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DDG Somalia Programme Manager

Mogadishu

  • Organization: DRC - Danish Refugee Council
  • Location: Mogadishu
  • Grade: Mid/Senior level - Mid/Senior - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Operations and Administrations
    • Development Cooperation and Sustainable Development Goals
    • Project and Programme Management
  • Closing Date: Closed

BACKGROUND 
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is an independent, non-profit organization (NGO), founded on the basis of humanitarian principles, and human rights based approach, to secure the protection of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), and to promoting long term solutions to the problems of forced displacement. Danish Demining Group (DDG) is a specialized unit within DRC which implements mine action and armed violence reduction (AVR) programmes in fragile states throughout the developing world. The East Africa and Yemen region consists of programmes in seven countries including Somalia, Kenya, Yemen, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda and Tanzania 
 
DDG has operated in Somalia since 1999 with a focus on community-driven approaches to Armed Violence Reduction (AVR) as well as humanitarian mine action. DDG has established itself as one of the main international actors engaged in bottom-up community safety, conflict management and security and justice reform in the country. DDG has worked in over two hundred communities and has over the past five years had an annual turnover around ten million dollars funded by most of the key institutional donors in Somalia. DDG is currently joining DFID’s Security and Justice Programme for Somalia as the partner ensuring community and district level engagement with security providers and traditional and modern justice providers initially in 10 urban and semi-urban centres across four states of southern Somalia. Given the complex and challenging operational environment that characterises much of Somalia, DDG recognises that understanding the changing context and ensuring the programme is conflict sensitive is essential to guarantee effective programme delivery in conflict-affected areas and avoid exacerbating conflict. Furthermore, it is a key priority of DDG and DFID to ensure a strong focus on learning and policy influencing in relation to security and justice reform in Somalia and other complex and insecure contexts.  
 
PURPOSE 
The DDG Somalia Programme Manager leads DDG’s excellent team of national and international staff and works closely with programme donors, senior national and regional management and DDG’s team of technical advisers specialized in different aspects of security and justice, community safety and conflict management. S/he has management responsibility for DDG’s work in Somalia and must ensure high quality and timely implementation of planned results, grow DDG’s programme and ensure adherence to applicable donor and organizational policies and requirements. 
 
RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS 
As part of the DRC/DDG Senior Management Team in Somalia, the DDG Somalia Programme Manager is responsible for DDG’s programme in Somalia.  
 
Specific responsibilities include: 
 
Strategy Development 
  • In co-ordination with the Country Director, the DDG Regional Coordinator and DDG technical specialist/Advisors (AVR; Mine Action; Conflict Analysis; EOD etc), lead the strategic development of DDG’s work in Somalia and cross border initiatives with neighbouring countries. 
  • Work with the DRC Deputy Country Director and Head of Program on quality assurance to ensure that DDG’s Somalia Programme fits within and complements DRC’s wider Somalia programme. 
  • Ensure proper understanding of DDG’s strategy and portfolio by relevant actors (including DRC/DDG staff, partners, NGOs, government counterparts, and donors). 
  • Update the Country Director from time to time on DDG program strategy development issues. 
  • Contribute to the operationalization and implementation of the DDG specific aspects of the Results Contract. 
 
Management  
  • Management, operational oversight, coordination and implementation of DDG projects within the DRC/DDG Somalia programme.  
  • Ensure high quality project implementation for DDG and DRC/DDG joint projects in accordance with donor and DRC/DDG regulations as well as in line with agreed indicators, budgets, and work plans. 
  • Support and supervision of DDG Somalia programme staff. This includes coaching, ensuring co-ordination between local managers, staff recruitment and development. 
  • In consultation with the country Admin and HR Manager, provide appropriate and timely feedback to DDG staff regarding their performance, including bi-annual staff performance appraisals. Identify with staff their needs and opportunities for professional development. 
  • Brief the Country Director regularly on DDG program status, and issues that require support and follow up. 
  • Serve as a member of the Country Senior Management Team.  
  • Any other assignments as delegated by the Line Manager. 
 
Programme development 
  • Ensure high quality programming by building on DDG’s strong programmatic platform, global best practice and foster innovation.  
  • Explore and exploit opportunities for joint Armed Violence Reduction and Mine Action projects as well as integrated DRC/DDG projects. 
  • Consult with Head of Program development and quality assurance, and the DRC Deputy Country Director on program synergies and joint programming. 
  • Jointly with the DRC Head of Program contribute to the preparation of the annual strategic program document (SPD) for DRC/DDG Somalia. 
  • Participate in the organization of the quarterly meetings and Annual review meetings. 
 
Finance and administration 
  • Work closely with the DRC/DDG Operations Director, and Head of Finance in ensuring sound financial practices as per DRC financial processes. 
  • Responsible for  budget monitoring, financial management and expenses control including compliance with minimum DRC/DDG and donor requirements and ensuring that the necessary systems are in place. 
  • Signatory of official documents (payments, purchase orders etc. as per IDRA) within approved parameters and in compliance with the laws of Somalia, donor and DRC/DDG’s rules and regulations. 
  • Work closely with the Area Operation Managers/Coordinators and Admin/HR manager to ensure sound administration of field offices where DDG programme staff are operating. 
 
