Program Deputy Country Director - Yangon

Solidarites International

Burma, Myanmar

ABOUT THE JOB (1/2)

In close collaboration with the Country Director (CD), the DCD’s prime objectives are to provide leadership and management of the strategic programming, overseeing the strengthening of SI’s program development, quality and accountability. The DCD ensures the internal coherence between program activities and is responsible for ensuring that programs are driven by needs, based on evidence, adaptable to contextual changes and conflict sensitive, monitored closely and resourced appropriately. Myanmar mission has WaSH and FSL programs mostly, DFC will in charge to support and implement the MEAL strategy as well as to develop and support the FSL programs (WaSH Co in charge of wash programs).

The DCD is part of SI Senior Management Team, the head of office of the program coordination office in Yangon, and has direct line-management of the WaSH Coordinator, MEAL Manager and Reporting & Communication Officer.

THE MAIN CHALLENGES OF THE POSITION ARE:

• MEAL and program departments’ structuration and monitoring;
• Program staffs monitoring on the field, giving special attention to FSL sector and to activity planning;
• Monitoring and improving programs’ quality;
• Strategical analysis with a long-term vision.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Direction

• Collaborate with the CD to develop a country and program strategy and related processes consistent with the association’s policies and population’s needs;
• Organize diagnostic missions, remain abreast of ongoing humanitarian response and funding trends in the country, and provide regular updates on these trends and analysis of how they may affect SI programming;
• Be proactive in proposing new activities based on the context evolution;
• Work with colleagues in country program, region and HQ to identify funding opportunities and develop competitive, responsive proposals that meet internal standards, apply SI's global strategy and are donor compliant.

Program Development & Quality Management

• Provide cohesive leadership to SI programming, ensuring support to Technical Coordinators and timely communication on program issues to the CD and HQ;
• Review monthly project reports to monitor progress of programme implementation;
• Lead on the development of cross cutting themes in project design and implementation;
• Support technical coordinators to effectively utilize the technical guidance and support of HQ technical unit;
• Ensure that all programs are implemented in coherence with the annual country strategy, SI technical requirements and financial donor criteria;
• Ensure that quality criteria and indicators are monitored and lead to decision making;
• Ensure that the programs’ context monitoring is done properly and leads to decision making: adjustment of activities or result shifts according to the evolution of the context;
• Ensure that the programs evaluations’ recommendations are taken into consideration and that corrective measures are put in place;
• Ensure that human, financial and logistical resources meet activities completion requirements. Suggest changes if necessary with consideration of new strategies and developments.

ABOUT THE JOB (2/2)

Institutional knowledge building

• Monitor main NGO’ intervention methods/techniques and experience;
• Ensure that procedures, guides and tools are updated and implemented;
• Support on lessons learning and using the findings to guide future strategic direction;
• Share back lessons learnt from the sector level to ensure SI programming is coherent.

Donor, Grant, Relationship management and representation

• Support the Country Director in fundraising efforts;
• Work with the CD to develop and maintain strong working relationships with current and potential donors;
• Play a key role in promoting SI as a main actor within its different sectors of intervention through interaction with key players;
• Ensure appropriate representation and contribution to major Working Groups and Head of Office meetings;
• Lead proposal and reporting writing and support the submission of timely, accurate and well-written reports and other reporting requirements;
• Represent SI at external events and functions in Cox Bazaar when needed;
• Meet with partners and support in identification of new partners when possible.

Head of Office Cox’s Bazaar Duties - Human Resources, Finance and Logistics

• Support the Log/Admin team in Cox Bazaar with transport requests, bookings, recruitments, IOFs and other needs;
• Manage cash needed by the office and review expenditure;
• Follow cash withdrawals from the bank;
• Support on logistic needs and follow up;
• Support on the security management of the base.

Staff Performance Management and Development

• Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, establishing a supportive environment while emphasizing accountability, providing regular and timely constructive performance feedback, and leading documented semi-annual performance reviews;
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions;
• Support the Field Coordinators in their work on projects follow-up and help ensuring a smooth communication and work relationship between them and the Technical Coordinators;
• Work with HR staff to identify and implement recruitment, professional development, and retention strategies;
• Put forward proposals on the Technical team composition and ensure its budgeting;
• On request, could assume the interim management of the mission in the absence of the CD.

YOUR PROFILE

Education

• Master's degree is in related field.

Experience

• Substantial experience in a senior management position in an overseas NGO environment, ideally in both emergency and developmental contexts;
• Previous experience in strategy development;
• Experience in designing and implementing a MEAL strategy, conception of adapted tools for the field, structuration of a MEAL Department on the mission;
• Experience of program implementation in priority in food security – livelihood, in development areas would be a strong added value. Knowledge of WaSH programs and DRR with a strong community mobilization focus would be appreciated;
• Experience in leading program development across multiple bases with multiple donors, preferably with knowledge of using contextual understanding and evidence to strategically guide the mission’s development with regards to programs;
• Experience of managing large teams in multiple locations with various challenges;
• Experience of budget management;
• Experience of establishing strong working relationships with colleagues from different functions and cultures;
• Experience in Donor relations (ECHO, OFDA, UN, DFID, EuropeAid);
• Previous experience in South Asia (recommended);
• Previous experience with SI.

Technical skill and competence

• Extensive knowledge about project cycle management and monitoring tools (very good understanding of MEAL systems is expected);
• Extensive knowledge of FSL programming, in emergency and development context;
• An ability to reflect on and learn from own performance and the performance of the program; and to act upon that learning;
• An ability to analyze information quickly and accurately;
• Good problem solving skills in day to day and crisis situations;
• A flexible approach to managing and prioritizing a high workload and multiple tasks with tight deadlines;
• A good understanding of DRR and climate change issues;
• Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office, Excel;
• Extensive report writing skills in English;
• Capacity to deal with many different issues, programs, sectors, to self- update and learn very quickly from a highly and constantly evolving environment;
• Strong representation/public relation skills.

Personal quality

• Ability to take decisions and work in autonomy is essential;
• The candidate must display diplomatic and smooth leadership skills;
• An understanding of and commitment to SI’s mission and values;
• Languages: Fluent in English {the mission is an English speaking/writing mission}. French and Burmese are added assets.

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