Ethiopia: Program Manager - Ethiopia

Background

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.

Overall Objective

Working under the direct management of the Shire-based Area Manager, the Program Manager will be responsible for the overall implementation and strategic direction of the organization’s current and future protection and mixed migration activities in Tigray regional state. The Program Manager will be the direct supervisor of protection and mixed migration officers, assistants and refugee incentive workers. The Program Manager will regularly collaborate with other program staff to ensure DRC’s protection and mixed migration activities are holistic and that protection and migration concerns and considerations are effectively mainstreamed throughout the program and Area Strategic Plan. Furthermore, the Program Manager will be required to provide regular support and guidance to project cycle management, proposal development and program strategy, with specific contributions in the area of technical protection and migration knowledge. The Program Manager will ensure the successful implementation of all protection and mixed migration related activities and will work collaboratively with the Area Manager to monitor the operating context to ensure DRC’s protection and mixed migration programing is relevant and responsive to priority humanitarian needs and the organization’s strategic direction. In this capacity, the Program 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 regarding issues related to protection and mixed migration.

Key responsibilities

To achieve the objectives of the position, the Program Officer, in coordination with the Area Manager will perform the following tasks and undertake the following responsibilities:

Technical Support

• Support the Area Manager in the expansion of the Shire protection and mixed migration department and lead in the design and development of a local protection and mixed migration strategy for Tigray Regional State. Responsibilities will also include designing and leading baseline needs assessments, community outreach in the selected refugee communities and forging strong professional relationships with representatives from ARRA and UNHCR.


• Collaborate closely with the Area Manager to design and implement relevant and responsive, rights-based protection and mixed migration activities that build upon the existing assets of the targeted refugee communities. Activities will emphasize the protection of youth and secondary migration. Activities are expected to be highly participatory through engaging beneficiaries in learning and information sharing, capacity building and incentive work opportunities. This will require collaboration with other DRC program staff and a keen interest in integrating migration, psychosocial and educational components and considerations into all protection activities, as well as by providing a direct link in communications between DRC’s Shire field office and the organization’s Addis Ababa office regarding issues related to protection and mixed migration.


• Ensure high quality day-to-day technical management of all protection and mixed migration activities to ensure strict adherence with international best practice protections standards, including the identification of protection risks and vulnerabilities with acute awareness of issues related to gender, age and diversity.


• Work with the Area Manager to contribute to new project development, including both narratives and budgets.


• 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 international best practices.


• Support staff to integrate protection concerns and awareness in other sectors as relevant.

General Management and Support

• Manage all protection and mixed migration officers, assistants and refugee incentive workers, and support respectful and positive working relationships which allow for the effective implementation of all DRC protection and mixed migration activities. This is to be achieved through leadership, team building, day-to-day support and capacity-building.


• Assume budget holder responsibilities, as directed by the Area manager, including the development of protection and mixed migration related budgets for new projects, detailed tracking of protection related spending and participation in monthly budget versus actual meetings.


• Oversee all daily protection and mixed migration activities in sub-offices and project locations, including the management of staff and regular activity monitoring.


• Identify training and capacity building opportunities for protection and mixed migration staff and ensure they are well versed in key protection concepts relevant to the context, 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 finance and human resource department to ensure objectives for protection and mixed migration staff are set and that evaluations and performance reviews are conducted on a regular basis for all staff managed.


• Collaborate with the Area Manager and logistics and procurement department in developing comprehensive procurement plans and raising Order Requests. Upon receipt of protection and mixed migration related goods and services, the Program Officer will collaborate with the logistics and procurement teams in the receipt of goods and services and will lead in quality assurance. As part of the procurement process, the Team Leader may also be requested by the Area Manager to participate in tendering processes, procurement committee meetings and in the review of bid analyses, as well as working with the logistics and procurement teams to arrange storage and warehousing for protection and mixed migration related items.

Reporting and representation

• Under the direction of the Area Manager, lead protection and mixed migration related reporting for both internal and donor purposes.


• Provide ongoing general monitoring of the operating context to ensure relevance and accountability to DRC’s beneficiary populations.


• Work in close collaboration with the Area Manager to represent DRC publically at the site level, including in coordination fora, with other agencies and with ARRA for issues related to protection and mixed migration.

Reporting

The Program Manager reports to Area Manager, Shire.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in law, social work, social sciences, international development, or other relevant field from a recognized institution.


• Minimum 2 to 4 years of management or technical protection or migration experience at a mid-level, preferably with experience in the field of humanitarian response and refugee protection working for an international NGO, UN agency or relevant ministry or local authority.


• Commitment to learning and implementing organizational policies and procedures.


• Full proficiency in Microsoft Office.


• Excellent verbal and written proficiency in Tigrinya, Amharic and English.


• Preference will be given to qualified candidates with right to work privileges in Ethiopia.

Additional requirements

• Strong planning, organization and problem solving skills with ability to work both independently and within a team in a demanding work environment.


• Excellent personnel management skills, including diplomacy, tact and negotiating skills.


• Integrity, strong work ethic, and ability to consistently meet deadlines under pressure.


• Experience collaborating in protection, gender and human rights related activities.


• Experience working with youth, migrants and in community mobilizations and participatory approaches.


• Experience living and working in cross-cultural and remote environments

Conditions Contract: Six months’ contract

Other employment conditions in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Global Expatriates recruited by the Horn of Africa and Yemen Regional Office. This position is rated as A15 on the DRC salary scale available at www.drc.dk.

Availability: Immediately

Duty Station: Shire, Tigray, Ethiopia

General *Commitments:* DRC has a Humanitarian Accountability Framework, outlining its global accountability commitments. All staff are required to contribute to the achievement of this framework.

For general information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult www.drc.dk