Area Coordinator – Liben Zone, Ethiopia

Internal/External

Vacancy Announcement

IR/INT/EXT/VN/017.23
February 28, 2023

Post title:                        Area Coordinator

Report to:                       Head of Programs (HoP)

Duty Station:                Somali Regional State, Liben Zone, Dekasuftu

Salary:                            As per the organizations scale

Required:                      One

Duration                        One year with possible extension based on performance and budget availability

Introduction:

Islamic Relief is an international relief and development charity founded in 1984 with its headquarters in Birmingham, UK. As well as responding to disasters and emergencies, Islamic Relief promotes sustainable economic and social development by working with local communities – regardless of race, religion or gender. The office officially started operation in Ethiopia in 2004. Islamic Relief Ethiopia (IRE) is operational in the Somali Regional State with a base office in Jigjiga, Hargelle, Elkere, Bare, GG and Dekasuftu, Afar Regional State; Ewa, Awra and Gulina; Oromia regional State, West Harergeye, Chiro and Meayso Woredas and an additional operational office in Addis Ababa. For more information please visit our website: http://www.islamic-relief.org/work-with-us

Job Overview/Summary

Reporting to the Head of Programmes, the Area Coordinator will be responsible to lead the planning, executing, coordinating, monitoring, and controlling of emergency, development and seasonal projects and programmes in the designated area office or sub office in Somali regional states to ensure IRE’s interventions are completed in a timely fashion, within budget and in line with commitments in donor contracts and government MoUs as well as IRE internal policies and procedures. The Area Coordinator will also represent IRE at the level of regional states, ensuring attendance and active participation at cluster meetings, coordinating relationship and image building efforts in each region with the regional and local government and other stakeholders, managing, leading and coordinating IRE’s area offices at regional or sub-regional levels. The Area Coordinator will also support to ensure timely signing of government MoUs, diagnostic studies, needs assessment and concept note and proposal design and development.

To effectively and efficiently coordinate and manage its projects and programmes at regional and sub-regional levels, IRE requires attracting and retaining qualified, experienced and highly committed area coordinator who have demonstrable knowledge, expertise and local area experience. And  experience in project and programme management preferably in the area of Humanitarian and Development Projects related to Food Security and Livelihood (FSL) incl. Agriculture, WASH, Health and Nutrition, Education and Child Protection, Peace Building and Conflict Resolution Projects and Programmes.

Roles and Responsibilities

Programme Management (Activities and Resources – Human and Finance)

§  Lead the overall management, implementation and design/development of humanitarian emergency, development and seasonal projects and programmes in the region or area office s/he is assigned.

§  Provide leadership in projects set-up/initiation, including development and adoption of precise implementation tools – DIPs, PPs, CPs, DPs, and PMPs etc.

§  Provide managerial and technical leadership during project implementation with an aim of timely implementation of standalone and integrated emergency response and development projects in the target woredas of the region or area office s/he is assigned.

§  Work with the field implementation team and partners to ensure projects are implemented in a sustainable way and achieving the envisaged change.

§  Provide regular technical support, backstopping, and supervision during programmes/ projects delivery processes.

§  Support project reviews – drawing key recommendations, lessons, best practices, technical advances etc.

§  Work closely with IRE Country Office Management and Country Office Head of Programmes and Programme Coordinators to strengthen and deliver high quality response towards project goals.

§  Working with the relevant projects team in the region or area office and ensure activity plans, implementation and coordination are in place and regularly monitored.

§  Facilitate and provide capacity building support and training, coaching and skills development for the projects team based at field.

§  Track all project related recruitments to ensure required supporting documents and approvals are submitted in advance and that there is proactive follow up.

§  Facilitate field level grant (budget) management meetings and ensure Addis Ababa IRE team receive notes and actions points within a timely manner. Ensure action points in field office are followed up.

§  Undertake financial forecast, monitoring and controlling of projects and programmes.

§  Ensure donor compliance on visibility and programme management is adhered to in a quality and timely manner.

§  Ensure the management of Human Resources in accordance with the IR guidelines and the legal requirements in the country.

§  Lead and motivate programme, finance and admin personnel under his/her supervision.

§  Ensure project staff adhere to all IR and donor mandated safety and security regulations, policies and practices; ensure adherence to those regulations and take corrective actions as required.

§  Perform other relevant duties as may be requested by the IRE, Head of Programmes and/ or Country Director.

Coordination and Partnership

§  Jointly work with procurement unit to generate/update precise project procurement plans at inception and follow its (plan) implementation.

§  Work with procurement unit and committee to support and provide required technical support during procurement processes of project activities and interventions.

§  Work with Finance Unit on project budgets planning, budget monitoring/ controls, risk mapping, and reporting, Audits (internal & external), related financial accounting.

§  Ensure coordination and integrated team efforts in the delivery of standalone and integrated emergency and development interventions across all IRE thematic sectors – Food Security and Livelihood (FSL) incl. Agriculture, Health and Nutrition, WASH, Education, Gender, Protection and Safeguarding, Peace-Building and Conflict Resolution as needed.

§  Ensure attendance at regional and sub-regional level cluster meetings (ATF, WASH, Cash, Health and Nutrition, Education, etc.) representing IRE.

