Head of disaster operations

Background

In 2009 Plan adopted a new Disaster Risk Management Strategy reflecting a commitment to build our work on disaster response and disaster risk reduction. The strategy established two strategic objectives, for emergency response and disaster risk reduction. To support these, it identified a series of outcomes to enable us to work effectively in emergencies and within the disaster risk management sector. A small Disaster Risk Management Team has now been established at Plan’s International Headquarters at Woking, UK. The Team are driving change across the organisation and building reputation outside Plan. In supporting the strategy this post ensures that the systems used to support effective and high quality emergency work, such as Response-mechanisms, Logistics, Finance, Human Resources, Administration Security and Information Management are designed, communicated, understood and working well with other parts of the organization.

Main responsibilities

Improved systems in plan

The post holder will champion the improvement of Plan systems for better efficiency and effectiveness of Plan’s work in emergencies. This may be by the post holder developing new systems, or by working with other parts of the organisation to ensure that appropriate systems are developed and adopted. S/he will represent DRM in internal initiatives such as the country office restructuring, the financial systems integration, revision of the field operations book, and the business operating model review. The result will be that Plan finance, HR, information, learning and communications systems work effectively during emergencies and that Plan has adequate systems and capacity for efficient logistics

• Overseeing the development of systems for systematic collection, analysis and dissemination of relevant data / information / lessons, to ensure that lessons are learned and incorporated into practice.
• Oversee the development of logistics capacity required to support increasingly effective emergency response
• Work with Grants and Sponsorship Departments to ensure that systems for grants management and sponsorship are adequate and understood during an emergency
• Work with Finance Department to ensure that the systems and guidance in the Field Operations Book will be appropriate and effective in an emergency
• Work with the People and Culture Department to ensure that systems support an emergency roster (of internal and external staff) is established and managed, and that systems and guidelines are in place and understood for rapid recruitment and deployment of emergency staff.
• Also, with People and Culture and with line managers, to get DRM responsibilities included in job descriptions across the organisation
• Work with the Communication department to ensure that communications systems meet the requirements in emergencies and so enhance our performance and profile.
• Work with the Global Security Advisor to enable the effective integration of security procedures into processes for developing and implementing disaster related programmes.

Management of initiatives

The post holder will be responsible for the tracking and administration of Operations initiatives and of any agreements or partnerships concerning Disaster Risk Management. The result will be a portfolio of relationships with clear and manageable expectations.

• Oversee the implementation of the training programme (through the line management of the training coordinator
• Ensure strong and effective fundraising for the work of the DRM Team
• Development and signing of contracts, MOUs and other contractual agreements with donors, other I/NGOs, Country Programmes, suppliers and others with whom we collaborate
• Manage team and disaster risk management network meetings and maintain a register of risks for the DRM Team
• Manage the preparation of departmental plans and budgets

Emergencies manual

The post holder will be responsible for developing and disseminating the Emergencies Manual. The result will be that all staff understand standard operating procedures for emergency responses and have access to guidance that includes the lessons from Plan’s experience.

Communications

The post holder will be responsible for ensuring that the DRM team maintain a consistent presence on Planet. The result will be that the virtual operations room and the DRM document library are well used and that DRM Team work is consistently well communicated across the organization. Ensure that information about Disaster risk management work is systematically collected, collated, stored and communicated. Line-managed Staff supervised and coached to deliver effective work. The post holder will be expected to manage performance of staff and ensure that their combined work-plans make up a coherent whole to address the results required of this position and contributes to the results of the DRM Team as a whole.

Knowledge

• Good Practice and standards for management and administration systems for emergencies (for example People in Aid)
• Principles of humanitarian response
• The dynamics of information, coordination and funding in emergencies
• Knowledge of current approaches and key debates in humanitarian effectiveness and accountability
• Knowledge of the systems and ways of working in an international NGO.

Skills

• Setting up and managing business systems
• Working in humanitarian programmes
• Project management
• Excellent strategic and planning skills; ability to “see the bigger picture” without losing sight of the detail
• Experience of budget development, financial management and narrative reporting.
• Proven influencing and negotiation skills
• Outstanding leadership and mentoring skills
• Experience of working under pressure and managing multiple tasks to tight deadlines
• Working across cultures and multiple locations
• Ability to effectively manage and prioritise a diverse workload
• Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English and additional languages (French or Spanish) desirable
• Experience of working as part of a team and managing staff.

Attitudes

• Strongly drives performance forward in area of the business
• Involves others in setting and achieving goals
• Sets strong strategy in own part of organisation
• Interrogates work effectiveness and searches for finds better ways of working
• Alert to risks inside and outside the organisation ready to make judgements to manage risk and take responsibility for judgements
• Effective communicator
• Cross-culturally adept
• Communicator and influencer. (representation)
• Comfortable working with senior management.
• Team player and relationship builder.
• Able to work calmly under extreme pressure and at unpredictable hours during emergency response and to cope with stress

Location and travel

The post-holder will be expected to travel occasionally, sometimes at short notice to join humanitarian responses.