Base Manager – 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 Sloviansk.

About the job:

Overall, the DRC Base Manager will be responsible for ensuring that the programme in the Donetska (Ukrainian Government Controlled) area of operation at the field-office level is well-designed, donor compliant, efficient, resourced and respects DRC accountability principles (Core Humanitarian Standards). They will report to the Kharkiv 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

• The base manager is expected to provide stable and reliable leadership and guidance to all departments operating in the oblasts. This includes troubleshooting and providing advice, recommendations and guidance as needed.
• Base Manager may contribute to essential staff management functions of other departments including supporting appraisals, recruitment, 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 (ie, 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. They should be 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.

Roles reporting to this position

Base Manager reports to: Area Manager based in Kharkiv
Direct reports: Support roles from the start and likely programme roles in the future; this may change over time.

To be successful in this role we expect you to have minimum 3 years of management experience in an INGO 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. Salary and conditions in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for National Staff.

Duty station: Sloviansk, Kramatorsk or surrounding area (TBD), Donetska oblast

Start date: ASAP

Further information

For information about our work and organisation, please visit our website https://drc.ngo/ and FB page https://www.facebook.com/DRCinUA