Area Manager

Danish Refugee Council, one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently looking for a qualified and motivated Area Manager. DRC is implementing a multi-sector response to support Ukraine refugees, IDPs and host populations both within Ukraine and in the neighboring countries of Poland, Romania and Moldova and wider Europe.

Overall purpose of the role:

The Area manager’s prime objectives will be to provide leadership and management with a view to position DRC as the leading INGO in Poland on protection of displaced populations and people on the move, as well as the promotion of durable solutions, both directly and through partnership with CSO and national NGOs in Poland. Oversee the strengthening of DRC’s programme development, quality and accountability framework and to be a proactive partner in the wider Europe regional strategic and programme development processes.

Your main responsibilities will be:

Program Management

• Overall responsibility for the design, implementation and effective monitoring of projects and activities with refugees and host communities.
• Liaise with the DRC partners and monitor the implementation of the DRC funded project activities
• Overall responsibility for the financial viability of the operation
• Ensure effective monitoring, evaluation and documentation of all activities and processes, and that the analysis of data collected (at various levels) is proactively used to inform activity changes to improve program quality.
• Ensure the development and implementation of all activities in line with Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) and DRC program policies especially gender, age, ethnic background, and disability.
• Seek funding opportunities to scale up and/or expand activities working closely with the protection, CD, PMR Head of Program and relevant technical specialists. This includes identifying and undertaking assessments as well as writing concept notes and proposals.
• Closely coordinate with the senior management team ensuring regular information flows

Technical Program

• Engage strategically with all technical sectors and provide management and strategic input/oversight for all sectors of intervention.
• To facilitate linkages and support with the DRC Country Office in Ukraine, Moldova and Romania and the Regional Office in Europe.
• Oversee and provide strategic support to protection and programme teams

Representation and Relations

• Represent DRC with the regional/local governments, state and municipality stakeholders, institutional donors, UN bodies and non-government organizations as required and in relevant for a related to the coordination of the Polish response

Programme Development

• Lead the process of adapting DRC national strategy to the local context and circumstances
• Provide regular analysis on the context and humanitarian situation in the area for the development of project proposals and safety assessments in cooperation with the Head of Programme

Team Management

• Manage DRC Poland’s office in Warsaw, as well as all field offices in other areas of Poland
• Lead regular staff and management meetings at Poland level and ensuring inter-department co-ordination
• Manage direct reports to agreed job priorities and identify learning and development needs for program and support staff, under your direct and indirect supervision. Bring human resource/staff management issues to the Country Director for decisions.
• Ensure that DRCs code of conduct, reporting mechanism and complaint response mechanisms are well understood by staff and other stakeholders and are well functioning at the field level.

Safety

• Ensure a safe and secure environment for DRC staff, beneficiaries and assets by ensuring the local security procedures are up to date and SOPs are being followed in line with DRC policy

About You

To be successful in this position, we expect you to have a minimum of 7-10 years’ relevant experience in relevant field overseeing humanitarian and development multi-sector, multi-donor programmes- in complex environments and at least 5 years’ experience with people management. Moreover, we expect the following:

• Master’s degree in relevant subject or relevant technical qualification
• Demonstrated, strong experience in team management and capacity building and training of staff and target groups
• Proven experience working in complex emergency contexts, including provision of technical advice to field teams and programme development
• Excellent planning, management and coordination skills, with the ability to organise a substantial workload comprised of complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities and to delegate
• Practical and extensive financial, human resources and administration management
• Excellent communication skills in English, including ability to present complex technical information in a simple way
• Ability to understand and integrate protection issues
• Detailed knowledge of humanitarian principles, guidelines and standards
• Full professional proficiency in English

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: Focusing on reaching results while ensuring efficient processes.
• Collaborating: Involving relevant parties and encouraging feedback.
• Taking the lead: Taking ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: Listening and speaking effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We Offer

Contract length: until 29.02.2024 (with the possibility of extension depending on funding)

Band: E managerial

Duty base: Warsaw

Base salary range: from 26800 to 28157 PLN gross per month, depending on experience

Start date: March 2023

We offer a competitive salary and benefits in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for National Staff.