Bangladesh: Emergency Response Director

Position: Emergency Response Director (Country Director level)

Location: Cox's Bazaar

Reports to: Asia Regional Director

Duration: One Year Contract

About Us: Relief International is a leading nonprofit organization working in 20 countries to relieve poverty, ensure well-being and advance dignity. We specialize in fragile settings, responding to natural disasters, humanitarian crises and chronic poverty.

Relief International combines humanitarian and development approaches to provide immediate services while laying the groundwork for long-term impact. Our signature approach — which we call the RI Way—emphasizes local participation, an integration of services, strategic partnerships, and a focus on civic skills. In this way, we empower communities to find, design and implement the solutions that work best for them.

Position Summary: The Emergency Response Director will be based in Cox’s Bazar. He/she will be responsible for managing all support departments (Human Resources, Finance, Operations) and the Senior Program Manager; in charge of safety and security management in Cox’s Bazar; overseeing resource/funding mobilization, and donor relations; ensuring the field operation remains fully covered by grants/projects; and representing RI to donors, government, and coordination bodies/agencies; building relations and regularly engaging with new and current donors; and overseeing program development. He/she will need to work and coordinate closely with the Bangladesh Country Director. He/she will work under the supervision Asia Regional Director.

The post holder will need to possess strong communication skills and be able to maintain and build upon RI’s current relations with donors and local authorities. He/she will play a strategic role in program and proposal development and in the mobilization and effective scale up and management of RI emergency and development programs in Cox’s Bazar and possible other areas of the RI refugee response in Bangladesh, taking the lead in representing the organization to donors, local authorities, international and national humanitarian community, obtaining funding, and identifying and pursuing new program opportunities for the response. The post-holder will also develop and manage programs and support function staff and ensure that all relevant RI policies and procedures with respect to HR, safety and security, code of conduct, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures are in place, implemented and adhered to.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

Emergency Response Program Planning and Development

• Provide leadership and management of national and expatriate staff
• Oversee implementation and management of entire Cox’s Bazar program portfolio
• Supervise and support Senior Program Manager(s) to ensure all programs are completed within time, within budget, and achieve its objectives
• Oversee effective functioning of RI’s operations/logistics department to procure, store, distribute, and report stock, supplies and services for the timely delivery of project objectives.
• Oversee finance department and ensure payroll and cash payments to the field are completed on time, and costs for operational costs across grants are compliantly allocated across projects
• Ensure the timely preparation and accuracy of financial reports by working with financial accounting staff as required by RI and donors
• Ensure that the sub office maintains complete, up to date and accurate financial records and that records are adequately reported and stored
• Serve as budget holder for the entire operation, and oversee program managers who will be the responsible budget holders for program activities
• Review financial, HR, and procurement documentation to ensure all files are of high quality and ready for audit
• Provide indoctrination briefings to all incoming expatriate staff covering RI goals and objectives, country and program background, security and safety, and policies and procedures

Donor Engagement and Donor Relations

• Lead all donor engagement activities in Cox’s Bazar in collaboration with Sector Leads and the Senior Program Manager
• Proactively engage with current donors to ensure project continuation and expansion in 2019 and 2020
• Initiate regular donor meetings with current partners/donors and new donors to identify new potential opportunities for expansion and/or growth
• Lead proposal and budget negotiations with donors, ensuring strategic, programmatic, and financial relevance and feasibility
• Drive resource acquisition and program development initiatives to align with Cox’s Bazar’s program strategy
• Help ensure the continued diversity of RI’s funding streams and sector expertise through continued donor engagement efforts with new and existing donors

Personnel Management and Development

• Ensure that the hiring, promotion, firing and determination of compensation levels of national staff in accordance with local laws and practice
• As related to emergency programs, act as a Point of Contact for Child Protection, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Harassment, and Code of Conduct policies, and ensure staff and beneficiaries are oriented on reporting misconduct mechanisms.
• Ensure strong accountability to beneficiaries (e.g. serve as PSEA focal point, and ensure refresher trainings on code of conduct and PSEA are routinely conducted for all staff)
• Work with the CD and HR team the development & implementation of staff wellbeing (policy) and ensure appropriate staff wellbeing and R&R policy and processes in place, where applicable.
• Work with the CD to ensure that capacity building plans and performance management systems are in place to develop the requisite competencies in staff to ensure ongoing sustainability and quality of response into recovery phase.
• Coach and mentor international staff and national level counterparts and link in to wider organizational talent development mechanisms.

External Representation

• Represent RI’s emergency response on a national, regional and international level to donors, partners, relevant government bodies, the media and members of the humanitarian community.
• Help shape broader sector strategies through influence of and leadership within inter-agency coordination forums.
• Regularly undertake high-level representation and advocacy with governmental and non-governmental partners and officials, including UN and coordinating bodies, as well as donor representatives.

Security & Permissions

• Work with Country Director to ensure Cox’s Bazar operating permissions and registrations remain up-to-date
• Manage safety and security in Cox’s Bazar and ensure security guidelines are up to date and fully implemented

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS:

• This is a Country Director – Level position and demands a dynamic individual with a demonstrated ability to achieve results in a demanding, fast paced and often insecure environment.
• Extensive experience (over 7 years) of working within a senior management role within a complex country program in a complex emergency response or fragile state, preferably in a refugee or displacement context. Previous experience of working as a Country Director is highly preferred.
• Demonstrated strong project cycle management skills, inclusive of work plan/timeline/deliverables/and budget tracking and course correction.
• Absolutely essential is a strong understanding of UN and humanitarian coordination mechanisms.
• Proven expertise of leading in fundraising, seeking and securing new donors, successful donor communication/relations building.
• Evidence of understanding the challenges of donor and grant/contract management and the implications for program management
• Experience of managing large and complex, multi-donor, multi-sector programs (including ECHO, DFID and OFDA / USAID / BPRM) in a first phase response.
• Substantial experience in overseeing Finance, Operations, and Human Resource Departments and building/managing a diverse team
• Experience of international level representation with key stakeholders, and co-ordination with government, other NGOs/UN
• Experience of M&E and beneficiary accountability systems in large and complex programs
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• Commitment to the aims and principles of Relief International. In particular, a good understanding of the humanitarian mandate and principles.

RI Values:

We uphold the Humanitarian Principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and operational independence. We affirmatively engage the most vulnerable communities.

We value:

• Inclusiveness
• Transparency and Accountability
• Agility and Innovation
• Collaboration
• Sustainability

Please note: Due to the critical nature of this position, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and candidates will be processed prior to closing dates listed on any job board

Please submit your resume, cover letter and three supervisory references (with contact information) to:

http://chp.tbe.taleo.net/chp01/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=RI&cws=4&rid=1231