Ethiopia: HUMANITARIAN PROGRAMME COORDINATOR (HPC)

Contract type: Fixed term contract (Accompanied Post)

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Closing Date: May 8, 2017

Job Purpose:

Lead the design, implementation, management and coordination of effective and appropriate large-scale humanitarian interventions. This includes country humanitarian strategic management, representation, coordination, programme management, advocacy and programme support at senior levels.

Ethiopia Context

Oxfam has been working in Ethiopia since 1974, devoted to empowering people against poverty. In 2015-16, the organisation consolidated its efforts to meet the needs of the most vulnerable and has reached close to one million people across Ethiopia with life-saving humanitarian assistance. Oxfam’s Humanitarian programme currently operates through 3 field bases in Jijiga, Dire Dawa and Gambella and getting prepared to open three new satellite offices in remote field locations as part of its ongoing drought response. The development team currently operates in Oromia, Amhara, Tigray and Somali region.

The current humanitarian programme primarily includes two CAT 2 responses as follows: (i) 14 Million GBP drought response with a target of benefitting 700,000 people (Programme Focus WASH and EFSVL with gender and cross protection as cross cutting) in Somali, Oromia and Afar region both direct and through partners; (ii) 8 Million GBP response to South Sudan Refugee Crisis in Gambella with a target of benefitting 70,000 people (Programme Focus WASH and EFSVL with gender and cross protection as cross cutting). Oxfam is currently in process of winding up its AWD response in both Addis Ababa and Somali region. In addition, Oxfam has multiple emergency preparedness programme focusing on self and partners’ capacity building.

Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Strategic Management and Leadership

• Participate as a member of the Country Management Team (CMT) in the overall planning and strategic management of Oxfam – Ethiopia;
• Within and beyond Ethiopia, develop and maintain a network for Humanitarian actors and issues. Represent Oxfam to donors and diplomatic missions and communicate Oxfam public policy and advocacy positions as and when appropriate to institutions, government, international, UN national and local organizations as required;
• Participate in resource mobilization and negotiation of appropriate resources in collaboration with the Oxfam Grants Manager;
• Maintain an analysis of the humanitarian context and use this to inform interventions;
• Liaise closely with Oxfam programmes and other key institutions and allies nationally and regionally and monitor key indicators;
• Develop mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation of humanitarian programmes;
• Work with team members to link humanitarian programmes to other programming, including advocacy and longer term programmes;
• To contribute to implementation of Oxfam’s Country Strategy with a focus on humanitarian preparedness, response and protection;
• To be an active participant in regional planning and analysis; understand relevant regional and global objectives;
• As part of the Country Management Team (CMT), and Country Security Team, ensure that Oxfam’s organisational policies are met and actively contribute to the overall strategic development of the country programme, taking the lead on humanitarian related issues;

Humanitarian Preparedness, Response and Programme Management

Preparedness

• Lead the design and development of appropriate contingency plans, and related preparedness and mitigation strategies, including capacity building initiatives, to ensure Oxfam’s humanitarian mandate can be met at all times;
• Ensure relevant Oxfam partners have updated humanitarian contingency plans and that key staff are trained on the same;
• Before humanitarian crises, lead the preparedness by ensuring that well-trained human resources are always ready to act and material resources are pre-positioned in strategic locations.

