Area Programme Manager – Dnipro

Location: Ukraine – Dnipro with travels to other office locations and the project sites.

Duration:12 months renewable

Conditions: Employment contract, gross monthly salary starting from € 5,000; Programme Management Allowance (up to 400 euros/month), Risks allowance of €500/month (High risks area), medical insurance and repatriation insurance and accommodation provided. Visa fees covered. Contribution to the luggage transportation up to €250. R&R (5 days and 2 travel days) every 8 – 12 weeks with an allowance of €1,000.

Annual leave of 28 days per calendar year.

CARE INTERNATIONAL

CARE International (CI) is among the world’s largest international non-governmental humanitarian relief and development confederations. Drawing on more than 75 years of experience, through its 21 Members, as both a practitioner and thought leader, CI’s work reaches over 100 countries worldwide to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice.

CARE’s vision is to seek a world of hope, inclusion, and social justice; where poverty has been overcome and people live in dignity and security. CARE focuses heavily on women and girls, and the areas of gender equality, diversity, and inclusion are at the center of our work because we know that we cannot overcome poverty and social injustice until all people have equal rights and opportunities. We recognize that power relations between people and within systems and structures are unequal and that these are entrenched in our broader systems, structures, and institutions.

At the core of the CI Confederation is a globally distributed Secretariat, which provides coordination and support to its members in areas including governance, strategic planning, communications, membership development and accountability, advocacy, humanitarian response, and program development. In addition, the Secretariat represents the CI Confederation at the United Nations and the European Union, and with other external stakeholders.

CONTEXT IN UKRAINE

On 24th February 2022, the invasion of Ukraine marked a significant escalation to the conflict that started in 2014. It continues to profoundly impact the lives of people across the country at various levels. The front line is continuously shifting and there are areas under Russian military control, as well as cities under siege. Attacks on military installations and critical civilian infrastructures are conducted in the whole territory of Ukraine, often resulting in collateral civilian casualties. The conflict has caused the largest population movement in Europe since World War II, with over 5 million currently displaced within Ukraine and 6 million refugees across Europe. OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) had counted 17.6 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.

At least one-third of the country’s energy infrastructure is damaged, leaving millions without heating and access to water. In October 2022, the Russian Federation claimed to have annexed four Ukrainian oblasts, further increasing the challenge of access to these areas. Therefore, an ongoing priority for the international humanitarian response is to reach newly accessible areas in the East and South, and to provide aid to previously unreachable and particularly hard-hit areas of Ukraine.

CARE UKRAINE

CARE prioritizes a locally led response and is partnering primarily with Civil-Society Organizations (CSOs), National NGOs (Non-Government Organization), local authorities, and when needed, INGOs (International Non-Governmental Organizations) with a longstanding presence in the country and access to hard-to-reach areas. CARE Ukraine deliberately and strategically prioritizes partnerships with local and national Women Led and Women Rights organizations (WLO’s/ WRO’s), further strengthening the Gender in Emergencies (GiE) principle and the Women Lead in Emergencies (WLiE) approach.

In the first few weeks after the escalation of the war, virtually all humanitarian aid inside Ukraine was organized and implemented by local actors. These groups (together with local authorities) remain the principal aid providers but are quickly being exhausted of funds, fuel, and physical energy. Thereby, a considerable proportion of CARE’s resources is dedicated to strengthening and supporting the capacities of local partners.

As of October 2023, CARE Ukraine has established partnerships with over twenty local/national organizations (incl. WLO’s/WRO’s). From the more than 45 million that have been raised for Ukraine thus far, more than half is allocated to local/national partners. Through the activities that have been implemented so far, CARE Ukraine has been able to reach more than 800,000 people, including IDPs and affected populations in hard-to-reach areas.

While CARE Ukraine’s country office is currently located in Lviv, we also have a coordination office in Kyiv as well as area offices in Dnipro and Odessa, covering both the East and South of the country.

Role Objectives:

Overall, the Area Programme Manager is responsible for following up the implementation and the monitoring CARE’s projects in the assigned area of intervention (Dnipro– Eastern Ukraine).

Under the management of the Area Director, the APM will ensure sector and geographical integration of all projects, with a specific focus on mainstreaming gender and protection, as well as developing reliable and fair partnerships. S/he will be involved in grant/contract management, donor liaison, proposal development and all program implementation-related activities. S/he will also ensure the representation of CARE at area level through existing coordination mechanisms. S/he will identify opportunities of collaboration with other actors.

The Area Programme Manager reports to Area Director with a doted line to the Deputy CD for Programme Implementation.

