Solidarités International recruits 01 FIELD COORDINATOR

Solidarités International recruits 01 FIELD COORDINATOR

Desired start date: 01/06/2019
Duration of the mission:  12 months
Location:  Based in Sittwe, Rakhine State, Myanmar, with some travel to Pauktaw and Rathedaung townships

ABOUT THE MISSION …

SI has been in Myanmar since 2008. For the first three years SI worked in the Delta in response to the devastating Cyclone Nargis. In 2011, SI expanded to three new regions (Dry Zone, Rakhine, and Chin State) focusing on Livelihoods, Food Security, Shelter, and WASH. In January 2012 SI expanded to Kachin State to respond to an emergency situation created by the displacement of Kachin population affected by the arm conflict.

SI currently has a coordination base in Yangon, with field bases in the Rakhine and Kachin States. In 2019, 17 international staff and 265 national staff are working within SI to implement 16 contracts (on-going or finished) in WASH, FSL, Emergency programs (NFI, Shelter, WASH, Food) funded by OFDA, DFID/HARP, ECHO, CIAA, Mairie de Paris (MDP), Centre de Crise (CDC), OCHA and UNICEF.

SI has 2 regional operational bases in Myanmar (with 2 Field Coordinators):

In Rakhine State – Sittwe regional base with three areas of intervention in Pauktaw, Rathedaung and Sittwe Townships. Sittwe regional base is composed of 203 national staffs and 7 expatriates.

In Kachin State – Bhamo regional base with 2 sub-bases in Lwegel and Myitkyina. Bhamo regional base is composed of 36 national staffs and 3 expatriates

ABOUT THE JOB

The Field Coordinator has the role of delegated Country Director for a region of a country in which Solidarités International intervenes.

• He/she proposes a regional strategy according to the geopolitical and humanitarian context, and ensures its implementation once validated, in coordination with all humanitarian stakeholders.
• He/she checks and ensures that projects are carried out in accordance with the Solidarités International charter, respecting all internal and contractual procedures.
• He/she mobilizes the material and financial resources necessary for programs to run smoothly, and supervises resource management.
• He/she coordinates the teams in place and is responsible for their security in his/her assigned zone.
• He/she is responsible for internal and external communication, into the mission, between base and coordination levels, and toward all partners, authorities and stakeholders.
• He/she is the Country Director’s direct contact and representative, also involved in financial backer relations.

THE MAIN CHALLENGES OF THE POSITION ARE:

We are looking for a senior profile, experienced in management and coordination of big operational volumes and large teams. We are talking about 8.000.000 Euro budget shared with multiple grants, actually around the 90% of the mission volume. Almost a mission within the mission!

We’re looking for someone able to manage all the tasks and responsibilities of a Country Director at a regional level close to the field and the operations . He/ she will bring to his teams an effective and experienced leadership approach and ensure that everyone has the means to achieve the best possible delivery of our activities. ,. All the resources needed are there, they simply need to be put to good use while keeping an eye on optimization and underspending risks.

We also need someone attracted by complex and challenging contexts, in which he will be able to use his bestbest diplomatic and communication skills to represent SI as the key actor in Wash in all the region and IDPs camps. Furthermore, he/ shewill have to monitor closely the evolution of the conflict and the humanitarian context to be reactive, and proactive in identifying the key hotspots in which SI may intervene and in adapting activities if required. The main challenges are to work in different areas (some of them accessible only by boat) and dealing with a complex and delicate humanitarian context.

The mission is currently well staffed with committed and competent international and nationals staffs.

Priorities for the 2/3 first months

The first months are crucial: we are looking for someone integrating quickly, understanding fully his role and concentrating his attention on the following priorities:

1. External representation: high complexity in understanding the context, challenge to switch the approach and strengthen our positioning in order to evolve from the present situation, with beneficiaries living in camps for years.
2. Management of the senior staffs: team dynamic improvement, support and follow up on main challenges for each department, improve the fluidity of collaboration with Coordination team, supporting the individual evolution of the senior team.
3. HR challenges: in April 2019, there are 42 national positions opened, with an important scale up of activities; furthermore, the HR base setup hasv to be discussed and updated.
4. HARP consortium with Oxfam: crucial project with important challenges on the field, leading to underspending to catch up.
5. Security Management: assure staff awareness on security constraints, context evolution to follow closely with rising tensions since beginning of 2019 and incident management