Programme Management and Response

• Provide strategic and effective leadership in pulling together Oxfam’s humanitarian response and any scale up of the same: this include but is not limited to coordination within Oxfam nationally, regionally and globally on humanitarian issues but also to take or ensure an appropriate leading coordination role in the overall national / local response as can be expected with regards to Oxfam’s size and technical expertise;
• Manage and take the lead on strategic development of the on-going humanitarian programme in Ethiopia 3 bases and the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EP&R) Roving Team, serving 770,000+ people annually within WASH, Emergency Food Security & Livelihoods; gender and protection;
• Develop and maintain close working relationships with Country Technical Coordinators, Head of Development Programme, Partnership Capacity Building Specialist, Gender Coordinator and Advocacy/Policy colleagues to encourage and strengthen Oxfam’s one programme approach;
• Develop and manage an appropriate response to humanitarian crises in line with agreed standards (e.g. Core Humanitarian Standards, Code of Conduct; SPHERE, Oxfam Gender Policy etc.) and Oxfam’s best practice;
• Lead on enhancing Oxfam’s ability to respond in a timely, appropriate, accountable and cost-effective manner to humanitarian crises in programme areas, with a focus on programme quality and beneficiary accountability;
• Ensure that Oxfam meets all contractual obligations and achieves high quality proposal and that all donor reports are submitted on time to the Funding Department and are of high quality;
• Recruit and line manage humanitarian programme staff as required in accordance with Oxfam’s Performance Management process and proactive staff development including objective setting, performance review and personal development plans. Ensuring all aspects of Oxfam’s work in Ethiopia e.g. programme themes and aims, gender equity, protection advocacy are reflected in own and staff objectives;
• Provide required inputs to other departmental strategies, including but not limited to advocacy, gender, protection and development and support relevant policy issues;

• Support partner organisations in developing and delivering projects within agreed parameters where appropriate;

• Contribute to regional analysis and programming as appropriate, In particular, seek opportunities for Oxfam and others to learn from the Ethiopia experience;

• Ensure that Oxfam’s programme is cost effective, efficient and complies with all organisational standards of management and accountability;

• Ensure that the programme is implemented in a consultative, participative and gender sensitive way;

• Ensure that key humanitarian information is circulated appropriately, within Oxfam and with external counterparts;

• Report regularly to the SMT and Country Director as appropriate with agreed indicators against the overall objectives;

Representation

• Represent Oxfam in appropriate humanitarian fora at a local and national level with government authorities, UN organisations, NGO’s, private sector and donor agencies;
• Maintain and further develop Oxfam’s existing network of key humanitarian contacts nationally, regionally and globally;
• Raise the profile of Ethiopia humanitarian crisis and Oxfam’s programmes within through participation in regional and global humanitarian fora at senior levels;
• Influence and advocate on humanitarian issues through media, communications and key meetings, alone and together with others as appropriate.
• Support direct line reports at senior level in unlocking issues with other departments as required in order to enhance programme delivery and contribute to the improvement of programme/technical support functions.
• Support CD as OIC and Acting CD when required.

Others

• Depending on the situation, the post holder may be asked to perform other tasks as requested by the Manager

Technical Skills, Experience & Knowledge

• Post Graduate Degree or Degree with equivalent work experience in International Development or any other related area that can bring added value to the job from a recognized University/college.
• Relevant international experience of 7 - 10 years for Post graduate holders, or 10 years + for degree holders, including budgeting, planning, programme cycle management, preferably in an international NGO/operational UN agency/equivalent, out of which at least 5 years should be supervisory/managerial experience.
• Extensive experience in large scale humanitarian programming at senior level and humanitarian management in complex, insecure environments.
• Knowledge and understanding of Oxfam WASH and Emergency Food Security and Livelihoods programming in emergencies, humanitarian response, complex emergencies, conflict resolution and international humanitarian law.
• Experience of implementing gendered humanitarian interventions and mainstreaming protection in humanitarian interventions.
• Excellent communicator with strong written and reporting skills, and an excellent ability to influence verbally to persuade with diplomacy and tact.
• Ability to work cooperatively in a cross cultural setting with a number of long distance working relationships across time zones.
• Experience in fast-paced and difficult emergency contexts.
• Adaptable in approach to work with a willingness to work under pressure in a demanding environment.
• Initiative and motivation to work independently and develop solutions to problems. Highly flexible in style with the ability to produce creative and pragmatic solutions to complex problems.
• Proven ability to work with multi-million budgets mobilized from diverse range of donors, including monitoring and evaluation and reporting.
• Fluency in English both verbal and written. Knowledge of local language is an advantage.

Interested applicants who meet the above requirements should submit their application letter and CV through www.ethiojobs.net or using Oxfam link:https://jobs.oxfam.org.uk/vacancy/6004/description before OR on May 8 , 2017. before OR on May 08, 2017.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.Women are particularly encouraged to apply.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organisation Oxfam works with others to overcome poverty & suffering.