Ethiopia: Deputy Area Manager - Ethiopia

INTRODUCTION

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a humanitarian, non-governmental, non-profit organization founded in 1956 that works in more than 30 countries throughout the world, including Ethiopia. DRC fulfills its mandate by providing direct assistance to conflict-affected populations, including refugees, internally displaced people and host communities. Under its mandate, the organization focuses on emergency humanitarian response, rehabilitation and post-conflict recovery.

DRC commenced work in Ethiopia in 2009 and currently provides expertise in shelter, WASH, livelihoods and protection in the Gambella and Somali regions of the country. Activities implemented by DRC are funded by money raised from the Danish public and by project grants from the Danish government and other bilateral and multi-lateral donors.

DRC is in the process of starting a new program in Tigray regional state, where the organization anticipates implementing a variety of youth protection activities in Hitsats, Shimelba, Mai-Aini and Adharush refugee camps, which are currently hosting a combined population of over 30,000 Eritrean refugees.

POSITION’S OVERALL OBJECTIVES

The Shire-based Deputy Area Manager will work directly under the Area Manager to support the overall implementation and strategic direction of the organization’s current and future projects in Tigray regional state. The Deputy Area Manager will be the direct supervisor of program staff in the protection sector and will regularly work with other program staff as well as support staff in the Area Manager’s absence. Specifically, The Deputy Area Manager will lead DRC’s protection programming in Tigray regional state and will support a consistent integration of a rights-based approach into all DRC’s program activities in the region. Furthermore, the Deputy Area Manager will be required to provide daily support and guidance to project cycle management, proposal development and program strategy, with specific contributions in the area of technical protection knowledge. The Deputy Area Manager will ensure the successful implementation of all protection-related activities and will work collaboratively with the Area Manager to monitor the operating context to ensure DRC’s programing is relevant and responsive to priority humanitarian needs. In this capacity, the Deputy Area Manager is also responsible for working closely with the Area Manager to represent DRC publically at the site level, including in coordination fora, with other agencies and with ARRA, and for providing the direct link in communications between DRC’s Shire field office and the organization’s Addis Ababa office. Finally, it is essential the Deputy Area Manager collaborates with the Area Manager to provide safety and security management of the Shire-based team and ensures all safety and security measures, including contingency plans and standard operating procedures, are in place and well understood by all staff.

POSITION’S SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

The Deputy Area Manager, in coordination and cooperation with the Area Manager and program and support staff, is expected to pursue the following objectives in her or his daily work:

1. Contribute to the expansion of DRC’s program in Tigray regional state.


2. Manager a multi-disciplined protection team, while ensuring cohesiveness and positive teamwork, knowledge of core protection and mixed migration concepts and full compliance of DRC’s code of conduct, while actively identifying opportunities to improve capacities of staff.


3. Support the strategic direction of the Tigray regional state protection and mixed migration program and co-leading or leading regular programmatic and budgetary reviews, context analyses and the development of project proposals.


4. Contribute to the improvement of site-level systems and procedures, and ensure compliance by all staff, especially protection and mixed migration staff, with DRC policies. This includes coordinating the development and regular review of work, procurement and spending plans inline with rigorous project management standards.


5. Represent DRC publically at the site level, including in coordination fora, with other agencies and with ARRA, and for providing the direct link in communications between DRC’s Shire field office and the Addis Ababa office.


6. Coordinate with the Area Manager to provide site-level leadership in ensuring safety, security and wellbeing of all staff.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

To achieve the overall and specific objectives of the position, the Deputy Area Manager will perform the following tasks and undertake the following responsibilities:

1. Management and Coordination:

 Overall responsibility for the recruitment and daily management of the Shire-based protection and mixed migration team, including ensuring positive and collaborative working relationships in line with DRC’s Code of Conduct and assessing staff capacity to provide or recommend relevant training or coaching as needed.  In the absence of the Area Manager, assume responsibility for managing the Shire office, including ensuring compliant financial operations and budgeting, administration, human resources, logistics, procurement and security in compliance with DRC and donor regulations.  Represent DRC publically at the site level, including in coordination fora, with other agencies and with ARRA, and for providing the direct link in communications between DRC’s Shire field office and the Addis Ababa office.

