Area Manager

Location:

Position Location:

Description

Position title         Area Manager (AM)

Location :               Aden, Yemen

Reports to :             Country Director

Duration:            12 months

ABOUT RI

Relief International is a leading nonprofit organization working in 20 countries to relieve poverty, ensure well-being and advance dignity. We specialize in fragile settings, responding to natural disasters, humanitarian crises and chronic poverty.

Relief International combines humanitarian and development approaches to provide immediate services while laying the groundwork for long-term impact. Our signature approach — which we call the RI Way—emphasizes local participation, an integration of services, strategic partnerships, and a focus on civic skills. In this way, we empower communities to find, design and implement the solutions that work best for them. RI includes the four corporate members of the RI Alliance: RI-US, RI-UK, MRCA/RI-France and RI-Europe. Under our alliance agreement, we operate as a single, shared management structure.

Position Summary

The Area Manager (AM) role is a Senior Managgement Team position directly reporting to the Cuntry Director. The AM oversees overall management of programs and support functions in all RI area and field offices. He /she is responisble for program implementation, performance management, capacity development, communication and information sharing both internally and externally, representation and liaising with local authorities, partners and donors. The AM is expected to support  development of new and innovative programs as well as  emergency planning and preparedness in close coordination with the DCD- Programs and the rest of RI teams.

The AM supports the Country Director in establishing new relationships with potential donors, strategic partnerships and business opportunities and safety and security management. H/She represents RI at field level coordination forums and with local stakeholders including government authorities, local business leaders, media and civil society leaders. As a member of the Yemen senior management team, the Area Manager is also a key contributor to RIs program strategy and organizational decision making processes.

Program Management:

·       Responsible for overall implementation of all Area Office programs with specific focus on quality of implementation and efficient utilization of resources

·       Lead program teams in the Area office in regular reviews of program implementation status with greater focus on work plans, spending plans and budget vs. actual reviews.

·       Support grants team in program review and closeout processes, quality reporting of program achievements and contextual issues/challenges impacting on program delivery

·       Coordinate assessments and targeting of program beneficiaries and ensure program implementation is done in accordance with approved designs and best practices.

Management of Area Office (AO) support functions:

·       Provide leadership, direction, coaching, support and guidance to staff in the area office and sub/ field offices where relevant.

·       In consultation with Country Director, develop and maintain efficient and effective area office support structure aligned to the needs of programs.

·       Ensure  systems of support and supervision are in place to create and maintain a healthy working environment that fosters employee engagement and inspired team performance

·       Responsible for Human Resource and administration Management in designated area office and sub offices and in coordination with the DCD- Support and Human Resources Manager (HRM), ensure complete understanding of and compliance with HR policies and procedures in place.

·       In coordination with the HRM, support human resources recruitment, orientation, development and retention

·       Closely observe staff performance/team spirit, provide appropriate feedback on a timely basis and take or recommend appropriate actions as necessary in coordination with the HR Manager to address any associated problems.

Representation, Liaison and Communication:

·       The area manager will serve as the key representative of the country director at area office level. He/she is expected to represent the CD in high level donor, UN/ NGOs and government lead humanitarian response coordination.

·       Take lead in negotiations and processing of agreements with government departments and line ministries at the area office. In particular, the AM is expected to lead in processing of visa requests, travel permits, Principal agreements, project level sub agreements and MoUs with national and governorate level authorities.

·       The AM will establish and maintain strong relationships with government officials, media, community representatives, the NGO community in general and RI partners in particular, in the defined geographical area and as directed by the CD.

·       The Area Manager serves as the security focal point, coordinates and participates in the area office inter interagency security working groups.

·       Ensure field activities and initiatives are communicated to a broad audience by working with program teams to develop and disseminate appropriate information internally and externally.

Accountability

·       Ensure RI’s accountability framework is fully understood and implemented by staff and partners across all locations in the area office. This includes full compliance with safeguarding protocols.

·       Ensure effective and efficient utilization of RI resources

·       Safeguard RI’s assets in the area and field office by ensuring finance and administration policies and procedures are fully implemented.

·       Ensure RI staff and partners fully comply with existing organizational policies and procedures.

·       Ensure RI’s safety and security procedures are implemented in the area and & field offices working in close cooperation with the Safety and Security team.

·       Ensure field level donor funded projects are managed in compliance with RI and donor policies and procedures

Program Development and Quality Management:

·       In coordination with DCDs and Grants team, develop and implement area based program strategy that best aligns with the needs of the target population.

·       Support in needs assessments, program monitoring and evaluation.

·       Ensure program implementation plans are in accordance with RI Yemen strategic priorities and being implemented according  to best programming principles

·       Ensure coherence of program initiatives in the assigned area office, ensuring programs are integrated to address multiple needs of target population.

·       Closely work with Sector Technical advisors and MEAL teams to generate learning and best practices to inform future program development.

Safety and Security Management

·       In coordination with the Country Humanitarian Access & Risk Manager (HARM), ensures that security management and preparedness plans are in place and regularly updated adhered to at the field level.

·       In collaboration with the area humanitarian access coordinator and HARM manager, ensure RI’s safety and security Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are implemented in the field level.

·       Ensure all program staff are fully briefed on all aspects of security, social and cultural norms and local conditions and behavior.

·       Responsible for promoting RI’s acceptance and security and safety awareness for all staff in the area.

·       Ensures that RI is operating in a conflict sensitive manner.

Strategy

·       Contribute to country level strategy development

·       Contribute to Country Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPP)

·       Participate with other Senior Management Team members in the oversight and running of the CO.

·       Actively participate with ideas, problem solving and innovative thinking at all SMT meetings

·       Provide voluntary leadership and proactive support to SMT initiatives in establishing a learning culture throughout the organization.

·       Represent the area office in country portfolio management

·       Serve as the lead member of the area office Incident Management Team ( IMT)

Qualifications and Requirements:

·       This position demands a dynamic individual with a demonstrated ability to achieve results in a demanding and fast paced environment. Creativity, flexibility, strong work ethic and a sense of humor are highly valued.

·       Master’s degree in a relevant Humanitarian/Development field or Bachelor’s degree with commensurate work experience.

·       Minimum 5 years of work experience in a similar or closely related role in conflict settings,preferably in the Middle East or other related contexts.

·       Previous experience managing programs funded by BHA/USAID, ECHO, EU, DFID,UN, GAC and other humanitarian donors.

·       Familiarity with at least one of RI’s core programs sectors ( Health/Nutrition, WASH and Economic Opportunities/ FSL)

·       Excellent interpersonal, communication, public speaking, and strategic planning skills required.

·       The RI Yemen Country Office fosters an environment of respect for all coworkers regardless of level of seniority. Capacity building of national staff is a core competency of every international position, and international staff will be evaluated on their ability to strengthen the skills and growth of more junior staff and institutional partners.

·       Fluency in English (spoken and written) required; Arabic language skills are highly advantageous.

·       Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, tasks efficiently;

·       Excellent time management skills and resourcefulness with strong attention to detail

RI Values:

We uphold the Humanitarian Principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and operational independence. We affirmatively engage the most vulnerable communities. We value:

·       Inclusiveness

·       Transparency and Accountability

·       Agility and Innovation

·       Collaboration

·       Sustainability