Deputy NGO Platform Coordinator (Bangladeshi Nationals Only)

Dhaka

Organization: DRC - Danish Refugee Council
Location: Dhaka
Grade: Mid level - Mid level
Occupational Groups:
- Managerial positions
Closing Date: Closed

This position is hosted by the Danish Refugee Council, but functions independently of the organisation. The position reports to the Platform Coordinator, which functionally reports to a Steering Committee of Country Directors of INGOs and NNGOs with respect to NGO Platform activities and initiatives and performance management and to the Country Director of the grant-holding agency (for 2018 this is DRC) with respect to operational management of funds.

Background:

Since the tipping point of the Rakhine crisis on August 25th 2017, over 600,000 Rohingya have crossed into Bangladesh. The scale and speed of onset of the influx overwhelmed existing government and humanitarian support. As the number of agencies accessing the area has increased, the volume of assistance being delivered has in turn increased, yet the needs continue to outpace delivery, protection concerns are overwhelming and coordination of the response is difficult.

The NGOs working in the response coordinate through various informal modalities and are now looking to harmonise this through a 3-person Platform (Coordinator, Deputy Coordinator and administrative assistant) to improve coordination and collaboration between groups and to ensure joint NGO concerns are harmonised, addressed represented towards external actors.

The focus of the NGO Platform is on the Rohingya response in Cox’s Bazar district and its related coordination mechanisms in Dhaka. The NGO Platform will coordinate closely with wider NGO representation in the country to ensure open communication.

Overall purpose of the role:

The Deputy Coordinator provides core support to the Platform by supporting the Coordinator in managing Platform initiatives and activities, developing common positioning on key humanitarian issues, representing members internally and externally, and furthering advocacy with key donors, UN agencies and Government Representatives.

This is a senior-level national position and fluency in Bengali language is mandatory.

Duties and Responsibilities

The responsibilities listed in the JD are not exhaustive and may be readjusted according to operational needs but will remain in line with the overall purpose of the role.

1. Support the Management of the NGO Platform by supporting the Coordinator to:

• Update and finalise the TOR for the Platform in liaison with the Steering Committee and members

• Direct line management of the Deputy Coordinator and Administrative Assistant

• Financial control, fundraising responsibility and donor liaison

• Effective cooperation with all relevant NGO and UN coordination groups

• Publicise and ensure coherent understanding of the Platform amongst various stakeholders (NGO, UN, government)

2. Representation and leadership

• Facilitate NGOs to develop a voice and stand on issues affecting NGOs working in the Response

• Represent Platform members at key fora with UN, Donors, Government Representatives, regional bodies and further afield as requested by the membership as delegated by the Coordinator

• Maintain good relations with the ISCG Senior Coordinator, Resident Coordinator, SEG and HOSO members, and other external actors

• Ensure close linkages with national, local and community based organisations and their voice and role in the overall response

3. Coordination. Support the Coordinator to:

• S/he facilitates a stronger, more unified and better articulated voice for members through effective consultation and leadership.

• Ensure the transparent nomination of NGO members to decision-making bodies including the SEG and the HOSOG

• Promoting partnership strategies between International, National and Local NGOs and mobilising support to build a partnership approach for the overall response, including fundraising for and contracting consultants to further the work on this.

• Be the first point of contact for members and external stakeholders on issues of relevance to NGOs working in the Response.

• Respond in a timely manner to all queries received regarding the Platform’s activities, including induction for new members, or new staff of a member agency

• Uphold close and regular consultation with members with the objective to identify common concerns and facilitating a strong NGO voice.

• Bring issues to the attention of the membership and bring NGOs together around thematic or geographical issues.

• Organise and chair regular Platform meetings.

• Facilitate Platform thematic working groups and provides overall leadership.

• Identify action points after each meeting and follow up with the concerned parties to ensure that action is taken.

• Balance power dynamics within the Platform membership and ensure that all constituencies are represented adequately.

4. Advocacy - Support the Coordinator to:

• Take the lead in negotiations with key stakeholders on key issues directly affecting NGO work in the Response

• Consistently uphold strong cooperation with external stakeholders and regional/international NGO for a (including ICVA Asia, Myanmar INGO Forum)

• Stay informed on key national, regional and international developments adequately informing the leadership.

• Provide leadership within the Advocacy WG and facilitate identification and production of key messages and advocacy related publications.

5. Information management

• Share information relevant to the NGO community with all members. The Coordinator is responsible for the correctness of information shared, upholding the principle of neutrality in all correspondence.

• Identify and Produce relevant pieces of information for circulation to the membership.

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to be flexible and proactive in engaging with existing and potential programming in a changing operational context.

Experience and technical competencies:

Essential:

• Five years’ experience in NGO humanitarian response

• Experienced with conflict related displacement issue and of working in a refugee situation;

• Good communicator and proven diplomacy with all types of stakeholders;

• Proven commitment to accountable practices and humanitarian principle;

• Fluency in spoken and written English and Bengali

• Experience working in the Cox’s Bazar Rohingya Response

• Bachelor’s/ Masters’ degree in international relations, management, human rights, social science or related field or equivalent

• Fluency in English and Bengali written and spoken

Desirable:

• Experience and knowledge of humanitarian negotiations

• Experience of humanitarian advocacy;

• Experience of NGO Coordination

We offer

• Contract length: Until 31st December 2018

• Level: Manager (national salary grade)

• Designation of Duty Station: Cox’s Bazar with approx. 50% travel to Dhaka

• Office space and office items provided in DRC premises in both CXB and Dhaka

• Start date: ASAP

• Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to drc.ngo under Vacancies.

Application process

All applicants must send a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Closing date for applications: 8 March 2018

If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please contact job@drc.dk. For questions about the role, please contact DRC Bangladesh Country Director tess.elias@drc.dk

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

This vacancy is now closed.
However, we have found similar vacancies for you: