MYANMAR – DEPUTY FIELD COORDINATOR FOR PROGRAMS (H/F) – SITTWE

Desired start date: 23/09/21

Duration of the mission: 6 months – until Feb 22, potentially renewable.

Location: Sittwe, Rakhine state

ABOUT THE MISSION…

SI has been in Myanmar since 2008. For the first three years, SI worked in the Delta in response to the devastating Cyclone Nargis. In 2011, SI expanded to three new regions (Dry Zone, Rakhine, and Chin State) focusing on Livelihoods, Food Security, Shelter, and WASH. In January 2012, SI expanded to Kachin State to respond to an emergency situation created by the displacement of Kachin population affected by the armed conflict.

SI currently has a coordination base in Yangon, with field bases in the Rakhine and Kachin States. Each office is operational with a Field Coordinator.

In 2021, 17 international staff and 318 national staff are working within SI to implement 7 contracts (on-going) in WASH, FSL, Emergency programs (NFI, Shelter, WASH, Food) funded by OFDA, DFID/HARP, ECHO, CIAA, OCHA, CDC and UNICEF.

The global budget is approx. EUR 6 million/year for 2021.

To learn more about the Myanmar mission, please click here

ABOUT THE JOB

General objective

The Deputy Field Coordinator for Programs (DFCP) is in charge of supervising and coordinating the implementation of all programs in Rakhine State.

In line with both SI annual country strategy and the evolution of the humanitarian needs in the area, the DFCP will support designing and implementing new projects. She/He oversees the quality of project implementation through the direct management of Program Managers. She/he also supports the Field Coordinator (FC) in his representing tasks in external meetings under FC delegation.

Programs and main donors

The Rakhine base counts around 250 staffs, including 7 international staff. There are so far 2 main locations of activities: Sittwe Camps (under HARP funding in Consortium with Oxfam) and Pauktaw camps (under BHA, ECHO, UNICEF and CDC funding).

The budget is approx.. EUR 3 million / year.

Main activities in two locations are WaSH but also FSL in some of the camps :

Water Supply
Sanitation
HP and distribution of HKs/WASH NFI
Solid Waste Management
Income Generating Activities
Cash for Work
Fishing activities

Management

Line manager: Field Coordinator
Functional manager: Deputy Country Director in charge of Programs
Direct report(s) on base: 6 program managers (4 WASH PM, 1 FSL PM, 1MEAL AM)

Responsibilities

Strategic orientation
Coordination and programs monitoring
Institutional knowledge building
Reporting / communication / representation
Team management

Main challenges

Relevance and operational quality / operation monitoring: SI operates in different areas – some of them accessible with difficulty.
Human resources management: the international and national team is very important, and requires a lot of coordination.
Financial backer relations / search for funding: need to adapt to context change (impact of COVID 19, seasonal challenges ex: water scarcity etc); and follow several budgets of several donors
Internal and external communication: need to smooth and improve the communication schemes
Representation: the amount of time spent in representation is very significant (meetings, donors etc.).

Priorities for the first months

To ensure that all grants are getting implemented in time and quality by establishing a strong remote monitoring and alert in case major delays are happening and adapting the program activities in the frame of the COVID-19 preparedness and response plan.
To ensure that Complaint, Feedback and Response Mechanism is in place in all locations and improve Accountability to Affected Population (with the technical support and in link with the Program Coordination Team)
To reinforce the capacities of the Program Managers, more especially on internal tools and procedures (Budget forecast & follow up, activity planning etc.)
To reinforce the inter-department collaboration and coordination, especially with the logistic department in order to ensure punctuality for the implementation of the program activities
To ensure a good representation of SI in clusters meetings

YOUR PROFILE

Education

Post graduate level in related field.

Experience

Experience in large team management and partnerships in an INGO
Previous experience in participating in strategy development
Experience of program implementation in different fields: protection, WASH, food security – livelihood and DRR with a strong community mobilization and localization focus
Experience in working with multiple donors/grants and in donor relations
Experience of budget management
Experience of establishing strong working relationships with colleagues from different functions and cultures

Previous experience in South Asia + previous experience with SI are assets.

Technical skills and knowledge

Very good knowledge of PCM and monitoring tools (good understanding of MEAL systems expected);
Strong analytical and reporting skills
Good problem-solving skills (proactivity in daily and in crisis situations);
A flexible approach to managing and prioritizing a high workload and multiple tasks with tight deadlines;
A good understanding of DRR and climate change issues;
Computer skills: MS Office mandatory, including Excel.
- Sphynx, GIS etc…are assets.
Good representation / public relation skills.

Knowledge and/or experience on the Rohingya crisis is an asset.

Transferable skills:

Decision-making skills and ability to work in autonomy is essential;
Diplomacy, smooth leadership skills;
Prioritization and self-organization; rigor.
Ability to multitask and delegate;
Ability to work in multi-cultural environment; more generally, excellent interpersonal & communication skills;
Ability to work under pressure; very good working capacity.
Willingness to work in a volatile security context

Languages:

Bilingual in English
French and Burmese are assets.

SI WILL OFFER YOU

A salaried position

According to experience, starting from EUR 2 420 gross per month (EUR 2 200 gross per month + 10% annual leave allowance paid monthly) i.e. + a monthly Per Diem of USD 500 / month.
SI also covers accommodation costs and travel expenses between the expatriate’s country of origin and the place of assignment.

The DFCP lives in a shared guesthouse with other international staff.

Breaks

During the assignment, a system of alternation between work and time off is implemented at the rate of 7 working days every 3 months. For a one-year assignment, the expatriate will have a 7 working days break at 3, 6 and 9 months (with USD 850 allocated by SI).

In addition to these, SI adds 1 additional rest day per month of work, i.e. 12 additional days off for a one-year contract.

Insurance package
Expatriates benefit from an insurance package which covers all healthcare expenses (including medical and surgical expenses, dental care and ophthalmological expenses, repatriation) and a welfare system, including war risks. Essential vaccination and antimalarial treatment costs are refunded.

Living conditions

Sittwe is the capital of the Rakhine state and is 1 hour flight away from Yangon.

Climate in Rakhine is classified as a tropical monsoon climate . The city experiences a hot dry season from October to April/May, and an extraordinarily rainy wet season covering between June and October. Conditions are noticeably cooler and less humid from November to February than during the remainder of the year.

The guesthouses are comfortable (with a large common area, private bathrooms in some rooms, AC in all rooms, TV, etc…) and a proper kitchen area in each.

The office is located 5 minutes from the guesthouses by car.

Both benefit from a good internet connection.

Please note that the current political situation and security context is volatile, but SI monitors it daily and adapts its procedures in order to ensure the security of all staff.

COVID19

Please note that the COVID 19 pandemic can impact the movements (flights and visa issuance). At the time of writing, it can take 3 to 4 months to get in country.

Safety and security rules are regularly reviewed and adapted to the situation, to minimize the exposure to the COVID 19, in constant monitoring and adaptation to the context evolution. This include social distancing, teleworking and strict hygienic rules, such as regular handwashing etc.

Please note that SI strongly recommends its staff to get the vaccination against COVID 19, using WHO-approved vaccines. If possible, the vaccination should be done before departure, in order to reduce the future logistical constraints once on the field (administration of the 2^nd dose within a certain time frame).