Chief of Party – YDR 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 eight field offices and a workforce of 320 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

The Yemen Displacement Response (YDR) Consortium was established in 2019 to respond to the needs of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in camp-like settings and hosting communities. A partnership of largest CCCM actors in Yemen, led by DRC with partners, NRC, Acted and IOM, funded by ECHO and other humanitarian donors, the Consortium implements a coordinated, multi-sector response to displacement, implementing activities in CCCM, WASH, Shelter, Protection, and Education in Emergencies sectors across 11 governorates of Yemen. The Consortium also leads capacity building activities for key CCCM actors, in support of the CCCM Cluster and government priorities. The YDR Consortium benefits from the unique positioning of all partners which includes technical CCCM expertise, capacity to deliver a multi-sectoral response following a coordinated approach, geographical footprint, as well as external networks. YDR partners lead coordination mechanisms and act as CCCM focal points at subnational and area level, thus ensuring effective area-based coordination and strengthening the CCCM coordination mechanism at national level. Now in its third phase, the YDR Consortium focuses on ensuring that all activities, approaches, and objectives are premised on achieving durable solutions for displacement-affected communities in Yemen.

The YDR Chief of Party (CoP), reporting to the DRC Country Director and accountable to the Steering Committee, will be responsible for advancing the YDR Consortium’s vision and strategy. This role will involve leading and overseeing the Consortium’s overall program to ensure the timely and high-quality achievement of program objectives, and fostering effective collaboration among Consortium members. The YDR CoP will represent the Consortium in coordination mechanisms and fora, engage with relevant stakeholders, maintain positive relations with government counterparts, and manage donor relationships. The YDR CoP will drive Consortium’s advocacy initiatives, ensuring ongoing engagement of the Steering Committee in strategic decision-making and enhancing the overall positioning of the YDR Consortium within the Yemen response.

Duties and Responsibilities:

General Management, Coordination and Leadership

• Lead the development, implementation, and review of the YDR Consortium’s vision, strategy, and priorities in collaboration with the Steering Committee (SC), Consortium management Unit (CMU), and Technical Working Groups.
• Foster synergies and communication among Consortium governance, management, and coordination structures to facilitate their effectiveness, collective decision-making and partner agreement
• Coordinate Steering Committee meetings, ensuring members are briefed on project progress and issues requiring resolution. Document key decisions and ensure follow-up on agreed actions.
• Collaborate with the Consortium lead and Consortium members for donor engagement and funding acquisition.
• Establish and oversee the work of Technical Working Groups as needed.
• Monitor work plans and hold partners accountable for program commitments to enhance consortium effectiveness.
• Develop and maintain clear communication channels with Consortium partners and the CMU team.

Program Implementation

• Ensure timely delivery of Consortium outputs within project budget and timeframe, and quality program implementation aligned with the agreed strategy.
• Provide leadership and direction for effective implementation of Consortium activities through Consortium governance bodies and working groups.
• Lead program design, budgets and work planning with partners, ensuring activity complementarity and sequencing. Develop improvement plans for timely project implementation
• Provide quality technical input for program design and implementation.
• Ensure coordination of approaches between consortium members for impactful and efficient programming, including the development of work plans, deriving synergies and avoiding duplication of efforts
• Ensure monitoring systems are in place, including gathering data for case studies and lessons learned. Supervise data analysis, reporting, and report production.
• Ensure that mechanisms and procedures exist to share best practices across the consortium.
• Proactively network with relevant Clusters, working groups and stakeholders to identify opportunities to collaborate.
• Troubleshoot implementation challenges and provide guidance to partners.

Grants and Financial management

• Monitor program implementation, ensuring timely financial and narrative reporting by consortium partners in line with donor and DRC system requirements.
• Review and approve final donor reports, compiled by the Consortium Management Unit based on inputs from consortium partners. Ensure adherence to donor deadlines by developing and sharing relevant timelines with staff.
• Assist in developing the project monitoring and evaluation plan, and oversee its implementation by the CMU MEAL and partners. Support teams in conducting participatory monitoring visits to track progress against action plans and outputs. Offer guidance on corrective actions as needed.
• Supervise financial management, including expenditure monitoring and donor reporting, ensuring compliance with financial regulations and tools and that there is no overspending or underspending. Provide guidance on cost eligibility and oversee budget realignments.
• Manage program support functions (administration, finance, logistics, and human resources) and coordinate audits, advising partners on finance, procurement, HR, and visibility requirements.
• Maintain and update risk registers at country and project levels, consolidating risks at the consortium level with appropriate ownership and mitigation measures.
• Chair CMU meetings, identifying and addressing capacity building needs for partners and CMU staff through training and guidance.

