Deputy Regional Director

Job Purpose

Reporting to the Regional Director, the Deputy Regional Director, in close coordination with the Country Offices (CO) and Country Cluster Support Teams (CCSTs), is responsible for providing strategic leadership and direction to the teams under his/her responsibility, covering a multiple and broad range of relevant services, ensuring global and regional alignment in the implementation of IFRC plans, and ensuring that effective support and integrated membership services to strengthen National Society capacities and their programmes is provided by the IFRC reams in the region.

The incumbent is a member of of the Regional Senior Management Team and contributes to the corporate management of the Region in a matrix organization with relevant Departments in Geneva.

Job Duties & Responsibilities

National Society Capacity Building

· Provide strategic guidance, tools and management support, to coordinate engagement with the leadership of NSs. Work through CCSTs and COs to identify and agree on relevant actions to achieve NS financial sustainability, stronger volunteer management, and effective and efficient local and national capacities through diverse forms of support for core development and capacity building.

· Support the NS to expand the reach and quality of services in line with their strategic plans, Strategy 2020 and strategy 2030, to deliver relevant humanitarian services and programmes to, and with, vulnerable communities.

· Be the lead representative supporting regional partnerships and alliances with various components of the RCRC Movement and external partners, as well as provide guidance to country teams.

· Lead the delivery of service improvement, good practice, continuous learning and knowledge sharing between IFRC and NSs, and promote knowledge management and testing of innovative approaches to address critical challenges in programme management and operational coordination.

· Provide leadership and guidance to the managers in the region to identify where NSs should strengthen their own corporate services and humanitarian diplomacy capacities.

· Facilitate the identification of appropriate solutions to the needs highlighted by country and country cluster teams related to capacity building.

· Lead efforts to deepen the relationships with partner organisations and through the development of processes which support contact with academia, foundations, the private sector, corporate partners or other stakeholders capable of supporting their humanitarian objectives.

Partnerships and Communications

· Support the Regional Director in the development of policy guidance and advice for NSs and the Regional Office with their relationships with governments and intergovernmental agencies, ensuring that the Federation’s official positions are represented with consistency and benefit the NS in their own work as the auxiliaries to the public authorities in the humanitarian field.

· Ensure close coordination with regional and international organizations to enhance the IFRC’s regional and global positioning.

· Under the guidance of the Regional Director, provide advice and support for the negotiation and maintenance of partnerships (through agreements or other arrangements) with other international agencies whose goals and programs match those of the Federation and NS, and which are prioritised in terms of the IFRC's new operating model at the regional and sub-regional levels.

· Lead the Regional Office's diverse teams in the fulfilment of effective relationship building, communication and advocacy closely aligned with the global strategy.

· Ensure consistency of messages both within the IFRC and through consultations with the ICRC and other interlocutors. Ensure alignment of these messages and actions with the Fundamental Principles of the Movement.

· Guide the teams on the implementation of shared leadership initiatives.

International Disaster Response

When needs and vulnerabilities overtake locally available capacities, under the guidance of the Regional Director:

· provide leadership to the integrated Emergency and Partnership teams to ensure that international disaster and crisis response assistance is effectively organised, coordinated and directed.

· take an active role during emergency response, performing periodic field visits and keeping constant monitoring of recovery activities of operations in the region.

· Ensure that the support provided to NSs in disaster and crisis response is relevant to the identified needs and is part of

Job Duties & Responsibilities 2

· a wider strategy covering recovery and long-term development as applicable. Work closely with the Secretariat's Programs and Operations Division to ensure that the response to major disasters and crisis is timely, at the scale commensurate with the needs, and is aligned with global systems and policies.

· Lead on operational modalities in Movement co-ordination, including capacity enabling as intervention mechanisms for disaster and crises.

· Ensure that the regional office technical teams have functional rosters of staff and volunteers that can be deployed to other countries in times or emergencies.

Longer-Term Development Programming

· Provide overall coordination with the Regional Office Team and COs and CCSTs to ensure longer-term programming support to NS in the strategies for implementation and areas of focus, as outlined in the Plan and Budget 2016-2020, as well as develop medium-term plans and support their implementation and monitoring.

· Ensure effective and efficient management of IFRC resources in the programmes under his/her responsibility. This includes providing strategic leadership, ensuring balanced support to country needs and regional activities in support of NSs in the region, as outlined in the plan.

· Ensure the implementation of efficient IFRC coordinated activities in the region, including careful attention to avoid duplication, waste of resources, as well as provision of capacity to provide quality guidance according to approved plans and budgets, and in compliance with IFRC procedures, regulations and policies.

· Ensure rigorous monitoring mechanisms, which effectively demonstrate results, and commission evaluations based on best international practice in shared learning and accountability.

· Ensure that there are appropriate assessments and "lessons learned" processes and morphing/exit strategies to optimise sustainability and community ownership of various programmes.

· Ensure that there is support to COs and CCSTs to develop rosters that support other NSs on initiatives for peer to peer engagement or south-south collaboration.

General management

· Provide day-to-day management of all staff reporting to the position in the Regional Office.

· Ensure compliance with applicable laws and status agreements to minimise risk of harm to the IFRC and its personnel, properties and resources. Special attention is to be given to compliance with procurement procedures and standards.

· Ensure that there is sound planning and financial management of areas under his/her responsibility.

· Contribute to upholding the Secretariats policies, procedures and management systems within the Region, and support their improvement and review as necessary.

· Promote a culture of performance and continuous learning to improve matrix management, accountability and impact with respect to vulnerable people.

· Perform any other related duties and responsibilities that might be assigned by the Regional Director.

· Deputise for the Director when requested during his / her absences, which could include short-term missions to large-scale humanitarian operations.

Security

· Ensure that the office maintains comprehensive and effective 24/7 security management that will enhance the safety and security of personnel, operations and assets.

· Ensure that all IFRC (and other RCRC) personnel, assets and operations under his/her responsibility comply with the security regulations established in the region.

· Ensure that all teams under her/his responsibility embed security procedures and guidelines while performing their duties.

Education

Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in the area of management, humanitarian or development issues, or other relevant areas of study

Experience

Required

· At least 15 years of management experience, including direct supervision of more than 10 people and the management of teams with more than 50 people.

· At least 5 years of experience working in a voluntary membership-based humanitarian organization at senior management levels.

· Experience in diplomacy and/or high-level representation functions.

· Demonstrated success in planning, project management and reporting.

· Proven successful experience in strategy development and implementation.

· Proven successful experience in finance and risk management.

· Proven successful experience in people and performance management.

· Sound knowledge and practical understanding of the IFRC.

· Good understanding of the global humanitarian environment.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required

· Ability to build effective teams.

· Ability to work in a cross-cultural and cross functional environment.

· Excellent communications skills, negotiating and influencing skills.

· Excellent Networking skills, strong interpersonal skills.

· Politically and culturally sensitive.

· Ability to work in tight deadlines and handle multiple tasks.

· Strong analytical skills and capacity to translate analysis into action.

· Fluent spoken and written English

· Other languages: Spanish, Arabic and/or French

Competencies and Values

Core Competencies: Communication; Collaboration and Teamwork; Judgement and Decision Making; National Societies and Customer Relations; Creativity and Innovation; Building Trust

Managerial Competencies: Managing Staff Performance; Managing Staff Development; Strategic Orientation

Functional Competencies: Building Alliances; Leadership; Empowering Others

If you are interested please apply on IFRC.org
Applications deadline on Friday 31 May 2019 at midnight Geneva time