Area Programme Manager Colombia West Cali At Norwegian Refugee Council

Duty station: West Cali, Colombia.

1. Background/Context

The Colombian West Area consists of the departments of Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Cauca, and Nariño (177 municipalities) with a geographical extension of just over 130 thousand km2. The four departments that make up the Colombian Pacific Coast face a prolonged humanitarian crisis because of the armed conflict. Additionally, structural factors such as the limited or absent presence of the State, the high levels of poverty, and living conditions below those in the rest of Colombia have formed a worrying situation of lack of protection and vulnerability of its inhabitants. The atomization of armed groups after the signing of the peace agreement with the FARC-EP continues to be a risk for civilian, causing violent reconfiguration of the armed conflict and the deterioration of the humanitarian situation. NRC is responding to the needs through interventions in the following core competencies: Education, ICLA (information, counselling, and legal assistance), Protection from Violence, Shelter & WASH, Livelihoods and Food Security. The main area office is in Cali and there are 4 field offices throughout the area.

1. Generic Responsibilities

The Area Programme manager is responsible for implementing integrated programmes and represent NRC at coordination forums, as delegated from Area Manager. The following is a brief description of the role:

• . Line management for CC project managers
• Compliance and adherence to NRC policies, guidance, and procedures
• Responsible for ensuring programme support to integrated programme, coordination, and technical quality in Area office
• Provide area specific input relevant for CC strategies
• Compliance to donor standards, and grant management and regular reporting to donor in Area
• Identify funding opportunities and develop funding strategy and forecasts
• Responsible for grants management and BPO allocations in Area
• Ensure compliance with contractual commitments and extracting and implementing key learnings from project implementation
• Coordinate new emergency response in Area, and approve existing
• Ensure capacity building of all technical staff

1. Specific Responsibilities

• Deputy AM when appointed.
• Representation in sectorial coordination, clusters and/or working group delegated by the AM
• Ensure optimal use of resources within the allocated project budgets and the achievement of every assigned project’s goals within the projects’ lifetime
• Support programmatic implementation follow-up during the project cycle
• Ensure compliance with quality standards reporting to donors, provision of data for monitoring and evaluation, and inputs for new funding proposals
• Support communication and integrated work between CC Project managers in the Area Office and specialists, advisers, and project managers at Country Office level
• Ensure that design and implementation of projects and activities, including the complaints and feedback mechanism is led by the people we work with as primary focus”
• In liaison with the CO Programme Department, ensure that systems for monitoring and evaluating project activities are developed and implemented
• Responsible for the CC programmatic input to the Area Strategy analysis
• With the support of the Area Manager, lead the proposal development process for new funding opportunities with closely coordination of the CC Specialists and CO Grants Team

1. Generic Professional Competencies

• Minimum 4 years’ experience from a management position in a humanitarian/ recovery context
• Experience from working in complex and volatile contexts
• Core competency expertise
• Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities
• Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile
• Fluency in English and Spanish, both written and verbal
• Valid driver’s license

1. Context /Specific Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Knowledge of the context in Colombia
• Experience with managing programs in insecure environments
• University degree in relevant university field of Project Development and Management with Master
• degree as an added advantage
• Expertise in more than one NRC Core Competencies (CC) and experience of engagement in sectors relevant to NRC CCs
• Experience with grant start-up, exit or similar

Find more details about the role HERE.

1. What We Offer

• Type of contract: Open ended/national contract
• Salary/benefits: According to NRC salary scale, terms and conditions
• Duty station: West Cali, Colombia

Find out more about the benefits of working for NRC HERE.

Important information about the application process:

• Internal candidates only: please click on the suitcase icon labelled “I am an employee” to be redirected to NRC’s internal careers site.
• When creating your profile, include your full name as given on your passport. Complete all the system-required fields for experience, employment history and education.
• Submit your application and CV in English, taking care to attach your latest CV.
• Applications that do not meet the minimum standards in terms of experience or qualifications will generally not be considered. Unsolicited applications not related to this specific job advertisement will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We receive many applicants for each vacant position.

Why NRC?

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organization helping people forced to flee. Our 15,000 staff work in crises across 40 countries, providing life-saving and long-term assistance to millions of people every year.

Watch this short video to see NRC in action.

A six decade-long armed conflict has given Colombia the most prolonged and serious humanitarian crisis in the Americas. Since 1991, NRC has been active in the country, where millions of people have been forcibly displaced.

NRC Colombia is a part of a multi-country programme. There exist two major humanitarian crises in this multi-country programme: the increase in conflict and violence in Colombia, and the continued and unprecedented migration from Venezuela. Both situations have repercussions for neighbouring countries. According to the UN there are now 13.8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Colombia, Ecuador and Panama

Despite the 2016 peace agreement, Colombia remains in the top five countries with the highest number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in the world. The country also hosts the third largest number of people in need of international protection and is the third most neglected crisis in the world.

In 2023, Ecuador experienced a nightmarish descent into violence and Panama reached historic records in the number of refugees and migrants with humanitarian needs.

An unprecedented number of refugees and migrants are on the move across Colombia, Ecuador and Panama in mixed migration movements – mainly from Venezuela, but also from African, Asian, and Caribbean countries. The vast majority of women, men and children are fleeing violence, persecution, poverty, disasters and the adverse impacts of climate change. Most informally cross the deadly Darien jungle seeking to reach North American countries in search of protection and better opportunities.

• Learn more about NRC HERE and NRC Colombia HERE.

Internal candidates are encouraged to apply, and we are also open to external applicants who can show a commitment to NRC and being part of a challenging, but important mission to make a difference.

NRC might review applications before the advertised deadline, therefore interested candidates are encouraged to apply early.