Position Description Bangladesh Country Manager

Transcription

1 Position Title: Bangladesh Country Manager Department: International Programs Location: Cox s Bazar with regular travel to Dhaka Reports to: Director, International Programs Classification Classification 6 Employment type: Full-time, 3 months with an opportunity to extend for 3 months Version and last date: March 2018 Background to Rohingya Crisis Since 25 August 2017, more than 671,000 Rohingya refugees have fled Myanmar and sought safety in Cox s Bazar. The people and the Government of Bangladesh have responded with resounding solidarity. The Government sprang into action, assisted by humanitarian actors, including local and national non-governmental organisations (NGOs), international NGOs and the United Nations, all of whom have stepped in to offer their support and expertise. The scale and speed of the influx has had wide reaching consequences for the refugees, the communities that have welcomed them and the surrounding environment. While the refugees have shown resilience in the face of extreme adversity, they have suffered profound trauma and continue to require support to address their urgent needs. In addition, the magnitude of the crisis has placed an enormous burden on the host communities in Cox s Bazar. RedR Australia has rapidly deployed 14 technical experts to seven UN agency partners through the Australia Assists program to support the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh. With more than half of these deployments lasting for six months, this will equate to 63 months of expert humanitarian support to the Rohingya refugee response between September 2017 and April RedR deployments to Bangladesh since September 2017 have been broadly but not exclusively focused in three areas; coordination, shelter and protection. RedR s support to these sectors will remain important but our support is likely to evolve and expand over the coming months as the humanitarian situation likewise evolves. The rest of 2018 poses serious threats to the Rohingya population based in the camps. Congested living conditions continue to foster risks such as disease outbreaks and fires. Rain and the coming monsoon season will cause flooding and landslides. The likelihood of such crises within the crisis exacerbates the already incredibly difficult circumstances faced by the refugees. The complexities of responding to an emergency involving the rapid arrival of almost 700,000 people into a small area in the south-east corner of the country require joint efforts: continued financial support underscored by the principle of burden sharing, continued international engagement to search for solutions and continued collaboration between the humanitarian community and the authorities to deliver support to the refugees and host communities. RedR Australia RedR Australia is a not-for-profit humanitarian organisation that relieves suffering in disasters by: Maintaining a humanitarian roster of highly skilled personnel for United Nations agencies and other organisations to call on for emergency and disaster relief work; Providing humanitarian training to professionals and technical experts who wish to participate in humanitarian work and to aid workers wishing to enhance their skills. Position Summary The position will report to the Director, International Programs, and will oversee the implementation of RedR Australia programs in the South Asia region with a specific focus on Bangladesh and Myanmar in light of the ongoing crisis. Position: Regional Coordinator South Asia Page 1 of 5

2 The Bangladesh Country Manager will ensure program quality and provide regional reports based upon consolidated insights to the Senior Management Team (SMT) for further dissemination as needed. The Bangladesh Country Manager will play an integral role in establishing and nurturing current relationships within the region. Through engagement with stakeholders triangulation of analyses of the evolving crisis the Bangladesh Country Manager will contribute to ensuring REDR is fit for the future in South Asia region. The Bangladesh Country Manager seeks opportunities to extend REDR s influence through responding to the needs of its partners and contributing to saving lives and reducing suffering. Capitalizing on the capacity of local NGOs and human resources within Bangladesh will be prioritized in RedR s future planning. Due to the nature of the role, ability to travel is an inherit requirement. Key Responsibilities Regional Coordination Act as RedR representative within the region and manage a portfolio of key stakeholder relationships with support and direction of the Director, International Programs. Lead a scoping exercise over a three-month period to identify gaps, opportunities, and the potential future role for RedR and its partners in the region. Oversee the implementation of RedR program in Bangladesh and Myanmar and compliance and duty of care for deployed staff. Engage with existing and new RedR partners (UN,NGOs, GoB, local authorities) and support defining their needs through to the requests and ToRs. Monitor and define impact of deployments, based upon MEAL framework. Visit camps for displaced population to engage with stakeholders to understand the operating context. In Bangladesh / Myanmar context, ensure RedR activities comply with Government policies in relation to operation of INGOs and deployment of international staff and respects and contributes to fulfilling commitment to localisation. All actions should be cognizant of Anan report August 2017, Government and UN strategies. Stakeholder Liaison Build and maintain strong professional relationships with key humanitarian agencies including Government agencies, DFAT and DFID Posts, UN, INGOs, LNGOs to a develop shared understanding of evolving context and where resources can have greatest impact through joint field trips, regular meetings. Develop Regional management support network to share regional lessons, coordination, and capacity building. Liaise closely with RedR s operational services and humanitarian agencies, INGOs, LNGOs, UN and potential new REDR partners to support them to define current and longer term needs and agree the best approach to addressing them through a range of targeted deployments, tailor made training in country/region for individual or number of partners. Harmonisation participate in relevant meetings, donor conferences, cluster meetings; Identify new talent in-country to join RedR Roster. Feed context relevant information to the International Programs team with analysis and recommended actions. Support to RedR Deployees Liaising closely with International Programs Team, support deployed staff in managing workplace and personal issues to ensure they complete their deployment both to their own satisfaction and that of their host organization thereby strengthening RedR s reputation. Recognize the likelihood of exposure of deployees to people who have experienced severe trauma and provide access to appropriate support. Position: Regional Coordinator South Asia Page 2 of 5

