Emergency Programme Manager (re-recruitment)

 Emergency Programme Manager (re-recruitment)

Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is looking for an experienced, pro-active and effective manager to oversee DRC’s emergency programme in Afghanistan. Context and background of DRC in Afghanistan Three decades of conflict have left Afghanistan as one of the world’s poorest countries, despite modest progress reported in the health and education sector. According to the UNDP, the life expectancy at birth is 44 years. Only 23 percent of the population enjoys access to safe water and 88 percent of Afghans do not have access to adequate sanitation. The country’s limited resources are further strained by the return of over five million refugees since the fall of the Taliban regime in late 2001, and by the large number of IDPs, who have been forced from their lands due to conflict and drought amongst other causes. Promoting solutions for IDPs in accordance with internationally acceptable principles, including local integration as a possible solution alongside return, is challenging. Since 2002, over 5.6 million Afghan refugees have returned home. These returnees represent nearly a quarter of Afghanistan’s population, yet more than 40% have not fully reintegrated, and almost half a million IDPs are also not integrated; given their inherent destabilizing potential, this represents a significant security concern. DRC started up its programme in Afghanistan in January 2011. The goal of DRC’s work is to promote durable solutions to refugee and displacement problems, on the basis of humanitarian principles and human rights. DRC works with the urban IDP case load but also with rural communities in Kabul province with a high return rate, as well as DRC provides logistic support to UNCHR across country. Sector wise activities are mainly focused on protection, livelihood, community mobilisation/infra-structure, and emergency logistics/response. Key Responsibilities The Emergency Programme Manager will have the overall responsibility for the implementation of DRC’s emergency response programme. More specifically, providing technical guidance and support to the emergency teams in the area offices, developing and documenting methodologies for key emergency activities; managing the budget and activity implementation in accordance with donor contracts and terms; provide technical input into programme development processes; and lead on humanitarian coordination and policy work. The Emergency Programme Manager will also have capacity building responsibilities – focused on transferring technical and managerial skills to the Deputy Emergency Programme Manager. The position requires a high degree of flexibility and initiative, strong managerial skills to oversee the timely implementation of emergency activities in accordance with demanding donor terms, excellent coordination skills and an understanding of large complex organizational charts to work horizontally with a number of offices across the country. Emergency Programming

• Developing and documenting emergency strategies and methodologies for key activities including cash programming, protection in emergencies, NFI distributions and hygiene promotion
• When necessary lead on developing assessment tools and methodologies.
• Ensure that accountability measures are mainstreamed into all of DRC’s emergency interventions.
• Manage the timely implementation of the emergency programme, and the effect utilization of the associated budgets, in accordance with the donor contract and regulations.
• Oversee implementing partners work and consortium members work, to ensure it complies with DRC’s and donor requirements.
• Ensure an excellent working relationship with emergency consortium partners, share organizational expertise and joint programming where possible.
• Work closely with other programme teams to ensure that protection is mainstreamed in all emergency response activities, and that are emergency response work supports our longer term durable solution objectives.

Humanitarian Coordination

• Participate in humanitarian coordination meetings, in order to inform DRC’s emergency response programme and advocate on behalf of DRC in line with the organisation’s key policy positions.
• Work closely with the programme director, protection and advocacy manager and country director to develop humanitarian policy positions.
• Coordinate with humanitarian response actors to promote operational coordination, particularly amongst ECHO funded response actors.

Programme development, monitoring and reporting

• Lead on designing emergency programmes and rapid mobilization of funds. There should be a strong link between humanitarian coordination efforts and fundraising from the common humanitarian fund.
• Produce timely and quality internal and donor reports in line with organizational and donor requirements.
• Work closely with the programme director and M&E team to develop M&E tools and monitoring strategies – remotely when required.

Qualifications and Skills

• University degree in law, international relations, management, human rights, social/political science or related field;
• Extensive professional work experience within international humanitarian/development work;
• Thorough understanding of displacement issues and related international standards/frameworks. Knowledge of the local context in Afghanistan is a strong asset;
• At least 5 years of experience of implementing emergency programmes, direct experience of implementing ECHO contracts is desirable;
• Extensive experience in representation, advocacy and networking. Specifically participating in the humanitarian cluster system;
• Demonstrated ability to provide capacity building to a range of stakeholders;
• Excellent project management skills, including strong budget management capacity;
• Experience of fundraising, particularly common humanitarian funds;
• Experience of working as part of and managing consortiums is desirable;
• Excellent writing and communication skills;
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective working relations with local staff and other stakeholders;
• Professional fluency in written and spoken English; Knowledge of local Afghan languages is an added advantage;
• Ability to work in a deadline driven environment and undertake a proactive approach;
• Ability to live and work in an insecure and changing environment.

We encourage all qualified candidates to apply, irrespective of age, nationality, race, gender or age.ConditionsAvailability: As soon as possibleDuty station: Kabul, Afghanistan with frequent trips to other provinces. Contract: 1 year with the possibility of extension.

Salary and other conditions in accordance with DRC’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates, which can be found on our website www.drc.dk under Vacancies. The position is placed at Level A11. Application processPlease submit your application and CV in English no later than 18 May 2014 via our online recruitment system on www.drc.dk under Vacancies/Current vacancies

Due to its urgency, this vacancy might be closed before the deadline when a suitable candidate is found. If you are interested we strongly recommend submitting your application as soon as possible

Only motivated applications that address the stipulated duties and meet the required qualifications sent together with a CV will be considered. Please provide references, but do not attach any written recommendations. CV-only applications will not be considered.

Further information You are welcome to contact the Country Director, Kyriakos Giaglis at cd.afghanistan@drc.dk for additional information on the position. Please note that applications are not to be sent to Mr Kyriakos Giaglis. Applications sent directly to Mr. Kyriakos Giaglis will not be considered.

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

Problems with on-line application?Please contact us at job@drc.dk, if you have questions to the application process or experience problems with your on-line application.