Purpose and tasks of deployment
The purpose of the deployment is to strengthen the ongoing and future response to natural disasters and conflicts in the countries covered by the Regional Office. This includes Syria and all neighboring countries as well as the Palestinian Territories and countries in Central Asia (Afghanistan, Pakistan). While DKH is not planning to implement own projects, the Regional Office has to ensure that local partner organizations have the administrative, personnel and technical capacities to respond according to the highest humanitarian standards. DKH is a signatory of the Charter4Change, an initiative, led by both national and international NGOs, to practically implement changes to the way the Humanitarian System operates in order to enable more locally-led response.
Due to the strategic importance of the region, DKH needs to ensure that its own humanitarian response is meeting expectations in every aspect, and that DKH can fully rely on their strategic partner organizations in times of crisis. The Regional Director shall provide support and guidance and ensures bridging between DKH, the local partner organizations, and institutional backdonors. The Director shall act as the focal point of DKH in the region, advise DKH-programming across it, coordinate with relevant stakeholders and act as the official representative of DKH. It is expected that innovations and trends in the humanitarian field are adapted and implemented in the region under the lead of the Director.
The Regional Director leads and manages the team of international and national staff members of DKH at the Regional Office. The Regional Office also hosts the DKH Project Office Syria.
Work Context
DKH implements all projects in close collaboration and partnership with international and national organizations based in the region. DKH is also an active member of the ACT Alliance, the largest coalition of Protestant and Orthodox Churches and church-related organizations engaged in humanitarian, development and advocacy work. This includes active membership in ACT Fora in the region as well as support to ACT-Appeals for humanitarian response.
The Regional Director and the DKH-team in the Regional Office play a key role in supporting DKH programming across the region. The DKH Regional Office provides technical and other backstopping support to all partner organizations in order to ensure quality projects and programs. It continuously aims at increasing and further strengthening relations with partner organizations and building their capacities. For this purpose, a regional Capacity Building Program is targeting all partner organizations in the region.
In collaboration with the partner organizations, the Regional Director strategically initiates and leads programming in the region. This is done in close coordination with DKH headquarters in Berlin. It is evident that in the more and more complex humanitarian enterprise, focus has to be put beyond mere donor compliance.
Main Tasks
Responsible for Smooth Running of the Regional Office
· Ensuring that all necessary steps for the regular registration of DKH in Jordan are undertaken with due diligence, including follow-up of all related matters in collaboration with DKH Berlin
· Ensuring appropriateness of the DKH-structure in terms of administrative and technical coverage, premises and equipment as well as policies and procedures
· Ensuring that appropriate resources and capacities needed for properly supporting the partner organizations are identified and allocated
· Identifying gaps in operational capacity and providing guidance for their improvement
Responsible for Program Development and Implementation of DKH Strategy
· Ensuring that relief, early-recovery and rehabilitation as well as disaster risk reduction projects are developed by the local partner organizations according to available DKH-own funding as well as funds from institutional backdonors
· Ensuring that partner organizations are planning and implementing in coordination with national and international/UN coordination bodies, and wherever required or possible, projects are included/reported in the UN-system (Flash Appeals, Humanitarian Response Plans etc.)
