Head of Office

DRC has been operational in Iraq for over ten years, with main hubs in Baghdad, Erbil and Duhok, as well as significant Field Offices in Tikrit, Kirkuk, Qayarah and Zummar and a number of sub-offices in other locations, employing a team of over 60 expatriates and 600 national staff. DRC Iraq works across a number of sectors including Protection, Child Protection, WASH, Shelter/NFI, CCCM, Livelihoods, Cash and Early Recovery programming and includes Mine Action programming through Danish Demining Group.  

DRC South Central (DRC SC) has a multi-million dollar portfolio and operates through the Baghdad hub and 6 field offices. DRC SC works across a number of sectors including shelter/NFIs, WASH, NFIs, CCCM, protection and child protection and cash programming.  In Baghdad, Saladin and Diyala, DRC is also focusing on early recovery and emergency livelihoods implemented largely through a community driven development framework.  

DRC’s Hub Office/Field offices in Baghdad employs around 19 expatriates and 160 national staff working on Baghdad, Al Anbar, Saladin, Karbala, Najaf, Babylon and Diyala -based programmes and responding to the Mosel and Al Anbar emergencies. This makes DRC one of the largest INGO in South Central Iraq. 

 

About the job 

The Head of Office has responsibility for the overall timely delivery of DRC’s programme portfolio in the South Central (including Al Anbar and Saladin) Areas of Operations (AoO).  

The Head of Office with the support of the Operations manager has overall responsibility for the smooth running of support services in the AoO, including safety, finance, HR, logistics and procurement 

The Head of Office is responsible for the development and delivery of a programme and operational strategy for the AoO, in line with DRC Global and DRC Iraq guidelines and objectives and in conjunction with programmatic and operational technical coordinators   

The Head of Office, as member of the SMT contributes to the fulfilment of the aims and objectives of DRC’s presence in Iraq through other tasks as required and/or directed by the Country Director (CD) and/or Deputy CD/Head of Programmes (HoP) 

 

Represents DRC before relevant donors, local authorities and coordination bodies in the Central South Iraq including Al-Anbar and Saladin Governorates AoO, or delegate to other managers as appropriate. 

Oversees and contributes to the development and delivery of grant proposals for new programme funding for the AoO  

Ensures that project cycle management is carefully applied (needs assessment, planning, resources allocation, beneficiary selection, monitoring, reporting) within the AoO. 

Contributes to analysis of the local context, in order to anticipate future needs and plan future programming accordingly 

Monitors the progress of projects against work plans and provide appropriate support to project managers and support staff to ensure high quality programmes are delivered 

Oversees M&E team and practices, ensuring that managers apply M&E practices in all projects, in coordination with the Erbil-based M&E Manager. 

Supervises with the support of the Operations manager the finance, administrative, HR, logistics and safety functions and ensure full application of policies in the AoO, in coordination with the Erbil-based technical leads (HoFA, Senior Logs Coordinator and Safety Advisor). 

Monitors staff performance and conduct to ensure compliance with job requirements and DRC policies and values (including Code of Conduct and global standards). 

Oversees an operational plan for the AoO including the development of master budget and HR plan for the AoO. 

Carries out other activities as requested by the Country Director and/or DCD/HoP in pursuit of DRC objectives. 

 

About you 

To be successful in this role you must have: 

University degree or higher education in Politics, Social Sciences, Peacebuilding, or other relevant field, or significant additional demonstrable past professional experience gained through field management roles  

Significant professional  knowledge of two or more of DRC’s key sectors (Protection, Child Protection, WASH, Shelter/NFI, CCCM, Livelihoods or Early Recovery and Cash intervention programming) 

At least 5 years of progressively responsible management experience administering multiple humanitarian, early recovery and/or development projects simultaneously; 

Significant management experience, including responsibility for overseeing finance and procurement functions;  

Demonstrable experience of overseeing or directly implementing M&E in field programmes as part of strategies to improve programme quality;  Proven experience in overseeing and/or managing staff safety in highly insecure or fluid operating environments; 

Experience of remote management, including remote safety management is an advantage in this role; 

Confirmed team player with strong people management skills and cross-cultural sensitivity is essential in this role  

Fluency in written and spoken English. Arabic language is highly desirable 

 

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:  

Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.  

Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.  

Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.  

Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.  

Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with our vision and values.  

 

We offer 

DRC will offer the successful applicant a 12 months contract. You must be available to start work in mid-April 2017 and be willing to live and work in Baghdad, Iraq. 

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to www.drc.ngo  under Vacancies. This position will be placed at A10-A9 of DRC’s salary scale depending on qualifications and experience. The R&R cycle for Baghdad is every 6 weeks. 

 

Application process 

Interested? Then apply for this position by clicking on the apply button.  All applications must include a cover letter explaining your motivation for applying for this position and an updated CV (no longer than four pages). Both must be in English. Applications without a cover/motivation letter will not be considered. 

If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please contact job@drc.dk  

Applications close:  February 28, 2017.  

 

Need further information? 

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website www.drc.ngo