Duration of the mission:  6 months renewable

Location:  Teknaf

ABOUT THE MISSION…

SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL (SI) opened its mission in Bangladesh at the end of 2007, following cyclone SIDR.

SI’s intervention and strategy in Bangladesh is to address primary needs of crisis affected people in terms of food security, livelihood, disaster risk reduction (DRR), water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH) by making use of inclusive approaches and by taking into account the effects of climate change, whilst working in parallel on mid-long term resilience strategies.

SI supports displaced people and affected communities immediately after a disaster through the distribution of various kits, cash for work, emergency access to safe drinking water) and in the early recovery phase by livelihood activities, reconstruction of dwellings, etc.  SI’s programs build the communities resilience towards future hazard events, this includes how to evacuate people and possessions as soon as possible, how to protect villages and fields by building small-scale infrastructures (dykes, causeways), and how to incorporate adaptive coping strategies for farmers by establishing agricultural practices and livelihoods that are less vulnerable to natural disasters.  Furthermore, SI’s 2020 strategy for Bangladesh has a three-pronged approach focusing on:

• Response to the protracted IDPs crisis with equitable basic services delivery through integrated programming for host and refugee communities;
• Strengthening the resilience of vulnerable communities to recurrent shocks and community-led advocacy for responsiveness, accountability and transparency in the access to resources;
• Enhancing access to services through inclusive programming;

The development and changes within Bangladesh require a variety of interventions. SI will need to retain its capacity to respond rapidly in the face of an emergency whilst focusing on mid-term and longer-term development goals.

ABOUT THE JOB

The Deputy Field Coordinator for Programs (Program DFCO) will manage and support the Project Managers in the Teknaf Upazila for the implementation of activities under the emergency and post-emergency response projects, will ensure the relevance of the activities implemented in line with SI annual country strategy, and will propose new interventions in line with both this strategy and the evolution of the humanitarian situation in the area. The Program DFCO will pay specific attention to the development of strategies. The Program DFCO will help the FC to represent SI programs to partners and stakeholders in Cox’s Bazar.

Main Responsibilities: 

• Strategy
• Coordination and programs monitoring
• Institutional knowledge building
• Reporting / communication / representation
• Team management

ORG CHART POSITION (reporting and functional relationships)

Line manager: Field Coordinator

Line report(s) on base: Program Managers

Functional manager: Program Deputy Country Director

Functional report(s): Program managers

Main challenges for the position

The DFCP will have to oversee a significant sized portfolio of activities, around 6.000.000 E, support daily operations, address stakeholder challenges in a politically charged context and increasingly hostile situation among the camps, be able to identify and prioritize what additional responsibilities need attention given the current gaps on the mission, and selectively prioritize among the many additional responsibilities assigned to the PMs, and if possible, work towards improving program quality and mission strategy.

In this sense, we are looking for a profile experimented in multi-grant and/or big volume program management, project managers’ supervision and support, program strategical analysis and mid/long-terms vision, with high competences and proven achievements in internal and external coordination and with a marked aptitude for problem solving in program implementation.

Moreover, DFCP will have to provide the program team adequate support amid the following challenges:

• Representation and Coordination responsibilities as WASH Camp Focal Agency for IDPs and hosts communities. These means an important further task for PMs/AMs, which demand a dedicate support to optimize resources and time available.
• Support the integration of responsibilities between Program and MEAL for the successful development of a functional M&E system.
• Focus on interdepartmental, to find the best solution for smooth and efficient collaboration between program and support department, both charged of a big workload, complex challenges and delay in their performance. A close communication with the Field Coordinator and the coordination team would help to find and put in practice some changed and updated, in order to improve internal mechanisms.
• Management of complex co-managed budgets and budget lines. The mission uses a zonal approach to project management with up to 3 Program Managers utilizing the same budgets and budget lines for implementation in adjacent geographical areas.
• Strengthening the capacities of the Program Managers

YOUR PROFILE

Education: Bachelor (or Master’s) Degree preferably in project management, humanitarian aid, international development, emergency response, social sciences, or any related field

Experience:

• 5 years of professional experience, including a minimum of 2 years of project implementation and team management on big volume and/or multi-grant programs.
• Proven experience in implementing all aspects of project cycle management, included external coordination/representation.
• Proven experience in emergency intervention
• Previous experience in report and proposal writing
• Experience of big size team management
• Experience in direct management of Project Manager, nationals and internationals.
• Previous experience with SI would be an asset
• Experience in Asian countries is a plus

Technical skills and knowledge:

• Knowledge or familiarity with emergency activities, WASH, Livelihood, DRR, Protection
• Strong knowledge of project cycle management
• Strong knowledge of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
• Knowledge of HR, budget and logistics management
• Knowledge of DFID / ECHO / BPRM / OFDA-USAID, UN agencies & other donors assistance policies, guidelines and financial reporting requirements
• Knowledge of Solidarités International rules, tools and procedures would be an asset
• Full working proficiency in English (read, spoken & written)
• Excellent knowledge of Excel and good knowledge of other Office suite.

Transferable skills:

• Prioritization and self-organization;
• Ability to multitask and delegate
• Strong decision-making and problem solving skills
• Good analytical and writing/editing skills
• Good communication and diplomatic skills
• Strong internal coping mechanisms to deal with instability and turn-over in an isolated setting
• Team building and cohesion aptitude and focus

SI WILL OFFER YOU…

A salaried post: according to experience from 2420 euros gross per month (2200 base salary + 10% annual leave).

Per Diem of 450 USD.

Social and medical cover: International staffs 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/

Security context and living conditions:

The office and guesthouse in Dhaka, Cox and Teknaf are comfortable, well located in terms of security, adapted to SI team’s needs, and assuring to international staff the minimum standard in terms of privacy and comfort. The working environment is positive and the context, differently in each location, give some opportunities of social life, especially in Cox’s Bazar, one of the most touristic cities of the country, hosting the majority of humanitarian actors.

APPLICATION PROCESS

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