· Supervising closely the planned and on-going activities within the Capacity Building Program, and providing strategic guidance in close collaboration with DKH Berlin
· Ensuring that strategic priorities of the DKH Strategy 2021+ as well as DKH Country/Regional Strategies are fully reflected in the programs and projects
· Ensuring that DKH-policies and other directives from DKH Berlin are implemented in the region
· Strengthening relations with existing local partner organizations and if necessary, leading the identification of new partners
· Ensuring that project and program evaluations are planned and executed in due time in close collaboration with DKH Berlin
· Establishing and ensuring that all necessary contacts with current and potential donor organizations in the region are maintained
· Leading assessment and exploratory missions in case of acute emergencies or new crisis in the region
· Ensuring that digitalization and other innovative approaches are reflected in DKH-projects
· Liaising closely with the DKH Syria Program Director
Responsible for Sound Financial and Administrative Compliance
· Supervising the work of the Finance and Administrative Teams
· Ensuring compliance and accountability of all fiscal controls with the requirements and regulations of the backdonors, the Standard Procedures for Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe Offices Abroad, the local laws and the Internationally Recognized Accounting Principles**
· Supervising the preparation of the Regional Office’s Annual Operational Budget**
Responsible for Human Resource Management
· Guiding the team at the Regional Office so that each staff member is able to fulfill the tasks of his/her specific job description in order to meet desired quality and standards within approved time lines and budgets
· Ensuring that DKH’s core values and standards are understood throughout the team, and strategies and policies are guiding the daily work
· Overseeing the respect and application of the internal staff regulations, the HR policies and other internal procedures of the Regional Office
· Ensuring preparation of Terms of Reference/job descriptions, recruitment of personnel, supervision, disciplinary measures and performance reviews
· Ensuring training and professional development opportunities to all staff members
· Supporting the teams in decision making and overcoming challenges through coaching and constant feedback
Responsible for Health, Safety and Security (HSS)
· Ensuring organizational commitment to health, safety, and security management at the Regional Office
· Making or endorsing decisions on travel of DKH-staff, movement restrictions, hibernation and other mitigation measures in line with DKH HSS Handbook and the Regional Office’s HSS Plan
· Ensuring that the security situation in the region is constantly monitored and analyzed and that the staff members are briefed accordingly
· Ensuring that the documents and procedures relating to HSS are regularly updated in coordination or upon request of DKH Berlin
· Ensuring coordination with other NGOs, UN agencies, local partner organizations, local authorities, government authorities and donors on HSS issues
Responsible for Representation, Visibility and Advocacy
· Representing DKH in the region with other national and international actors including the German Embassy or Consulate as well as institutional backdonors
· Handling media/PR tasks as well as visits of delegations in close collaboration with DKH Berlin
· Acting as focal point for ACT Alliance and ACT-partners, and if applicable, actively representing or ensuring representation of DKH at the ACT Country or Regional Fora
· If required or requested, providing assistance to BftW and BftW-partner organizations in the region (BftW – Bread for the World is DKH’s sister organization working in development assistance)
· Preparing a Monthly and Annual Office Report
· Supporting a coherent and active humanitarian principle-focused communication and advocacy strategy including a definition of red lines
Accountability to Beneficiaries
· DKH team members are expected to support all efforts for increased accountability towards the beneficiaries while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of projects.
The requested qualification and experience is as follows:
University degree in a related field;
At least 3 years experience in related position (Head of Mission, Country Representative etc.) in complex humanitarian operations, previous work experience in the Middle East and insecure environments preferred;
Substantial knowledge of the international humanitarian system, institutions and donors, including compliance requirements and accountability frameworks;
Prior experience with funding from the German Government (GFFO, BMZ), ECHO, and other institutional backdonors;
Experience in working with local partner organizations including implementation of a project/program strategy through partners;
Demonstrated experience in working effectively with networks, and establishing new partnerships and consortia;
Demonstrated experience in representation and working effectively and respectfully with host country governments and other stakeholders in complex environments;
Experience in guiding transition from relief to early-recovery and rehabilitation;
Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including negotiation and coaching;
Strong participatory leadership with the ability of solving complex issues collegially, defining a clear way forward, and utilizing best practices in management to ensure shared success;
Ability to work under high pressure, in a highly volatile context with strict security measures, and motivated by constant program adaptation to an evolving context;
Excellent oral and written English skills, proficiency in Arabic is an asset;
HEAT-certificate or similar security training status.
The remuneration follows internationally accepted standards.
Consultancy status. Duration: 24 months. Starting date: October 2021.
How to apply:
Closing date: August 20, 2021 (only shortlisted candidates will be contacted)
Contact: Kindly send your application, CV, HEAT-certificate/security training status by email to Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe headquarters in Berlin: jobs@diakonie-katastrophenhilfe.de
Further questions regarding the assignment kindly address to michael.frischmuth@diakonie-katastrophenhilfe.de