• Job number: SRH05932
• Status: Employee
• Area of expertise: Regional Coordination / Country Director
• Position: Missions
• Country: Afghanistan
• Contract Type: Short term contract

ABOUT US

EXPECTED BEGINNING DATE: September 15, 2024
Duration of the mission: 1 year
Location: Kabul

SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL (SI) is an international humanitarian aid association which, since more than 40 years, has been providing assistance to populations affected by armed conflicts and natural disasters by meeting their basic needs for food, water and shelter. Particularly committed to the fight against diseases linked to unsafe water, the leading cause of death in the world, SI’s interventions provide expertise in the field of access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene promotion, but also in the essential area of food security and livelihoods. Present in some twenty countries, the SI teams – 3000 people in total, made up of expatriates, national staff, permanent staff at HQ, and a few volunteers – intervene with professionalism and commitment while respecting cultural norms.

ABOUT THE MISSION

SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has resumed its programs in Afghanistan in December 2021 and has initially established a presence in Bamyan, Kapisa, Wardak and Kabul provinces. As of today, activities are implemented in Bamyan, Nimroz, Farah provinces as well as in Kabul. Operational bases are in Zaranj (capital of Nimroz Province) and Bamyan, capital of Bamyan Province.
Following a scale up over the course of 2023, the team is now made of 130 national and 10 international employees with an annual budget of around 5,5 M EUR. SI currently implements integrated FSL and WASH programs and aims at scaling them up in 2025.
there are currently 3 grants under implementation:
BHA: in Bamyan and Nimroz, focusing on WASH and FSL with a MPCA components allowing cash distribution further to shock (returnees in Kabul, Flood affected population in other intervention areas); this project is in consortium (Mercy Corps and MEDAIR), MEDAIR being the lead). one top up under finalization.
ECHO: currently a top up focusing only in Nimroz and Farah provinces after a first year of activities in Bamyan and Kapisa. This project is mainly focusing on wash activities, including the usual package (wash facilities, Hygiene promotion, acces to water through wells).
CDCS: covering Wash and FSL sectors in Farah province, top up under finalization.
Forecast for end of 2024 are AHF through the NFI and shelter cluster further to a previous project funded by AHF in winterization. Wash and FSL cluster are as well targetted.
For 2025, the main stake will be first to keep the current positionning with CDCS, AHF, BHA and ECHO (existing main donors) with new funding, as well as new on going positioning with INTPA in consortium (one CN already submitted).

in Kabul, there a re a total of 7 internationanl and 37 nationals at the coordination. CD is the n+1 of DCD prog, admin coo, log coo, Liaison and Humanitarian engagement Manager and grant manager. The bases are staffed with Field Coordinators having each around 40 staff to manage. there is one sub base in Waras (Bayan province) and one to be opened in Farah City for Farah Province.

ABOUT THE JOB

General OBJECTIVES

• S/He is in charge of the smooth running of the mission.
• S/He proposes mission strategy, according to the geopolitical and humanitarian context, and ensures its implementation once it has been validated.
• S/He monitors projects, ensuring that they are progressing in accordance with the Solidarités International charter and complying with internal and contractual procedures.
• S/He mobilizes the material and financial resources necessary for the programs to run effectively and supervises the administration of these resources.
• S/He coordinates the teams in place and ensures their security on the mission.
• S/He is the direct liaison for Solidarités International’s HQ.

ISSUES AND SPECIFIC CHALLENGES

• administrative impediments, slow release of MoU necessary implementation, high level of reporting, different kind of interference volatility of the security context;
• understand the way the external coordination is working (limits and opportunities)
• highly politicized contexte (donors and authorities) fund raising, positionning of SI, maintain or develop consortium and partnership.

PRIORITIES ON THE 2-3 FIRST MONTHS

• implementation: priority to Nimroz and farah bases
• external coordination: understand the NGO coordination in country, the way to deal at different level (country and provincial) with authorities positioning: preparation of 2025 strategy with main donors (BHA, ECHO, AHF, INTPA).

YOUR PROFILE

Education:

License or Master degree in humanitarian field and related topics.

