Emergency Programme Manager

Contract Grade:                B

Contract Length:              1 year

Date Needed By:             As soon as possible

New Post or Replacement:         New

Accompanied / Unaccompanied:             Unaccompanied

Exact Job Location:          50% Nairobi/ 50% Mogadishu (occasional travel to Hargeisa)

Reports To:                         Country Director

Responsible For:              Emergency Field Coordinators

Liaises With:                      ACD, Sector Programme Managers, Grants & Information Manager (M&E unit), Finance and staff from other support units, Dublin-based Desk Officer, Dublin-based Emergency Directorate.

Job Purpose:      The overall objective of this position is to ensure emergency preparedness, response and recovery plans for Concern Somalia as per the objectives of the Country Strategic Plan; manage the emergency response projects; management of staff.

Main Duties & Responsibilities:  

Senior Management

• Assist the Country Director in the overall management, implementation and development of the country programme
• Work towards effective management and development of Concern Somalia’s emergency response work programme
• Ensure that the emergency response programmes are linked to the development programmes
• Active participation in the Senior Management Team (SMT) meetings

Emergency preparedness, response and recovery planning and programme implementation

• Ensure project proposals are developed on time and in the correct format. Support the Grants and Information Manager by providing feedback
• Develop strategic plans for emergency response within Somalia context ensuring linkages with development programmes.
• Monitor potential emergencies/ humanitarian needs and advise leadership team on appropriate response.
• Develop capacity building plans for Concern Somalia’s Emergency Response Team and partner staff.
• Regularly update Concern Somalia’s Preparedness for Effective Emergency Response (PEER)
• In collaboration with other programme managers, monitor the early warning information being gathered and compare with that of UN agencies, government and other INGOs.
• Keep up to date with any changes or updates of national assessment results, appeals and guidelines, and communicate these to relevant staff.
• Coordinate and lead rapid needs assessments in areas affected by disasters.
• Ensure relevant cross-cutting issues are mainstreamed in emergency response.
• Promote knowledge sharing within the country programme with particular attention to relief, recovery and humanitarian accountability issues.
• Ensure emergency projects/program staff are kept up to date on best practices in the fields of emergency preparedness and responses.

Financial Management

• Manage expenditure of approved emergency budgets ensuring compliance with donor requirements and Concern’s finance and procurement procedures. Keep the CD, ACDP, CFC and Grants and Information Officer informed regarding any variances that may need to be communicated to the donors.
• In collaboration with the finance team and the ACDP, develop emergency project budgets.
• Assist direct reports with financial management.
• Report any unsuspected or actual financial irregularities that have occurred.
• Ensure all projects have detailed procurement plans.

HR

• Manage relevant staff and ensure their on-going development, including ensuring the implementation of Performance Development Review systems and building the management capacity of programme/project managers.
• Ensure staff comply with the Programme Participants Protection Policy and Code of Conduct
• Capacity building/training responsibilities for direct reports
• Prepare staffing needs in line with programming and assist in the recruitment of staff

Reporting

• Ensure donor reports are produced on time and of quality.
• Provide brief updates (bi-weekly or weekly) to the CD and members of the SMT, and Dublin (if required).
• Submit monthly reports to the Grants and Information Manager by the deadline.
• Provide Grants and Information Officer, Dublin Desk Officer, ACDP, etc. with timely responses to queries on concept notes, proposals and reports.
• Report any new developments, problems and challenges encountered in implementing emergency response projects in a timely manner.

Networking

• Ensure proper representation of Concern Somalia programme at cluster and other emergency preparedness and response related meetings.
• Ensure good collaboration and working relationship with government and other relevant partners.
• Liaise with concerned government departments at regional and zonal level regarding response plans, agreements, reports, training etc.
• Create appropriate links, working procedures and information sharing with the stakeholders – UN agencies, INGOs and government bodies.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Accountability

• Conduct frequent supervision and monitoring visits to project areas and identify issues related to implementation, donor compliance and quality standards.
• Take responsibility for the implementation of learning and recommendations from external or internal reviews and donor feedback.
• Take responsibility for development of detailed work plans at the start of each project and then ensure monthly updates are made to the output databases.
• Working with the M&E unit, plan baseline and end line surveys and external evaluations.
• Ensure that beneficiaries have access to feedback mechanisms and that data is monitored and responses given within appropriate time periods.

General

• Oversight of programme security - ensure all staff members strictly comply with programme security management plan and SOPs.
• Provide timely security information/updates/alerts for the Country Director and other relevant Programme staff.
• Assist in the reviews of the security management plans
• Any other ad hoc duties as may be assigned by CD that is consistent with the nature of Concern operations.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL

Education, Qualifications & Experience Required:

• Master’s Degree in Humanitarian Action, Development Studies or related subject
• At least 5 years professional experience with a humanitarian agency, at least 3 overseas
• Strong written and verbal communications skills and good command of English.
• Good managerial and leadership skills, ability to work effectively with people
• Must have a ‘hands on’, practical mentality, be self-driven and very motivated.
• Must be well organized.
• Experience of working in Somalia or a similar context.
• Experience managing complex emergency response programmes.
• Able to provide training on and implement Red Cross Code of Conduct, SPHERE and HAP standards.

DESIRABLE

Education, Qualifications & Experience:

• Knowledge of Somali language is desirable.
• Experience of mainstreaming cross-cutting issues into humanitarian programmes.
• Experience of or training in managing people within emergency contexts, specifically, remote management.

Special Skills, Aptitude or Personality Requirements:

• Able to take initiative and work independently.
• Very high attention to detail is essential.
• Cultural and political sensitivity.
• Must be flexible and willing to adapt to a fluid situation.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.

All applications should be submitted through our website at https://jobs.concern.net by closing date November 12th 2014. CV’s should be no more than 4 pages in length.

Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short listed on a regular basis and we may offer posts before the closing date.

Concern Worldwide is an Irish-based non-governmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.

Concern has a Staff Code of Conduct and a Programme Participant Protection Policy which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organization, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context staff have a responsibility to the organization to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment.   By signing the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct candidates acknowledge that they have understood the contents of both the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and the Programme Participant Protection Policy and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these two documents.

Concern receives a substantial amount of funding from external donors each year. Increasingly donors are introducing requirements whereby future funding is conditional on Concern ensuring that the names of any new employee or volunteer do not appear on terrorism lists generated by the European Union (List of person, groups and entities to which Regulation (EC No. 2580/2001 applies), the US Government (Office of Foreign Assets Control list of specially designated Nationals and Blocked Persons) and the United Nations (Consolidated List). Any offer of employment (either paid or voluntary) with Concern Worldwide will not be made pending a clearance check being conducted on the applicant. For additional information please consult our web site or contact the Human Resource Division in our Head Office.

Concern Worldwide is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.