Head of Emergency Preparedness and Response (HEPR) – Maputo At Save the Children

TEAM/PROGRAMME: Program Operations

LOCATION: Maputo**,** with about 50% travel to other Provinces, especially Cabo Delgado

ROLE PURPOSE:

The Head of Emergency Preparedness and Response provides strategic, technical and operations leadership on the delivery of SCI Mozambique emergency responses. The HEPR oversees early warning, preparedness and response of any upcoming humanitarian emergencies in the country. The role holder supports the development and effectuation of a resource mobilization strategy and strategic partnerships that ensure the humanitarian programme is adequately funded.

The HEPR reports to the Director of Program Operations (DPO) and acts as his/her deputy for emergency response actions, with emphasis on ensuring adequate strategic and operational preparedness and response planning, excellence in program implementation and compliance with the SCI and donor requirements. The HEPR has a functional reporting line to the Director of PDQ, with emphasis on program design, developing strategic partnerships and adequately resourcing upcoming responses. The HEPR regularly engages with the Country Director to align with CO strategic and external engagements.

The HEPR promotes an organizational culture that reflects SCI’s humanitarian values, promotes accountability and high performance, encourages a team culture of learning, creativity and innovation, and overall delivery of high quality and timely responses. The role holder ensures cross-functional work and coordination, engaging with technical teams, operations teams, and support functions.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Director of Program Operations (DPO), with a functional line to DPDQ.

Staff directly reporting to this post: The role holder has a delegated supervision role from the DPO to oversee humanitarian project implementation; in direct assistance to the DPO, the HEPR may be assigned to supervise PPMs or PMs with responsibility to oversee these projects.

Budget responsibility: Depending on specifically assigned Project Management/ Budget Holder responsibility, henceforth the equivalent SOD

Role Dimensions: Save the Children’s humanitarian work has a wide scope, responding to the impact of floods, drought, pandemic, cyclones and armed conflict. Programs focus on child protection, education, health, nutrition, livelihoods, nutrition, WASH and resilience building/DRR. SCI currently has a humanitarian operation in Cabo Delgado (+60 staff) and engages in preparedness planning and activities in other provinces at risk. The role is complex with high level responsibilities and has frequent contact with staff from all Departments and all Field Locations.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY/DELIVERABLES:

Preparedness and response planning

• Conducting contextual analysis of the situation and early warning indicators related to different humanitarian events.
• Monitor the situation of the affected population and provide recommendations for revision to humanitarian response strategy and plans where necessary.
• Ensure rapid (as well as comprehensive) humanitarian multi-sectoral integrated assessments are undertaken as necessary to inform the implementation of the humanitarian response strategy and plans.
• In close collaboration with PDQ and SMT, lead on the development and update of the CO annual Humanitarian Plan (HP). Advise SMT on categorization decisions, (guided by the SCI categorization standard operating procedures).
• Lead the development/revision of the Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP), Contingency Plans and early response plans, and other work document linked to the EPP.
• Ensuring all stakeholders a aware of SCI EPP and elements where they are involved in the response process, including staff, partners and local authorities.
• Plan, identify and resource appropriate and effective structure & staffing needs for the response(s), as approved by the CD/SMT, and with support of the HR department.
• Prepare and share internal (SCI) Alerts for upcoming emergencies with input from field teams, technical teams and SMT.
• Support the development of strategic partnerships for effective emergency response and prepositioning with donors and other actors.
• Coordinate with HR and SMT on the deployment of humanitarian surge teams, in the advent of shocks resulting from climate change.
• Liaise with the Partnerships Manager the involvement of partners, especially local partners, in an effort to meet the localization agenda as prescribe in the Grand Bargain, and regular liaison with RO on same.
• Conduct regular capacity building of staff in humanitarian response materials as well as partners.
• Being the CO point person for all humanitarian/emergency response aspect for the SCI movement, but with close support from the DPO and SMT.
• Leading the strategic approach for the institutional and operational development of local organizations’ platform(s) in Mozambique, in line with Save the Children’s localization vision based on the need to shift the power.

