Justice & Accountability Program Manager At Syria Civil Defense (White Helmets)

ABOUT THE WHITE HELMETS

The White Helmets (WH) is a non-for-profit group with offices in Canada, The Netherlands, Turkey and Syria. We work to support the civilian population in conflict zones through the implementation of a wide range of stabilisation and humanitarian activities, which provide community resilience to millions of people. Our primary focus has been on the Syrian crisis through the work of the Syria Civil Defence and we are looking at expanding our activities to other countries.

SCOPE OF WORK

The White Helmets (WH) Justice and Accountability (J&A) Program aims to contribute to the rule of law and accountability for international humanitarian law and international human rights law violations globally with a special focus on Syria. It also aims to contribute to ending impunity, building a culture of accountability, and laying the foundation for future post-conflict justice efforts (strengthening the rule of law, transitional justice, sustainable peace, truth commissions, etc.).

The program is dedicated to furthering justice through gathering, archiving, and analysing digital evidence as documented by the WH, as well as supporting prosecutorial efforts through advocacy, research, and networking with local, regional, and international stakeholders.

The Justice and Accountability Program Manager (JAProgM) leads the organisation’s efforts and support efforts of the White Helmets Group under the program.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

• Job Title: Justice and Accountability Program Manager
• Duty Station: Montreal, Canada
• Line Manager: Executive Director
• Line management responsibility: (JA Project Managers, Head of Unites, Hazmat Coordinator, Advocacy Manager)
• Full/Part-Time: Full time

Tasks and Activities

• Provide leadership in the development of strategic and annual plans and general budgets for the program;
• Oversee the implementation of all the program’s projects and activities.
• Managing the program relationship with the donors and relevant stakeholders, ensuring that they are well-informed of the program’s activities, development, and vision in addition to its challenges and limitations.
• Coordinate with the support departments to ensure coherence and consistency of all the program’s technical, financial, and administrative activities.
• Provide relevant program briefs, factsheets, and updates to the board of directors, consultants, partners, and any other internal and external parties;
• Coordinate the preparation and assure quality of the program documentation (policies, work plans, sub-plans etc.) and maintenance of relevant project files;
• In coordination with the WH J&A team, serve as Lead Writer for J&A concept notes and proposals developed for public and private donors;
• Develop strategies to secure sustainable funding for the program.
• Participating in seminars, conferences, and meetings as relevant;
• Engage with governments, parliaments, the European Union and other international key actors and NGOs to convey the messages of The White Helmets and advocate for their cause.
• In coordination with the WH BoD, join, develop, and maintain coalitions, working groups, and partnerships with a range of international professional associations, rescue worker networks and human rights organizations to advance The White Helmet s advocacy, in support to justice, accountability, the protection of humanitarian workers worldwide;
• Manage the program staff by understanding and solving their professional challenges, assisting their completion of their personal objectives, and conducting periodical written evaluations of their performance.

Required Qualifications Education, Experience and Competencies.

• University studies/higher education in International Relations, Juridical, Social or Political Sciences, or related field
• Relevant postgraduate qualification in Conflict Management, Human Rights, Transitional Justice, or a related field ;
• At least five years of experience in medium to large scale projects management or a minimum of five years of combined experience in projects management and research work with a focus on discrete areas of Law, Human Rights or politics ;
• At least two years of experience working with international donors and project planning, coordination, monitoring and evaluation ;
• Knowledge of the Syrian context;
• Strong research and analytical skills with the natural curiosity and creativity needed to conduct research are required
• Self-motivation and the ability to prioritize with minimal supervision and work independently as well as function as a member of a team with staff in multiple locations globally are required. Candidate must be a self-starter, able to think and plan ahead;
• Ability to work well under pressure while juggling multiple tasks simultaneously is required;
• Interest in human rights, international relations, diplomacy, and/or policy is required;
• Cross-cultural communication and interpersonal skills, and able to interact professionally with culturally diverse staff and stakeholders;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English is required. Evidence of persuasive writing skills and/or policy writing is preferred. Arabic is strongly desirable.
• Discretion and ability to handle confidential issues.