Job title: Technical Director
Job purpose: This role leads the implementation and assurance of the charity’s technical capability, through its volunteer and staff work force. It ensures the effective delivery of the organisation’s technical capacity to deliver efficient operations and the development of that capacity.  
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Location: MapAction’s Offices in Saunderton, Buckinghamshire
Salary: £38,500 to £41,100 per annum
Contract: This is a full-time permanent position but part time hours will be considered. 
Responsible to: Chief Executive

About MapAction
MapAction (mapaction.org) is a leading humanitarian mapping charity. It deploys skilled volunteers to international humanitarian emergencies to map priority needs. This mapped information helps responders target their response effectively, contributing to saving lives and minimising suffering. 

MapAction has built a strong reputation in the humanitarian sector and is a technical partner of the United Nations. Much of that reputation is based on the well honed procedures and capabilities that the organisation has developed in the production of static and digital GIS products for humanitarian responders.  

The humanitarian context is changing and requires organisations working in the field of information management and GIS to adapt to this, ensuring the needs for rapid and accessible information are met. New technologies offer opportunities and challenges. It will be for this postholder to guide the organisation through these. 

The charity has attracted funding from UK Government (DFID), EU and other major donors. HRH Prince Henry of Wales has been the charity’s patron since 2007. 

The Technical function provides support to the organisation’s internal institutional and operational capability and ensures technical services are available to service users. The function comprises a Technical Director (focusing on the leadership of the function and infrastructure for the charity and operations), Head of Technical Development (focusing on technology development that evolves the service offer), and IT Support Manager (focusing on IT support tasks).  It works closely with technical working groups of volunteer software and IT systems experts. 

Main Responsibilities
The role leads the implementation and assurance of the charity’s technical infrastructure. It ensures the effective and efficient delivery of that capacity, ensuring that it is fit for the operational and institutional purposes of the charity. The post holder will be expected to achieve this through a mixture of leading the charity’s technical expert volunteers and the relevant staff, through management of outsourcing contracts and undertaking technical tasks themselves.

This role combines a mixture of both management and hands-on responsibilities. 

Direct Reports
• IT Support Manager
• Head of Technical Development

The role works closely with the organisation’s development and policy groups to help them deliver their key activities. It also oversees the coordination between groups to ensure coherent prioritisation and tasking. 

The role also works closely with Operations management and training coordination. 

Key Activities

Strategy and operations
● Propose and lead the implementation of the technical plans in support of MapAction’s five year strategic objectives to achieve improvements in humanitarian outcomes through the application of geospatial technologies. 
● Ensure this makes optimum use of latest technologies where appropriate, including those outside the areas which MapAction currently focuses on. 
● Ensure that suitable tools, processes and training are in place to support the specific technical challenges of field operations.
● Maintain full oversight of the technical infrastructure of the organisation to ensure that it provides cost efficient and effective support to the volunteers, staff and trustees of the charity as they deliver MapAction’s services, both in UK and other countries. 
● Ensure the technical function supports the monitoring and evaluation processes for response, preparedness and training activities
● Ensure the technical capacity of the organisation is resilient and lead on responsibility for disaster recovery planning, risk mitigation and out of hours support to field operations,  where relevant.
Innovation and learning
● Foster an environment which encourages and facilitates technical innovation, covering all aspects of the innovation cycle.
● Depending on the nature of the tasks and projects identified, take on project management responsibilities or delegate as appropriate. The Technical Director is expected to directly project manage some projects whilst ensuring others are managed by other members of the technical function. Within this the project management role will be responsible for convening the resources of the volunteer circles and working groups, staff members and paid contractors. For technical collaborations this may involve managing relationships with operational partners and contractors.
● Assist in the monitoring and evaluation of MapAction’s extant capacity as projects are completed, under the guidance of and in support of the Operations Team.
● More broadly the Technical Director should keep up to date with developments in the external environment and with industry innovation, building effective working relationships externally with key stakeholders
Management
● Participate as a member of MapAction’s management team. 
● Support direct reports to deliver on and excel in their roles
● Advise the Chief Executive on technical methods and tools and contribute to MapAction’s strategy, plans, policies, procedures and decision-making, where appropriate.
● Be responsible for the technical budget working closely with the Finance Manager to achieve this. 
● Represent MapAction at events and on external working groups, projects and networks.
● Take part in donor relations activities and communications activities as required.
● If requested, deputise for the Chief Executive.
Volunteer recruitment, training and support.
● Ensure the volunteer recruitment process meets the charity’s technical development requirements. 
● Support the Operations Director to uphold the volunteer team, ensuring that it possesses the necessary technical skill to be operationally ready at all times. This includes participating in recruiting volunteers and providing input into training events as required. (This will require weekend training attendance)
● Lead on the coordination of development activity between the volunteer Circles and Working groups through the Heads of Circles/Working Groups regular communication. Actively participate in many tasks acting as the primary staff contact for the Technical Circle and others as agreed. 
As a team member
● Act at all times in the best interests of MapAction while continually promoting the vision and mission within all sections of the community, as well as the media and/or at appropriate events as agreed
● As required assist with the practicalities of getting teams to and from airports for emergencies and help with the logistics of training events. This responsibility is shared by all staff.

