Roving Regional Operations Manager-Africa

Closing date (Geneva time zone):08-11-2019

Duty station:Nairobi

Country:KENYA

Duty station status: Family Duty Station

Accompanied status: Non-Accompanied

Duration:4 Months

Category of Staff: Delegate

Grade: D1

Vacancy No:IFRC03466

Background

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with 190 member National Societies. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, our work is guided by seven fundamental principles; humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network, reaching 150 million people each year through its 187 member National Societies. The Organization acts before, during and after disasters and health emergencies in order to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people. Our work is guided by seven fundamental principles (humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality) and by strategy 2020, which voices our collective vision and determination to move forward in tackling the major challenges that confront humanity in the present decade.

Job Purpose

As a member of the Disaster and Crisis team in Africa, the Roving Operations Manager will strengthen the region’s work in providing operational leadership when launching a new operation or when a crucial need for operational management is needed by ensuring a physical presence at and deployment within 48 hours to various crisis locations.

The Roving Operations Manager will deploy to operational epi-centers as much as 75% FTE to promote a holistic and integrated approach to disaster management through the provision of timely and high-quality management on the field. Specifically, the Roving Operations Manager will be based in Nairobi within the D&C Team. S/He can be deployed within 48 hours of any request to provide first-phase strategic leadership and coordination in various cases of emergency and operations led by the IFRC. Individual deployments will be up to three months and shall not exceed seven to eight months a year. Subject to confirmation of funding, the Roving Ops Manager will supervise and direct the deployment of two Junior Roving Ops Managers. In “peace time” the function contributes to the Africa efforts to build operational management skills through training but also remote coaching to existing Operations Manager based on the field.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Operational Management:

Upon deployment, and as tasked through terms of reference, assume responsibility for leading the operation on behalf of the IFRC in the affected country, ensuring appropriate links with IFRC structure, especially within Africa Region;

Act as the link between the affected National Society (NS) requiring assistance and the support mechanisms offered by the IFRC regional and global structure to ensure efficient use of Movement resources in responding to an emergency;

Develop, with the NS, and communicate a clear plan of action and operational strategy for the emergency response with clear, measurable objectives, ensuring that this is appropriate to the humanitarian needs, makes optimal use of RC/RC capacities and is properly aligned with the strategies of other actors and the UN clusters.

In close collaboration with the NS, oversee all aspects of the emergency operations, including operational planning, the writing of Emergency Plan of Action for DREF and appeals, financial management, performance management and reporting;

Ensure the maintenance of existing processes and effective working relationships for the coordination and collaboration with Country Office (CO) or Country Cluster Support Team (CCST), the Regional Office and Global technical units;

Ensure the implementation of the EPoA and related activities in a timely, effective and efficient fashion;

Coordinate the request for the deployment of international disaster response tools and other human resources in coordination with the field; Define the required Support Services for the operation to ensure that appropriate HR, Admin and Finance systems are in place and resourced;

Ensure that the NS response is appropriate and aligned with the SPHERE guidelines, the Better Programming Initiative (BPI) and other Federation polices and strategies (e.g. Strategy 2020, Code of Conduct, Principles and Rules for Disaster Relief, Seville agreement etc.);

Ensure good coordination at country level with the National Society as well as with the ICRC and the PNS in country. Promote when relevant the set-up of Movement Cooperation framework to ease this coordination at field level;

Ensure that adequate Movement Coordination frameworks are in place as required by the operation;

Ensure good coordination with external partners and promote operational strategies that are aligned to other actors and the wider humanitarian sector;

Seek to secure the buy-in, compliance and coordination of all Movement actors by ensuring that they are assigned clear and appropriate roles and responsibilities wherever possible;

Identify opportunities for strengthening of National Societies and take concrete steps to build the capacity of an affected NS;

Ensure that relief operations, where appropriate, include recovery elements which reduce the disaster impact in the future;

Ensure that the response strategy is forward-looking, integrates early recovery, shelter, cash-based programming, etc, and seeks opportunities to strengthen the capacity and reputation of the host NS;

Manage internal and key external relationships, notably with the host NS, country and CCST offices, PNS, ICRC, donors, host government, the UN, other INGOs and the media in the assigned operation;

 Ensure that relief operations, where appropriate, include recovery elements which reduce the disaster impact in the future;

Ensure that the response strategy is forward-looking, integrates early recovery, shelter, cash-based programming, etc, and seeks opportunities to strengthen the capacity and reputation of the host NS;

Manage internal and key external relationships, notably with the host NS, country and CCST offices, PNS, ICRC, donors, host government, the UN, other INGOs and the media in the assigned operation;

When tasked, lead analysis of the political, military, social, economic and humanitarian context for the operation;

Ensure that the progress of the operation is routinely monitored against the key deliverables and milestones articulated in the response strategy and plan, and that personal workplans reflect these and are used to ensure individual and collective accountability;

Work with Resource Mobilisation to liaise with donors and ensure that appropriate systems are in place and are monitored properly;

Ensure and above all anticipate the smooth handover of the operation to an Operations Manager for the medium to long term. This should be completed as soon as feasible and not later than three months after deployment;

Peace Time work

Contribute to the development of operational management capacity across the region;

Develop a workplan in coordination with regional Surge and ADMAG Plan of Action to increase Operational management in the region;

Carry out specific training related to Operations Management in the various components of it after initial discussion and diagnosis being made at Nairobi level with DCPRR colleagues as well as the other departments;

Provision of coaching and on-the-job training to all Operations manager being deployed in the Africa Region in order to increase the quality and the monitoring of the operations implementation;

Keep up to date with developments and best practice in disaster management and maintain regular contact with key DM staff in Region and also Geneva and maintain a good understanding of the local operating contexts and existing capacities in disaster prone countries in Africa;

Develop some key lessons learned initiatives and documents in order to increase learning across the region;

Develop SOP’s for Roving Operations Manager deployments in agreements with current SOP’s at regional and global level;

Participate in operational reviews and evaluations or management response exercises when tasked;

Support the strengthening of the IFRC response systems in Africa through direct support to trainings, simulations and other initiatives in coordination with the Head of DCPRR.

Management

Supervise two Junior Roving Ops Managers

Education

Relevant university degree or extensive professional experience in related field or professional qualification in operations management.

Relevant degree in project management and DM.

IMPACT, Basic Delegates Training Course.

Experience

Minimum of 5 years’ experience in leading and managing operations programs in a humanitarian organization in developing countries and in complex emergencies or similar contexts.

Good understanding of the humanitarian environment, strong analytical skills and capacity to translate analysis into strategy and planning.

Good track record of managing people, networking, influencing and negotiating and building relationships effectively.

Experience in proposal development, report writing, and developing budgets.

Experience of field-based implementation.

Experience of setting up, managing and coordinating disaster response, including leading multi-national response teams, managing staff.

Experience of financial management to ensure compliance.

Experience of report writing (narrative and financial)

Knowledge, skills and languages

Self-supporting in computers.

Coordination and partner relationship building / Excellent skills in networking with other agencies and organisations.

Demonstrated technical expertise in strategic management, project planning and budgeting, resource management, implementation ability as well as programme monitoring and evaluation.

Excellent communication and inter-personal skills with the ability to represent the International Federation and to coach, mentor and influence people.

Knowledge of Red Cross Red Crescent Movement financial and project management tools.

Skills in training and developing staff capacity.

Good knowledge of the Africa region.

Fluently spoken and written English.

Good command of French.

Competencies and values

National Society relations.

Strategic orientation – Communication – Teamwork.

Professionalism – Integrity – Diversity.

Judgement-Decision-making.

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