Representation, Advocacy and Business Development

• Representation: Act as the primary project representative with donors and local and international stakeholders, overseeing all project related matters. Represent the Consortium in relevant coordination mechanisms and working groups, ensuring its leadership in pertinent technical discussions. Facilitate reporting and information exchange within cluster structures.
• Partnerships: Ensure proactive engagement with key stakeholders, including government authorities. Develop strategic partnerships with key actors to achieve Consortium’s goals and objectives.
• Advocacy and communication: Oversee the development and implementation of Consortium’s communication and advocacy strategy with partners, in line with Consortium’s vision and priorities. Collaborate with partners for broader advocacy outcomes, identify policy influencing opportunities, and promote the use of Consortium-generated knowledge and learning. Lead external communications in line with Steering Committee’s guidance. Organize joint consortium events, including advocacy, research, lessons learned, and project launches. Coordinate visits of donors, partners, and stakeholders.
• Business Development: Lead and coordination the development of Consortium proposals, from inception to submission. Identify avenues to broaden funding sources and expand the Consortium’s portfolio. Develop and implement a resource mobilization strategy in collaboration with the Steering Committee and consortium members.

Consortium Management Unit (CMU) Leadership

• Lead and manage the CMU team, in accordance with the CMU’s Terms of Reference (TOR).
• Supervise the development of budgets, work plans, and action plans for CMU tasks.
• Provide line management, including performance management and capacity building, to CMU staff.

Roles reporting to this position

• Grants Specialist
• Capacity Building Team Leader
• MEAL Specialist
• IM Officer
• Finance Coordinator and Finance officers (shared function)

About you

The successful candidate will demonstrate exceptional management skills, a track record of effectively overseeing consortia, extensive experience in project implementation, and a robust capacity to facilitate successful collaboration among consortium partners, donors, and stakeholders.

Experience and technical competencies:

Required:

• Minimum 7 years of professional work experience in humanitarian/development work, specifically in displacement settings.
• Proven success and experience in managing Consortia, with a strong preference for knowledge of ECHO-funded programs.
• Experience in coordinating integrated, multi-sectoral programs.
• Demonstrated expertise in representation, networking, and engaging with various stakeholders.
• Strong writing and negotiation skills for effective stakeholder management and high-level representation.
• Demonstrated experience in project, program, and human resource management, including collaboration with local partners.
• Proficiency in analytical thinking, strategic planning, and communication.
• Competence in Microsoft Office tools and data analysis.
• Motivated, detail-oriented, and accustomed to working in challenging environments.

Desirable

• Technical proficiency in CCCM, Shelter, WASH, Protection, and durable solutions is beneficial.
• Experience in strategic development, monitoring and evaluation, with a strong grasp of MEAL practices in complex programs.
• Familiarity with various donors, particularly ECHO’s regulations and requirements.
• Capacity to handle stress, multitask, and make decisions effectively.
• Demonstrated aptitude for both independent work and teamwork, forming close relationships with diverse colleagues.
• Knowledge and experience of the Yemen context is an additional asset.

Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required Qualifications:

• University degree in political science, international relations, humanitarian law, migration or related field.

Languages:

• Fluency in spoken and written English required.
• Arabic language skills considered an asset.

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: You act in line with our vision and values.

Key stakeholders: (internal and external)

• YDR Consortium Partners
• Local Implementing Partners
• Steering Committee
• Consortium Donors
• Governmental authorities
• Clusters and relevant working groups (i.e. HLP Working Group; Durable Solutions Working Group)

We offer:

Contract length: one-year contract

Band: E2 – manager

Duty Station: Sana’a

Designation of Duty Station: Non-Family Duty Station

Start date: As soon as possible.

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment**.**