Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 192-member National Societies. The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” The IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of the IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

Country context of the role

This position is part of the Country Cluster Delegation of Central African Republic (CAR) and Chad and will provide operational and programmatic support to the members of the Federation. This includes the Red Cross of Chad and Participating National Societies (PNS) working in Chad and the sub-region. The Country Delegation Cluster provides disaster management coordination, high-level representation of the IFRC, advocacy and communications, capacity building of the National Society, resource mobilization and partnership development. These are some of the essential elements to ensure effective coordination of members and management of strategic partnerships and resources that support the work and increase the influence of the IFRC and National Societies in the region. On the technical side, the position is part of the programme department of the delegation based in CAR covering Bangui and N’Djamena. This programme unit is part of the regional operational capacity of the IFRC’s Health, Disaster, Climate and Crises Unit. As such, the field program manager is called upon to coordinate with field, country and sub-regional teams according to the objectives of the program or operation.

This position will be covering Chad floods operations and changes such as the possibility of population movement in targeted locations. The main coordination platforms will be in N’djamena where the NS has its headquarters and Bongor where the base of the operation is established. The position will also manage the IFRC team involved in the Chad floods operation, including the field coordinator and the field officer and the technical team recruited for the operation.

Job Purpose

Reporting to the Head of Country Cluster Delegation with technical support from the Coordinator, Disaster Management in Chad, the incumbent provides the technical lead to ensure optimal coordination and direct management of resources required for the effective and efficient implementation of the emergency operation. Main roles include:

• Direction setting, operational objectives and team planning: Define and communicate the operation’s strategic direction for implementation; capacity development within the NS for emergency response; and review contingency planning for identified threats in operational areas.
• Resource management: Advise on the need for human resources, support deployments in coordination with the Country and Regional IFRC offices, HR departments and/or surge desk, and have overall responsibility for resource management.
• Safety and Security, and Risk Management: Ensure the safety and security of staff in the operation by taking operational decisions based on changing risk levels, providing relevant updates to stakeholders and factoring risk management into planning, through existing security structures when possible.
• Interpersonal communications and collaboration: Act as operations focal point for a diverse range of communication channels to deliver accurate, clear and concise messages and handle media interviews confidentially, eloquently and professionally. Provide overall guidance for communications.
• Conduct strategic analysis of the situation to identify humanitarian issues and potential risks, including fraud and corruption, by gathering relevant information, evaluating its impact and managing sensitive information discreetly and professionally.
• Champion high quality accountability standards and ensure compliance with relevant policy and procedures.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Operational leadership, direction setting, risk management:

Assume overall responsibility for leading the Chad Floods operation on behalf of the IFRC Bangui Country cluster delegation, ensuring appropriate links with the IFRC structure and appropriate application of the operational strategic direction.

• Develop and communicate a clear vision and strategy for the operation with clear, measurable objectives, ensuring that this is appropriate to the humanitarian needs, makes optimal use of Federation-wide capacities and is properly aligned with the strategies of Country authorities.
• Supervise IFRC technical leads to ensure they work closely with the managers of relevant NS departments in all related programming roles and responsibilities, providing advice and recommendations that carefully consider local capacity and context.
• Lead the operational strategy to develop programme approaches which strengthen and develop the National Society’s structures, capacity and performance; analyze and understand their current strengths and weaknesses and ensure provision of necessary technical and material support particularly in relation to the ongoing crisis.
• Take proactive roles for revising the operational strategy as per the evolving context or the mandatory updates of EA tool, ensuring constant monitoring and analysis of the operating environment, timely readjustment of the operational priorities, and leading any revision of the OS with support from the delegation, regional and global offices operational and technical counterparts.
• Ensure an adequate Movement Coordination Framework, specifically at operational level, is in place as required by the operation context. Support the NS in setting up the structure needed to ensure that all components of the response are identified, planned and carried out in a coordinated, collaborative and integrated manner with Movement and external partners. Encourage joint assessment, integrated planning and implementation between sectors, where appropriate, moving towards an overall multi-sector integrated approach.
• Identify opportunities for the development of joint proposals and coordinate contributions from different IFRC members. Ensure the sound and effective implementation of strategic inter-agency projects and/or initiatives with governments, international agencies, non-governmental organizations and civil society.
• Ensure risk monitoring and management in accordance with risk management policy of IFRC.

