Desired start date: 01/12/2023
Duration of the mission: 1 year
Location: Al Mokha – West Coast, Yemen
ABOUT US
SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL (SI) is an international humanitarian aid association which, since more than 40 years, has been providing assistance to populations affected by armed conflicts and natural disasters by meeting their basic needs for food, water and shelter. Particularly committed to the fight against diseases linked to unsafe water, the leading cause of death in the world, SI’s interventions provide expertise in the field of access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene promotion, but also in the essential area of food security and livelihoods. Present in some twenty countries, the SI teams – 2500 people in total, made up of expatriates, national staff, permanent staff at HQ, and a few volunteers – intervene with professionalism and commitment while respecting cultural norms.
ABOUT THE MISSION
The mission has a forecasted budget of about 16M Euros for the year 2023. It operates from Aden, where the coordination is based, and 4 operational field bases located in Marib, Taizz and Al Mokha, plus an emergency response team based in Aden. The mission is composed of approx. 25 expatriates and about 150 national staffs. Objectives for the mission for 2024 is to build on its Emergency Response capacity to expand in hard to reach areas, and develop qualitative interventions responding to emergency and protracted needs, while enhancing resilience.
In Al Mokha, SI implements emergency and resilience WASH programs, funded by ECHO, YHF, and SDC and Dutch MOFA. WASH activities entail water trucking, rehabilitation of water network, construction of emergency latrines and showers, distribution of hygiene kits, hygiene promotion, and cleaning campaigns; and a 4-years resilience project looking for more innovative, sustainable and resilience focus wash activities. Under its FSL portfolio, SI distributes unconditional, multi-purpose cash to IDPs.
Further assessments for new long-term WASH and livelihood interventions are foreseen in 2024.
SI has been one of the first humanitarian actors to access the West Coast, and remains as of today positioned in hard-to-reach areas close to the frontline of Hodeidah and Maqbanah. SI aims at maintaining this positioning and further expanding its presence. After a significant scale up in financial and operational volume on the West Coast in 2022/23, SI is expecting to maintain a similar portfolio in the area for 2024.
ABOUT THE JOB
General objectives :
The Field Coordinator leads the base in Al Mokha. In coordination with the Technical Coordinators and under the leadership of the Country Director, he/she develops the response strategy of the mission. He/she supports and oversees the implementation of programs across the different areas of intervention. He/she actively coordinates with humanitarian partners and the community to identify emergency needs, gaps in response, and proposes appropriate response as part of the mandate of SI. With the support his/her team, he/she maintains close monitoring of the security situation in its areas of operation, and negotiates access to hard-to-reach areas with relevant stakeholders. He/she oversees support department and ensure adherence to SI procedures
Specific stakes and challenges:
Volatile security context and access constraints:
The West Coast is located on one of the frontlines of the conflict, south of Hodeidah city, which was until late 2021 one of the most active battlefield. While the frontline has since the Stockholm agreement froze on the West Coast, instability, tensions and clashes remains a possible scenario. Security and access constraints today on the West Coast relate to landmines, and regular shelling of villages/cities (that are very far from SI base but close from our areas of operation) by one party to the conflict, bureaucratic impediments with civil and armed actors.
Programmes:
Finalize the operationalization of the 4-years WASH Resilience Program, funded by SDC and Dutch MoFA, ending in April 2024. This is an extremely strategic program, which paves the way for the Mission towards longer-term programming.
Structuration of the base:
Mokha is a big base, with about 50 national staff and 5 international staff. The unattractiveness of Al Mokha for national teams adds to this challenge, with low retention of skilled staff, and need to strengthen capacity of locally-recruited teams. While a lot has already been done, the structuring of the base, which has gone in 2022 and 2023 through a substantial scale up, remains a key priority.
Strategic orientations:
The humanitarian context in the West Coast is slightly moving from pure emergency to protracted situation, with IDP facing long displacements, few pockets of emergency, necessity to tackle roots cause of needs, host community to be targeted with resilience approach, etc. New projects development will therefore have to address this complex context. New partnerships with local actors are a key component in this sense, with at least 2 or 3 national partners expected to be identified, vetted and 1 of them introduced to donors are actual partner for activities.
Priorities for the 2/3 first months;
Reach target structure and related capacity building and compliance work
Finalize the ongoing WASH Resilience Program funded by SDC and Dutch MoFA
Operationalization of SI strategy in the area / projects development
Close security follow-up and pursue the access strategy in Hodeida and Maqbana in particular
Identification of local partnerships
YOUR PROFILE
The applicant must have a strong experience in context mixing emergency programming and early recovery response, and in implementing or overseeing such projects in complex humanitarian environment.
