Shelter Advisor

Location

Starting Date & Initial Contract Details

March 2024. Full time, 12 months.

Role Overview

Provide technical advice and support to field management and shelter staff. On a day-to-day basis this involves developing, leading, monitoring and evaluating the shelter, NFI, and infrastructure aspects of Medair intervention in Ukraine. It will include coordinating and networking at a senior level with national and regional authorities and other NGOs, providing capacity building for national and international staff, championing best practice in the shelter programmes, developing the sector strategy, seeking new funding opportunities based on the needs in shelter, NFI, and infrastructure, and contributing to the overall management of the country programme.

Project Overview

Due to the conflict in Ukraine, there are vast shelter, infrastructure and non-food items (NFIs) needs – from support to collective centres where people who have fled their places are now staying; to supporting those rebuilding their homes after the conflict; to the rehabilitation of health facilities damaged; to supporting displaced people return or integrate. The role requires someone agile to provide technical advice in the Ukraine context and will involve travel to support our various bases, and mentoring Medair staff.

Our Culture

Key Activity Areas

Shelter Programme Oversight

• Maintain an overview of the country shelter and NFI programme and of the regional context, with a view to strategically developing new projects in the emergency programme.
• Develop the shelter and NFI country strategy in conjunction with other projects and PMs, PCs, and DCD and in-step with Medair’s global shelter strategy.
• Give technical advice to field managers and GSO on potential involvement in new shelter interventions and shelter capacity for implementation.
• Provide technical support to the shelter and NFI teams in all project sites, including community engagement, the development of need assessments and analysis, the evaluation and impact analysis of current projects, and the writing of donor proposals and reports within the required timeframes.
• Carry out regular monitoring visits with other field managers, ensuring project objectives are met within the stated timeframes and following recognized international standards.
• Supervise and monitor the development of reporting systems for data collection, analysis, follow-up, and feedback to relevant staff, donors, partners, and other agencies.
• Provide input into the integration of beneficiary participation and accountability.
• Responsible for the quality of all shelter and reconstruction projects in-country.
• Cover Project Managers when they are on leave if necessary to ensure continuity of the projects.
• Participate in exploratory assessments into new areas and be part of the spearhead team to assess urgent needs, level of damage, market feasibility, and recovery rate in new areas.

Representation

• Develop and maintain relationships with UN, NGOs, donors, partners and other stakeholders, with the objective of raising public awareness of Medair and ensuring good co-operation and partnerships.
• Seek out relevant networks or task groups on specific shelter-related humanitarian aid issues and actively participate, if possible.
• Accompany donors on field trips, as requested, and ensure programme details are transmitted in a timely and professional manner.

Staff Management

• Be involved in the recruitment of shelter staff for the country programme, providing advice on technical skills and experience as requested.
• Ensure that all shelter staff are adequately trained and, if necessary, create possibilities for capacity building, mentoring and coaching, within budget constraints. Plan and develop training material.
• Support line managers in inductions and appraisals of shelter staff, particularly technical skills.

Financial Management

• Work with the relevant field managers and GSO staff to plan and construct shelter budgets.
• Ensure the shelter project expenditure is in line with approved budgets, advising on potential under / over spend and recommending appropriate corrective action.

Quality Management

• Promote and use the Medair e-library and other operating procedures, ensuring that all standardised formats are used and guidelines are followed.
• Ensure shelter projects are implemented in line with donor proposals and in accordance with Medair, donor, country and international standards e.g. Sphere and HAP standards, CHS, etc.
• Regularly assess and provide feedback and recommendations on the quality of shelter or NFI programmes and interventions during field visits and at other relevant times.
• Maintain a resource library for the shelter team and keep up-to-date with the latest trends and updates within the sector. Ensure all shelter staff have access to necessary and appropriate information.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

• In coordination, with Shelter and the MEAL team, ensure the development and adoption of a monitoring and evaluation framework, key indicators and quality benchmarks for Shelter that helps each project to improve quality of reporting, clearly articulate progress and impact of projects, identify issues for advocacy and input for new programmes/projects in the future.
• Ensure active dissemination of programme findings and lessons learned through the production of high technical quality lessons learned documents and their effective dissemination to key stakeholders.

Team Spiritual Life

• Reflect the values of Medair in everyday life: with team members, local staff, beneficiaries, external contacts… 
• Fully contribute to the rich spiritual life of Medair: devotions, prayers, words of encouragement… 

This job description covers the main tasks that are anticipated. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field, preferably in civil engineering, architecture or construction management.
• Strong working knowledge of English (spoken and written).

What is the ROC and why is it required?

Experience

• Relevant post-qualification professional experience in a management position in the construction field (e.g., design, supervision of projects).
• Significant humanitarian experience of five (5) years in shelter programming (design, construction, and evaluation).
• Strong commitment to capacity building of shelter staff and partners with the willingness to adopt participatory approaches. Experience writing donor proposals
• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate and negotiate clearly and effectively at all levels, considering cultural and language difficulties.
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets.
• Ability to present complex information succinctly and compellingly.
• Ability and willingness to remain flexible in work practices and hours.
• Previous demonstrable experience in running NFI and/or Cash distribution programmes.
• Previous experience in project management and the management of a team (technical team of engineers/shelter team) and liaison with a wide range of stakeholders for the implementation of projects.
• Experience of and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability.
• Knowledge of humanitarian essentials, Sphere and Core Humanitarian Standards, and other international humanitarian guidelines and protocols.
• Advanced planning, assessment, and analytical skills. Advanced leadership and project management skills. Committed to consultative and servant leadership.
• Computer literate with good working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook.