Senior emergency programme manager

Key Relationships

- Close working relations with the HelpAge International Ethiopia Programme and Finance teams and with the Country Director, as well as the Resource Development Officer
- Direct communication with the Emergencies staff in East, West and Central Africa Regional Centre (EWCARC) and London
- Frequent communication with Finance, Resource Development and Contract Management staff in EWCARC and London
- Close working relations with partner staff, both programme and finance
- Frequent liaison with external audiences, in particular with UN clusters, government task forces, donors and specialist agencies such as FAO, UNICEF, WFP and others
- Liaison with other INGOs active in the humanitarian sector

Background 

HelpAge International helps older people claim their rights, challenge discrimination and overcome poverty, so that they can lead dignified, secure, active and healthy lives. Our work in over 75 countries is strengthened through our global network of like-minded organisations - the only one of its kind in the world. HelpAge's current emergency programme in Ethiopia is designed to assist older people in areas of the country affected by drought and/or floods and those living in refugee camps, by providing age-specific food and essential relief items, shelter and where appropriate WASH items. In addition, we influence other agencies to include older people in their programmes and projects, as well as working with government to improve humanitarian policies in relation to inclusion of older people.

Job purpose

To coordinate and lead the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the emergency response, recovery and disaster risk reduction programme of HelpAge International in Ethiopia, to guide and build the capacity of HelpAge staff and partners in the design and implementation of humanitarian projects and to play a leading a role in promoting and representing the HelpAge humanitarian programme and principles to key internal and external audiences.

Job responsibilities

Programme Development 

- Develop an operational emergency, recovery and DRR strategy, focused on the needs and capacities of older people, along with other key members of the HelpAge team
- Develop annual action plans in line with the strategy
- Monitor on-going and emerging areas of conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia, and adapt the strategy and plans accordingly as and when necessary
- Develop and implement tools to conduct community level needs assessments on emerging humanitarian crises to feed into the development of proposals
- Lead the design of emergency, recovery and DRR projects, in line with the strategy and annual plan and in response to the humanitarian situation, government and donor priorities
- Initiate new partnerships where necessary and strengthen existing HelpAge partnerships where helpful, in order to fulfil the strategy and annual plan and to best meet the needs of older people in humanitarian crises affecting Ethiopia

Programme Management 

- Ensure effective implementation of HelpAge emergency, recovery and DRR projects in collaboration with partners, government and other stakeholders
- Promote participatory approaches in emergency programming to ensure inclusion of older people and their leadership in programme design, implementation and monitoring, and to strengthen their engagement in advocacy and policy work
- Draw up appropriate project agreements
- Ensure downward, as well as upward accountability, and implementation of HAP in all projects
- Ensure strict adherence to humanitarian principles and guidelines in the development and implementation of all projects
- Where necessary, and in close collaboration with the CPD, develop job descriptions, recruit, induct and debrief field based humanitarian staff

Resource mobilisation

- In consultation with the CPD and Resource Development Officer develop a funding strategy for HelpAge humanitarian work
- Actively lead fundraising efforts of the Emergencies and DRR programme area by developing relevant proposals to both in-country and external donors, as appropriate
- Ensure accurate budget and financial management of projects and timely and accurate reporting to donors

Influencing 

- Initiate and support influencing in humanitarian plans, policies and practice in Ethiopia and globally, ensuring the needs and voices of older people are considered in decisions related to emergency and DRR programmes
- Actively participate in humanitarian coordination forums in order to raise awareness, share information and build partnerships in the humanitarian sector
- Generate evidence from on-going projects/programmes and ensure these are well documented and disseminated, both in Ethiopia and globally

Learning, Monitoring and Evaluation 

- Ensure regular field level monitoring of projects, in collaboration with the finance team.
- Assist the process of developing Detailed Budget Sheets (DBS) ensuring monitoring/tracking of budget and financial resources including income and expenditure against approved budgets
- Generate and manage in-house knowledge in HelpAge in the area of emergencies and DRR at national and regional levels.
- Promote organisational learning in the area of emergencies and DRR within HelpAge, with partners and the wider humanitarian community

Reporting 

- Ensure quality and compliance with donor reporting requirements and submit within set deadlines to CPD for their final review and submission to donor, government and others as required
- Develop, manage and keep pertinent donor, project funding and other relevant contracts in collaboration with the focal person for the HelpAge Contract Management System (CMS)
- Ensure CMS is kept up to date at all times
- Provide an annual review of programme activities in relation to plans

Capacity building 

- Play a leading role in strengthening the capacity of partners and other stakeholders working with HelpAge on emergency preparedness, response and policy and practice issues
- Promote humanitarian accountability among partners by organising training, workshops and other appropriate forums
- Be responsible for the development of a core skill area on humanitarian response and preparedness within HelpAge Ethiopia

Other 

- Plan and coordinate visits by donors, government and other stakeholders to project areas
- Assist in the development of organisational guidelines and procedures for emergency response including security procedures, logistics and compliance with the policies, rules and regulations of government, donors and other concerned bodies
- Ensure that security guidelines for programmes in insecure areas are observed and regularly updated
- Act as a key contact for media and other external public relations actors on humanitarian and DRR work
- Actively participate in regional level initiatives in relation to emergency and DRR by liaising and closely working with EWCARC and other country programmes
- Keep abreast of developments in the humanitarian sector relating to best practice initiatives and ensure their dissemination to the rest of the HelpAge Ethiopia team and humanitarian partners, and where appropriate, to other HelpAge offices
- Actively participate in the management team of the HelpAge Ethiopia office, taking part in related meetings, activities and decisions, which may include areas of responsibility that lie outside the management of the humanitarian programme
- The post holder may be expected to undertake additional tasks, commensurate with grading and status, after consultation and the provision of suitable training

Person Specification

Essential

- MSc or MA in the field of emergency/disaster management, agricultural economics, agricultural development, livelihoods, health and nutrition sciences or relevant experience
- Extensive international experience in managing humanitarian projects/programmes, with relevant experience at coordination office or in senior management
- Experience of developing proposals and budgets
- Experience of managing projects for major donors
- Extensive experience in an international NGO, UN or donor with a multi-cultural setting
- Excellent understanding of technical issues in emergency and related areas such as disaster risk reduction, social protection, livelihoods and food security, health and nutrition and disaster preparedness
- Ability to develop innovative approaches and strategies
- Ability to work in partnership with other stakeholders within an agreed partnership framework
- Advanced writing skills, including proposal and reports
- Excellent communication skills in English
- Able to travel at very short notice and for extended periods to difficult environments, often in very basic living conditions
- Able to work proactively and supportively within a team
- Able to manage multiple and complex tasks in a deadline-focused environment
- Planning and organisational skills

Desirable

- Understanding of work in drought and conflict prone areas
- Building partnerships
- Good understanding of budgets and financial management
- Good understanding and analysis of intergenerational nature of poverty and development