Shelter and Construction Program Coordinator

Organizational Context

The Canadian Red Cross (CRC) is working in partnership with the Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) to support the humanitarian operation in Ukraine. At the request of URCS, CRC is largely focused on aiding affected persons in Cherkasy, Poltava and Lviv oblasts in the areas of health, shelter, and relief. This has included rehabilitation of public facilities such as university dormitories, schools, kindergartens, health infrastructures and geriatric centres where these facilities are housing or providing services significant number of internally displaced persons. Shelter and other assistance have also been provided to individual households directly affected by the conflict. In addition, CRC has been supporting rehabilitation of selected health and URCS facilities in the above oblasts.

CRC is seeking an experienced Shelter and Construction Program Coordinator to join our International Operations team in Ukraine. The position will be based in Kyiv with frequent travels in the field locations, currently Cherkasy, Poltava and Lviv, subject to changes according to program needs and evolution. Following the Movement’s Fundamental Principles, we help people and communities in Canada and around the world in times of need and support them in strengthening their resilience. CRC is committed to having an accessible, diverse, inclusive, and barrier-free work environment where everyone can reach their full potential. We encourage all qualified persons to apply, particularly Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, racialized people, and people with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and others who share our values and contribute to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.

Reporting to the Program Manager, the Shelter and Construction Program Coordinator will ensure the safe and effective delivery of CRC Shelter, Non-Food Items (NFI) and Winterization projects in Ukraine.

In terms of duties, the Shelter Construction Project Manager is responsible for assessing, coordinating, and planning quality implementation of CRC shelter, repair, and other winterization interventions in response to emergencies, in conjunction with the Ukrainian Red Cross (URCS) and the Federation. Shelter and other construction assistance (including but not limited to rehabilitation of collective accommodation and individual houses damaged by the conflict) will be provided via direct support to URCS branch shelter teams in the aforementioned oblasts The selected candidate must build on evidence, best practices, solid understanding and participation of local communities, the changing external humanitarian context and the strategic interests and capacities of URCS and internal and external stakeholders. The Shelter and Construction Program Coordinator, with technical support from the CRC Senior Manager, Shelter, Construction Engineering and WASH at CRC headquarters in Ottawa, will work closely with the URCS regional managers to set up the necessary steps for guaranteeing that shelter, repair, and NFI support programs address the needs in the response through high quality, effective interventions. This includes direct support to emergency shelter/construction programming implementation and coordination that builds upon URCS capacities, and accountability to affected populations. In addition, the Shelter and Construction Program Coordinator will coordinate with other internal and external technical leads such as cash voucher assistance and gender protection and inclusion programming as required.

Job Purpose

The Shelter and Construction Program Coordinator, reporting to the CRC Program Manager, will manage the shelter and construction-related components of CRC’s humanitarian operation in Ukraine.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

MAIN RESPONSIBLITIES/ACTIVITIES

Responsibility 1 –Project Management, Coordination and Reporting (30 %)

Community Level

• Ensure CRC shelter interventions are directly benefiting the affected population within the area of responsibility of Regional URCS office and relevant to the context and reality on the ground.
• Liaise regularly with the community through URCS local branches committees and seek feedback on the community’s perception of required services, promoting community involvement in all aspects of shelter programming.

CRC

• Attend and report on shelter and construction at regular internal coordination meetings with the CRC team.

URCS

• Ensure CRC shelter response plan/ programming aligns with the needs, capacities, strengths and limitations of URCS while meeting humanitarian needs.
• Closely coordinate with the URCS regional partners' office, management, shelter, relief, and logistics team in assessing, planning, designing, delivering, and implementing projects to ensure a successful implementation rate and maximize the impact of the humanitarian assistance provided.

