Programme Manager: Disaster Preparedness & Response

Cordaid believes in a world without poverty and exclusion. We strive for a just and sustainable society where every person counts. We stand for knowledge and talent sharing between North and South, between farmers and businesses, between activists and policymakers. Where poverty, conflict and exclusion divide societies, we connect people and communities. We stand for professionalism, expertise and solidarity across borders. We make a difference where it is most needed.

Together with more than 800 organizations in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America we structurally improve the living conditions of the poorest and most excluded populations - the bottom billion. We do that where natural disasters strike, where conflicts tear up communities and where underdevelopment keeps families in extreme poverty. In the Netherlands we are known as Cordaid Memisa, Cordaid Mensen in Nood, Cordaid Kinderstem, Cordaid Bond zonder Naam and Cordaid Microkrediet.

For its Emergency Response programme in South Sudan, Cordaid is looking for a Programme Manager – Disaster Preparedness & Response (DP&R)

About the position

Cordaid has been working in South Sudan for over 20 years. Its programme focuses on several intervention areas, including health, emergency response, community-based disaster risk reduction, food security, security and justice and women leadership. Cordaid manages and supports this programme largely from its country office in Juba, with other staff in project areas. The Juba country office has about 15 staff, and includes staff accommodation for about 10 staff as well. To address the plight of the large number of returnees and IDPs that have settled in different parts of South Sudan as a result of the January 2011 referendum, the violence that broke out in December 2013 and other humanitarian emergencies, Cordaid together with local and international Caritas and NGO partners is involved in programme development, programme implementation and capacity building regarding disaster response and disaster preparedness (amongst other programs / topics).

Position and responsibility

The Programme Manager for Disaster Preparedness & Response (DP&R) is responsible for designing, coordinating, managing and monitoring Cordaid’s disaster preparedness & response programmes in South Sudan. The Programme Manager will also support the DP & R capacity building of local partner organizations in these areas.

The Programme Manager DP & R will report to the Cordaid Country Director in Juba and liaise closely with the relevant technical officers of the Disaster Response program unit at Cordaid HQ in The Hague. The Programme Manager DP & R will also cooperate closely with the Programme Manager Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) & Food Security of the Country Office in South Sudan, as well as liaise and coordinate with other programmes implemented by Cordaid in South Sudan.

General objective of the posting

• Support programme development and strategic position of Cordaid on DP & R;
• Support capacity development of selected local partner organizations in the areas of DP & R;
• Connect to the CMDRR (Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction) and the Food Security programmes of Cordaid partners in South Sudan where feasible;
• Contribute to Cordaid South Sudan’s contingency planning and that of partners;
• Identify, develop and support new DP & R proposals and projects;
• Acquisition, networking, representation and coordination within the Caritas Diocesan and International network, International NGO community, UN agencies and UN clusters, and potential back donors (ECHO, EC, Netherlands Embassy, UN agencies and Private funds, amongst others);
• Any other responsibilities that can reasonably be asked from the Programme Manager position.  

Specific objectives:

• Programme development and strategic positioning
• Identify, Develop and Support Proposals and Projects
• Capacity Development on DP & R
• Networking, Representation and Acquisition

Qualifications

• Relevant education in Humanitarian Aid and related development studies;
• At least 5 years proven experience with analysing, developing, managing and monitoring emergency response programs and participatory needs assessments;
• Proven experience with developing, managing and monitoring emergency preparedness programs;
• Strong proposal writing skills (ECHO, EC, UN, etc.);
• Experience in assessing needs for and/or delivering DP & R training;
• Experience in building capacity and backstopping local partners in conflict-affected states, preferably in Africa;
• Experience in training local partners in DP & R and preparing contingency plans with them is an asset;
• Strong (financial) project management, analytical and problem-solving skills;
• Experience of working with internationally-funded programmes, including coordination, reporting and monitoring according to different donor templates (e.g. ECHO, OCHA)
• Experience in working with faith-based / church organisations is an asset;
• Knowledge of South Sudan’s socio- political environment is an asset;
• Be diplomatic, culturally sensitive and result-oriented;
• Experience in working in security sensitive environment in complex (post)conflict situations;
• Excellent English language writing and communication skills.

Specifics of duty station

The Programme Manager will be based in Juba, the state capital of Central Equatoria State in South Sudan. Juba has basic to fair medical facilities, some international shops and local markets and an international airport. It offers fair to reasonable opportunities for social activity. The safety and security situation in South Sudan remains volatile, but is constantly monitored by Cordaid and appropriate policies are in place, such as a curfew and the fact that South Sudan remains a single-posting country.

The Programme manager will have to travel regularly to the field (Upper Nile State, Unity State, Northern & Western Bahr El Ghazal, Central and Western Equatoria State) for project monitoring and for consultation and coordination meetings.

Contract information

The contract period is for 6 months starting as soon as possible((preferably 1st June 2016)., with the intention to extend for a longer period. We offer a Cordaid contract with a competitive salary and a benefit package which includes R&R, a comprehensive insurance cover, social security and pension contribution, a holiday allowance, 13th month, hardship allowance and cost of living allowance (if applicable).