Country Director at Danish Refugee Council

Background: 

DRC has been implementing a response to the protracted Burundi and Congolese refugee situation in Tanzania since the onset of the Burundi refugee crisis in 2015 in three refugee camps in the North-Western Tanzania bordering Burundi. DRC’s implements an integrated programme for refugees, asylum seekers and host communities covering the sectors of Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM), Protection, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH), Shelter and infrastructure, General Food Distribution (GFD) and Livelihoods. The Country programme operates from three offices in Dar Es Salaam, Kasulu and Kibondo and currently employs 263 national and 8 international staff.

The establishment of the operation Burundi in 2018 aimed at strengthening the cross-border response to the repatriation process between the two countries, and enhance the impact of DRC’s support to the Burundian returnees, IDPs and hosting communities. The Burundi operation will by the beginning of 2021 employ approx. 50 national and 4 international staff.  The Country programme operates from three offices in Bujumbura, Rutana and Muyinga Provinces mainly focusing on protection and livelihoods through building resilience using a permaculture-based design.

Overall purpose of the role

The Tanzania-Burundi CD’s prime objectives will be to provide leadership and strategic management with a view to position DRC as the leading INGO in Tanzania and Burundi on protection of displaced populations and the promotion of durable solutions; oversee the strengthening of DRC’s programme development, quality and accountability framework and be a proactive partner in the wider regional strategic and programme development processes.

Responsibilities:

Direct managerial oversight and support: Ensure that the SMT and PMs have clear and realistic performance-based management goals. Tasks include:

• Direct line management of SMT, Consortium Managers, and country wide programme support team;
• Support PMs to establish good management support for their teams;
• Provide on-going support and coaching, and ensure that staff has the necessary capacity to fulfil their responsibilities.

Programme Strategy: To develop and update the Tanzania and Burundi programme strategies and linkages between the two countries, within DRC/DDG’s overall regional and global strategic frameworks. Tasks include:

• Keeping abreast key conflict and displacement trends in the region impacting the two countries;
• Identifying key developments and trends in refugee response in countries and position the organisation to best deal with these
• Ensure that the key regional and global frameworks are contextualised and applied in the country program context and ensure that staff understand these,
• Leading a consultative process for local strategy development,
• Leading the Tanzania-Burundi annual programme portfolio analyses and annual review
• Playing a key role in fundraising and donor contract management.

Quality and Accountability: To be responsible for ensuring that programmes comply with the organisational quality and accountability commitments. Tasks include:

• Ensure that the Operations and Programme Handbooks are utilized throughout all offices,
• Lead process of developing and updating the local Humanitarian Accountability Framework and Quality Management System,
• Promote accountability concepts and practices.

Safety and Security: To hold overall responsibility for ensuring that DRC’s Tanzania and Burundi programmes are delivered in a safe and secure manner. Tasks include:

• Working with DRC’s Regional Security Advisor and Tanzania and Burundi safety specialists to ensure that all EAGL security management protocols and procedures are updated, made locally relevant and applied consistently,
• To be overall responsible for ensuring security analyses is being done collectively and regularly,
• Ensuring compliance with risk mitigation against corruption, fraud and diversion.

Representation, Coordination and Stakeholder management: To ensure that DRC/DDG maintains excellent and productive relations with all key stakeholders, especially beneficiaries, local authorities, the humanitarian community and donors. Tasks include:

• Representing DRC/DDG at relevant and senior forums/ meetings,
• Ensuring other staff are appropriately representing DRC/DDG at relevant forums/ meetings,
• Maintaining agreed profile of DRC/DDG at country level,
• Conducting regular stakeholder analyses to ensure that DRC/DDG has good understanding of dynamics/ relationships,

• Engaging in, and where effective, leading coordination processes amongst key stakeholders.

Advocacy and communication: To lead the Tanzania-Burundi advocacy in all DRC/DDG key messages. Tasks include:

• With Regional Office to prepare and implement an advocacy and communication strategy,
• Guiding staff to advocate clearly, appropriately and strategically.

Financial accountability: Ensure that the different programmes deliver financial accountability. Tasks include:

• Playing an active and coordinating role in linking finance teams with the Regional finance teams, and financial management itself,
• Ensuring that financial systems are followed by FOs and that financial reports submitted are accurate,
• Ensuring the finance and programme teams have a productive engagement.

Reporting

The Country Director will report to the Regional Director, East Africa and Great Lakes

About you 

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate each of DRC’s five core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: you focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process
• Collaborating: you involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
• Taking the lead: you take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: you act in line with our vision and values

Requirements

Experience and technical competencies:

• At least six years’ management experience, as head or senior member of humanitarian or development programme/organisation; at least four years in East Africa region

• Demonstrated experienced with forced displacement issues
• Good communicator and proven diplomacy with all types of stakeholders
• Proven commitment to accountable practices and knowledgeable of quality assurance systems
• Hands on experience in managing staff in insecure and remote locations
• Demonstrated strong human resource management skills
• Experience of managing budgets and multiple donor contracts
• Demonstrated experience in donor contact, fundraising and networking

Languages

• Fluency in English (speaking, writing, reading) is essential
• French language skills are beneficial

Conditions

Contract:           Two years’ contract.  Other employment conditions in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Global Expatriates. This position is under employment category D

Availability:       March 2021

Duty station:      Dar es Salaam, Tanzania with frequent travel to the field. This position is accompanied

For further information about this position please contact Heather on email heather.amstutz@drc.ngo

Commitments: DRC has a Humanitarian Accountability Framework, outlining its global accountability commitments. All staff are required to contribute to the achievement of this framework.

Application

Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit updated CV and cover letter in English through the online application on www.drc.ngo under vacancies no later than 4 Jan 2021

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Gender Equality: DRC is committed to achieving gender parity in staffing at all levels.  In light of this, women candidates are particularly encouraged to apply to bridge the gender gap. 

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Equal Opportunities: DRC is an equal opportunity employer.  We value diversity and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment based on mutual respect for all employees.  We do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, disability status, religion, ethnic origin, colour, race, marital status or other protected characteristics.