3 Emergency/Critical Incident Coordination Manage escalated critical incidents and other sensitive or challenging issues. Liaise with RedR Incident Management Team (IMT) to facilitate operational evacuations and/or repatriations. Working with the Manager Risk, Safety and Security, support and strengthen internal mechanisms for managing local/ regional critical incidents and manage local external providers as required. Develop and/or revise Country Notes. Complete and record all required administrative procedures in a timely manner. Strategic Leadership Lead and support the IDCC program based on an ethos of collaboration, co-operation and mutual support. Lead an environment based on shared accountability and effective knowledge sharing. Develop people capability and support the integration of organisational strategy and values. Provide leadership and ongoing coaching/mentoring to staff performance and development. Manage and ensure that team adhere to policy and procedure including performance management framework. Manage that work practices comply with Work Health and Safety standards. In consultation with HR, implement a staff succession and development plan. Link with host organization security management plans. Position: Regional Coordinator South Asia Page 3 of 5

4 Qualification, Knowledge, Experience and Essential Requirements Qualifications and Essential Requirements Essential: Relevant tertiary qualification in Development Studies, International Relations, Business or related area and/or substantial international professional experience in these fields Willing to undertake travel Fluent in spoken and written English to a high professional/academic standard Satisfactory Police Check Other Special Requirements: Due to the nature of the role, the role will require international travel. Willingness to travel to post-conflict and high-risk environments as required The incumbent may need to undertake after-hours work and travel on weekend Knowledge and Experience Required: years experience in similar role, or in international programs management and/or coordination Demonstrated experience in stakeholder management Experience in managing and overseeing the operations across the region to achieve quality outcomes, compliance consistent with organisational plans Experience in monitoring, evaluation and learning in humanitarian programs. Excellent theoretical knowledge of regional areas (e.g. Africa, Asia, Pacific, Middle East, etc.) and a proven ability to operationalise this theory Considerable experience dealing with complex personnel and security issues across multiple geographies and cultures, including the demonstrated ability to coordinate other specialists to complete joint projects Successful track record in contract management and managing multiple service providers Exceptional communication skills for explaining complex security concerns, policies, protocols, and procedures to senior management, employees, consultants, volunteers and consistently apply them at all levels Proven ability in strong stakeholder management across a range of sectors including the community, government, NGO and private sector Experience working in cross-cultural environments and proven people management experience including leading, mentoring, training and facilitation skills Proven capacity for report writing, including incident reporting and donor reporting Desirable: Experience and understanding of the not-for-profit humanitarian and development sectors is advantageous Proficiency in one of the official languages of the UN (other than English) Skills and Attributes The occupant of this position must exhibit the following: Excellent analytical, statistical skills and the ability to summarize complex information in a clear and concise manner Excellent research and data collection methodology skills Computer skills (Intermediate or Advanced) in word processing, presentations, spread sheets and databases Strong organisational skills with the ability to multi-task and monitor work flow priorities to meet deadlines Ability to work under pressure, together with flexibility to respond to peaks in activity Demonstrated ability in the development of / building internal / external partnerships, including at strategic/ management level with heads of UN/(I)NGO agencies and government department leads Ability to network, communicate cross-culturally and build/ maintain relationships with people from a range of backgrounds Ability to work autonomously with a high level of personal initiative and use sound judgment Position: Regional Coordinator South Asia Page 4 of 5

5 Ability to lead a team and supporting effective change management Foster a learning and continuous improvement environment Position: Regional Coordinator South Asia Page 5 of 5