OPT Scoping Mission Team Leader

Location:

Position Location:

Description

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Title:                            Team Leader – OPT Scoping Mission

Department:                  Programs – Humanitarian Response  

Location:                      Jerusalem, with travel to occupied Palestinian Territories

Duration:                      2 months with possibility of extension

Reporting to:                Global Humanitarian Director  

Direct reports:              TBD

Budget responsibility:   Not Applicable

* This role is classified as requiring advanced pre-employment checks

ABOUT Relief International.

Relief International (RI) is a leading non-profit organization working in 15 countries globally to relieve poverty, ensure well-being and advance dignity. We specialize in fragile settings, responding to natural disasters, humanitarian crises, and chronic poverty.

RI combines humanitarian and development approaches to provide immediate services while laying the groundwork for long-term impact and resilience. We focus on health/nutrition, education, economic opportunity, and water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) programming while integrating protection, environment/climate change, and conflict mitigation in partnership with the communities we serve.  We empower communities to find, design and implement the solutions that work best for them.

RI includes the three corporate members of the RI Alliance: RI-US, RI-UK, and MRCA/RI-France. Under our alliance agreement, we operate as a single, shared management structure.

About our Programs

RI is active in 16 countries around the world, including some of the most fragile: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen.  Often, RI is the only organization providing assistance to highly vulnerable communities.

RI employs about 5,000 staff and auxiliary workers

97% of staff are local nationals and there are about 90 international (expat) staff.

2021 programs budget is about $125M

RI receives funding from a broad range of institutional donors – US,UK, Europe, and the UN, to delivery life-saving and resilience building programming with communities and local and international partners.  RI supports solutions that reinforce and improve upon existing in-country systems. Where such systems do not exist or are chronically underperforming, RI’s crisis response lays the foundation for long-term, sustainable change.

Context.

Relief International (RI) seeks a Team Leader (TL) to support RI’s scoping mission and setting up operation in OPTs in response to the escalating Gaza crisis since mid-October 2023. RI scoping team will be deployed to Jerusalem to establish an RI presence and position for response and early recovery interventions.

Primary objectives of the team are:

·    To position RI as ready and available for response / early recovery interventions with donors and peers

·    To identify partnership opportunities for RI to engage and deliver in Gaza Strip and/or West Bank

·    To engage with authorities in matters related to registration, access, set up costs, response planning as needed

·    To explore the operational landscape, map barriers to entry and propose mitigation plans

·    To provide risk assessment of operational areas and advise RI on ways to address the risks, enabling program implementation

·    To identify any significant gaps in the overall response to the crisis, focusing on Health, and determine if RI can establish a response program focused on primary health care, nutrition, MHPSS, integrated WASH and/or other identified response within RI’s core sectors required on the ground in urban areas and refugee camps

·    To understand supply routes and available options for procurement and supply chain that enables RI programming

·    To gather a solid first-hand, and up-to-date understanding of the overall humanitarian and development context, needs (including conducting or participating in joint needs assessments), response plans and funding opportunities

·    To identify the existence of any potential funding opportunities for establishing a new health / emergency response program in response to the crisis and explore potential partnerships

·    To make overall recommendations for management on if, how and where RI should launch a response

·    Lead on program design for concept note and proposals to be submitted for funding

Position Summary.

The TL will have overall responsibility for the scoping team, including any local hires (driver, fixer etc.) and delivery of team objectives. Under supervision of the Global Humanitarian Director and Regional Director, the TL will closely engage with regional and global support offices. The TL will provide managerial and technical direction, as well as fulfilling representational roles with key donors and other organizations.

Key Responsibilities and Duties.

·    Provide overall leadership to scoping team, including the following tasks.

·    Lead and manage emergency assessments and determine final assessment recommendations for RI responses.

·    Lead strategic analysis of humanitarian context, actors, response and opportunities for RI, making assessing feasibility of and potential areas of intervention for RI.

·    Maintain oversight and quality assure PD process, concepts notes and proposals, in close coordination with team program lead and wider RSO/GSO PD teams.

·    Represent RI in senior meetings and engagement with humanitarian actors – donors, UN agencies, (I)NGOs and officials.

·    In close coordination with security focal point and RSO/GSO teams, maintain ongoing surveillance of developing situation and adjust activities and flag risks accordingly.

·    Prepare overall recommendations to RI SMT for engagement in the OPTs context, outlining response plans, interventions and partnerships.

·    Maintain oversight of operational functioning of field team, including safety and security, travel, logistics, finance and field visits.

·    Other duties as required for this role.

Safeguarding and conduct

·    Uphold and promote RI’s commitment to ensuring the safeguarding and safety of the vulnerable communities we serve.

·    Consistent with RI’s safeguarding and protection policies, contribute to ensuring that all those who come into contact with Relief International staff and the communities we serve can be trusted to work safely with them

·    Support and develop systems that create and maintain an environment that prevents sexual exploitation and abuse and promotes the implementation of the Code of Conduct and safeguarding policies.

·    Work collaboratively with the Global Safeguarding Manager to advocate for the inclusion of safeguarding activities and resources within program

·    Ability to demonstrate knowledge of donor requirements of safeguarding standards and protection from exploitation and abuse.

The Job Holder will provisionally be working from Jerusalem, as the main coordination hub for Gaza and West Bank. Travel to other locations will be required, security pending, and RI’s base of operations may adjust as the situation and response evolves.

Role requirements.

Experience and skills required for the role.

• Substantial professional experience in leading, managing and implementing emergency response programs.
• Operational experience in OPT.
• Demonstrated managerial and representational skills, including strong donor engagement and funding mobilization.
• Strong English communication and writing skills required.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and planning skills required.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and tasks efficiently.
• Excellent time management skills and resourcefulness with strong attention to detail.

RI Values.

Guided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as well as “Do No Harm,” Relief International Values:

We value:

• Integrity
• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Inclusivity
• Sustainability

How to apply.

• To apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button in the job advert page
• You will be asked to upload a CV and Cover Letter.  The cover letter should be no more than 2 pages long and explain why you are interested in this post with Relief International and how your skills and experience make you a good fit.

Closing date. Please apply immediately we will be reviewing applicants on a rolling basis, therefore may withdraw the position for the job board closing date.

Please apply by uploading your cover letter and up-to-date CV on our website.

Relief International has a zero-tolerance policy for unlawful harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse. Relief International is committed to protecting our staff and the communities we work with from abuse and harm including sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and sexual harassment.

All staff are expected to abide by our Code of Conduct.

Recruitment to all roles in Relief International include a criminal records self-declaration, references and other pre-employment checks, which may include police and qualifications checks.