Head of Programme At Danish Refugee Council

Danish Refugee Council, one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently looking for a highly qualified Head of Programme for Bosnia to contribute to the development of country strategy, which are translated into action plans and day-to-day tasks.

DRC BiH focuses on improving the access to primary and secondary health care, including psychosocial and mental health services to Persons of Concern, as well as on enhancing the overall protective environment for PoCs, with particular focus on case management in SGBV and timely outreach response to the rights violations at the borders. DRC BiH has its main office in Sarajevo and the activities implemented in Una-Sana, Herzegovina- Neretva, Sarajevo Canton, Zenica-Doboj Canton, Tuzla Canton and Republic of Srpska.

About the job

As Head of Programme you will provide support and/or technical guidance to country operations while overseeing country activities from a strategic perspective. You report directly to the Country Director and are a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT). Your main responsibilities will be:

• Responsible for the overall programmatic strategy across the entire country operation
• Responsible for providing technical input to the implementing actors within the different sectors
• Responsible for developing policies, processes and standards within respective areas
• Enable and oversee the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation activities across the entire country operation
• Contributes to the fundraising activities and external representation of DRC BIH

Program strategy and business development

• Ensures strategic coherence and vision of the whole country programme, based on active participation in the design and implementation of the DRC BIH Strategic Programme Document and as part of the Senior Management Team of DRC BIH;
• Provides and ensures technical advice on programme quality, MEAL and programme development for the country programme;
• Design, contribute and/or lead assessments for emergency or longer-term programming in existing or new project location;
• Lead the development of new proposals for new projects
• Establish strong and efficient partnerships with organizations, donors and authorities, in line with the country programme strategy and DRC partnership management policy;
• Enabling and overseeing effective, efficient and timely implementation of all projects according to agreed contracts, budgets, policies and in accordance with specific donor requirements
• Provide regular internal and external reports, and other relevant information on programme activities, policy matters and external relations

Quality and accountability of the programs

• Oversee and support continuous improvement of programme quality standards, including application, harmonization and policy compliance across the field basis;
• Ensure that DRC values and code of conduct are respected and upheld, including through setting a personal example
• Lead the grants team in timely submissions of high-quality donor reports.

People Management and internal communication

• Manage, coordinate and coach members of the programme team, ensuring their professional development and capacity building as needed;
• Oversee and support capacity building for expatriate and national staff on technical issues and program cycle management, based on assessment of the critical program improvement needs of the country mission;
• Work in close cooperation with programme and support staff in the country mission and actively seek support, knowledge and coaching, as necessary from colleagues in other regions and HQ;

External relations and representation

• Together with Country Director, ensure adequate bilateral representation of DRC with government authorities, donors, UN agencies, humanitarian agencies and other partners in regard to programme and participation in coordination meetings as relevant.

Deputy responsibilities:

• Support the Country Director and the Senior Management Team in ensuring strategic programming coherent with DRC’s operational platforms, coordinating DRC’s programme development, strengthening DRC’s programme quality, standards and learning and enforcing DRC’s accountability and M&E frameworks;
• Represent DRC BIH on behalf of the Country Director upon agreement with authorities, UN agencies, humanitarian agencies and other partners;
• Acting as Country Director during his/her absence;
• Other deputizing duties as agreed with the Country Director

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to have a minimum of 5 years of management experience, of which at least 3 should include management of a portfolio of programmes across multiple sectors as well as a minimum of 3 years of experience in staff management and development. Moreover, we also expect the following:

• Good understanding of displacement issues and related international standards/frameworks;
• Strong experience in programme quality, MEAL, programme development and proven fundraising abilities with key donors; including proposal writing experience
• Proven experience of representing externally to key stakeholders, including donors, embassies and clusters;
• Experience of leading strategic programming and planning processes;
• Experience of managing systems and tools to oversee complex project portfolios across different sectors and locations as well as within consortiums;
• Relevant University Degree, Masters or post-graduate in international relations, Humanitarian Programs Management, degree, political science, international development and/or similar field;
• Ability to live and work under pressure in a rapidly changing and sometimes insecure environment;
• Team player with excellent communication and strong participatory leadership skills;
• Full professional proficiency in English (and French in some cases) ;
• Work related experience from the Western Balkan region and preferably from Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Some proficiency in local languages is highly desirable

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:

Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.

Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.**

Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.**

Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.**

Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment**.**

We offer

Contract length: 12 months, with possibility for extension, subject to funding and performance

Band: Senior Management, E

Designation of Duty Station: Sarajevo, family duty station

Start date: 1 December or as soon as possible thereafter

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates.