PUI recruits 01 Deputy Head of Mission for Programs, based in Maiduguri

PUI recruits 01 Deputy Head of Mission for Programs, based in Maiduguri

Première Urgence Internationale (PUI) is a Humanitarian, non-governmental, non-profit, non-political and non-religious international aid organization. Our teams are committed to supporting civilian victims of marginalization and exclusion, or hit by natural disasters, wars and economic collapses, by addressing their fundamental needs. Our aim is to provide emergency relief to uprooted people in order to help them recover their dignity and regain self-sufficiency. The association leads on average 200 projects per year in the following sectors of intervention: food security, health, nutrition, construction and rehabilitation of infrastructures, water, sanitation, hygiene and economic recovery. PUI is providing assistance to around 7 million people in more than 21 countries – in Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Europe.

Following the escalation of the Chad Lake conflict in Nigeria (North East of the Country), PUI has decided to also respond to this crisis from Nigeria. (since the organization already assists the Nigerian refugees in Cameroon)

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Humanitarian situation and needs :

With the biggest population in Africa, (between 178 and 200 million inhabitants), Nigeria is ranked as one of the first economy of the continent thanks to oil and petroleum products as well as mineral resources (gold, iron, diamonds, copper etc…). Despite a strong economy, Nigeria suffers from huge inequalities between rich and poor, and from a high rate of corruption, at every level. Moreover, a great ethnic diversity mixed with a federal mechanism make it a real powder keg. Within this volatile environment, the conflict in the North-East of the country (states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe) and the linked widespread violence triggered a large scale humanitarian crisis.

The conflict in the North-East

Boko Haram was created in 2001, with activity related to social actions and schooling. Over the years, the group started an armed rebellion against the government of Nigeria. Several members of the group were arrested, sparking deadly clashes with Nigerian security forces. The group’s founder and then leader Mohammed Yusuf was killed while still in police custody. This was the beginning of the radicalization of the movement and of the conflict still affecting the area in the present days. In 2015, the Nigerian army received the support of an occidental military coalition (US, France, British). The same year, Boko Haram pledged allegiance to ISIS and ended up divided into two branches: ISWAP (linked to ISIS) and JAS (the historical branch).

This ongoing conflict as well as the absence of basic services have created acute humanitarian and protection needs for those impacted by the crisis, including refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and local communities.

Humanitarian consequences:

The armed conflict affected more than 14 million people, with 2 million forcibly displaced in the Lake Chad Basin region, and new displacement continues. Following the new conflict and military developments, several Local Governmental Areas (LGAs) of Borno State were deemed accessible to humanitarian aid by the Nigerian government. But outside of the capital cities, in the countryside, the security is not granted to the populations and to the humanitarian workers. Assessments conducted in newly accessible areas in Borno State revealed severe humanitarian and protection conditions. Still, many people remain inaccessible to humanitarian actors due to insecurity, particularly in Nigeria’s Borno State and border areas of Cameroon and Niger.

As of January 2018, close to 1,300,000 refugee returnees have been registered in Nigeria, sometimes under conditions that have not been voluntary, safe and dignified. Many of these return movements have resulted in secondary displacements as many areas of origin remain insecure and inaccessible. Projection for 2018 forecast new displacement and arrivals from the inaccessible areas (around 200,000). In total, at least 1.32 million of IDPs are located in Borno State. 50% of them are living in host communities. Around 60% of those displaced are children and the number of female and child-headed households is on the rise because male heads of households have either disappeared, been killed or fear to return to join their families. Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is widespread, and many people have suffered the trauma of violent experiences.

The Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) 2018 estimated some 7.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Nigeria across the three states of the north east (Borno, Yobe and Adamawa) with most needs concentrated in Borno State. In determining the scale of the response for 2018 (more than 1 billion USD consolidated appeal!), humanitarian partners agreed to focus on states assessed as the most affected by the violent conflict, infrastructure destruction, mass displacement, ongoing insecurity and ensuing factors. The most critical areas requiring humanitarian assistance are located in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states where millions of people are in need of urgent life-saving assistance.

Our actions on the field: 

The main programmatic objectives of the mission for 2019 can be synthetized as follows:

Continue and further develop the integrated multi-sector response to urgent needs of IDPs and Host Communities living in Maiduguri Metropolitan City through Food Security, Health and Nutrition and Protection activities.

Further develop PUI response in newly accessible / hard to reach areas of Borno State by widening the sectoral scope of PUI intervention (either directly or through coordinated approach with external actors).

Continue and further develop the logistics support to the humanitarian community from Maiduguri City Warehouse.

As part of our actions in Nigeria, we are looking for a Deputy Head of Mission for Programs. 

Under the supervision of the Head of Mission, the Deputy HOM for Programs will lead the Program Department (Technical Coordinators, Monitoring and Evaluation Teams, Grants & Reporting Officer) in order to coordinate the tactical and strategic programming aspects of the mission for ensuring the implementation of high quality Programs and helping in strengthening the PUI Nigerian Mission development.

S/He will operate these duties in line with the global PUI’ Strategic framework and the agreed Country Strategy for Nigeria.

Main responsibilities: 

The Deputy HOM for Programs playing a key role in coordinating technical country strategy’s implementation and support provision of operational management and integration of all technical areas. This includes the primary responsibilities of projects planning/design, programs quality assurance, donor compliance or reporting/documentation, to ensure timely, effective and compliant programming in accordance with internal and external principles/requirements.

As an implementing organization, PUI places great importance on operational results and impact evaluation. Thus, the Deputy HOM for Programs plays a key role in overseeing monitoring and evaluation, usually in collaboration with the Field Coordinators, and in association with UN Sectors Working Groups.

Do not hesitate to look at the job description below for all the details you need.

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Successful experience in expatriate team management and multi-sector programmes.

Experience in security management

Previous experience as Head of Mission in an NGO or OSI

Knowledge and skills: 

Excellent writing skills

Team management

Project management

Detailed knowledge of the donors (OFDA, ECHO, UN agencies, EuropeAid, AAP…)

Mobility:  Extensive travel may be required

Required Personal Characteristics (fitting into the team, suitability for the job and assignment): 

Leadership skills and the ability to make decisions

Trustworthiness and a sense of responsibility

Charisma and the ability to awake enthusiasm for the work the project involves

Ability to use authority, when necessary

Analysis and synthesis abilities (discenrment, pragmatism)

Ability to adapt

Organisational skills, ability to be thorough and respect due dates

Strong listening and negotiation skills

Good people and communication skills

Ability to remain calm and level-headed

General ability to resist stress and particularly in unstable circumstances

Starting date: April 2019

Monthly Gross Income: from 2 420 up to 2 750 Euros depending on the experience in International Solidarity + 50 Euros per semester seniority with PUI

Cost covered:  Round-trip transportation to and from home / mission, visas, vaccines…

Insurance including medical coverage and complementary healthcare, 24/24 assistance and repatriation

Housing in collective accommodation

Daily living Expenses (« Per diem »)

Break Policy  : 5 working days at 3 and 9 months + break allowance

Paid Leaves Policy  : 5 weeks of paid leaves per year + return ticket every 6 months