YOUR PROFILE

Experience:

• Substantial experience in a similar or senior management position in an overseas INGO environment, ideally in both emergency and longer-term contexts and with significant HR volume to manage (6 to 8 expatriates staff + >200 national staff)
• Experience of strategic planning
• Proven experience in managing teams notably in complex ethnic and/or religious contexts or sensitive environments
• Proven experience in conflict/post-conflict contexts and managing volatile security environments
• Experience of budget management and donor compliance
• Experience of establishing strong working relationships with colleagues and partners from different functions and cultures, experience of external representation

Technical skills and knowledge:

• Strong knowledge and achievements in team management,
• Capacity to deal with many different issues, to self- update and learn very quickly from a highly and constantly evolving environment
• Ability to analyze information quickly and accurately
• Ability to manage and prioritize a high workload and multiple tasks with tight deadlines
• Good representational skills, ability to liaise, INGOs, other agencies, authorities and donors.
• A good understanding of security management
• A good understanding of humanitarian issues including IDPs, camp management protection, advocacy
• Ability to write/edit quality reports in English

Transferable skills:

• Diplomacy and strong communication skills (experience in Asia is an asset);
• Ability to take initiatives, decisions and work in autonomy is essential;
• Good problem solving skills in day to day and crisis situations;
• As line manager, the candidate must display diplomatic and smooth leadership skills;
• An understanding of and commitment to SI’s mission and values

Languages and other desirable qualities:

• Good communication skills, with good written and spoken English
• Knowledge of Burmese or Rakhine are an asset
• Rigor, patience, autonomy, flexibility and ability to adapt are mandatory skills.
• Previous experience with SI (highly recommended)
• Previous experience in Rohingya crisis is an asset

SI WILL OFFER YOU

A salaried post: according to experience from 2600 euros gross per month, plus 10% annual leave allowance paid monthly and a monthly Per Diem of 500 USD.

Housing pack : As member of the coordination team, representative of the organization for all the region, and according to security conditions, SI offers you a participation to your rent up to 70% of the rental price all included, in the limit of the standards determined by the benchmark made in your city of residence (50% if your partner’s organization also participates in these costs).

Family posting in Sittwe could be considered with a partner (but not with children).

Social and medical cover: Expatriates benefit from an insurance package which reimburses all healthcare expenses (including medical and surgical expenses, dental care and ophthalmological expenses, repatriation) and a welfare system including war risks. Essential vaccination and antimalarial treatment costs are refunded.

Vacation: During the assignment, a system of alternation between work and time off is implemented at the rate of one break every three months. Our policy was just modified: from now on, Solidarités offers you 7 working days ever three months, with a 850 USD allowance for each break. In addition to these regular break, SI adds a day off per worked month. These days off as well as the breaks are not deducted from the paid leaves that are paid every months with your salary as they are offered by the organization.

For further information about Solidarités International, please consult our website:  http://www.solidarites.org/en/

[LIVING CONDITIONS : ]

Climate in Rakhine is classified as a tropical monsoon climate. The city experiences a hot dry season from October to April/May, and an extraordinarily rainy wet season covering between June and October. Conditions are noticeably cooler and less humid from November to February than during the remainder of the year.

The guesthouses are situated in Sittwe town and equipped with basic but comfortable furniture (with a large common area, private bathrooms in some rooms, AC in all rooms, TV, etc…) and a proper kitchen area. The office is situated 5 minutes from the guesthouses by car.

Lot of INGOs are working in Sittwe, so normally there is a quite important Expatriate life. External social life/night life is quite good thanks to all expatriate who organize parties, diners, team sport (Volleyball/Ultimate/Football/Pool-table)…and there are several places to go for drinking and/or dining (even if all expatriates adopted a low profile style since August 2017).

It is possible to go swimming and even… surfing on weekends. Beach is at 5 min by car from the Guesthouses. For the seafood lovers, it is cheap and plentiful. Expats enjoy a wide range of local seafood restaurants. Upon the validation of the FC/CD, it is possible to request spending the weekend in Yangon (expatriates expenses).

COMMENT POSTULER

Does this description fit you? Please send us your CV and Cover letter in English. CV only applications will not be considered.

NB:  The vacancy may close before the deadline. Thank you for your comprehension