§  Conduct stakeholder mapping and analysis and ensure requirements are fulfilled including representation at needs assessments at regional and local levels, attendance at regional key stakeholders meetings.

§  Support IRE’s fundraising efforts through conducting diagnostic studies, needs and context assessment and analysis, concept note and full proposal development.

§  Support coordination of regional and local level emergency responses and recovery activities with the NGO clusters, humanitarian forums, working groups, and the government.

§  Ensure IRE is represented in all relevant emergency and development forums, working groups.

§  Represent IR with partners in government and other stakeholders at regional state level on matters related to IRE’s programmes and projects.

§  Ensure regular project related updates (for each sector) are collected from respective Area Coordinators and Thematic Programme Coordinators, and these are used at cluster meetings at regional and local level.

Monitoring and Reporting

§  Ensure that IRE’s projects and programmes are implemented, monitored and evaluated and effectively handed over to the relevant government sectors and respective communities on completion.

§  Ensure field project team develop performance indicator trackers and that they update them regularly to facilitate monitoring of all projects in the area office or region and ease of reporting.

§  Collaborate with the PDQA department to conduct ongoing monitoring and feedback/ accountability of response to ensure actions are timely and appropriate.

§  Review and share high quality and timely donor and government reports.

§  Compile and share weekly/ monthly/ quarterly reports to country office using appropriate reporting templates.

§  Compile and share area office’s or region’s response and recovery weekly and monthly situation reports (security and drought or other emergency situations).

§  Produce quarterly and annual financial and narrative donor reports to a high standard in collaboration with budget holders and finance team at field and country office level.

§  Asses, analyze and report humanitarian situation in the Area Office to the Country Office Humanitarian/ Emergency Coordinator or to Head of Programmes (HoP).

§  Review progress through project field visits, data analysis, project budget utilization status and forward planning.

§  Compile and share general weekly/ monthly/ quarterly project update to Head of Programmes and/or CO Budget Holders / Sector Programme Coordinators.

Logistics, Security and Office Management

§  Ensure the management of human resources in accordance with the IR guidelines and the legal requirements in the country.

§  Lead and motivate programme, finance and operations support/ admin personnel under his/ her supervision.

§  Overseeing the logistics on the field level ensuring the proper set up/ running of base premises (office/ guest house), the functioning of supply chain including procurement planning, purchasing of goods and services, their transport and storage, the organisation, planning and maintenance of fleet and equipment, and the functioning of the means of communication appropriate for the respective implementation area or area office.

§  The Area Coordinator is responsible for the field security management and ensures the safety and security of staff, premises, materials and assets of IRE.

§  The Area Coordinator monitors the political, economic, social, legal, environmental and technological environment in the area, assesses and analyses the risks, monitors and reports the security situation and develops security procedure relevant to the context.

Personal Specification

Formal Education/Qualification

§  Master’s degree from a recognized university in either Disaster Risk Management, Development Studies, Rural Development, Agriculture or Public Health or another related field of studies; or first degree with a combination of strong work experience in similar settings (environment and sectors)

Work Experience

§  A minimum of ten years’ professional project management experience and coordination of area offices

§  Demonstrated practical experience in integrated FSL and Agriculture, Health and Nutrition, WASH, Education, Protection, Peace Building and Conflict Resolution project management including in far-flung, hard to reach and underserved areas

Skills and Competences

§  Excellent practical team management ability to work independently as required

§  Excellent written and oral communication skills; Somali language is Mandatory

§  Experience in reporting, internal and external to donors and key stakeholders

§  Proven knowledge of and experience with donor funding environment and good financial and project management skills

§  Commitment to high ethical standards

§  Good written and spoken English and the ability to produce high quality written reports

§  Diplomacy, tact and negotiating skills

• Good interpersonal, influencing and communication skills
• Sensitivity to cultural differences, and the ability to work in a wide variety of cultural contexts

§  Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications

Technical Lead (preferable)

§  Proven skills in integrated development and humanitarian emergency response planning, and management and capacity building.

§  Experiences and skills in either FSL, Agriculture, Health and Nutrition, WASH, Education, Protection, Conflict Resolution and Peace Building or all of them.

§  Knowledge and experience of the local culture and contexts of the region and zones of area offices s/he is assigned to.

Safeguarding and Equal Opportunity

Islamic Relief and Islamic Relief staff considers the welfare and protection of children, young people and people at risk to be paramount to the organization. And must adhere the principle of ‘do no harm and leave no one behind.’ It is critical we do not expose communities or staff we work with to the risk of harm through our interventions.  With a zero-tolerance approach Islamic Relief have a number of related policies which also describe standards in behaviour expected from the organization, its staff and representatives towards each other and those we serve. Islamic Relief is committed to responding swiftly, appropriately and constructively to any and all information children, young people and people at risk have disclosed.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. We participate in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and child abuse during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment before signing the contract agreement.

Islamic Relief believes everyone has the right to be safe, respected and valued regardless of who they are or their circumstances, and an equal employment opportunity to all candidates and qualified applicants, we do not discriminate on the base of age, sex, race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability status and diversity.