JOB PURPOSE
To provide advice, support and leadership in the region to ensure that Oxfam and its partners are both ready and able to respond in a timely, proportionate, and professionally competent manner to humanitarian emergencies, wherever and whenever they occur in the region, as well as provide capacity building within the region. To transition the oversight of Oxfam humanitarian capacity and implementation in the West Africa region from affiliate to Oxfam International management, defining and building the OI Regional Humanitarian Team.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Humanitarian Strategy (15%of the time)
- Lead on humanitarian response and preparedness in West Africa, linking Country, Regional, Affiliate and Oxfam’s Global Humanitarian Team (GHT) where needed
- Work with Oxfam International’s GHT to lead in the development and implementation of a regional humanitarian strategy
- Provide active leadership throughout the region to promote and support all aspects of preparedness planning, action and systematic review at country and regional level
- Contribute to relevant humanitarian policy debates and, as agreed with line manager, to represent Oxfam on regional humanitarian issues
- Manage the development of the Oxfam International Regional Humanitarian capacity, working closely with all concerned affiliates to mobilise support and resources in line with Vision 2020
- Participate in regional humanitarian coordination bodies and support country teams with coordination and lobbying at the regional level
- Participate and represent Oxfam in key regional humanitarian forums with the Government, UN and other international agencies
- Work closely with countries to develop the countries’ humanitarian capacities and plans
- Design and coordinate the WAF humanitarian roster of humanitarian focal points and rapid response volunteers
- Identify and broker long-term and short term-support personnel from within the confederation and external organisations as appropriate.
- In coordination with Human Resources, support the humanitarian structure (roles& responsibilities) and lead the humanitarian team
Emergency Preparedness (20% of the time)
- Lead the development, review and implementation of detailed preparedness and investment plans, in close liaison with country staff
- Coordinate training sessions and workshops in order to achieve the objectives set in the preparedness plan, especially to provide staff with training and leadership on contingency planning and emergency response.
- Work with countries to identify and build a portfolio of humanitarian/resilience partners from government, civil society and private sector and ensure appropriate investments in their preparedness and collective planning
- Support Country Directors and Humanitarian Programme Managers in their ongoing analysis of humanitarian trends through the provision of research and data analysis tools
- Provide regional oversight of humanitarian research, data, trends and conditions
Humanitarian Response (20% of the time)
- In major unforeseen regional emergencies requiring scaled-up response, lead process of assessment, programme design and resourcing, preparation of concept papers and support to proposal writing, in consultation with both the Regional Director and Global Humanitarian Team
- In major emergencies, and in coordination with the country staff and the GHT, work with the country staff to ensure that Oxfam has the necessary capacity to meet the management, logistical and technical requirements of any humanitarian programme undertaken and to ensure effective coordination of Oxfam’s response with UN agencies, the Red Cross and other NGOs as well as with government response mechanisms
- Collaborate with Regional Director and the GHT to develop policy and advocacy strategy and content
Program Quality (10% of the time)
- Ensure that Oxfam’s humanitarian work in the region adheres to relevant policy commitments and minimum standards and to promote these (SPHERE Humanitarian and Minimum Standards, The code of conduct for Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement and NGO's in disaster response, Oxfam International Humanitarian Contrac, Oxfam Gender standards in Humanitarian Response)
- Ensure that humanitarian protection analysis is conducted and mainstreamed in programming
- Ensure that gender analysis and understanding of HIV/Aids is a core component of all humanitarian programme development
- Review humanitarian proposals developed by country staff, according to the relevant policy commitment and agreed minimum standards
- Promote systematic programme review/evaluation to ensure that lessons learnt are documented and shared for cross-programme learning in the region and inform future responses, through adequate dissemination and inclusion in potential training
- Play a key role in ensuring timely information flow to HD, Regional management and Oxfam International secretariat in the event of an emergency in the Region.
Management (15% of the time)
- Line manage the Humanitarian Advisory team
- Maintain an advisory overview of Humanitarian Programme finances in the region, including: annual budgeting for “plannable” humanitarian response work within regional budgets and liaison with Humanitarian Department.
- Develop, manage and monitor the Regional Humanitarian programme and associated Projects.
- Develop and manage the Regional Humanitarian Team budget and ensure effective and efficient expenditure of the same, including recoveries from response budgets, where appropriate.
Technical Leadership (15% of the time)
- Advise country staff on the implementation of existing programmes, with a view to ensuring that they take adequate account of the context and required responses within Oxfam’s lead technical areas of Gender, Protection, WASH and EFSL (notably Cash Transfer and Markets).
- Assist in the design of new strategies at local, country and regional level to address issues related to Oxfam’s core competencies. This should include specific programme initiatives as well as more broad-ranging strategies aimed at influencing institutional agendas, policies and practices (governmental, UN, donor, and others) in favour of effective Gender, protection, WASH and EFSL implementation.
TECHNICAL SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
- At least five years’ experience of managing humanitarian response work in a range of environments – including field-level management of complex humanitarian response programmes and all phases of the project/programme cycle
- Commitment to the Humanitarian Imperative with demonstrated abilities in crisis management and the coordination of rapid humanitarian responses
- Demonstrable skills in gender analysis in humanitarian response or preparedness programming, and a clear understanding of the practical significance of gender issues in humanitarian environment
- Demonstrable experience of policy development in relation to humanitarian response work.
- Experience of identifying training needs and coordinating training implementation
- Demonstrated facilitation and coaching skills
- Demonstrated ability to think strategically, a high level of analytical skills
- Excellent interpersonal/team skills, and an ability to work independently
- Fluent English and French, both written and spoken
- Demonstrated financial management skills
- Ability to manage competing demands and produce results under pressure
- Demonstrated commitment to equal opportunities, including gender equity
- Willingness and ability to travel frequently
- Training in Disasters Preparedness/Emergency Response (desirable)
HOW TO APPLY:
To apply, please forward a letter of application and your updated CV to Faly Sene : Faly.Sene@Oxfam.org