Interagency/Government Coordination

• Participate and represent CRC at IFRC/URCS/PNS coordination meetings and other relevant meetings, as required.
• Through URCS, engage with existing Inter-agency Shelter Coordination mechanisms (including Shelter Cluster meetings) at national / regional / hub level as required to ensure good coordination as well as reporting on the CRC’s shelter interventions.
• Ensure appropriate coordination and cooperation with all stakeholders working in the Lviv, Cherkasy and Poltava oblasts, focusing on consistency for any assistance provided.
• Ensure an integrated approach to shelter programming through close coordination with other sectorial activities (e.g. cash, NFI, relief, health, etc…) as appropriate.
• Liaise with international, government and non-government agencies and collaborate as appropriate.
• Prepare and submit monthly shelter and construction reports on project timelines.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationship with external and internal partners.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

Responsibility 2 – Technical support (70 %)

Shelter Planning & Design

• Work with the URCS regional operations team and engage with the URCS and IFRC at all levels, to determine the program technical design, planning and implementation of the shelter interventions to provide adequate assistance.
• Provide technical support and advise on all shelter and construction-related activities as required, including technical assessments, project development and design, tendering and contract administration, and quality assurance.
• Contribute to operational assessments and risk analysis leading to the shelter intervention (analysis of needs, assistance options and related implementing modalities including cash assistance, etc.).
• Ensure that all design, planning, and site activities comply with appropriate local, national and international standards and regulations as required.
• Ensure all programming includes necessary protection measures using principles of ‘do no harm’.

• Develop the shelter programme scheduling with the URCS/IFRC, coordinate implementation of activities and define a monitoring system. Establish detailed review of plans to schedule deliverables and estimated costs.
• Manage the shelter component of the response, in close coordination with the URCS regional operations team, including supporting, assisting, and advising.
• Oversee the shelter activities within the agreed plans of action to provide timely, adequate shelter.
• Develop technical specifications, guidelines and Information, Education and Communication awareness materials with URCS to enhance the capacity of affected population as required.
• Support the URCS tender processes and contract administration for construction services (evaluation, design, construction, supervision, site management…) in accordance with IFRC/URCS standard procedures and existing regulations in Ukraine. Ensure that correct permits and licenses are obtained when required.

Monitoring, Quality Control and Reporting

• Oversee the use of appropriate project procedures and documentation, including project development tools, technical scheme designs and cost plans, tender and contract documentation, project tracking tools etc.

• Ensure that tenders and contract administration for construction and design, engineering, and site supervision services as required are in accordance with agreed procedures and provide the required level of internal program and financial control.

• Monitor the quality of work at each site as per specifications, meet intended quality standards, and are done on time according to quality control guidelines.

• Monitoring physical progress as per agreed work plans and ensure that the progress as planned.
• Support URCS in monitoring the cost estimates for designated interventions. Take appropriate action to mitigate variations and extra cost and ensure that the work does not exceed the budget amount.
• Prepare monthly progress reports in the agreed format and report to the CRC Ukraine Country Representative and CRC Senior Manager, Shelter, Construction Engineering and WASH at CRC headquarters in Ottawa.
• Prepare and provide inputs to other program reports such as bi-weekly sitereps, quarterly report, monthly indicator and other ad-hoc reports that might be required.

Education

Relevant university degree or equivalent professional qualification in Structural/Civil Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management or related technical field.

Experience

• Experience in working in both emergency and developmental contexts (especially in community-based approaches) and local techniques (software component shelter assistance)
• A minimum of 5years of demonstrated experience on shelter & settlements /construction projects (commercial practice and/or humanitarian/development context)
• A minimum of 3 years' experience in humanitarian interventions including large complex operations and/or development programmes.
• Familiarity with current standards and guidelines for humanitarian emergency response including those related with Shelter & Settlements.
• Knowledge and understanding in the use of participatory tools in community planning approaches and experienced with trainings on build back safer construction techniques (software component shelter assistance).
• Budget development and budget management experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

• Ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment and practice political and cultural sensitivity.
• Excellent communication and inter-personal skills particularly for training and developing staff, capacity building and mentoring.
• Pedagogic skills to develop and delivering technical trainings and technical messages.
• Sound managerial, interpersonal and organizational skills including planning, budgeting, monitoring of construction projects.
• Good analytical skills and solution-oriented, Integrity and high standard of personal conduct. Demonstrated accountability.
• Authorized to work in Ukraine.
• Registered member of Union of Scientific and Engineering Associations of Ukraine or similar.
• Fluently spoken and written English

Competencies, Values and Comments

• Able to work in a team Flexible and adaptable to changing working conditions
• High degree of integrity, discretion, and personal conduct 
• Self-motivated, with good judgement and initiative
• Able to prioritize and meet deadlines