Area Manager At Danish Refugee Council

Danish Refugee Council, one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently looking for a highly qualified, mature, and experienced Area Manager who is able to hit the ground running. You need to be able to provide strong leadership and clear management in an office that requires clear direction and support with many competing priorities. As Area Manager you need to demonstrate strong collaboration and coordination with key partners and donors – representation being another key function of this role.

About the job

As Area Manager you need to be able to deliver the most basic but major needs of the populations affected by the recent insecurity in Northern Ethiopia. You demonstrate the ability to take on management responsibilities along with strategic leadership in a complex evolving humanitarian response. The initial response includes NFI distribution, WASH and Shelter activities whilst mainstreaming protection activities including Child Protection which will, as the context settles and needs arise develop to respond to the ongoing needs. As Area Manager for this response you need to be adaptive and flexible, coping with access issues, remote locations and some insecurity and all with a good sense of humour and outstanding patience. Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

Emergency Response

• Manage and oversee all aspects of restarting activities in the Northern office geographical areas of responsibility, support staff teams to scale up, work with the Emergency Response and Safety team to ensure activities recommence in the crisis-affected areas, and begin implementation of the emergency programme.
• Further develop the emergency response plan, develop proposals and budgets, and liaise with the HOP/Grants Team to ensure the fundraising strategy is defined and pursued.
• Support existing and new staff in the North to implement the new emergency programme assessments and taking some sectors to scale.

Programme Management

• Overall responsibility for the design, implementation and effective monitoring of projects and activities, some as lead of consortia.
• Ensure effective monitoring, evaluation and documentation of all activities and processes. Ensuring the analysis of data collected (at various levels) to inform activity changes to improve programme quality.
• Ensure the development and implementation of all activities in line with Humanitarian Accountability Principles (HAP) and DRC programme policies especially gender, age and disability.
• To oversee North programming and budget management, with short-term visits to ensure programme quality
• Ensure accurate and on time reporting internally and externally.
• Work closely with the finance team to ensure spending is timely and accurate

Technical Programme

• To be engaged strategically with all technical sectors as need and seek technical management and strategic input/oversight/support from advisors in Addis
• To facilitate linkages and support with Country Office and Regional technical advisors and ensure quality design and implementation of the programme.

Representation and Relations

• Represent DRC with the regional/local governments, UN bodies and non-government organizations as required. Ensure appropriate DRC staff attend the ad hoc and regular meetings, clusters, technical working groups as applicable to DRCs programme and work in the region.
• Engage with all stakeholders including community leaders, local and regional government, and humanitarian partners seeking opportunities for collaboration and cooperation

Team Management

• Establish strong communications and clear roles and responsibilities of the team holding regular management meetings to engender accountability and quality leadership in all offices.
• Manage direct reports to agreed job priorities and identify learning and development needs for the team and work with HR and Addis team into conversations for requests, opportunities for further decision making with the senior management team and/or CD for decisions.
• With team leaders manage the programme activities budget lines; ensuring effective and efficient use of resources including financial, human and all assets.
• Ensure programme teams work closely with the support team to delivery DRC policies and procedures in finance, procurement and logistics including effective planning weekly, monthly and quarterly.

Safety and Access

• Overall responsibility for security in and around the North zone including ensuring adherence to agreed security protocols, recommending changes to security protocols and working with the Security Officer and Focal point with the National Safety and Access Coordinator in Addis to develop relevant protocols and informed decision making in moments of insecurity or access issues

· Notify CD and National Safety Coordinator of any contextual rumors or changes that affect the teams or operations so that agreed decisions can be made and wider consultation can take place

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to have a minimum of 5 years’ experience in programme development and implementation in emergency context. Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required

· Post-secondary degree in law, social sciences, economics, or other relevant field

• Proven expertise in assessments, monitoring and evaluation processes.
• A University level degree in, social sciences or economics.
• Relevant technical expertise/experience in some sectors of humanitarian programming such as Protection, WASH, shelter, livelihoods, and community development, CCM etc.
• Expertise in managing consortia
• Proven ability to build external relationships with diplomacy, tact and professionalism in a complex and demanding environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and support multi-sector programmes including operational planning, prioritising and problem solving.
• Demonstrated experience of people management, capacity and team-building.
• Demonstrated experience of financial and asset management,
• Excellent written and presentation skills in English
• Strong analytical capacity for programme design and development.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Proficiency in common computer packages and financial software i.e. Word, Excel, Power point etc.

· Able to demonstrate an ability to work in an isolated and challenging environment

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

Level: Senior Management, E

Designation of Duty Station: Shire, non-family duty station

Start date: 29 June

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates. For questions regarding the vacancy please contact Sue Clarke, sue.clarke@drc.ngo.