Area Manager at Danish Refugee Council

About the job

Working under the Country Director, the Area Manager is responsible for program design and implementation, security management, managing support functions (i.e. Human Resources & Administration, Finance, IT/MIS and Supply Chain), partnership management, , fundraising and budgeting functions. You will enable a productive and accountable relationship with beneficiaries, communities’ leaders, representatives, relevant governmental authorities, NGOs, and UN Agencies. This role has an area focus and ensures compliance to DRC procedures and guidelines within the area.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be: 

Management

• Enable an effective team through result-oriented management systems, providing leadership, on-job capacity building and designing staff development strategies.
• Provide direct management of senior program, support services and security staff; provide overview management for the entire Dadaab/Garissa County team.
• Ensure proper communication mechanisms are in place to ensure effective and timely communication between staff and the Area Office Senior Management Team (i.e. Project Manager, Team Leaders and Support Services Officers).   
• Provide on-site support through frequent visits to project sites.
• Ensuring the implementation of DRC Risk Management policy at the area level. This includes regular assessment of contextual, programmatic and institutional risks and designing risk mitigation measures.

Safety & Security

• Ensure a safe and secure environment for DRC staff, beneficiaries and assets through: operationalizing DRC’s security procedures, providing safety and security analysis, recommendations and follow-ups.
• Organize regular staff training on the use of security systems and personal safety.
• Being the primary safety and security Leader in the area, supporting the Local Safety Officer in revising, adapting and implementing various protocols.
• Lead in the coordination of Covid 19 protocols in the Area with other stakeholders.

HR & Administration, Finance, IT and Supply Chain

• Ensure a proper support services function which is adequate to ensure program quality is in place.
• Ensure compliance to DRC, donor and national policies, rules, regulations and systems in a timely, responsible, documented, accurate & appropriate manner; ensures that support services are cost effective and efficient.
• Ensure a diverse and professional workforce through efficient, effective and transparent recruitment, evaluation and disciplinary processes.
• Ensure procurement is carried-out in a fair, transparent, effective and well documented manner.
• Supervising all financial reporting and financial procedures, including the monthly schedule for financial reporting, donor reporting and audits, cash flow and liquidity management. This includes maintaining a master budget for the Area Office and regular monitoring of expenditure against the master budget.
• Ensure that DRC Dynamics (ERP) system is fully used in the area office used in managing Supply Chain, Finance, HR and Grant Management.
• Accountable for people management of direct reports. This includes hiring, objective setting, probation, performance appraisal, development of staff, managing performance, including poor performance management, etc.

Program/Advocacy

• Ensure that programs are based on user-identified needs and resources of the targeted population, are well coordinated with other aid actors (including actors in Somalia), address lessons learnt (from DRC and other actors) and steered towards ensuring accountability to the people to whom the services/inputs are indented to serve.
• Ensure programs are developed, implemented and evaluated within clear monitoring systems and against clear people/program/finance planning that meets DRC and donor regulations and humanitarian and CHS principles.
• Advocate for the right of refugees based on evidence in consultation with the Country Director.

External relations

• Establish and maintain open and productive dialogue with the county government, relevant line ministries, community leaders, power brokers and relevant aid agencies, private businesses and donors.
• Attends and contributes to discussions, workshops, working groups and other forums where operations and other issues that may impact operations or the people DRC serves are discussed.  
• Manage donor relationships at area level.
• Primary DRC representative in the area of operation effectively participates and represents DRC in inter-agency and county/national government coordination meetings in order to strengthen DRC’s position

About you

To be successful in this role we expect that you possess the following:

Required

• Proven experience in strategic development and program design & writing, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation at least for 5 years.
• Advanced university degree in relevant field (international development/relations/law, or other related field) with at least 10-years relevant experience in both development and humanitarian sectors; coupled with at least 5-years’ experience managing large-scale multi-sector programming
• Practical and extensive supply-chain, finance and HR/Administration management experience with extensive knowledge of budget development/management, supply-chain and finance documentation, tracking and archiving; understanding of HR/administration and supply-chain principles and ethics.
• Result-oriented management experience of a large, diverse and dynamic team, and a commitment to good leadership. Must have a proven ability to foster teamwork and commitment to on-job training/support.
• Practical and proven skills in negotiation and conflict resolution with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Experience in security and safety management in highly dynamic security environments
• Analytical and problem-solving skills and an ability to work independently and as a team needed.
• Proven excellent communication skills and fluency in written and spoken English essential. Excellent report writing skills.

Desirable

• Experience in livelihoods/economic recovery including agriculture and NRM, protection (SGBV), community development and voluntary repatriation
• Experience with UNHCR, European Aid (ECHO, EU-TF), UNICEF, FCDO (formerly DFID) and BPRM guidelines