Deputy Regional Director for Emergencies- HQ

Deputy Regional Director for Emergencies- HQ

INTERSOS is an independent humanitarian organization that assists the victims of natural disasters, armed conflicts and exclusion. Its activities are based on the principles of solidarity, justice, human dignity, equality of rights and opportunities, respect for diversity and coexistence, paying special attention to the most vulnerable people.

Terms of reference

Job Title: Deputy Regional Director for Emergencies

Code: SR-00-8328

Duty station: Rome HQ

Starting date: 01/08/2023

Contract duration: 12 months

Reporting to: Regional Director for Emergencies

Supervision of: N/A

Dependents: Family duty station

General context of the project

INTERSOS is a humanitarian organization founded in 1992, working on the frontlines of crisis situations. In its countries of operation, INTERSOS intervenes to assist the most vulnerable populations affected by conflicts, extreme exclusion, and natural and manmade disasters in challenging and hard-to-reach areas, where the humanitarian needs continue to be the greatest and where the humanitarian presence is often weak. In such contexts, INTERSOS focuses on providing forcibly displaced populations and host communities with life-saving humanitarian assistance, in the areas of Protection, Health & Nutrition, as well as WASH and FSL.

INTERSOS operations are guided by its Charter of Values and by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence. Every intervention is characterized by the centrality of the human being, the principle from which INTERSOS values descend. Specifically, INTERSOS is borderless, impartial, independent, sensitive to local cultures, attentive to local capacity, professional in solidarity, and transparent. INTERSOS also adheres to the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief.

We recognize diversity as a core value for the Organization, in line with its fundamental principles. INTERSOS is therefore committed to creating an inclusive workplace environment that promotes diversity, equality, and inclusion. INTERSOS encourages applications from qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds, regardless of age, gender identity, race, ethnic background, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, or nationality.

INTERSOS Programmes Department consists of four Regional Offices based in Amman, Dakar, Nairobi, and Rome. The Programmes Department also includes the Protection and Medical Units, which provide technical support to INTERSOS operations. As of June 2023, INTERSOS is operational in 23 countries.

The Regional Office for Emergencies (ROE) is responsible to directly manage INTERSOS emergency response when crises arise and/or support other regional offices in doing so. The ROE includes an inter-departmental team and manages surge capacity staff who is deployed both to support INTERSOS missions in their response to an emergency, and to respond to the emergencies in countries where INTERSOS is not present.

The ROE leads the development of global systems, guidelines and tools for the emergency response and has an active role in monitoring possible upcoming emergencies in countries where INTERSOS is not present.

The ROE is also responsible for the direct management of the following crisis and missions: Afghanistan, Iran, Ukraine, Moldova, Venezuela and Colombia.

General purpose of the position

The Deputy Regional Director for Emergencies represents INTERSOS for the Ukraine and Venezuela crisis and is supporting the Regional Director on the regional planning and strategic positioning of INTERSOS while ensuring strategic planning, implementation of identified strategies and achievement of Missions objectives. The Deputy Regional Director represents the organisation in relation to third parties in the region of assignment based on directives conferred by the Regional Director. The Deputy Regional Director contributes to the development of global systems, guidelines and tools for the emergency response, support the response to the new emergencies and has an active role in monitoring possible upcoming emergencies in countries where INTERSOS is not present.

Main responsibilities and tasks

● Guarantee the implementation of the regional strategies and analyze the critical factors of contexts, by delegation and with the support of the Regional Director

● Is supporting the management of the overall security in the geographic area of competence and of the implementation of security protocols and policies

● Guarantee effective relations with donors, stakeholders, authorities and representatives of beneficiaries and collaborate with Head of Missions / Country Directors and Programme Coordinators in the management of these relations

● Is responsible for the identification and elaboration of new project interventions:

– direct and support Programme Coordinators and project leaders in designing, setting up and implementing new projects

– in agreement with the Regional Director approves project proposals before the submission to donors

– Follow up, in coordination with Regional Finance Coordinator, the approval process at HQ level of project proposals before submission to the donors.

