Panama: Operations Manager / Migration Cell Coordinator

JOB PURPOSE

Reporting to the Head of Disaster and Crisis for the Americas, who is based in Panama City, capital of the Republic of Panama, managing the dedicated migration coordination cell and surge capacity team, and in close collaboration with technical departments of the Regional Office for the Americas, and country support teams, to oversee the coordination of timely, efficient and effective IFRC support to the operating NSs in responding to their needs in response to the migration crisis management and supporting for further peaks of migrants. In doing so they provide leadership for the international coordination and support for the management of IFRC.

JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The incumbent will:

Strategy and programme support:

• Support the National Societies in the assessment, planning, implementation of the emergency response link to the present migration situation. Together with other members of the IFRC operational team, work with managers of relevant National Society departments with all related programming roles and responsibilities, and when necessary provide advice and recommendations that carefully consider local capacity and context.
• Promote and assist in ensuring that humanitarian priorities and interventions are integrated with other programming divisions and other relevant sectors in the National Societies.
• Support the National Societies and Movement partners in ensuring that the response is based on frameworks and approaches that are consistent with or have considered national and international standards and guidelines, as well as IFRC policies, guidelines and tools.
• Assist National Societies and together with partners, in the achievement of planned outcomes and deliverables following quality standards, in a timely fashion, and within budgets.
• Work with National Societies and Movement partners in monitoring of the situation and its potential evolution, ensuring that humanitarian interventions are responsive to current and emerging needs and threats. Provide mechanisms and facilitate cross National Societies data management, analysis and forecast.
• Promote and assist in the development, implementation and reviews of contingency plans for identified threats in operational areas, as well as the development of capacities within National Societies for emergency response.

Coordination and representation:

• Coordinate the migration operational support cell.
• Support National Societies in setting up a technical platform that ensure all components of the response are identified, planned and carried out in a coordinated, collaborative and integrated manner with Movement and external partners.
• Support National Societies in developing and implementing operational standards, tools and procedures that ensure quality, consistency and sustainability of health interventions supported/funded by different Movement and external partners.
• Together with National Societies, represent IFRC in coordination meetings and forums, involving national authorities, national and international agencies, donors, other partners in the country.

Knowledge and information management:

• Support National Societies in establishing an effective information management system for the response.
• Assist National Societies and partners, in the conduct of reviews that enable National Societies to measure the impact of its emergency interventions, as well as inform its future capacity strengthening and programming priorities.
• Ensure that planning and reporting requirements are met in a timely and efficient manner.

EDUCATION

• University degree in relevant area or equivalent experience required
• Technical training in DM
• IMPACT/Basic Delegates Training Course

EXPERIENCE

• At least 5 years of field experience in disaster and crisis management with a humanitarian organization working in a developing country with at least 3 years within the Red Cross / Red Crescent Movement, including managing staff
• Field experience in coordinating and managing disaster and crisis management projects and activities, especially population movement
• Experience in project cycle management including proposal development, budgeting and reporting, monitoring and evaluation
• Good knowledge of the context and work experience in the Americas’ region

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Familiarity with current international health standards and guidelines
• Effective team and project management skills
• Good mentoring and capacity development skills
• Ability to work well in a multicultural team and in a changing environment
• Excellent stress management skills and ability to work in an insecure context
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrable accountability
• Proficient in computer office applications and communication technologies

LANGUAGES:

• Fluent spoken and written English
• Fluent spoken and written Spanish
• Good command of another IFRC official language (French or Arabic), or a language relevant in the region (i.e. Portuguese), preferred.

COMPETENCIES AND VALUES

• VALUES: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
• CORE COMPETENCIES: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust
• MANAGERIAL COMPETENCIES: Managing Staff Performance; Managing Staff Development
• FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES: Strategic orientation; Building alliances; Leadership; Empowering others

A letter of motivation must be submitted along with the application no later than October 1, 2018. In order to ensure a proper comparative evaluation of your application for this vacancy and to enable us to consider your profile against other similar current and future vacancies, we ask that you submit your application thru the following link http://www.ifrc.org/en/who-we-are/working-with-us/current-vacancies/job-description/?id=13636 taking into account the following:

Message for applicants:

Applicants will need to send their applications together with a letter of motivation no later than the closing date. In order for us to assure a proper comparative evaluation of your application for this vacancy and to enable us to consider your profile against other similar current and future vacancies, we ask that you submit your application considering the following:

• Please note that this vacancy seeks to hire the selected candidate through an international contract;
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by Federation policies, procedures, plans and applicable laws;
• The closing date is midnight Geneva time. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered;
• Only those candidates shortlisted for interviews will be notified.

The position will be based in Panama. If the selected candidate is a national or resident of Panama, a national contract will be offered in line with the applicable compensation and benefits. The position incumbent will travel frequently to the countries affected by the migratory crisis, identified within the appeal, as it evolves and as required by the operation.