Regional Localization Coordinator

Who are we?

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfillment of the wish to return home.

The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956, and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced.

All of our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.

Overall purpose of the role

The objective for the position is to support the operationalization of DRC’s localization and partnership ambitions through technical support and guidance to regional and country operations, with a view to developing relevant structures and competitive programming that ensure an effective localization and enables DRC to shift some of its fundraising in support hereof.

While the focus of responsibilities lies in direct support to DRC regional and country operations (approx. 90%) in the region, the position will also be part of and include commitments to the global localization team (approx. 10%), feeding regional/local experiences with localization into global learning and the development of processes related to localization ambitions.

Extensive and often longer-term travel (approx. minimum 50% of time) will be required across DRC operations in the region.

Duties and Responsibilities

Regional:

Resources, training and learning

• Be the go-to person for guidance and technical support with the use of global tools and resources, including (acceptable) adaptations to fit to specific contexts in the region.
• Lead staff learning and development in the region, including coaching and mentoring of direct counterparts, focused learning for wider programmes teams, and providing induction for new staff.
• Support partner capacity development, when relevant and within own expertise
• Engage local networks, partners, stakeholders in systematic discussions and learning

Technical advice and support to program development

• Provide technical, programmatic and operational advice to develop and mainstream a localized approach to programming in DRC Asia and Europe Region
• Support the development of regional/country-level structures that enable localization ambitions
• Collaborate closely with country level and regional support staff to ensure a localized approach is embedded in support functions
• Contribute to scoping for new programmatic and funding opportunities to improve and increase localization efforts, in close collaboration with the regional Business Development and Programme Development Coordinators and country counterparts
• Contribute to the identification and conceptual development of model program concepts under the heading of localization and partnership engagement, for potential replication
• Collaborate closely with regional and country-level sector and platform technical advisors to ensure localization is mainstreamed across DRC ‘s response framework

Strategy and policy

• Support with the strategic direction of localization ambitions, with a special focus on but not limited to supporting the development of localization roadmaps/plans at country and regional level.
• Lead on supporting/implementing globally initiated pilot localization initiatives in selected countries, in collaboration with the global Go Local lead (Civil Society Engagement Unit)

Other

• Engage in other regional and global tasks and collaborations in pursuit of localization ambitions.

Global:

Resources, training and learning

• Support the development of global compliance-related guidance, tools and resources led by the Civil Society Engagement Unit CSEU (and other global leads, where relevant), and lead on the roll out and relevant contextualization at regional/country level (towards ensuring that compliance-related resources are fit for purpose at country level, enabling localization programming)
• Collaborate closely with relevant global units to ensure uptake of learnings from local to regional and regional to global level, in support of global learning and development in support of localization ambitions.

Strategy and policy

• Participate in the development of the global localization framework (guidance and tools) led by the global Go Local lead (CSEU)
• Contribute to global strategic & position-related development as well as general advisory tasks as required by the global Go Local lead

Other

• Support the Go Local lead on other relevant localization-related tasks

Experience and technical competencies:

• To be successful in this role we expect you to have at least 6 years demonstrable experience in similar advisory or operational roles in international humanitarian organisations in a mix of country and regional roles at senior level.
• You should have demonstrable experience developing, raising funds for, and overseeing programming that empowers local actors to be better engaged in the planning, delivery and accountability of humanitarian action, with a main focus on local civil society organisations, but not excluding other actors relevant to localization of aid (namely local and national duty bearers as well as the private sector).
• We also expect you to have substantial experience working with local partners, a strong understanding of the compliance-aspects of partnering and experience with the development of tools and approaches to enable the implementation of localized programming.
• An excellent understanding on global discourse on the localization agenda is also required.
• Experience with rolling out organizational change processes and documenting learning is highly desirable.

Moreover, we also expect the following:

• Knowledge of engagement concepts, participatory techniques and methodologies applied by projects in humanitarian and/or development contexts
• Demonstrable skills with the design and facilitation of trainings and workshops
• Excellent communication skills for writing and presentation
• Demonstrable abilities in problem solving as well as taking a flexible and innovative approach to working
• Demonstrable skills with the design of programming concepts for fundraising
• Demonstrable ability to lead and support change processes at management level
• Demonstrable ability to form productive working relationships with colleagues from a diverse range of backgrounds, across offices and departments
• Highly motivated by the normative framework behind the localization agenda
• Fluent in written and spoken English
• Able to travel approx. minimum 50% of the time
• Able to operate in a physically demanding working environment

Languages

• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Other regional languages an asset.

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’s five core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

Education: (include certificates, licenses etc.)

• Social science master’s degree in development or humanitarian studies, sociology, political science, human geography or similar

We offer

Contract length: Till end of December 2024

Position Band: This position will be placed at Non-Management (F) band

Preferable Start date: February 10, 2024

Duty station: Tbilisi, Georgia

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment.

For questions regarding the vacancy please contact [email protected]