Whole of Syria – Deputy Country Director Program Implementation

Position: Whole of Syria – Deputy Country Director Program Implementation

Location: Amman with frequent travel to the field

Reports to: Country Director

Direct Reports: Chief of Party PHAST, MEAL Manager, Grants Manager, Enhance Due Diligence Coordinator.

Functional Line: Hub-Team Leaders.

Critical interface: with DCD PQ, Operations Manager, HR Manager, Finance Manager, and Safety and Security Manager.

Duration: 12 months (renewable).

About Relief International.

Relief International (RI) is a leading nonprofit organization working in 16 countries to relieve poverty, ensure the well-being and advance dignity. We specialize in fragile settings, responding to natural disasters, humanitarian crises, and chronic poverty.

Relief International combines humanitarian and development approaches to provide immediate services while laying the groundwork for long-term impact. Our signature approach —, which we call the RI Way—emphasizes local participation, an integration of services, strategic partnerships, and a focus on civic skills. In this way, we empower communities to find, design, and implement the solutions that work best for them.

Relief International includes the four members of the RI Alliance in the USA, UK, France, and Belgium. Under our alliance agreement, we operate under a single, shared management structure with one CEO and one Board of Directors.

About our Programs

RI is active in 16 countries around the world, including some of the most fragile: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen. Often, RI is the only organization assisting highly vulnerable communities.

• RI employs 7,000+ staff and auxiliary workers
• 97% of staff are in-country nationals
• We only have some 90 ex-pat staff out of 7,000+
• RI spent $125 million in 2019 on our programs.

RI invests in four broad program sectors: Economic Opportunity, Education, Health, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). We design our programs to incorporate The RI Way: local participation, integrated programming, the development of civic skills, and partnerships including with local NGOs, governments, and the private sector.

RI supports solutions that reinforce and improve upon existing in-country systems. Where such systems do not exist or are chronically underperforming, RI’s crisis response lays the foundation for long-term, sustainable change.

Position Summary:

RI has a solid WoS program with over 400 direct staff and approximately 1500 indirect staff working across three main thematic sectors of intervention in Health, Nutrition, Protection, and WASH.

The Deputy Country Director of Program Implementation (DCD PI) shares in the overall responsibility for the direction and coordination of the Country Office program. As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) for Whole of Syria, the DCD PI is responsible for overseeing the program implementation, supporting, and working closely with Hub-Team Leaders (HTLs) to ensure timely delivery of services.

She/he will be responsible to track burn rates of implementation, conducting BvA sessions, coordinating closely with Operation Department (Logistics and Supply Chain) and Finance Department, and regularly reviewing ways of working, towards more simplified and effective processes. She/he will coordinate closely with S&S Manager to ensure the safety and security of all our staff and RI assets during implementation.

The DCD PI represents RI as needed in different fora, with donors and other humanitarian actors. The DCD PI will work closely with the Deputy Country Director for Program Quality (DCD PQ) to leverage data collection and increase the impact and analysis of RI’s evidence-based programming. The DCD PI will work closely with DCD PQ and the Hub Team Leaders to ensure sectoral quality benchmarks are applied across all RI programs.

The DCD PI will provide technical oversight to relevant staff on contractual management, donor’s regulations, and compliance standards while ensuring a program enabling approach for a timely and adequate response.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

Strategic oversight and representation

Implement RI’s Program Strategy as follows:

1. Ensure adequate Action Plans are in place at the Hub level for the implementation of the Country Strategy.
2. In coordination with DCD PQ and Hub-Team Leaders, DCD PI will identify new opportunities and implementation trends to inform the adjustments of programs and the development of proposals.
3. DCD PI represents RI at the Steering Committee of different Consortiums to ensure strategic oversight of program implementation and strong coordination with other partners.
4. DCD PI will work closely with Hub-Team Leaders to monitor the functioning and added value of different partnerships, informing decision making together with Country Director and DCD PQ.
5. DCD PI will ensure in coordination with DCD PQ an adequate level of program strategy of critical staff at the field hubs. Encouraging a program-led vision on protection and gender mainstreaming across different RI sectors of intervention.

