, writing grant proposals and building relationships with government ministries
Previous work experience in charities; previous experience with local and international donors
PC Skills: Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint
Leadership, organizational and process skills to lead a growing charity
Ability to build long-term relationships with major donors and strategic partners
Ability and need to travel (driving license)

Personal characteristics

Excellent communication skills
A strong interest and passion to see the development of palliative care in Albania
Alignment with the core values of the charity (Christian-based but serving all faiths and none)
High energy levels and vitality – able to inject life and enthusiasm into a team
Strategic vision, leadership and motivational skills necessary to grow a charity
Self-starter with a high work rate – ability to “get things done” in a charity environment
Strong personal presence with the credibility to be a spokesperson for a charity
Analytical – a clear thinker who can recognize critical issues and focus attention accordingly
Fluent in English (preferably Albanian but not essential)

How to Apply

To apply, please send a detailed covering letter (no more than one page) and CV to Anna Perolls, CEO – [email protected]. The covering letter should clearly outline the following:

How you are suitable for the role using the person specification and responsibilities highlighted in the job description
Your motivation to work for the charity and to support the development of palliative care for terminally ill children and adults in Albania and South and East Europe
Your salary expectation and notice period

Applications that do not follow this guidance will not be progressed.

Please submit your CV and covering letter at your earliest convenience if you are suitable for the position.

Closing date for applications is 30^th November 2024. However, the Charity reserves the right to appoint before the closing date so early application is strongly encouraged.