Bangladesh: Emergency Operations Coordinator

Organization: Handicap International
Country: Bangladesh
Closing date: 05 Jan 2018

Outraged by the injustice faced by people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, we aspire to a world of solidarity and inclusion, enriched by our differences, where everyone can live in dignity. Handicap International is an independent and impartial aid and development organisation working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. We work alongside disabled and vulnerable people to help meet their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.

For further information about the association: http://www.handicap-international.org

Present in more than 55 countries, Handicap International is composed of 2 operational directions:

The Direction of Humanitarian Action (DAH)
The Direction of Development Action (DAD)

CONTEXT OF THE MISSION

Handicap International (HI) has been working in Bangladesh since 1997, with a focus on creating sustainable changes in terms of ensuring rights and inclusion of people with disabilities in society. Currently HI Bangladesh is present in 4 sites: in Sitakunda, Chittagong; in Teknaf and Ukhiya in Cox’s Bazar; and in Kurigram.

HI promotes an inclusive approach by focusing on access to services for all whenever possible rather than developing specific actions for people with disabilities. HI works not only with people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations, but also with their families, their communities, and the society. Since 2007 Handicap International in Bangladesh has been particularly active in the field of physical rehabilitation, Inclusion and Mainstreaming activities. Over the years, Handicap International has gained significant experiences in supporting the disability movement in the country especially by working with Disabled Peoples’ Organizations (DPOs). It has provided significant support to these organizations to become independently capable to actively and efficiently advocate for the rights of people with disabilities especially in the areas of Health, Education, Livelihoods, and Protection.

Due to the scale of the crisis in Cox’s Bazar, HI has expanded its existing response in order to accommodate emergency needs. In this context, HI is conducting the following activities through mobile units and static points to Rohingya refugees and host communities:

Provision of rehabilitation services
Provision of psychological support
Distributions of NFIs (shelter kits, wash kits, hygiene kits, protection kits) and food items
Referrals to specialized protection services (SGBV and child protection services) and dealing with other protection issues (mainstreaming disability, gender and age)

GLOBAL OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION

To provide overall coordination and oversight of HI’s humanitarian response in Cox’s Bazar Area in Bangladesh. Under the direct responsibility and support of the Program Director, you will be responsible for:

Development and implementation of HI’s operational strategy for humanitarian response in Cox’s Bazar area Provide overall supervision and oversight of all HI’s programming in Cox’s Bazar area Ensuring external representation at district level in relevant sector meetings, and replace the Area Manager when needed in his/her representation duty Provide advice to the Project Managers in the implementation and monitoring of projects Ensure the coordination and standardization of the programme across bases, reviewing management systems and proposing appropriate improvement Coordinate strongly with the Technical Unit Coordinator and Technical Advisors on qualitative aspects of programming (including staff training) Conduct regular global meetings and workshops on operational aspects of the program in the area Management and guidance of the HI operations team under your responsibility In coordination with the support services department, hold overall responsibility for operational compliance with donor and HI guidelines and procedures Regular analysis of progress against operational outputs and monthly budget reviews (in coordination with the Support Services department), and corrective action taken when necessary Line-manager: Program DirectorFunding body(ies): Multiple donors Size of team: 15 international staff / 150 national staffNumber of persons directly managed: 7 The complete job description will be shared with short-listed candidates.

PROFILE SOUGHT

Education:

Bachelor’s degree / Master’s degree

Experiences:

At least 4 years of professional experience in humanitarian / emergency contexts
At least 3 years of experience in senior management of programs
Previous experience in the region would be an asset
Previous experience with Handicap International would be an asset
Solid work experience one or more core sectors is a strong asset: health/rehabilitation (physical rehabilitation, psychosocial support), emergency responses (food / NFI distributions, logistics support) and disability, age and gender inclusion.

Competencies:

Excellent English mandatory (oral and written)
Good understanding of proposal development and donors’ guidelines
Strong computer skills (use of MS Word, Excel, Outlook and other relevant software).
Bengali and/or French an asset

Personal qualities: