Reference:KOK/SL/EPD
Country: Sierra Leone
Job Title: Director of Programmes- Emergency
Contract Grade: C
Contract Length: 6 months
Date Needed By: ASAP
New Post or Replacement: New
Accompanied/Unaccompanied: Unaccompanied
Exact Job Location: Freetown 70% & Tonkolili (30%)
Reports To: Country Director
Responsible For: (Staff): Emergency Response Managers and their teams
Liaises With: All relevant programme, finance, HR and systems staff as necessary; Partner organisations (especially Ebola Response Consortium members), national and international NGOs; government bodies; donor agencies and other stakeholders as required.
Context
Job Purpose:To ensure an effective and responsive Ebola emergency and recovery intervention in Sierra Leone. The post holder will effectively contribute to the development of the emergency response strategy and manage the implementation of Concern’s humanitarian response to the Ebola outbreak and other consequent needs in collaboration with the emergency programme managers and the team.
Roles & Responsibilities
General Responsibilities:
· Continuously monitor the humanitarian situation in the various intervention areas in Sierra Leone and provide timely information/updates/alerts for the Country Director, Country Management Team (CMT) and other relevant programme staff.
· Ensure humanitarian interventions in relation to the Ebola crisis and associated needs are managed and coordinated in accordance with Concern standards and donor guidelines.
· Ensure the above are carried out in a fully accountable and participatory manner with beneficiaries and other stakeholders to the fullest extent feasible.
· With country senior management, lead on managing risk in relation to the Ebola crisis – staff welfare, programmes, etc.
· Contribute to defining the strategic direction of the emergency response as well as securing funding
Programme Coordination
· Coordinate the planning, quality implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all components of the emergency Response and future rehabilitation programme within the agreed budgets, time frames and donor guidelines & requirements.
· Liaise with other INGOs, LNGOs, local and regional government authorities, UN agencies, clusters and other relevant stakeholders for effective coordination, cooperation and communication to effectively covey mutual understanding and acceptance of Concern’s mandate, activities and objectives, project progress and implementation.
· Identify the local needs/ issues and recommend appropriate adjustments & course corrections to planned interventions
· Analyse and timely resolve issues that have the potential to jeopardize performance and/or ability to meet agreed upon programme deliverables
· Provide technical support in those areas of expertise or source support via CD or local contacts for the capacity building that cannot be delivered in-house to the desired level
· Ensure the monitoring and evaluation plans become an integral part of programming and are adequately implemented to measure the impact of programme interventions
· Ensure that DRR (Disaster Risk Reduction) and PEER (Preparedness for Effective Emergency Response) are integral part of all programming
· Ensure that the application of 2010 HAP Standard – minimum standard – is applied in the set up phase of the response and throughout the programme cycle
· Liaise with and brief CD on programmes and situational context on a regular basis
· Assist the CD with the design and development of project concept papers and their budgets and participate and contribute to current and future proposal writing initiatives
Systems Coordination
· Ensure staff have suitable and appropriately equipped office and accommodation facilities
· In close collaboration with the CD and country accountant, to take overall responsibility for the security and health and safely of Concern employees, premises and equipment in the current programme area.
· Overall responsibility for the integrity of the programme finance systems and ensuring strict adherence to Concern’s Financial Policy and Procedures – to be carried out in close consultation with the Country Financial Controller
· Provide support to budget holders for the programme implementation budgets once approved, monitor budget expenditure and prepare budget submissions/revisions in collaboration with the teams.
· Monitor under and over spending in each budget, advise the CD and the CFC of any variances and recommend solutions
· Coach and supervise staff directly reporting to him/ her
· Hold regular, weekly, programme and systems meetings with relevant key staff
· Support the programme staff through regular feedback meetings and on-going coaching/ mentoring supporting the recruitment process
· Responsible for staff development, coaching and mentoring to enhance the capacity of staff
· Ensure that Objectives are agreed and that PDR - Performance Development Reviews are completed for all staff
· Ensure all Concern policies and guidelines are adhered to by staff and local partners e.g. Programme Participant Protection Policy, Equality, Anti-Fraud Policy and Accountability Commitments
Reporting
· Ensure timely completion of internal and donor reports and related documentation adhering to Concern Worldwide standards and requirements of the contract
· Provide internal situation reports to the CD
· Provide ad hoc security reports (where relevant) to the CD
· Provide financial projections to CD and CFC
Coordination
· Coordinate and engage with all major stakeholders on the ground including (but not limited to) – government authorities, INGOs, NNGOs, UN agencies and the cluster system, donors, affected communities, church groups
· Coordinate with other humanitarian actors on the ground to promote good practice, safeguard the code of conduct, ensure appropriate division of operations, and ensure high standards of transparency and accountability in accordance with our accountability commitments.
Monitoring & Evaluation
· Ensure that an effective M&E system is in place in the project with particular focus on measurement of results (at the outputs and outcomes level) as defined and established in our results frameworks
· Ensure district program managers & the wider team document and share lessons learned and good practices.
· Ensure M&E is incorporated into all programme plans and mechanisms are efficiently implemented
· Within programmes, ensure technical guidelines and Concern policies are followed
Security
· Continuously screening of the operational environment
· Monitor and report on the security and health and status in the Programme area to CD
· Maintain security logbook and incident reporting
· Support the development of a Security Management Plan
· Ensure that good security practice is followed by all staff
Person specification:
Education
· Essential: Third level qualification in development studies, social sciences or other related discipline.
Experience required:
Essential:
· At least 5 years’ experience working in an senior management position in an international NGO, 3 years of which managing and coordinating a sizeable emergency response programme
· Proven experience of development and management of diverse and multi-sectoral programmes
· Experience of managing a diverse team of senior staff including international staff
· Experienced in management of financial resources and overseeing human resources, administration and logistics function.
· Good knowledge and experience of incorporating rights based, equality and advocacy approaches across development programmes
· Strong communication and interpersonal skills with an ability/confidence to engage and represent Concern at public fora, media and donors.
· Highly developed listening and conflict resolution skills.
· Affinity with organisational values, mission and vision, commitment to humanitarian principles
· Familiarity with Sphere Guidelines, 2010 HAP Standard and Concern’s Programme Participant Protection Policy
HOW TO APPLY:
All applications should be submitted through our website at https://jobs.concern.net by the closing date.
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.
