Country Director - stationed in Kenya, Nairobi

Country Director - stationed in Kenya, Nairobi
Closing Date: Friday, 10 September 2010

Country Director - stationed in Kenya
Danish Refugee Council (DRC)
INGO, non-profit, suport and aid to refugees and IDPs
Closing date: 10 Sep 2010

Location: Somalia - Nairobi

OVERALL OBJECTIVES
The position as Danish Refugee Council's (DRC) Country Director (CD) for Somalia is a newly established position aimed at providing overarching strategic and managerial leadership across the DRC Somalia operation, currently structured as three related but distinct programme entities: Somaliland; Puntland and South Central Somalia.

Within the wider DRC regional strategic framework for Horn of Africa and Yemen, the CD will be expected to lead an organisational and programmatic readjustment process intended to optimise coherence and synergies across the DRC Somalia operation, with the ultimate goal of firmly situate DRC as one of the leading INGOs in Somalia and the wider Somalia region.

DRC's Somalia programmes spans from emergency intervention over community recovery and development to peace and protection and reconciliation activities. The three programme entities (Somaliland; Puntland; and South Central Somalia) currently operate with a combine annual programme portfolio amounting to approx. 18 million USD.

The Somalia Country Director will supervise DRC Programme Directors (PDs) in Somaliland; Puntland and South Central as well as a small country wide support team consisting of a Deputy Country Director and sector advisors and coordinators. A close working relationship will be maintained with the regional senior management team; the regional support teams and DRC Country Directors in Yemen; Ethiopia and Kenya.

BACKGROUND

DRC has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. Using a protection of human rights framework, DRC has mainly focused on Somalis who are displaced by conflict. Programmes include protection, livelihoods, food and NFI distribution, water and sanitation, and advocacy amongst others.

There are 4 main programme offices in Somali region, one in Yemen, one in Kenya and one regional office in Nairobi. There are also non-operational region-wide initiatives, focusing on advocacy and capacity building, which are supported from the Nairobi regional office (RO). Currently there is over 350 DRC staff in the region.

The last two years have seen some growth in programme size, but primarily there has been a growth in the number of support and management functions demanded and required by the programme offices, in order to maintain quality and accountability
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

    * Direct managerial oversight and support of Programme Directors:

To ensure that the PDs have clear and realistic performance based management goals. Task include: a) Direct line management of PDs and country wide programme support team; b) Support PDs to establish good management support for their teams; c) Provide ongoing support and coaching of PDs and country wide support team.

    * Programme Strategy:

To develop and update the Somalia programme strategy, within DRC's overall regional and global strategic frameworks. Tasks include: a) ensuring staff understand the regional and global frameworks, b) leading a consultative process for local strategy development, c) leading Somalia wide annual programme portfolio analyses, d) playing key role in fundraising and donor contract management.

    * Quality and Accountability:

To be responsible for ensuring that programmes comply with the organisational quality and accountability commitments. Task include: a) With RO and CD's, ensure that Programme Handbook is known throughout DRCs field offices, b) lead process of developing and updating local HAF and Quality Management System, c) ensure complaints handling mechanisms are in place for all programmes, d) promote accountability concepts and practices amongst humanitarian community

    * Safety and Security:

To be overall responsible for ensuring that DRCs Somalia programme is delivered in a safe and secure manner. Tasks include: a) working with DRC's RSA (Regional Security Advisor) and CDs to ensure that all DRC HoA security management protocols and procedures are updated, made locally relevant and applied consistently, b) to be overall responsible for ensuring security analyses is being done collectively and regularly, c) ensuring that good security management becomes a cultural and procedural norm for staff.

    * Representation Coordination and Stakeholder management:

To ensure that DRC maintains excellent and productive relations with all key stakeholders, especially beneficiaries, local authorities, the humanitarian community and donors. Tasks include: a) representing DRC at relevant and senior forums/ meetings, b) ensuring other staff are appropriately representing DRC at relevant forums/ meetings, c) maintaining agreed profile of DRC at country level, d) conducting regular stakeholder analyses to ensure that DRC has good understanding of dynamics/ relationships, e) engaging in, and where effective, leading coordination processes amongst key stakeholders

    * Advocacy and communication:

To lead the Somalia team's advocacy in all DRC's key and agreed messages. Tasks include: a) with RO, preparing a Somalia wide advocacy and communication strategy, b) guiding staff to advocate clearly, appropriately and strategically.

    * Financial accountability:

Ensure that the different programmes deliver financial accountability. Tasks include: a) playing an active and coordinating role in linking field finances teams with the Regional finance teams, and financial management itself, b) ensuring that financial systems are followed by FOs and that financial reports submitted are accurate, c) ensuring the finance and programme teams have a productive engagement.

    * Capacity Building.

Ensure that staff throughout Somalia is continuously developing their ability to fulfil their job descriptions as well as the organisational requirements. Task include: a) with RO and PDs, preparing a capacity building strategy and action plan, b) securing resources to enable capacity building, c) implementing a variety of capacity building techniques.

REPORTING ARRANGEMENTS

The position is supervised by the DRC's Regional Director for DRC Horn of Africa and Yemen operation.

The Country Director supervises the following positions:

    * PD Somaliland

    * PD Puntland

    * Deputy Country Director Somalia

    * Two Area Coordinators in South Central Somalia

    * CDRD Programme Coordinator

    * Sector Advisors

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Essential:

    * Proven ability with respect to the design, management, monitoring and evaluation of programmes, preferably with a focus on protection and durable solutions for refugees and displaced people;

    * Management experience at absolute senior level, especially in complex humanitarian environments

    * Experience with humanitarian accountability.

    * Strong experience of fund raising, networking, advocacy and coordination highly desirable.

    * Experience with donor liaison

    * Experience in security management

    * Strong analytical skills.

    * Fluency in written and spoken English;

    * Cultural sensitivity and adaptability.

Preferable:

    * Work related experience from the Horn of Africa region.

We encourage all qualified candidates to apply, irrespective of age, nationality, race, gender or age.

COMMITMENTS

DRC has a Humanitarian Accountability Framework, outlining its global accountability committments. All staff are required to contribute to the achievement of this framework ( http://www.drc.dk/HAF.4265.0.html ).

CONDITIONS

Availability: October, 2010.

Duty station: DRC Regional Office in Nairobi, Kenya with frequent travel to DRC Field Offices in Somalia.

Posting details: Nairobi is a family duty station. Some of the field offices where expatriate DRC staff visit, are in areas classified by the UN as phase 4.

Contract: 1 year renewable contract. Salary and other conditions in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council's Terms of Employment for Global Expatriates (available at www.drc.dk under Vacancies). This position is graded as A2.

FURTHER INFORMATION

You are welcome to contact Programme Coordinator Sisse Kristensen on email: sisse.kristensen@drc.dk or Regional Director Peter Klansoe on email: pklc@drc.dk for further information on the programme and the position.

Please note that applications are not to be sent to Ms Kristensen or Mr Klansoe; we only receive applications via our online-application form www.drc.dk under Vacancies. Applications sent directly to Ms. Kristensen or Mr. Klansoe WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

For general information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult www.drc.dk.

How to apply

Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit updated CV and cover letter explaining their motivation and why they are suited for the post. Only motivated applications that address the stipulated duties and meet the required qualifications will be considered.

CV-only applications will not be considered.

We only accept applications sent via our online-application form on www.drc.dk under Vacancies.

Please forward the application and CV, in English and marked “Country Director Somalia”.

Problems with on-line application?

Please contact Anne Oxholm, job@drc.dk, if you experience problems with your on-line application.

Reference Code: RW_88FDZT-33