1. Programming:

 Provide oversight of all protection and mixed migration related programming in Tigray regional state in compliance with core protection principles and DRC and donor regulations while upholding rigorous project cycle management standards.  Lead in the design and management of all protection and mixed migration related interventions in Tigray regional state as per international best practice standards.  Conduct needs assessments to inform program design as well as identify risks and vulnerabilities, including those related to gender, age and diversity.
 Develop concrete initiatives to reduce protection risks experienced by the Eritrean refugee population in Tigray regional state as well as specific strategies which build upon existing assets within the population.
 Contribute to the strategic direction of Shire’s protection and mixed migration programming through active and ongoing participation in and contribution to strategic planning meetings and development of strategic documents.  Work with the Area Manager, Head of Programs, Deputy Country Director, and finance team to contribute to new project development, including both narratives and budgets, by coordinating and compiling inputs from other technical and support staff.  Ensure the timely and quality delivery of all protection and mixed migration related organizational and project reports and staff contributions to organizational monitoring and evaluation requirements to ensure project quality, relevance and accountability to DRC’s beneficiary populations.  Collaborate with the Area Manager and Addis Ababa-based technical leads to ensure field-based protection records and documentation are properly managed and compliant with DRC requirements and best practices.  Support staff to integrate protection and migration concerns and awareness into other sectors as relevant.

1. Finance and Administration:

 Assume responsibility as primary budget holder of all protection and mixed migration related activities and lead in the development of protection and mixed migration specific budgets and spending plans.  Maintain a budget overview of all protection and mixed migration related projects and activities, and collaborate regularly with the Area Manager and Addis Ababa based finance team to monitor spending and ensure the timely utilization of all grants.  Ensure full compliance with DRC and donor financial guidelines and policies.  In the absence of the Area Manager, oversee responsibility for daily cash counts as well as cashbook reconciliations.

1. Human Resources:

 Manage the Shire-based protection and mixed migration team and support respectful and positive working relationships which allow for the effective implementation of all protection and mixed migration activities. This is to be achieved through leadership, team building, day-to-day support, capacity-building and strong, generalist knowledge of core protection concepts.  Support site-level recruitment processes, especially for the protection and mixed migration team, and ensure that relevant staffing structures are in place and are reflective of appropriate gender balance.  Promote professional development by identifying training and capacity building opportunities and ensure protection and mixed migration staff are well versed in core protection concepts, DRC’s code of conduct, accountability, respectful dialogue with the refugee population, and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.  Collaborate with the Area Manager and Addis Ababa human resources department to ensure staff evaluations are conducted on a regular basis.

1. Logistics and Procurement:

 Collaborate with the Area Manager, Logistics and Procurement Coordinator and Addis Ababa based logistics and procurement team to develop and maintain protection-specific procurement plans.  Ensure the budgeting of projects, and protection activities in particular, incorporate logistics and support costs such as significant transport and warehousing needs for procurement-heavy activities.  Ensure logistics and procurement processes are in place and fully compliant with DRC and donor policies and standards.  Collaborate with the Area Manager and Logistics and Procurement Coordinator to ensure field-based records are well managed and fulfill DRC and donor requirements and are always up-to-date for use in donor reports.  Monitor protection and mixed migration related budget lines to ensure spending is inline with project timelines and implementation schedules.
 Regularly review protection and mixed migration related procurement plans with the Area Manager and Addis Ababa based procurement and logistics team and finance team to adjust spending as required in advance of project closure.

1. Safety and Security:  Support the Area Manager in ensuring the responsibility for staff safety in the area of operation.  Support the Area Manager in ensuring that all relevant information regarding safety, security and the context is collected, updated and shared in a regular and timely manner.  In the Area Manager’s absence, collaborate with the Addis Ababa based Deputy Country Director or Country Director to make decisions and manage security incidents at a local level. QUALIFICATIONS

 Masters degree in law, social sciences, international development, or other relevant field.  Minimum of 8 to 10 years of work experience within the field of law or protection, particularly within the field of humanitarian response and refugee protection, with experience working for an international NGO, UN agency or relevant ministry or local authority.  Minimum of 5 years experience in general project management.  Excellent analytical and writing skills.  Excellent written and spoken English, Tigrinya and Amharic.  Knowledge of Office software packages and experience using data analysis tools.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERISTICS

 Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective and working relationships with staff members, government officials, and other organizations and stakeholders.  Experience working with youth and young people.  Experience with capacity building and in designing and facilitating trainings and workshops for diverse audience.  Experience living and working in cross-cultural and remote environments.  Ability to work well under pressure.  Experience in setting up new field operations. Only Ethiopian Nationals will be considered for this post.