Regional Programme Adviser – Middle East Region

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organisation’s core values: dedication, innovation, inclusivity and accountability. These attitudes and beliefs shall guide our actions and relationships.

Background

NRC currently has over 3,000 staff across the Middle East dedicated to assisting people affected by conflict in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Libya and Palestine. Its humanitarian interventions are based upon its programming expertise in the Core Competencies of Education, Shelter, WASH, Livelihoods and Food Security, and Information Counselling and legal Assistance (ICLA) to vulnerable displaced people that were forced to flee.

The Regional Programme Department, based in Amman and managed by the Regional Programme Director, is responsible for the strategic development of NRC programming in the region by maximizing the support to and the development of Country Offices’ (COs) as well as by exploring and creating synergies among COs.

Overview of Role

As the Regional Programme Advisor you will be a member of the Regional Head of Programme Development and Support Unit. You will be responsible for providing specialist advice and guidance to the Country Director and/or Head of Programme and Grants Managers at Country level in ensuring that optimal programme strategies, structures, systems and resources are in place.

You will be will be providing advisory support, technical oversight and capacity building to Country Office(CO) to assist in ensuring that donor obligations and requirements are met.

You will have a number of allocated country offices and will provide a range of advisory support and capacity building to in relation to programme proposal development, grants management, and Project Cycle Management(PCM) and donor reporting

This position is a key interface between the country office, regional office and head office.

What you will do

Strategy, programme and business development

• Provide specialist support, advice and guidance to own portfolio of country offices in relation to programme development and to strategic planning in country programmes.
• Conduct regional analysis of trends in the region as allocated by line manager to contribute to regional understanding and provide evidence for new initiatives (e.g., advocacy, new project ideas, new potential donors or partnerships)
• Identify potential new business development opportunities within the region, including region wide opportunities, and country specific opportunities, such as new funder or programme opportunities with good synergy with NRC Strategy and programme priorities and the regional and country contexts
• Keep oversight and documentation of designated multi-country strategy, multi-grant proposals and reporting deadlines, and stay updated on specific countries and themes as assigned.

Advice, support and capacity building

• Responsible for capacity building and learning and development, as required, including facilitation of induction training for relevant programme personnel in COs.
• May be required to participate in a small number of recruitment interviews for key relevant CO positions and provide some technical supervision.

Quality standards, data analysis and Monitoring & Evaluation

• Responsible for quality control of high-risk donor proposals and reports, macros log frames, and triannual reports, Reconciliation of Deliverables (RoD) and internal programme strategy documents and reports, in regard to NRC strategies and donor compliance.
• Support programme assessments evaluations in country programmes and incorporate lessons learned and best practices into programme development within country programmes, including from M&E products
• Conduct regular data quality check.

Networking, representation and relationships

• Contribute to identification, development and maintenance of relationships with designated stakeholders (e.g., donors, UN agencies, NGOs, private sector) related to programme and business development.

Professional competencies required:

• Several years of experience within the humanitarian/recovery context, of which 5 years of Advisor / Programme Manager/Head of Programme experience
• Specialist knowledge and expertise equivalent to an advanced university degree in a relevant field (e.g., international development, politics, social science)
• Experience working in the Middle East region is necessary.
• Knowledge of institutional donors’ strategies, priorities, and compliance requirements – NMFA, UNHCR, ECHO, FCDO etc.
• Track record of successful proposal development, or similar in funding or partnerships
• Understanding of, and commitment to working collaboratively with technical and operational colleagues within a matrix structure, including capacity building
• Interpersonal skills, diplomatic, flexible and able influence
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal; Arabic is an asset

Context related skills, knowledge, and experience

• Experience working with overall strategy development and planning
• Experience of developing learning and development tools and resources to support capacity building
• Knowledge of and interest in new business opportunities, including commercial partnerships
• Experience of working with cross-country programmes and donors

Behavioural competencies

• Planning and delivering results
• Analysing
• Strategic thinking
• Communicating with impact and respect
• Initiating action and change
• Handling insecure environments
• Coping with change

What We Offer

NRC is an equal opportunities employer and aims to have staffing diversity in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, nationality and physical ability.

We offer an opportunity to match your career to a compelling cause and a chance to meet and work with people who are the best in their fields.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply and join our work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility: At NRC we think outside the box. We encourage ideas and give responsibility to all employees at all levels, to help solve the complex issues that we face. You will have many opportunities to be heard and take initiative.

We are also looking for people who share our values:

• To be dedicated in what we do;
• To be innovative with our solutions;
• To act as one unified and inclusive team;
• To be accountable to the donors that make our work possible; the people we exist to serve, and to each other… the members of our NRC family.

Additional Information:

Duty Station: Amman, Jordan

Duration of contract: Fixed term 24 months, full-time, in accordance with local labour laws.

Grade 9 in NRC’s grading structure

Travel: Upto 40% within the region

Reporting line: Regional Head of Programme Development and Support