The main responsibilities include:

Programme Implementation

• Lead the quality program implementation and program development in Dnipropetrovska, Kharkivska and Donetska oblast
• Ensure that gender and protection-related matters are mainstreamed in all projects
• Collaborate with the Emergency Response Manager to identify critical emergencies, define emergency response plans and take over the implementation of the activities after the emergency phase
• Responsible for holistic and integrated programme implementation in the field, taking into consideration quality, cost efficiency, and targeting beneficiaries most in need.
• Contribute to a sustainable programming and co-implementation and/or implementation of partner organizations
• Contribute to planning and implementation of needs assessment, particularly in new areas of operation
• Identify risk areas to delivery of projects and coordinate solutions and mitigation measures in a timely manner. Contribute to the innovative solutions to programe challenges.
• Responsible for area-specific inputs to local strategies, including contingency plans and emergency plans
• Oversight of implementation of projects, including targets and budgets, in coordination with all relevant peer managers
• Coordinate with grant managers for the start-up, grants opening and grants closing meeting. Ensure that project staff, including partners, have access to all relevant documentation, tools and reports required for the implementation of the projects
• Lead monthly project reviews implemented by the Area Office to ensure quality and timely implementation according to workplans, with appropriate levels of spending throughout the project duration
• Maintain oversight of monthly progress again project indicators and ensure reported figures are accurate and in-line with workplans.

Representation

• Represent CARE Ukraine at Coordination Meetings, as delegated by the Area Director
• Represent CARE in area level sector coordination meetings, cluster meetings and other working groups
• Coordinate with donors and other stakeholders in Dnipro, Kharkiv and Sloviansk in coordination with Area Director

Partnerships:

• In coordination with Area Director and relevant peer managers; coordinate, maintain and manage effective relationships with national partners
• Under the guidance of the DCD for Programme Implementation, manage CARE Ukraine’s partnership strategy and ensure that it is integrated within the programme.
• Ensure coordination with the programme and finance staff during the supervision, monitoring and evaluation of the partnership projects and sub-grants.
• Support in the preparation of technical grants agreement.

Staff Management

• Responsible for the supervision of the Field Program Coordinator, MEAL Officer, and Program Officers (Gender & Protection, Women Lead in Emergencies, CASH, Site Engineer), ensuring that all deadlines are met and that work is of suitable quality
• Ensure performance objectives and key performance indicators are established and regularly reviewed for direct reports
• Identify needs for capacity development for the team
• Provide systematic capacity building to the team
• Support Area Director in ensuring sufficient staffing structures are in place for the program teams to ensure successful delivery of the programs in the field

Contract Management & Reporting:

• Proactively identify and pursue opportunities to expand CARE work in Ukraine
• Ensure that robust information management, data collection and reporting systems are in place for CARE activities falling under the responsibility of Area Office East
• Ensure that all activities are implemented in line with donor requirements and in accordance with CARE standards, rules and regulations.
• Under the lead of the Business Development Unit, contribute to the production of high-quality proposals, reports and case studies related to the programme
• Ensure high-quality internal and donor programmatic reports are submitted in a timely manner

Health, Safety and Security:

• Where required, support the Area Director and Security Coordinator in maintaining oversight of project health, safety and security plans, policies, and controls to ensure the safety and security of CARE staff, assets, and resources.

Requirements

Mandatory criteria for longlisting

• Minimum 5 years of experience in managing humanitarian programme with international NGOs in complex and conflict-affected contexts
• Minimum 5 years of Program Development and Implementation
• Minimum 3 years in managing acute emergency crisis, including rapid response mechanisms

Expected

• Excellent knowledge in project cycle management, essentially in emergency settings
• Proven experience in humanitarian advocacy and networking with duty bearers (negotiation and influence skills)
• Skills and knowledge of financial, procurement, safety and HR practices in Ukraine and in humanitarian organizations
• Proven experience in developing partnerships with national aid organizations, CBOs, CSOs and/or WROs
• Proficiency in English, Ukrainian and or Russian would be an asset
• Computer skills (including Excel and Word)
• Excellent interpersonal and diplomatic skills
• Good organizational skills
• Leadership skills and ability to make decisions in difficult situations
• Capacity to work under a high level of stress
• Adaptation capacities to dynamic context
• Trustworthiness and sense of responsibility
• Organizational skills, reactivity, ability to be thorough and to adapt

Accountability within CARE:

A commitment to CARE values and CARE’s integrity framework is critical to working with CARE. Any candidate offered a job with CARE will be expected to adhere to the following key areas of accountability:

• Comply with CARE’s policies and procedures with respect to safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, confidentiality, do no harm principles and unacceptable behaviour protocols.
• Report any concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult or any wrongdoings within our programming area.
• Report any concerns about inappropriate behaviour of a CARE staff or partner.

Safeguarding:

Children and vulnerable adults who come into contact with CARE as a result of our activities must be safeguarded to the maximum possible extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury, and any other harm. One of the ways that CARE shows this on-going commitment to safeguarding is to include rigorous background and reference checks in the selection process for all candidates.

Gender equality:

CARE is committed to meeting the standards of the CARE International Gender Policy (2019). Through this policy, CARE seeks to promote the equal realization of dignity and human rights for girls, women, boys and men in all diversities, and the elimination of poverty and injustice. Specifically, this policy seeks to improve the explicit incorporation of gender in programmatic and organizational practices.