Fundraising 
  • Develop strong relations with existing and new donors based on DDG’s track record and mutual trust and respect. 
  • Develop and implement a donor engagement strategy in consultation with the country Director, DDG Regional Coordinator and other DDG technical expats/advisors and the DRC/DDG Somalia Grants Manager. 
  • Actively identify and respond to relevant funding opportunities. 
  • Be a driving force for the development of highly competitive funding proposals to ensure a growing impact on Somalis and their country.  
 
Security  
  • In consultation with the Safety Manager, play a key role in security management in ensuring DDG staff adherence to security procedures, monitoring the development in the security situation, developing contingency plans etc. 
 
Reporting 
  • Ensure proper and timely financial and narrative reporting in compliance with internal and external reporting requirements including procurement.  
  • Work closely with the Head of Program and Grants Manager to ensure timely reporting to donors. 
 
Representation/Liaison 
  • In close coordination with the Country Director, represent DDG in key meetings forums in Somalia and also with local government authorities, donors, partners, UN agencies, international and local NGOs and various local co-ordination forums.  
  • Work closely with the Area Operation Managers who are currently interlocutors with regional authorities at area level. 
 
Accountability 
  • Guided by the DRC Programme Handbook, continuously monitor and develop relevant accountability initiatives in the field as well as strengthening the effort to document the impact of DDG’s activities. 
  • Work closely with the DRC/DDG Head of Program development and quality assurance and Monitoring and Evaluation Manager to ensure quality assurance of DDG work in Somalia/land. 
 
ABOUT YOU  
To be successful in this role, we expect you to have extensive knowledge of the Somalia context, excellent conflict analysis capacity and a proven track record of developing effective conflict analysis and conflict sensitive programming. You should have strong communication skills and be able to communicate effectively with a wide range of people from different cultural and professional backgrounds. You thrive in managing the challenges of working in the field under pressure and often in austere and restricted environments. You are a strong networker and enjoy working with teams of committed staff to build collaboration and capacity. You are a creative self-starter that is not afraid to think outside the box. You are passionate about ensuring high quality support to the security and justice sector in Somalia and conflict sensitivity of aid interventions in Somalia.  
  
In this position, you are expected to demonstrate each of DRC’ five core competencies:  
  • Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.  
  • Collaborating: You are a strong networker and enjoy working with many different types of stakeholders, you involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.  
  • Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while balancing the role of advisor and leadership 
  • Communicating: You write and speak effectively and honestly and display political and cultural sensitivity, including ability to adapt well to local cultures 
  • Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with our vision and values.  
Moreover, we also expect the following:   
 
Qualifications 
  • University Degree, preferably Master's, in International Relations, International Development, Conflict Resolution, Criminology, Law, Management or other relevant field. 
  • Minimum of 5 years programme management experience with International NGOs or operational UN agencies. 
  • Extensive project management experience including at community level. 
  • Extensive experience of conflict and security related programming in conflict affected and insecure contexts. 
  • Demonstrable ability to think strategically, prioritize, and meet deadlines in a complex and challenging environment. 
  • Demonstrable leadership and management skills, including team building and management by example. 
  • Demonstrable capacity to be articulate, imaginative and innovative.  
  • Strong analytical skills and understanding of conflict sensitive programming. 
  • Strong budget development and expenditure tracking capacity. 
  • Extensive experience of monitoring, evaluation and learning. 
  • Demonstrated ability to mobilise resources and expand programmes. 
  • Excellent writing and verbal skills in English for project proposals, reports, and communications; Somali skills is an added advantage.  
Desirable: 
  • Experience of developing and implementing mine action programmes. 
  • Strong understanding of the Somalia context. 
  • Prior experience of working in Somalia. 
  • Somali language skills. 
  • Somali nationality. 
Personal competencies 
  • Leadership skills, including ability to build and motivate a team and willingness to deal with conflicts. 
  • Ability to work effectively and efficiently unsupervised with a strong work ethic. 
  • Political and cultural sensitivity, including ability to adapt well to local cultures. 
  • Have a high degree of flexibility with respect to working hours, with ability to plan and manage her/his own time effectively. 
  • He/she must be able to exercise a large degree of common sense and personal discipline. Demonstrated successful experience working within a complex security environment is preferred. 
  • Able to work under pressure and difficult security conditions.
 
GENERAL  
 
Commitments:  
DRC has a Humanitarian Accountability Framework, outlining its global accountability commitments. All staff are required to contribute to the achievement of this framework into the work of DRC  
 
Conditions 
 
Availability: As Soon as possible 
 
Duty station: Mogadishu with frequent travel within the region. 
 
Reporting: Reports to Country Director 
 
Contract: 1 year contract dependent on both funding and performance. Salary and conditions in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Global Expatriates (available at www.drc.dk under Vacancies). This position is graded as A8.  
For qualified National staff the terms of employment will be in accordance with DRC terms for National staff 
 
HOW TO APPLY: 
Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit updated CV and cover letter explaining their motivation and why they are suited for the post. 
 
We only accept applications sent via our online-application form on www.drc.dk under Vacancies.  
 
Please forward the application and CV, in English through the online application on www.drc.dk under vacancies no later than 1st August 2017 
 
If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please contact job@drc.dk.  
 
For general information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult www.drc.dk. 
 
 
This vacancy is now closed.
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