Area Coordinator at Cooperazione Internazionale

Description of the role

• The Project Area Coordinator / PM is responsible for the project’s execution, in technical, economic/financial terms, and in terms of resources management on field, in compliance with COOPI and the donor’s procedures. S/he will have direct responsibilities on project coordination and implementation, ensuring to reach the expected results on time, on budget, on quality, in reference to the project funded by the donor. S/he will ensure good representation of the Organisation with a variety of stakeholders and third parties and guarantee compliance to Standard Operating Procedures for safety, security and general operations.

Main responsibilities

Activity planning and management

• in cooperation with the project staff, s/he plans and monitors the activities’ progress, in compliance with the contract signed with the donor and with COOPI and the donor’s procedures;

Administrative and financial management

• in collaboration with the Project Administrator/Administrative Coordinator, plan all expenditures to make;
• regularly monitor all made expenditures;
• supervise accounting and the project cash safe/bank account management and, where there was no dedicated staff, directly manage the accounting and the project cash safe/bank accounts, making use of the instruments made available by the organization;
• in cooperation with the Project Administrator and in coordination with the Country LOG/Administrative Coordinator prepare the Purchases Plan;
• ensure the organization and donor’s procedures respect when purchasing goods and services.

Reporting

• in coordination with the Programme and Administration Unit, ensure the preparation, in compliance with the deadlines, of all financial and narrative reports – interim and final – expected by the project;
• be responsible for the preparation of all formal communication and contract modifications requests of the project managed.

Staff Management

• in coordination with the Head of Mission and in compliance with the country’s rules/laws and with the COOPI’s regulation in the country, select the local staff to be employed in projects, and manage any other assigned project’s expatriate staff;
• by making use of the organization’s tools evaluate the local staff employed for projects and participate to the evaluation of the project, upon request by his/her direct supervisor;
• coordinate and supervise the work done by all the project staff, in compliance with the organization’s security procedures;
• be responsible for the initial and continuous training of the local staff under his/her responsibility.

Goods management

• be responsible of the correct management of all goods purchased for the project, both directly and purchased by other offices/field offices;
• for all goods purchased by the project update the inventory, in cooperation with the Administrative Coordinator.

Institutional relations

• in relation to the project of his/her competence, communicate with the donors’ officers, the local authorities which are competent in the aspects related to the project, the project’s partners and beneficiaries, in compliance with the organization’s guidelines.

Security

• manage the security implementation plan in program areas in all its aspects, including supervision of security guidelines implementation by COOPI staff in charge and emergency and evacuation procedures;
• coordinate regular collection of information from areas of intervention;
• prepare security reports and timely inform the Country Director on security matters.

Requirements

Essentials

• Advanced degree in International Development, Business administration, Social Science or related subject;
• Three years' experience in the humanitarian field as project manager and/or area coordinator or in a similar position;
• Demonstrated experience in fragile context, including assistance to IDPs, refugees and returnee's;
• Experience of working within an insecure environment with responsibility for security planning, monitoring and management;
• Strong analytical and practical problem-solving skills;
• Strong supervisory abilities, and demonstrated capacity of teamwork and of coordination with the relevant actors;
• Experience in remote management of team;
• Very good inter-personal and writing communication skills;
• Problem-solving ability and ability to organize work efficiently and deliver assignments in a timely manner often under time constraints;
• Proficiency in written and spoken English;
• Computer literacy, with high proficiency in the use of standard office software applications (e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint).

Desired

• Experience in a similar context, particularly in Sudan;
• Previous experience in UNHCR, ECHO, OCHA projects management is an asset;
• Arabic would be an advantage;
• Previous experience with COOPI.