Head of Base South- Ukraine

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: Head of Base South

Code:SR-60-8331

Duty station: Odessa with frequent travels to Kherson/Mikolayv and other areas of intervention

Starting date: 01/08/2023

Contract duration: 6 months

Reporting to: Country Director

Supervision of: Base/field staff within the area of responsibility

Dependents: Non-family duty station

General context of the project

The war broke out in Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, millions of people have fled in the different regions of the country, raising a big concern on how to manage such an immense flux of displaced people.

General purpose of the position

The Head of Base is responsible for the overall supervision, management and coordination, of Intersos operations within the designated geographic area of responsibility and in compliance with the Mission country strategy.

Head of Base will be primarily accountable for the direction and management of the operations at the geographical area of competence (identification of new opportunities, program operations, office administration and support services functions) to ensure effective and efficient systems for harmonization, compliance to financial and administrative procedures, planning and implementation of adequate security precautions. The Head of Base ensures that the projects carried out in the area of competency will receive adequate support for implementation and holds accountable relationships with the leaders/representatives, relevant governmental authorities, national and international NGOs.

The Head of Base contributes to the design and implementation of the country strategy and, ultimately, s/he will be active in high level and strategic decision-making and representation for the area of responsibility, collaborating closely with the Head of Mission/Country Director and the Head of Programme/Operations/Programme Coordinator.

Main responsibilities and tasks

Strategy and vision

• Provide with Area specific inputs on Programme Strategies and contribute to develop the Country Strategy and Plan of Action within INTERSOS overall global strategic plan, values and principles.
• As a member of the Senior Management Team, contributes with recommendations, supporting and implementing continuous improvement on processes and procedures to optimize results and improve quality of delivery in line with quality standards.
• Together with the Country Director/Head of Operations, ensure that operations strategies and processes are in place to meet objectives and operational needs in terms of budget, quality and delivery targets
• Contribute to design and roll-out creative and innovative programming, support assessments for rapid response or scale-up programming in the area of responsibility or new areas of intervention in collaboration with the Head of Programmes/Programme coordinator
• Regularly share information with the CD and SMT and participate to relevant meetings

Programme management and development

• Regularly analyze the context, risks, operational access issues and availability of resources in relation to the program objectives in the area of competency
• In collaboration with programme manager, support and oversee the implementation of field assessments for new projects
• Adress with Head of Programme/Programme coordinator and Programme manager the feasibility of current proposals and contribute to realign them in light of the field assessment findings.
• Support the Programme Managers with timely and quality reporting, projects activities work plans, log frame and related financial plans according to INTERSOS and donors’ requirements and guidelines
• Ensure timely communication and information flow on operational achievements internally and with external stakeholders.

Accountability and quality control

• Together with Country Director/ Head of Operations/ Head of programme, support the continuous improvement of support services quality standards
• Performs periodic field visits to ensure the quality of the intervention in compliance with the internal and donors’ standard
• Ensure the appropriate systems and procedures are established and followed, ensuring best practices in operations management are developed and adopted with appropriate operations management frameworks in place
• Administrative and office support activities (agreement, amendments, signed reports, communications, etc.), ensuring documentation cycle is up to date, and ensure all departments’ requirements are aligned and addressed.

Representation and advocacy

• Together with the Country Director and the Head of Programme, establish strong and efficient partnerships with organizations, donors and authorities, in line with the country strategy and within the area of responsibility
• Represent INTERSOS in relevant coordination forums within the area of responsibility
• Contribute to the definition of the country communication strategy and represent INTERSOS in community activities as appropriate
• Coordinate and advocate on key issues with local and national authorities

Logistics and supply

• In collaboration with Country Logistics & Supply coordinator ensure that appropriate logistic structures and procedures are followed and maintained in adherence with Intersos guidelines. Provide feedback on dysfunctionalities
• Responsible for Asset management, Internal Management system (purchases requests) according to the area of responsibility.
• Oversee the timely and efficient planning and implementation of procurement and supplychain in line with project needs,
• Ensure adequate management of warehousing, guest-houses, office, vehicles and assets according to Intersos procedures and safety & Security protocols

Finance

• Supervise budgeting and expenditures of support costs, within the area of responsibility, ensuring compliance and, accountability in collaboration with Programme manager and finance team
• Together with the Programme manager, ensure adequate resources allocation are provisioned to sustain the operational presence in the area of responsibility and to deliver programmes.
• Oversee administration and finance activities aiming to improve operations systems and processes, and collaborate with the Country Finance Coordinator for the supervision of financial and administrative aspects at field level

Staff management and Human Resources

• Management of the staff under responsibility, ensuring that individuals work effectively together as a team to achieve the program objectives.
• In collaboration with HR Coordinator and Country director ensure adequate staffing for the correct implementation of programmes according to Mission and Intersos organigramme
• Support, motivate and lead staffs in the field base in order to guarantee a smooth and efficient implementation of the projects and communication
• Share relevant information and conduct regular meetings with the team to review planning and discuss main concerns. In collaboration with HR Coordinator and HR Manager is responsible for the proper application of HR policies and associated processes in the area of responsibility (recruitment, inductions, briefing/debriefing, evaluation, staff learning and development, internal communication and behaviour) in order to ensure transparent staff management Manage the performance of his team, identify gaps and provide adequate capacity building in line with HR department
• Management conflict resolution and mitigation in collaboration with HR Coordinator according to Intersos standard procedures and humanitarian principles

Safety and security

• Together with the Security and Access Coordinator and Country Director, contribute to develop security plan and ensure adherence to procedures, monitoring of the context development, analysis and follow-up of recommendations within the area of responsibility
• Regularly interact with the Security and Access Coordinator and Country Director on security issues
• Ensure staff safety and security within the area of responsibility with technical support from the Security and Access Coordinator
• Support the Country Director in managing critical incidents, escalating and reporting all incidents within the area of responsibility and according to the Country Security and Management Plan

Required profile and experience

Education

Advanced university degree in Social Sciences, Political Sciences, International Relations, Humanitarian and International Cooperation or related field

Professional experience

• Minimum 3 years of professional experience in management of humanitarian project/programme, including financial management and logistics responsibilities
• Experience in complex emergency setting and insecure countries
• Experience working with international partners and local institutions and local actors, including local Municipalities, local NGOs and CSOs/CBOs;

Professional requirements

• Administration, finance and budget management skills
• Essential computer literacy (word, excel and internet
• Analytical thinking, analysis capacity and strategic program development skills
• Strong representation and negotiation skills
• Ability to ensure quick quality delivery in stressful environment
• Ability to adhere to deadlines and respect line management
• Strong interpersonal skills: communication, diplomatic skills and problem-solver
• Commitment to INTERSOS principles

Languages

· Fluency English is required;

· Knowledge of Ukrainian or Russian is an asset

Personal requirements

• Demonstrate ability in thinking creatively and practically to improve the quality of projects and problem solving
• Strong capacity building, facilitation, presentation and communication skills
• Strong leadership, analytical and organizational skills;
• Self-motivated and autonomous
• Willingness and physical ability to perform field missions in rural areas if needed
• Ability to delegate and work in team
• Flexibility (will have to take on responsibilities that might not be directly on his/her JD)
• Stress management skills: ability to work under pressure to meet tight deadlines, with peaks of heavy workloads
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written;