Programme Manager - Sittwe

Myanmar

Organization: NRC - Norwegian Refugee Council
Location: Myanmar
Grade: Mid level - Mid level
Occupational Groups:
- Project and Programme Management
- Managerial positions
Closing Date: Closed

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organisation’s core values: dedication, innovation, inclusivity and accountability. These attitudes and believes shall guide our actions and relationships.

Background:

The NRC Northwest Myanmar area of operations covers Rakhine State, Northwest Myanmar. NRC maintains an Area Office in Sittwe (central Rakhine) and a sub-office in Maungdaw (northern Rakhine). Central and northern Rakhine are subject to two separate coordination mechanisms, and different access constraints.

NRC provides needs based protection to conflict and displacement affected populations in Northwest Myanmar through an integrated programming comprising of Education, Information Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA), Shelter & Settlements, Livelihoods, Camp Management, and Protection. NRC seeks to address the varied and complex needs faced by IDPs, returnees and affected host populations through complementary programming involving direct implementation, strategic partnerships and consortia, advocacy and referrals.

The Area Programme Manager is responsible for bringing the different components of NRC’s programmatic and advocacy response together in their area of operation to maximize positive impact for affected populations with the resources available. As such, this role will make a significant contribution to NRC Myanmar’s ongoing role as a pilot country for NRC’s global initiative for Integrated Programming. In addition, this role will ensure that NRC Myanmar fulfils its objective of prioritising hard-to-reach populations and contributes towards pathways to durable solutions.

Role and responsibilities

The Area Programme Manager (APM) is responsible for programming and advocacy in Northwest Myanmar, and ensuring that NRC and its partners achieve its programmatic objectives. As such, they are responsible for overseeing project implementation in Northwest Myanmar, and for taking a leading role in developing strategy and programme development for the Country Office.

The APM is line managed by the Area Manager and is a member of the Area Office (AO) Senior Management Team (SMT). In addition, the APM has a technical (dotted) reporting line to the Head of Programme (HoP) and is a member of the Country Office (CO) Programme Unit (PU).

Generic responsibilities

These responsibilities are the same for all Area Programme Manager positions and cannot be modified:

Line management for senior projectprogramme staff in the Area Office and AO M&E staff.
Compliance with and adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures
Provide area specific input on CC strategies, Country Strategy and Annexes
Organize grants opening and closure meetings at area level
Implementation of projects (including master support budget and coordinating input for donor proposals and reports) in the area, in compliance with contractual commitments (i.e. quality, synergies, timeliness, use of resources) and aligned to regional and global strategies
Assess needs, develop emergency response and implement response plans, including cash-based interventions and market-based programmes
Ensure optimal use of resources within the allocated project budgets and CC strategies
Represent NRC and networking on area level
Ensure that capacity building is provided to all staff in the area
Promote the rights of IDPs/returnees in line with the advocacy strategy

Specific responsibilities

Area Office (AO)-level project implementation. These responsibilities will be delivered under the direct line management of the Area Manager, and in collaboration with the wider AO team in Northwest Myanmar.

Area Strategy. In collaboration with the AO team, responsible for leading the programme components of the AO Strategic Plans and relevant preparation.
Project Cycle Management (PCM). Responsible for ensuring successful implementation of PCM standards and procedures for all projects in the AO. This includes – but is not limited to – proposal development, budget management, reporting, etc.
M&E. Responsible for overseeing the successful delivery of NRC’s implementation of monitoring and evaluation activities by the commitments in the AO programme teams, in collaboration with the CO and AO M&E team. This includes facilitating evidence-based learning and decision-making by utilising quantitative and qualitative data generated through M&E processes, beneficiary consultation, and the Complaints and Feedback Mechanism (CFM).
Partnerships. Responsible for ensuring the successful engagement and management of downstream and collaborative (lateral) partnerships in the AO. This includes – but is not limited to – partner assessment, regular partner meetings, overseeing partner reporting, etc. in accordance with the relevant policies and procedures.

Competencies

Competencies are important in order for the employee and the organisation to deliver desired results. They are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following two categories:

1. Professional competencies

These are skills, knowledge and experience that are important for effective performance.

Generic professional competencies for this position:

Minimum 4 years’ experience from a management position in a humanitarian/ recovery context
Experience from working in complex and volatile contexts
Experience with one or more of NRCs Core competency/Response modalities
Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities

Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile
Fluency in English, both written and verbal

Context/Specific skills, knowledge and experience:

Knowledge of the context in Myanmar

Experience of protection work
Experience with integrated programming

Behavioral competencies

These are personal qualities that influence how successful people are in their job. NRC’s Competency Framework states 12 behavioral competencies, the following are essential for this position: