International Delegate (m/f/d) for Ukraine – Caritas Österreich Commencement of duty 1 April 2022 – Full Time

Caritas Austria (CAT) has been supporting organisations in Ukraine since the mid-1990s, primarily in the area of social services. Since the conflict in Ukraine started, CAT has significantly increased its assistance to partner organisations to implement humanitarian projects primarily in Eastern Ukraine, financed by a mix of CAT´s own resources and support from institutional donors. Due to the recently escalated military conflict in Ukraine, Caritas Austria is looking for an International Delegate, based in Western Ukraine (Lviv). The International Delegate is responsible for supporting Caritas Ukraine as local implementing partner in the operational planning and management of, and reporting on, an ECHO funded emergency project, as well as Caritas Austria’s other basic assistance projects in Ukraine (most notably the projects funded by ADA and Neighbour in Need NiN). She/He ensures compliance with donor agreements, project manuals, humanitarian principles, professional quality standards, and Caritas Austria’s internal regulations and policies. She/He is the prime liaison with the Caritas network on the ground, field-based donor representatives and other stakeholders.

Your main tasks are:

Consortium/Project Lead

• Overall leadership for the ECHO, ADA, and NiN actions, ensuring adherence to project documents, contracts, budget, and work plan
• Establishment and maintenance of good partnerships and productive working relationship with all partners based on trust, mutual support and Caritas partnership principles
• Responsible for the overall planning, implementation, coordination, administration, revision, and financial management of projects, as well as the achievement of objectives stated in the actions’ logical framework
• Responsible for managing Caritas Austria’s finance and support staff on the ground (tbd)
• Oversee proper reporting, financial management, and compliance in line with DG ECHO/ADA/NiN requirements
• Ensure proactive coordination, exchange and collaboration with Caritas Austria’s head office and relevant departments involved in management of the action (incl. responsible persons in the Finance Department and Institutional Partners & Project Support Department)
• Ensure timely and comprehensive reporting towards HQ and DG ECHO based on set timelines and requirements
• Oversee alignment to communication and visibility commitments and responsibilities towards all back donors

Donor Liaison

• Serve as principal contact point for DG ECHO’s field offices in Lviv, Warsaw and Chisinau, and deliver formal and informal briefings, monthly and quarterly progress reports, etc.
• Ensure proactive engagement and exchange with DG ECHO on technical and strategic focus areas of the action

Coordination

• Coordinate with authorities, donors, Network Partners and sector stakeholders to ensure complementarity and alignment with country and sector standards
• Represent CAUT’s Basic Assistance Programme in Ukraine at national, regional and international forums
• Contribute to and facilitate harmonization efforts in the different focus areas of the action among all CAT funded projects and with other network funded projects

Implementation

• Ensure that the local implementing partner receives backstopping and guidance for Caritas Austria’s implementation share through support provided by the CoP or other Caritas Austria project staff
• Supervise and manage all Caritas Austria project staff working on the action by creating an environment built on trust and teamwork

Context awareness – Safety and Security:

• Provide regular updates to Ukraine- and HQ-based staff on relevant contextual changes and emerging needs, as well as key trends
• Adhere to CAUT’s security plan; in coordination with the PM and CAUT’s Security Advisor, responsible to maintain and update the Ukraine LSP; deliver security briefings to visitors upon arrival and throughout their stay
• Communication:
• Support the Communications Department in generating relevant content for campaigns, social media, news bulletins, etc.
• Facilitate visits by donor, media representatives, and/or other external visitors

You bring along:

• University degree in humanitarian or international affairs, development or related field
• At least 5 years of experience in an NGO environment with a strong background and experience managing projects in emergency and humanitarian contexts
• Excellent knowledge of the project management cycle and financial project controlling
• Experience with the development of projects funded by institutional donors
• Professional experience in quality control and project monitoring systems
• Knowledge of the international humanitarian network (IASC, cluster system etc) and the international standards
• Strong planning and problem solving skills, excellent analytical skills
• Good knowledge of modern information technologies and software
• Good networking and strong communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to respectfully interact with people from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds.
• Experience in leading a project team
• Readiness for longer stays abroad and openness to manage projects in other countries and sectors
• Excellent English language skills, German, Ukrainian and/or Russian is desirable
• EU citizen or working permit for Austria a must