Key Competencies

● Significant proven technical team leadership experience with a practical “get it done” approach (and desirable to have experience in leading agile development teams).
● Track record of delivering quality outputs and outcomes through rapid development cycles
● Proven experience in the following technical skills-essential
● Windows administration, including using commandline 
● Experience/knowledge of GIS strongly desirable. 
● Proven experience in all or some of the following
● G. Suite Administration (Google Apps for Non-Profits)
Linux administration
Scripting using Powershell or Python
CKAN
Wordpress administration
Git and Github
One or more public cloud (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)
● Familiarity with communications technology, including GSM, social media and satellite, would be advantageous.
● Demonstrable ability to evaluate technical options, including for new and emerging technologies.
● Robust understanding of the opportunities and constraints offered by different options.
● Experience in developing strategic technical direction as part of a wider organisational team.
● Experience in delivering organisational infrastructure requirements, including risk management and recovery planning.
● Strong motivational qualities with volunteers and staff and experience in line managing personnel.
● Budget management and reporting experience. 
● Positive team player and ability to work collaboratively.
● Strong commitment to MapAction’s mission and values.

Additional Information
● Must have the right to live and work in the UK (MapAction is unable to consider candidates who do not already hold appropriate permissions)
● Flexibility and willingness to work outside office hours including evening and weekends, attending monthly weekend training events and some evening conference calls with volunteers.  In particular, training events will be scheduled for a weekend, once a month and this post is expected to attend these events. Reasonable time off in lieu is available by agreement.
● The postholder must have a full driving licence and access to own car.  
Note: this is a technical role in a small, highly specialised charity and an appreciation of, and affinity with, the humanitarian purpose of the charity is essential.

Equal Opportunities Policy
MapAction is an Equal Opportunities employer.  All employees have a personal responsibility to promote and support measures designed to create a working environment which is free from harassment or discrimination on the grounds of gender, marital status, family status, age, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, membership of the Travellers community or HIV&AIDS status.

This job description is not incorporated in the employment contract.  It is intended as a guide and should not be viewed as an inflexible specification as it may be varied from time to time in the light of strategic developments and following discussion with the post holder. The post holder will be expected to work to agreed objectives, which should facilitate achievement of the responsibilities in accordance with the performance review process.

How to apply 
Please send a covering letter and curriculum vitae setting out your interest in the role and how you meet the required competencies to [log in to unmask] For further discussion regarding the content of this role, please call Liz Hughes, Chief Executive on 01494 568 899.

Application deadline: 9.00am on Friday 17th November 2017. 
Interviews: These will be held Monday 27th November 2017 at our offices in Saunderton, Buckinghamshire.

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