Support to strengthen or establish coordination that strengthen the NS positioning and aligns with the new way of working of the Secretariat, Movement principles, contexts and values

• Support existing membership coordination and strengthen or sustain the existing counterpart system established for the purpose of the smooth implementation of the Federation wide international appeal in accordance with the new way of working of the secretariat.
• Alongside the Chad RC, build alliances and partnerships with other emergency actors to enhance the implementation of the emergency plan of action. Support, the Chad RC to enhance their position vis a vis national and international coordination mechanisms.
• Support IFRC technical leads to develop programme approaches which strengthen and develop the National Society’s structures, capacity and performance; analyze and understand their current strengths and weaknesses and to ensure provision of necessary technical and material support particularly in relation to the ongoing crisis.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

• Promote and assist the integration of humanitarian priorities and interventions within all relevant programming divisions in the NS and is aligned with NS priorities, capacities and sustainability.
• Ensure that the response and support deployed by IFRC under the Chad operation is based on frameworks and approaches that are consistent with or have considered national and international standards and guidelines, as well as IFRC policies, procedures and tools.
• Assist the NS, Movement and external partners in the achievement of planned outcomes and deliverables following quality standards, in a timely fashion, and within budgets
• Together with the NS and the Head of Delegation, represent IFRC in coordination meetings and forums, involving national authorities, national and international agencies, donors and other partners in the country.

Monitoring, evaluation, reporting

• Ensure a robust and coherent monitoring of the situation and its potential evolution and ensure that humanitarian interventions are responsive to current and emerging needs and threats but also remain fit for purpose. Ensure compliance with IFRC finance procedures and that expenditure is within income and approved ceilings and within donor earmarking requirements. Identify any problems and provide solutions in a timely and effective manner.
• Work with the regional Preparedness and Response unit and/or the broader HDCC Unit to develop, implement and review contingency planning for identified threats in operational areas, as well as the development of capacity within the NS for emergency response.
• Support the NS in developing and implementing operational standards, tools and procedures that ensure quality, consistency and sustainability of emergency response interventions.
• Support the NS in establishing effective systems and tools for emergency operation management, PMER, and information management for the operation at national and branch level as relevant.
• Ensure that planning, valuation and reporting requirements are met in a timely and efficient manner and engage with the PMER team or other support services to align with these requirements.
• Advise on the need for additional human resources and support deployments in coordination with country and regional IFRC offices, HR departments and/or surge desk.

Champion high quality accountability standards and ensure compliance with relevant policy and procedures.

• Ensure sound financial management is applied to all Federation-assisted programmes within the Chad RC,that budgets are monitored, and any problems are identified and solutions implemented in a timely and effective manner. This includes the responsibility to manage operational budgets to ensure that expenditure relating to IFRC-supported operations is within income and approved ceilings, in compliance with IFRC finance procedures and in line with donor earmarking requirements.
• Ensure that timely and accurate financial and narrative reports are prepared and are in line with requirements specified in the project agreement and/or standard Federation reporting guidelines.
• Oversee the design and implementation of a transition/exit strategy to a more sustainable approach based on NS preparedness and capacity building.

Education

Required

• Relevant university degree or extensive professional experience in disaster management, project management or related field or professional qualification in operations management

Preferred

• IMPACT, Basic Delegates Training Course
• Training/Qualifications in PMER or disaster management

Experience

Required

• At least 5 – 7 years of disaster management experience
• Experience in leading and managing complex operations programs in a humanitarian organization in developing countries and in complex emergencies or similar contexts, especially in Sahel or central Africa regions;
• A minimum of 3 years’ experience in setting up, leading and managing disaster response or preparedness programs or projects including field experience coordinating crisis management projects and activities such as floods and complex emergencies
• Experience leading and managing multi-national response teams and staff
• Experience in needs assessment, strategic planning and evaluation
• Good understanding of the humanitarian environment, strong analytical skills and capacity to translate analysis into strategy and planning
• A good track record of managing people, networking, influencing and negotiating and building relationships effectively.
• Experience with financial management to ensure compliance
• Experience in project cycle management including proposal development, budgeting and reporting, monitoring and evaluation

Preferred

• Work experience with RC/RC movement
• Good knowledge and relevant work experience in cash, food security and livelihood programs

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required

• Effective team and project management skills
• Good analytical skills and solution-oriented
• Good mentoring and capacity development skills
• Ability to work well in a multicultural team
• Excellent stress management skills
• Demonstrated technical expertise in strategic management, project planning and budgeting, resource management, implementation ability as well as programme monitoring and evaluation
• Excellent communication and inter-personal skills with the ability to represent the International Federation and to coach, mentor and influence people

Preferred

• Good knowledge of the region and the country targeted

Languages

• Fluently spoken and written in French and English
• Good command of another IFRC official language (Spanish, or Arabic) preferred

Competencies, Values and Comments

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability

Core Competencies: Communication; Collaboration and Teamwork; Judgement and Decision Making; National Societies and Customer Relations; Creativity and Innovation; Building Trust

Functional Competencies: Strategic orientation; Building alliances; Leadership; Empowering others

Managerial Competencies: Managing staff performance; Managing staff development.