Programme Manager – Kabul

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: Programme Manager Kabul

Code: SR-28-2652

Duty station: Kabul, with frequent travels within the Central Region

Starting date: 01/09/2022

Contract duration: 12 months

Reporting to: Programme Coordinator

Supervision of: Project Managers

Dependents: Non-family duty station

General context of the project

Over 40 years of conflicts and political turmoil have taken a massive cumulative toll on the people of Afghanistan. A total of 18.4 million people, almost half of the total population, have been estimated by the UN as being in need of humanitarian assistance, while nearly 14 million people are tackling acute food insecurity, with over 3 million children facing severe malnourishment, while winter months are around the corner.

INTERSOS has been working in Afghanistan since 2001, with a country office in Kabul, and field offices in Kandahar and Zabul provinces. In recent years INTERSOS has been focusing its assistance based on integrated community-based approach that includes primary health care (including sexual and reproductive health care), nutrition and protection programs serving the most vulnerable populations, particularly in hard-to-reach areas, with a special focus on socially excluded individuals, including women, children and persons living with disabilities.

With its operational approach and active engagement with the local communities’ leadership, INTERSOS managed to secure a strong community acceptance and operational access. All INTERSOS activities continue to be implemented in Afghanistan at present time, with no unsurmountable operational restrictions and with inclusion of the needed female staff. It is widely anticipated that Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation may deteriorate further, based on internal adverse dynamics exacerbated by the international sanctions, further affecting the access to and availability of key essential and social services (livelihood, health, education, and other essential services). Considering this situation, the international assistance that prioritises urgent humanitarian needs will remain essential and challenging.

Therefore, recognizing that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan will require a more intensified international humanitarian assistance, INTERSOS remains in Afghanistan to deliver its ongoing activities, and potentially scale up its response.

For this purpose, INTERSOS is seeking a suitable candidate to fill in the position of Programme Manager for Kabul/Central Region to provide adequate development, leadership and support to the interventions in the area.

General purpose of the position

The Programme Manager Kabul is responsible for the implementation of INTERSOS emergency response in the Kabul area.

The Programme Manager Kabul will be in charge of the supervision of national projects’ teams, overseeing the activities’ implementation, work plans and budget expenditures, as well as the activities’ development.

The Programme Manager Kabul will therefore:

• Ensure the planning, implementation and monitoring/evaluation and timely achievement of the set targets as included in the projects’ agreements.
• Guarantee an efficient project’s financial management, in compliance with INTERSOS’ processes and donors’ regulations.
• Provide adequate teams’ management and projects’ implementation, for all the project’s assigned to her/his portfolio,
• Safeguard the projects’ quality as per required standards.

Main responsibilities and tasks

Programme activities planning, implementation and monitoring

• Preparing and distributing regular and timely projects’ activities updates’ reports, work plans and related financial plans.
• Ensuring timely and quality implementation in compliance with the defined projects’ strategy, as well as INTERSOS and donors’ guidelines.
• Guarantee the application of procurement procedures and donors’ reporting regulations.
• Performing periodic field visits to the projects’ locations to be able to grant experience-based support to the implemented activities, and to grant quality’s monitoring, in compliance with internal and donors’ standards.
• In collaboration with the MEAL Team, developing tools to assess, analyze and evaluate the project’s impact and working methodologies.
• Assessing the evolution of any project area’s related crisis, and related populations’ evolving needs, to contribute to the development of new project proposals.
• Promoting a “team” culture within INTERSOS and working in close collaboration with other PMs to ensure the best possible projects’ integration into the country’s program.
• Managing HR, assets, and budgets within principles of good and transparent stewardship, to achieve the projects’ objectives.
• Leading projects’ elaborations/revisions, for interventions within his/her geographical and sectoral areas of intervention while, in collaboration with the Programme Coordinator, seeking the expertise and support of any relevant technical coordinator.
• Ensuring and contributing to the timely preparation of projects’ related registration(s) and Memorandum of Understanding(s) with any relevant authority.
• Supporting the development, implementation and evaluation of the mission strategy and portfolio.
• Leading/supervising the recruitment of any relevant project’s staff, in collaboration with the project manager and the HR Department
• Identifying any capacity gaps in key national staff and actively supporting their capacity building within the respective roles’ mandates/needs.
• Coordinating, supervising and mentoring the project managers assigned and evaluating their performance.
• Promoting opportunities for the staff/teams’ understanding and application of INTERSOS values (as spelled in the Fundamental Charter Values, Code of Ethics, etc.), principles, and internal regulations and standards, through ad-hoc events and by personal example.

Projects reporting

• Ensuring, in harmony with the Programme Coordinator, that the projects’ narrative and financial reports are timely prepared and submitted, according to INTERSOS, donors and local authorities’ requirements.
• Ensuring that all activities’ support documents (means of verification) and general projects’ documents are properly filled in, collected, and filed.

Coordination and representation

• Along with the Programme Coordinator, establishing and maintaining collaborative relations with relevant donors’ officers, local authorities, local institutions, partners, project stakeholders and other organizations working in the projects’ areas.
• Participating in meetings with authorities, clusters, consortiums and/or relevant donors’ program and finance officers within the country and, when required, in international forums.
• Positively contribute to INTERSOS coordination and networking activities providing appropriate and prompt information and collaborative support to the Country Director, Senior Management Team and Coordinators.

Other tasks, Objectives and duties

• as requested from the the Programme Coordinator (or Country Director), and based on needs, to provide support for the effective and quality implementation of programme activities in the Country of assignment.​

Required profile and experience

Education

Advanced university degree in humanitarian field or similar academic areas (experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree)​

Professional Experience

• At least three years of professional experience in similar position in the humanitarian field in countries outside of his/ her residence, with at least two years as senior management level
• At least three years of working in potentially insecure environment as expatriate staffs, with proven experience of security management
• Excellent writing, reporting and communication skills.
• Proven experience of:
  • strategies and proposals’ design
  • projects’ coordination
  • culturally diverse staff’s management
  • remote management
  • good relationship with donors and national/local authorities

Professional Requirements

No limitation to be able to work in Afghanistan, due to nationality and/or criminal records​

Languages

• Excellent written and spoken English
• Pashto and/or Dari language is an added value

Personal Requirements

• Responsive, motivated, good communicator with flexibility to respond to the changing nature of humanitarian context and operational difficulties
• Ability to communicate openly and maintain good relationship within the team, government and other local authorities, donor, and other stakeholders
• Willingness to take responsibility
• Ability to cope with stress, and live in environment with basic living condition
• Strong team spirit and ability to work in an intercultural environment
• Attention to detail and structured way of approaching tasks (well organized), and to plan ahead, result oriented (proactive)
• Able to ensure quick quality delivery in stressful environment (stress-resilient)
• Ability to adhere to deadlines and respect line management
• Ability to communicate any critical thinking in (culturally) respectful ways
• Practical and problem-solver