Italy – Head of the Emergency Unit

COOPI is looking for a Head of the Emergency Unit for its Milan Headquarters

COOPI Cooperazione Internazionale is present in 33 countries in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, with both emergency and development projects carried out by expatriate staff (an average of 150 people per year) and national staff. The main institutional funders are the European Union, UN agencies, the Italian Government, local authorities and other European Governments.

Description of the role

The Head of the Emergency Unit works within the International Activities Development staff of COOPI. He/she is responsible for initiating and managing new emergency actions on specific topics or areas and facilitating their implementation at the relevant Regional Coordinations. The position is based at the Headquarters in Milan and reports to the CEO.

Responsibilities

Suggesting intervention priorities in emergency projects by managing relations with major international donors:

• Evaluates, in agreement with the CEO, new interventions on specific themes or areas, verifying their feasibility also with Donors;
• Evaluates, in agreement with the Management, whether to intervene with emergency projects in the countries where COOPI is present, based on the funding opportunities available;
• He/she plans and implements the activities, in the case of new interventions on specific themes or areas, activating the other Units of the International Activities Development and preparing planning, control systems and human resources for the start-up of the project.

Managing relations with major institutional donors for Emergency projects and representing COOPI in dedicated bodies and meetings, in agreement with the CEO:

• Participates in workshops and meetings organised by major funders and other actors active in the emergency sector;
• Promotes meetings with key funders.

Supporting the Country Coordinations in the implementation of programmes, being responsible for activating the relevant COOPI structures:

• Responds to different operational needs on emergency projects;
• Organises specific training for the management of emergency projects;
• Carries out monitoring and assistance missions for the correct and harmonious development of the most complex projects;
• Provides support to foreign offices on specific initiatives in Emergency projects, as instructed by the CEO;
• Facilitates the transfer of supervision from the Emergency Unit to the geographical area of reference of the project, once the start-up phase has been consolidated.

He/she intervenes on specific initiatives and on the instructions of the CEO, in the direct management of projects.

Requirements

Essentials

• Undergraduate / Postgraduate education, preferably in the field of International Cooperation;
• Previous overall work experience of at least 5 years, in complex structures;
• Excellent knowledge of Italian, French and English;
• Excellent ability to prioritise and organise work within tight deadlines;
• Excellent aptitude for changing priorities and reviewing urgent matters;
• Communication and interpersonal skills with various internal and external stakeholders;
• Flexibility, listening and confidentiality;
• Resistance to stress, ability to respond quickly;
• Interest and aptitude for working in an international environment;
• Excellent knowledge of Office package;
• Respect for the Organisation’s values;
• Willingness to carry out missions abroad.

Plus

• Previous experience abroad in humanitarian work;
• Previous experience with COOPI abroad.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the application closing date, once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

COOPI Cooperazione Internazionale is a humanitarian, non-confessional and independent organization founded in 1965 in Milan, Italy. For more than 50 years we have been dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty and to supporting populations affected by wars, socio-economic crises or natural disasters in their path to recovery and sustainable development, by making use of the professionalism of local and international operators, and through our partnerships with public and private bodies and civil society organizations.