– Link with Regional Director for the approval of projects that involve a high risk in accordance with the provisions of the risk analysis

● Guarantee in coordination with the Programmes Coordinators the supervision, analysis and evaluation of the key variables of the design of projects (constraints and rules of the donors, consistency and technical-methodological congruence, quality of resources, effectiveness of results efficiency).

● Oversee the implementation of projects (constraints and rules of the donors, consistency and technical-methodological congruity, quality of resources, effectiveness of results efficiency)

● Coordinate, supervise and assess, through the review of PAT and/or other tools, the level of progress achieved by each project, in collaboration with the Regional Finance Coordinator and other members of the Regional Office.

● Advise Missions in project implementation and monitor the status of the program

● Supervise the Regional Grants and Reporting Officer, in line with the definition of the roles and responsibilities at regional level, relying on clear action planning

● Oversee the timely submission of mission documentation and reports to donors and HQ.

● Oversee the work of the Regional Grants and Reporting Officer on the content of narrative reports, in collaboration with Technical Units

● Support the Regional Grants and Reporting Officer and evaluate her/his performance as per official appraisal process

● In collaboration with Head of Missions / Country Directors guarantee the application of INTERSOS and donors’ administrative procedures for the efficient and transparent management of projects, offices and countries of its competence

● In collaboration with Human Resources department and by delegation of the Regional Director supervise management of Human Resources and atmosphere in the missions:

– Collaborate to the analysis of HR needs and to the recruitment of Programme Coordinator and Head of Mission positions

– Motivate, direct and support managers and teams encouraging cohesion and motivation

– Promote orientation and training sessions for the operators of the Region

– Appraise the performance of Head of Missions / Country Directors and Programme Coordinators and is responsible to discuss the evaluation (IRP) and the achievement of objectives.

● Ensure the constant and timely sharing of information and regular communication inside the Regional Team to facilitate the adjustment of actions referring to coordination, monitoring and control of the project activities

Tasks related to emergencies management:

● Support and lead by delegation of the Regional Director the response to new emergencies when they occur and set up rapid response interventions in areas without previous INTERSOS presence or where an established mission exists

● Contribute, when requested, to the opening of new Missions, in close coordination with the relevant Regional Office, if appropriate;

● Contribute, through a desk review and in collaboration with Technical Units, to the analysis and monitoring of worldwide humanitarian crises including humanitarian responses, funding trends and the scaling up and deterioration of humanitarian crises

● Contribute to the development/revision of emergency preparedness components and contingency planning at organization level, supporting the Regional Offices and Missions to develop strategic planning and provision of technical expertise.

Required profile and experience

Education

• Academic degree or extensive applied background in humanitarian and/or development studies, social science, or other relevant qualifications. Postgraduate qualifications are an asset.

Professional experience

• Field working experience of at least five (5) years in managing humanitarian programmes with increasing responsibilities;
• Proved experience in managing emergency operations.

Professional requirements

• Good knowledge of humanitarian architecture;
• Knowledge of the humanitarian project cycle management;
• Strong computer literacy with full knowledge of MS Office;
• Knowledge of the main humanitarian donors, with particular reference to DG ECHO, USAID, and UN ways of working
• Willingness and availability to travel frequently, as mobility between headquarters and field projects is vital
• Adherence to INTERSOS principles and managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust, Empowerment
• Adherence to INTERSOS Code of Ethics.

Languages

• Fluency in Spanish and English is essential; other languages are an asset.

Personal requirements

• Analytical approach, strategic thinking that translates into concrete operational implementation;
• Demonstrated leadership skills;
• A team player with strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build positive relationships;
• Excellent people management skills;
• Excellent communication skills (oral and written);
• Dynamic and proactive, as well as solution-oriented approach, with a strong focus on innovation