EXPERIMENT

• 3-4 years in the humanitarian sector

EXPERIMENT ON SIMILAR POSITIONS

• 0-2 years

TECHNICAL SKILLS

• representation, strategic orientation, security
• internal coordination
• liaison, authorities engagement

TRANSVERSAL SKILLS

• patience, inter cultural skills, capacity of listening and adaptation with athorities.
• capacity to accept a highly political intervention context.

LANGUAGES

• english mandatory
• dari / pashtoo and / french will be an asset

TECHNICITY

• Comment : with a well staffed coordination, no need to have specific technical skills but as usual a program background is always usefull.

MANAGEMENT

• Comment : autonomous coordination team, turn over at the position of FC Nimroz, need time with both FC to follow administrative dynamic at field level.

ANALYSIS/STRATEGY

• Comment : challenging analysis of fascinating context in permanent dynamic and caracterized by a mix of formal and unformal rules at De Facto Authorities level. Need to find the most adapted positionning between pushing back / accepeting request of authorities.
• complex NGO coordination system to be understood, high politization of the global humanitarian strategy

SECURITY MANAGEMENT

• Comment : Security constraints to be strongly taken into consideration in the design, the implementation, the recruitment for both bases, sub-bases and in Kabul. Dynamic environment requiring constant attention.

Writing

• Comment : need excellent writing skills.

SI WILL OFFER YOU

A salaried position:

According to experience, starting from EUR 3740 gross per month (3400 base salary + 10% annual leave allowance paid monthly) and a monthly Per Diem of USD 600.

SI also covers accommodation costs and travel expenses between the expatriate’s country of origin and the place of assignment.

Breaks: During the assignment, a system of alternation between work and time off is implemented at the rate of 7 working days every two months (with a USD 850 break allowance, allocated by Sl). To these breaks periods, SI grants one (1) additional rest day per month worked.

Insurance package: Expatriates benefit from an insurance package which refunds all healthcare expenses (including medical and surgical expenses, dental care and ophthalmological expenses, repatriation) and a welfare system including war risks. Essential vaccination and antimalarial treatment costs are refunded.

LIVING CONDITIONS:

• office and Guest House conditions: guest houses and offices are in two separate building within the same campound. Office are fully equiped, guest house are equipped with nice bedrooms having individual bathrooms. Common spaces are the kitchen, terrassess, one salon and one dining room. TV installed, and gym equipment in the basement of the guest house. each building is equiped with hibernation room.
• Internet and telephone network: internet connection OK, 4 G globally available without issue in Kabul.
• Restaurant & social life: no restaurant validated currenty due to security volatility but possible to order for delivery with a good diversity.
• Social life is possible in other NGO guest houses (or SI guest house as well) with a limited number of people gathering and UN couponds.
• one supermarket located 5 min from the SI coumpound is validated for shoping. possibility to eat the food of the cook for lunch and dinner during the working days.
• Security level is 3 in Kabul, there is no movement by foot allowed outside the coupound and movement by car described as above.
• Due to these conditions, the rotation cycle is one RnR each 2 months.
• Winter temperatures in Kabul are negative (untill minus 15 °c) and around 30 °c in summer. Maximum of 45 ° in Nimroz during summer and minimum below – 15°C in Bamyan where heating system is necessary around 6 months / year (located at 2500 meters above see level).
• Living conditions in the field are often harsher (limited access to electricity, harsher weather conditions, isolation, etc.) and acces to the field is possible in the frame of the movement plans.

SECURITY CONSTRAINTS

• limited possibility of movement in Kabul: guest houses of other NGOs, UN Campounds, one supermarket because of volatility of the context.
• limited movement as well in cities were the bases are located (Bamyan and Zaranj) but acces to the field possible.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Do you recognize yourself in this description? If yes, please send us your CV and cover letter!

Please note that CV-only applications will not be considered, and that the vacancy may close before the deadline.

Thank you for your understanding.

To learn more about Sl: www.solidarites.org

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Solidarités International (SI) is determined to prevent and fight all type of abuse – all act of exploitation, abuse and/or sexual harassment (SEAH) against members of beneficiary communities or collaborators, fraud, corruption, violation of persons and/or property, funding of activities harmful to human rights – that could be perpetrated in the frame of its interventions. SI implements a zero-tolerance policy regarding acts of abuse, notably acts of SEAH.

Solidarités International is an equitable employer committed to find all forms of discrimination. SI will ever ask for any remuneration to take part in a recruitment process.

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