Base Manager – Kherson – National contract

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a leading protection agency with a mandate is to promote and protect durable solutions to conflict and displacement affected populations on the basis of humanitarian principles and human rights.

DRC has been operating in Ukraine since 2014, currently DRC employs over 650 staff in Ukraine and will continue significant scale-up in 2024 to implement emergency response in the Protection, Livelihoods, Shelter/NFIs and Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding (humanitarian mine action) sectors, using direct interventions, support to duty bearers and civil society organizations (CSOs), and partnerships with CSOs. DRC will continue and adapt its durable solutions portfolio to the evolving context.

DRC is currently looking for a highly qualified Base Manager to join our office in Kherson.

About the job:

Overall, the DRC Base Manager will be responsible for ensuring that the programme in Kherson Oblast (Ukrainian Government Controlled) at the field-office level is well-designed, donor compliant, efficient, resourced and respects DRC accountability principles (Core Humanitarian Standards). You will report to the South Area Manager and will be directly responsible for supporting programme implementation by setting up and managing efficient support and structures. The role is pivotal and requires active collaboration and coordination with programme managers and team leaders. The Base Manager remains accountable overall for activities in their area of responsibility.

Your main responsibilities will be:

Management and Leadership

• Provide stable and reliable leadership and guidance to all departments operating in the oblast. This includes troubleshooting and providing advice, recommendations and guidance as needed.
• Contribute to essential staff management functions including appraisals, recruitment, and disciplinary action.
• Supervise finance, admin, human resources, procurement, and logistics, ensuring that expenditure is compliant with DRC procedures, donors’ regulations, and national legislation.
• Assure the implementation and understanding by staff members of all accountability tools (i.e., CHS, Code of Conduct) in the field office.
• Ensure the safety and security of DRC staff and assets, in coordination with the safety team

Programming

• Maintain a robust understanding of their local context including understanding the needs, resources, and other actors in their area. Able to clearly articulate priority programmatic and geographic areas of intervention.
• Support and monitor programme staff planning of activities. For example, the Base Manager should support programmes to anticipate their procurement and finance needs based on their planned activities. The Base Manager should also routinely join field visits as an independent eye to monitor for quality, efficiency and effectiveness of DRC’s activities and help overcome challenges as needed.
• Promote the flow of information between support and programme functions, between field offices as well as between the field offices and the country office, ensuring decision makers have up to date relevant information and staff at all levels have an additional channel to have their voices and expertise heard.
• Support assessments and fact-finding missions to set up new or follow-up projects and provide support as needed to prepare concepts, and proposals and reports.

Finance and Administration

• Power of attorney and signing authority: sign binding agreements and other documents on behalf of the organization. This requires a high level of familiarity with policies, legislation, and internal discussions.
• Support with property management needs. This includes liaising with landlords and identifying new properties as needed.
• Ensure that budgets and budget lines allocated to the Base are designed in accordance with needs. Ensure that expenditures on the budgets and budget lines allocated to him/her are planned and effectively managed.

Representation and coordination

• Cultivate good relations with key humanitarian actors, including UN agencies, INGOs and donors, through regular attendance at coordination meetings/clusters and bilateral meetings. Maintain a strong contextual awareness of who is doing what in the area and up to date contacts to the greatest extent possible.
• Represent DRC as required. This includes supporting or leading visits from donors, authorities, etc.

Key stakeholders: (internal and external)

• Internal: Area Manager, Area Support Service Manager, Head of Operations, support teams
• Ukrainian Civil society organizations and affected communities
• Local authorities
• Other NGOs, UN agencies operational in the area

Roles reporting to this position

Reports to: Area Manager based in Kherson
Direct reports: Support and Program Team Leaders, Officers and Assistants based in Kherson

To be successful in this role we expect you to have a minimum of 3 years of management experience in an NGO or relevant areas.

Required experience and competencies:

• Strong people management and leadership skills (including to those not in management line)
• Fluency in Ukrainian and English (speaking, writing, reading) is essential
• Strong writing and public speaking skills in English and Ukrainian required and in Russian is beneficial.
• Experience and knowledge of good financial, procurement, safety and Human Resources practiced in Ukraine and in humanitarian organizations
• Experience in project management and proven organizational skills
• Experience dealing with national partners and local/government authorities
• Professional background in working with internally displaced persons and/or refugees

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: You uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer

• Contract: Open ended following the successful completion of an initial 3-month probation period.
• Band: F – managerial.
• Duty station: Kherson City, Kherson Oblast
• Start date: ASAP

Salary and conditions in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for National Staff.