Area Program Manager At Danish Refugee Council

Who are we?

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfillment of the wish to return home.

The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956, and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced.

All of our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.

DRC has been operating in the Middle East (ME) region for over a decade, running a combination of emergency, livelihood, protection and advocacy programmes through Country Offices (COs) in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey with a Regional Office (RO) in Amman.

DRC Yemen’s response

Throughout its nine field offices and a workforce of 450 staff, DRC upholds its main programmatic objectives to provide immediate and life sustaining assistance, to strengthen the protective environment, and to reduce displacement related risks and vulnerabilities by promoting self-reliance at household and community level.

About the job

Overall purpose of the role: The Area Program Manager is responsible for the quality and timely implementation DRC’s programs across the North of Yemen field offices. The APM is a key Area Management position ensuring cross-cutting programmatic management. S/he must ensure that policies, systems and people are continuously and accurately working in a coordinated manner resulting in a coherent and comprehensive program design and implementation.

Geographic scope: Hodeida, with frequent travel across the Area Office areas of geographic coverage, including Hajjah and Sana’a

Duties and Responsibilities

• Responsibilities:
• Staff Management
• Direct supervisory of Project Manager and Leaders in Yemen – North.
• Ensure performance objectives and key performance indicators are established and regularly reviewed for direct reports.
• Provide regular constructive feedback to direct reports, and support direct reports in performance management of their team members.
• Develop staff competence through recruitment, leadership, training and coaching of key program technical staff.
• Ensure that a capacity building plan is in place for national staff
• Support PMs in ensuring sufficient staffing structures are in place for project teams to ensure delivery of programs.
• Program Implementation & Reporting
• Lead on monthly program reviews for grants implemented by the Area Office teams to ensure quality and timely program implementation according to work plans, with appropriate levels of spending throughout the project duration.
• Maintain oversight of monthly progress again project indicators and ensure reported figures are accurate and in-line with workplans.
• Ensure high-quality internal and donor programmatic reports are submitted in a timely manner; support capacity building of program staff on reporting as required.
• Support PMs and TLs in project implementation, identifying integration opportunities and ensuring geographic convergence.
• Identify risk areas to delivery of projects and coordinate solutions and mitigation measures in a timely manner.
• Assure compliance with DRC standards and procedures and donor compliance regulations, through regular coordination with support services teams at Area Office and Country Office level.
• Ensure project kick-off and closure meetings are attendended and prepared for and that project staff have access to all relevant documents, tools and reports required for implementation of the project.
• Ensure that technical direction for implemented projects is aligned with DRC Global and National strategies, in collaboration with technical coordinators.
• Responsible for actively promoting, supporting and driving lessons learnt and adherence to relevant quality standards.
• Support project managers and team leaders in identifying technical capacity gaps within their teams, and coordinate delivery of relevant trainings and capacity building efforts, in collaboration with technical coordinators.
• Frequent travel to the program sites for direct support, representation and identification of opportunities for DRC to better meet people of concern’s needs
• Ensure projects have sufficient exit strategies in place that are implemented by the project teams during closure of activities and/or exit from communities
• Program Development and Fundraising
• Contribute to planning and implementation of needs assessments, in consultation with technical coordinators, including identification of potential new areas of operation.
• Maintain oversight of contextual changes and their potential impact on program delivery and/or changes in needs of communities in Northern Yemen.
• Support PMs and TLs to generate high quality proposal narratives and budgets in coordination with the relevant country office departments.
• Work with PMs to develop programmatic area strategies relevant to the evolving context
• Representation
• Represent DRC at relevant coordination forums/ meetings in Northern Yemen.
• Develop good rapport with the Key Stakeholders relevant to the Area of Operations
• Assist the Area Manager in conducting regular stakeholder analyses to ensure that DRC has good understanding of the area’s dynamics/relationships.
• General
• Comply with DRC policies and practice with respect to child safeguarding, code of conduct, safety and security, anti-harassment, and other relevant policies and procedures.

Roles reporting to this position

Protection Manager, WASH Manager, Economic Recovery Team Leader (2), Shelter and Site Management Team Leader, General Food Distribution Manager (2)

About you

To be successful in this role you must have:

• To be successful in this role, we expect you to be a positive, mature program leader with a proven track record of developing effective initiatives, programs, and impact. You are an effective people manager and enjoy working with teams of committed staff to build collaboration and capacity within the Area Office programs team and building strong relationships with the country program team.
• Minimum 5 years of Program Development and Implementation
• Management experience in a highly operational NGO, including field operations experience in a volatile complex humanitarian setting
• Excellent communication skills – verbal and in writing
• Excellent inter-personal skills and proven ability to negotiate with a wide range of people (internally and externally)
• Ability to adapt to the complex and stressful working conditions of the area of operations
• Cultural and gender sensitivity, adaptability, willingness to travel.
• High-level knowledge and practice with Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.
• Ability/willingness to work with extremely tight deadlines and multiple tasks.
• Willingness to follow security policies and proceduresenvironment.

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: You act in line with our vision and values.

Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required qualifications

Master’s degree in relevant field or extensive experience can substitute qualification.

Languages:

• English (Fluent)
• Arabic (Desirable)

Key stakeholders: (internal and external)

• Area Manager
• Base Managers
• Support Services Manager
• Country Head of Programs
• Technical Coordinators
• Project Managers
• District Managers for MOPIC and Executive Unit in Aden Area of Operation

We offer

DRC will offer the successful applicant a 12 months contract, renewable dependent on both funding and performance. You must be available to start work from January 2023 and be willing and able to work in Hajjah.

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to www.drc.ngo under Vacancies. This position will be placed at level (F Manager).