Overall lead in planning and management of the emergency response

• Keep country level strategic planning for the humanitarian response up to date to ensure effective and timely programming overview, while keeping relevant stakeholders informed and ensuring corrective actions are taken where required.
• Prepare the emergency response Master Budget (across locations, awards and sectors), keep up to date and alert SMT and NBD team on funding gaps.
• Provide inputs to the Fundraising Strategy and support on liaison with members and donors to leverage continued funding for the Emergency Response.
• Actively engage members and the Centre to acquire SCI flexible response budgets, keep them up-to-date and aligned with the response strategy objectives, through the member calls for prioritized responses and/or CAT-1 (category one), less frequently CAT-2 responses.
• Oversee and guide the designated Provincial Program Manager(s) in humanitarian contexts for the design and implementation of adequate operations delivery mechanisms. Ensure adequate staffing and support the recruitment process where needed.
• Oversee the implementation and budget management – ensure effective budget monitoring of the humanitarian projects/awards and here needed, act as the designated Budget Holder for the award.
• Ensure programme quality is maintained across the SCI emergency response by closely liaising with the PDQ Director and Technical leads.
• Lead on the operationalization of MEAL in the response, by holding managers accountable for functional MEAL in respective projects.
• In program design, place increased emphasis on gender transformative interventions, child focus (including children with disability), integrated programming and building local capacity.
• Support SCI Security Manager with inputs from the field and stakeholders for the design of effective guidelines on staff safety.
• Lead and strategically oversee the Rapid Response Team in activating mechanisms for humanitarian emergencies that require swift and impactful interventions.

Senior Leadership and strategic engagement

• Ensure adequate stakeholder coordination and engagement and EiE Cluster Coordination for the response at national and international levels, in close collaboration with the CD and SMT.
• Establish, maintain, and improve active and regular working relationships with government authorities, donors, partner agencies including major institutional donors, and local and international NGOs at the region of operation and at country/Maputo level.
• Where/when required undertake high level representation and advocacy with Government partners and officials as well as donor representatives. Support design of targeted advocacy and communication messages for different audiences.
• Work closely with DPDQ and SMT in establishing HRS (humanitarian response strategy), which is aligned to the CSP (country strategic plan).
• Keep DPO and SMT informed about trends, major risks and strategic opportunities in relation to EPR. Share regular updates with SMT on progress, deviations, corrective actions and any other relevant issues.
• Participate in ESLT meetings and present humanitarian updates and key point for discussion.

Compliance and Reporting

• Ensure strict compliance of programme activities with relevant Donor regulations and agreements, SPHERE standards, CHS and the NGO code of conduct.
• Ensure safe programming and include (child) safeguarding and PSEA reporting mechanisms in program design and implementation, and in SCI’s work with partners.
• In close collaboration with DPDQ and DPO, lead on compliance with the organizational standards and (reporting) requirements applying to the categorized response (Sitreps and other).
• Lead the effective implementation (and follow up) on response reviews and audits such as RTR, CHS, OCR and other audits in close collaboration with PDQ, OPS and SMT.
• Promote children’s rights, contributing to their well-being and protection in times of emergencies, guided by humanitarian principles and code of conduct.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum of a Master or higher-level Degree. Or bachelor’s degree with equivalent field experience**.**

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

• Minimum of 6 years expertise in emergency project management and of managing emergency programmes in an NGO context.
• Knowledge and experience of having worked in one of the following sectors: Education, Child Protection and WASH, Supply Chain, Program Management;
• Excellent leadership qualities; competency to motivate, mentor and hold staff accountable; proven experience overseeing and developing a team;
• Experience of program cycle management, and working in a complex and matrix-managed organization
• Knowledge of effective financial and budgetary controls; proven ability to manage budgets
• Solid experience writing comprehensive, high quality narrative reports for donors and other external constituencies; experience supporting colleagues to engage in reporting by systematically collecting and compiling correct, meaningful information/data, etc.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work autonomously in a highly stressful and challenging environment;
• High level of flexibility to be travel and be based in different parts of the country for longer periods;
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills;
• Fluency in written and spoken Portuguese and English required;
• Experience living and working in a complex, high risk (dangerous) environment; demonstrated ability to live/work and maintain personal wellness and productivity in such an environment;
• Ability and readiness to work as part of surge team during an emergency (required); commitment to humanitarian response principles and accountability frameworks, especially in working with very vulnerable populations.
• Proven knowledge of MS office applications and IT literacy and capacity to learn and use other packages.
• Previous experience and knowledge of working in Mozambique required. Exposure to humanitarian response in other countries is desired;

Priority will be given to Mozambican applicants, Foreign nationalities with valid visa or DIRE, as well as those with Romance language background, which is easily adaptable to Portuguese.

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.