Education and experience:
Post-graduate with at least 5 years’ experience as humanitarian worker
Previous experience as Field Coordinator (1-2 year) a prerequisite
Experience in security management in tensed context;
Experience in implementing/supervision emergency projects
Knowledge of the sub-region/prior experience in Yemen is an asset
Very good HR management skills
Knowledge and technical skills:
Good and proven writing and spoken English are required
Knowledge of emergency and recovery programing
Experience in delivering training and capacity building of staff;
Knowledge of project cycle management, and project reporting
Knowledge of Arabic and experience of the Yemen or Middle-eastern countries is an asset
Transferable skills:
Advanced leadership and management skills
Good analytical and writing skills
Advanced communication and negotiation skills
Ability to work under stress/pressure and meet tight deadlines
Excellent prioritization and organization skills.
Proactivity, flexibility, autonomy, pragmatism, solutions-oriented mindset.
Capacity to work under pressure, solve problems and decide quickly on contingency actions.
Qualities:
Skill transfer ability highly appreciated
Strong interpersonal skills
Anticipation and self-organization capacities
Willingness to work in complex and volatile environments
SI WILL OFFER YOU
A salaried position:
According to experience, starting from 3080€ gross per month (2800€ base salary + 10% annual leave allowance paid monthly) and a monthly Per Diem of 750 USD.
SI also covers accommodation costs and travel expenses between the expatriate’s country of origin and the place of assignment.
Breaks: During the assignment, a system of alternation between work and time off is implemented at the rate of 7 working days every three months (with a USD 850 break allowance, allocated by Sl). To these breaks periods, SI grants one (1) additional rest day per month worked.
Insurance package: Expatriates benefit from an insurance package which refunds all healthcare expenses (including medical and surgical expenses, dental care and ophthalmological expenses, repatriation) and a welfare system including war risks. Essential vaccination and antimalarial treatment costs are refunded.
Security contraints: The security situation on the West Coast differs between Al Mokha, where SI Office/GH is located; and districts of Hodeidah governorates (beyond 1h drive from Al Mokha).
In Al Mokha, the situation is stable and calm due to heavy military presence from the coalition. Main risks in Al Mokha relate to landmines/UXO/IED presence (not in Al Mokha city, but in neighboring districts), celebratory fire, and/or cross-fire due to personal disputes. Criminality remains low in the city, owing to heavy military presence, while kidnapping is not considered a major threat in the area.
LIVING CONDITIONS:
Living conditions are good in a new guest-house/office building fully furnished with roof top and gym room, with internet, and electricity (with some cuts). There are currently other expatriates from 5+ other INGOS permanently based in Al Mokha. Field visits are possible for international staff if the security situation allows. But movements are overall framed in a low profile strategy. The position is based in Mokha, but activities take place also in other districts along the West Coast.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Do you recognize yourself in this description? If yes, please send us your CV and cover letter!
Please note that CV-only applications will not be considered, and that the vacancy may close before the deadline.
Thank you for your understanding.
To learn more about Sl: www.solidarites.org
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Solidarités International (SI) est déterminé à prévenir et à combattre tout type d’abus – tout acte d’exploitation, d’abus et/ou de harcèlement sexuels (SEAH) à l’encontre des membres des communautés bénéficiaires ou de ses collaborateurs et collaboratrices, atteinte aux personnes et/ou aux biens, fraude, corruption, conflit d’intérêt non déclaré, financement d’activités portant atteinte aux droits de l’homme – qui pourrait être perpétré dans le cadre de ses interventions. SI applique une tolérance zéro à l’égard de tout type d’abus, particulièrement des actes de SEAH.
Solidarités International est un employeur équitable qui combat toute forme de discrimination. SI ne demandera jamais une rétribution quelconque en vue de participer à un processus de recrutement.
Solidarités International (SI) is determined to prevent and fight all type of abuse – all act of exploitation, abuse and/or sexual harassment (SEAH) against members of beneficiary communities or collaborators, fraud, corruption, violation of persons and/or property, funding of activities harmful to human rights – that could be perpetrated in the frame of its interventions. SI implements a zero-tolerance policy regarding acts of abuse, notably acts of SEAH.
Solidarités International is an equitable employer committed to find all forms of discrimination. SI will ever ask for any remuneration to take part in a recruitment process.