Deputy Head of Region for Middle East and Northern Africa Region (MENA)

Are you a strong humanitarian professional, interested in strategic business development and innovation? Then you might be our new colleagues, joining a great team in a new position, where you can help shape and influence the Danish Red Cross Mena strategic agenda and work?

The Danish Red Cross (DRC) is present in MENA through 5 permanent country offices: Syria; Lebanon; Iraq; oPT and Yemen, meanwhile supporting activities in Libya from remote and through technical visits. In the countries, where DRC works, it supports the Red Cross/Red Crescent (RCRC) National Societies (NS) in the fields of emergency response, resilience building, health, mental health and psychosocial support, youth action, migration and national society development. The annual expenditure in the region is approximately DKK 170 million.

The MENA regional office provides strategic leadership, high-risk management and business development along with technical advice and guidance, programme support, finance, administration and communication support to all the country offices. With a key focus on resource mobilisation, and business development more generally, MENA RO is aiming to further scale up the MENA portfolio through boosting internal and external partnerships for particular sectors (especially Health (NCD); Youth; Employability; Climate Change). The regional office also supports the priority countries’ resource mobilisation and more generally that country offices have the necessary expertise, volume, maximal impact, local anchoring and cost effectiveness of interventions

Responsibilities

The Deputy Head of Region position is a newly establish position within the Danish Red Cross Regional Office MENA with the overall purpose to deputize and support the Danish Red Cross Head of Region in strategic engagement and business development as well as representation towards Host National Societies, Movement and non-Movement partners, donors and other key stakeholders in the region.

The position as Deputy Head of Region (DHoR) has the overall purpose to deputize and support the DRC Head of Region (HoR) in strategic engagement, business development as well as representation towards Host National Societies, Movement and non-Movement partners, donors and other key stakeholders in the region. To that end, the DHoR will perform a key regional role in supporting the scale-up, efficiency, impact and localisation of the DRC interventions in MENA. Moreover, the DHoR will be responsible for overseeing the strategic relevance of support in countries where DRC is not permanently present and oversee progress and provide support to confirmed high-risk contexts or partnerships. In summery:

• Support the HoR in strengthening partnerships and networking with RCRC Movement Partners, including IFRC Partnership & Resource Mobilisation advisor, ICRC and PNSs of key importance.
• Engage and consult with external organisations in the region / countries with a view to explore potential synergies and explore ideas for potential areas of collaboration / consortia etc.
• Help position and promote DRC strategically towards relevant stakeholders in MENA, including UN, INGOs, private sector, academia and regional organisations as relevant
• Contribute to the continuous resource mobilization for the region, as requested through the request system and in coordination with advisors at HQ and in the region
• Support HoR (or CMs) in meetings with external partners / donors
• Prepare and update business development priorities mapping for the region
• Support CMs in business development ideas, in close coordination with Business Development and Innovation advisors.

The Deputy HoR will report to the DRC HoR for MENA and is member of the regional management team.

Experience and qualifications

You have a relevant academic background, e.g., master’s degree in social or economic sciences, development/humanitarian studies, or other relevant area with:

• Minimum of 10 years relevant work experience from humanitarian organisations in humanitarian and fragile or protracted crisis contexts
• Minimum of 6 years relevant international deployment to humanitarian and fragile or protracted crisis contexts (expatriate work experience)
• Experience with team leading and staff/team management is a strong asset
• Proven experience with business, idea and concept development within the humanitarian sector
• Proven experience on resource mobilisation with major donors/funds including EU/ECHO and Danida
• Proven experience on programme development and implementation through partner organisations
• Proven experience with project cycle and financial management of humanitarian progrqammes
• Experience with leading or being part of consortia of partners jointly implementing programmes
• Experience from the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement is an asset
• Working experience from MENA is an advantage
• Strong analytical skills
• Confident self-management in situations of stress and ability to work in demanding situations under pressure
• Excellent communication, coordination, networking and facilitation skills
• Results oriented, while patient and culturally sensitive
• Full proficiency in English speaking and writing is a strong requirement, Arabic will be an asset
• Possession of a valid driving licence

Employment Conditions

The ideal starting date is 1 December, and the length of the contract is 24 months with the possibility of extension, pending performance and results. The salary including all allowances and pension payment will be between DKK 53.000 – 58.000 per month, depending on qualifications and experience.

The duty station is Beirut, Lebanon. This is a family duty station. Travelling to programme areas within the region is required (Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Palestine is possible to the extent that the security situation permits (in accordance with ICRC/IFRC security regulations).

The MENA DHoR reports to the DRC Head of Region based at the MENA Office in Beirut, Lebanon.