Country: Bangladesh
Closing date: 20 Jun 2016
Posted on: 26/04/2016
Desired start date: 15/07/2016
Duration of the mission: until 31/12/2016, renewable according to funds for 2017
Location: Based in Teknaf with frequent visits to Cox’s bazar
About the mission:
Solidarités International has now been present in Bangladesh since 2007 and the overall country operational objective for 2016 is to improve living conditions and resilience capacity of the most vulnerable persons to natural disaster, climate change and to discrimination (migrants, refugees, urban and rural poor).
Solidarités International’s strategy axes in Bangladesh are the following:
- Provide life-saving assistance to respond to natural and man-made disasters whilst advocating for the effectiveness of the humanitarian system. This addresses the Myanmar refugee’s crisis in Cox's Bazar District
- Strengthen communities' DRR capacities targeting both rapid and slow-onset disaster risks in SW coastal Belt, CXB and potentially those which benefited from an ER by SI.
- Provide access to WASH services for vulnerable communities of Coastal Belt, CXB, urban slums and potentially those which benefited from an ER by SI.
- Strengthen livelihood resilience and food security of vulnerable communities of Khulna, Teknaf and potentially those which benefited from an ER by SI.
SI expertise allows the mission to intervene both in emergency and recovery situations, and gradually integrate interventions aiming at fostering long term resilience of populations in disaster prone areas. SI is currently involved in:
- A WaSH intervention in Cox bazaar which aims at improving access to WaSH to refugees and host communities and reduce the potential tensions related to the scarcity of resources in this area.
- Resilient Livelihoods and Climate Change Adaptation project in Satkhira District, Bangladesh
- Develop a strategy to increase its capacity to respond to emergencies
The mission has currently 3 bases : Dhaka, Satkhira and Teknaf
- 4 expatriates: Country Director, Field coordinator in Teknaf, Administrative Coordinator and Program coordinator.
- 83 national staff
About the job:
The Field Coordinator has the role of delegated Head of Mission for a region of a country in which Solidarités International intervenes.
He proposes a regional strategy according to the geopolitical and humanitarian context, and ensures its implementation once validated.
He checks and ensures that projects are carried out in accordance with the Solidarités International charter, respecting all internal and contractual procedures.
He mobilizes the material and financial resources necessary for programs to run smoothly, and supervises resource management.
He coordinates the teams in place and is responsible for their security in his/her assigned zone.
He is the Head of Mission's direct contact and representative.
Specific context of the post:
Teknaf is one of the least developed areas of Bangladesh, resulting from demographic pressure, poverty and the social inequality. It is also highly vulnerable due to frequent occurrence of natural disasters. The most common natural hazards that affect this area are floods, cyclones and landslides during the monsoon season and drought during the winter season. This combination of factors has a negative impact on population wellbeing, its livelihoods and on the basic need coverage; and puts extreme pressure on existing socio-economic systems and scarce natural resources.
Because of its geographical location, Teknaf also faces the Rohingya refugee situation, which is one of the most protracted in the world, after more than 20 years of continuous camp settlement.
Bangladesh hosts between 200,000 and 500,000 Rohingya who have been fleeing from Rakhine State in Myanmar since 1978. Presently, approximately 32,000 Rohingya are officially recognized by the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and they reside in the two official UNHCR camps of Kutupalong and Nayapara in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar District. As per the last available estimate, 46,000 unregistered live near the official camps, forming two settlements called the Kutupalong Makeshift Camp (KMC) and the Leda makeshift camp. The remaining hundreds of thousands of unregistered are dispersed over villages and towns in south-eastern districts of Bangladesh, particularly in Teknaf where Government estimate that they exceed the number of existing local population.
The unregistered live without any legal status or recognition and inadequate access to basic services. Both Rohingya in Bangladesh and the host populations are extremely vulnerable, with below national average access to health care, safe water and sanitation, and a very high prevalence of malnutrition.
Teknaf is one of the most vulnerable geographic areas for several reasons: the under-development of the Upazila, the protracted displacement situation of the Rohingya population as well as the other aggravating factors like flash floods affecting the population each year.
Your profile
Qualification :
- Post graduate level in development / humanitarian studies (desirable but can be balanced by experience)
Experience :
- Substantial experience in a similar or management position in an overseas INGO environment, ideally in both emergency and longer-term contexts
- Experience of strategic planning
- Experience of managing and training teams
- Strong leadership skills
- Flexibility and ability to work within different cultural and political environments
- Ability to adapt to isolated and potentially insecure environments
- An understanding of and commitment to Solidarites’ mission and values
Technical skill and competence:
- Representational skills, Ability to liaise, local authorities, NGOs, other agencies and donors
- An ability to reflect on and learn from own performance and the performance of the program; and to act upon that learning
- A good understanding of security management
- A good understanding of humanitarian issues including refugees, protection, DRR and climate change issues
- Ability to write/edit quality reports in English
- Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office
- Ability to manage and prioritize a high workload and multiple tasks with tight deadlines
Personal quality:
- An ability to analyze information quickly and accurately
- Ability to take decisions and work in autonomy
- Diplomacy and strong communication skills
Language : good communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English
Desirable:
- Previous experience in South Asia could be a plus
- Previous experience with SI is a plus
We offer
SI will offer you:
A salaried post: according to experience from 2000 euros gross per month, plus 10% annual leave allowance paid monthly, and a monthly Per Diem of 350 USD.
Social and medical cover: Expatriates benefit from an insurance package which reimburses all healthcare expenses (including medical and surgical expenses, dental care and ophthalmological expenses, repatriation) and a welfare system including war risks. Essential vaccination and antimalarial treatment costs are refunded.
Vacation: During the assignment, a system of alternation between work and time off is implemented at the rate of one break every three months. For a one-year assignment, the expatriate will have a 7-day break during the 3rd and the 9th month (with 500 euros allocated by Solidarités). He or she will also be entitled to go back to his or her home country for a 14-day period after six months spent on the mission (Solidarités will cover travel costs).
For further information about SI, please consult our website: http://www.solidarites.org/en/
Contact : Anna FRANGI, Expatriate Human Ressources Officer
How to apply:
Application process
Does this description fit you? Please send us your CV and Cover letter in English. CV only applications will not be considered.
NB : The vacancy may close before the deadline. Thank you for your comprehension