Contractual Management and compliance

1. DCD will be responsible with HTLs for the adequate and timely implementation of RI programs, according to project timeframes and objectives of those projects.
2. DCD PI will ensure with Grants Manager, Operations Manager and HTLs are conducting adequate BvA sessions and tracking of budgets, procurement trackers, and another aspect of program implementation.
3. DCD PI will provide technical support to Hub-Team Leaders on contractual matters related to donor regulations, compliance, and RI internal reporting requirements.
4. DCD PI will supervise the Grants Management function, ensuring donor regulation and compliance, while enabling programming and avoiding delays on implementation. Critical understanding of programs and donor regulations and simplifying at the maximum working pre-awards and post-award processes.
5. DCD PI will provide guidance and oversight of any administrative agreements with donors and will ensure quarterly milestones are met in a timely manner.
6. DCD PI will ensure adequate coordination and management of internal reporting with the Global Support Office and with the Regional Support Office too on all aspects of contractual management.
7. DCD PI will supervise MEAL teams and HTLs on the launching and support of needs assessments, evaluations, and TPMs.
8. DCD PI will directly supervise the CoP and the implementation of the PHAST Consortium.
9. DCD PI will also oversight all contractual management matters related to partnerships.

Cross-functional role

1. As a member of the Senior Management Team the DCD PI will have a critical interface with the heads of all support departments (HR, Finance, Operations, Safety, and Security) and DCD PQ.
2. DCD PI will track with DCD PQ adequate and real integration of programs, with special attention to the Health, Nutrition, Protection, and WASH integration.
3. DCD PI will work closely with DCD PQ and HTLs to ensure adequate level inputs from the field hubs on the proposal development process and ensure the strategic programmatic frameworks match the reality and complexities of the context.
4. DCD PQ will have functional line management to the Hub Team Leaders to support and technically guide them on all aspects of program implementation, serving as a bridge with other functions to resolve bottlenecks and find solutions to day-to-day challenges.
5. DCD PI will travel often to the Hubs and will ensure strong coordination with DCD PQ and Hub-Team Leaders to ensure an adequate match between program implementation and program design.
6. DCD PI will ensure adequate flow of information with DCD PQ to ensure quality and timely reporting to donors and other internal departments as required.

Capacity building and Teamwork

1. DCD PI will line manage different functions but most importantly, he/she will be responsible of enabling teamwork and a collaborative atmosphere to ensure interaction among different departments and across different layers of management.
2. DCD PI will play a critical role within the Senior Management Team (across 3 hubs) and the AMT (Amman Management Team) to set up the team strategic direction, strengthening the support to the field teams and following up on teams and project work plans.
3. DCD PI will ensure a strong coordination with DCD PQ.

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

This position demands a dynamic individual with a demonstrated ability to achieve results in a demanding and fast-paced environment. Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Key desirable qualifications:

• Degree in Development Studies, Political Sciences, Journalism, Law, and/or any other related field.
• Experience working in conflict-affected areas and/or in complex and fragile settings.
• Knowledge of Syria’s humanitarian context and the Middle East geopolitical dynamics is an asset.
• Sound understanding, adherence, and knowledge of humanitarian principles, IHL and IHRL protection, and gender.
• 7 years of experience working on senior management positions, or similar roles, in a humanitarian/development context.
• Previous experience working with Health and Protection programs is an asset, and demonstrated experience on integrated programming on those sectors of intervention.
• Demonstrated experience undertaking research, developing reports, and advocacy products.
• Knowledge of humanitarian programs and capacity to develop entry points for advocacy.
• Knowledge of RI programs is an asset.
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal.

Key competencies:

• Adaptable and flexible
• Strategic thinking
• Strong writing and analytical skills

• Solution-oriented and positive thinking

• Solid organizational and planning skills

• Self-critic, curious and eager to develop further professionally

• Communicate with impact and respect

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Relief International is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have a sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status, or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Relief International (RI) is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants, or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and always adhere to RI’s Code of Conduct Policies and values. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

RI Values:

We uphold the Humanitarian Principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and operational independence. We affirmatively engage the most vulnerable communities.

We value:

• Inclusiveness
• Transparency and accountability
• Agility and innovation
• Collaboration
• Sustainability