Danish Refugee Council, one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently looking for a highly qualified Head of Programme Somalia
About the job
The Head of Programme will provide overall quality and delivery of DRC’s programs across all established areas of operation in Somalia with a significant contribution expected to the conceptualization, technical support and implementation of development, emergency and “nexus” projects. The HoP will play a vital role as a member of the SMT and will drive the overall integrated country-level vision, mission and objectives, and guide implementation of area- and technical level strategies. S/he will be active in high level and strategic decision-making, collaborating closely with the Head of Support Services, Head of Safety and Country Director, ensuring outputs are in line with the programmes country priorities, DRCs mandate and according to DRC policies and systems. The incumbent will oversee and coordinate programmatic issues related to quality and delivery with a focus on program sector integration and collaboration.
Your main duties and responsibilities will be:
- Responsible for the overall programmatic strategy across the entire country operation;
- Ensures strategic coherence and vision of the whole country programme, based on active participation in the drafting of the DRC Strategic Programme Document and as part of the Senior Management Team;
- Provides technical expertise to the entire country operation and ensures technical advice on programme quality, MEAL and programme development for the Country programme;
- Design, contribute and/or lead assessments for emergency or longer-term programming in existing or new project locations;
- Establish strong and efficient partnerships with organisations, donors and authorities, in line with the country programme strategy and DRC partnership management policy.
- Responsible for developing policies, processes, and standards within respective areas
- Oversee and support continuous improvement of programme quality standards, including application and harmonisation across field bases
- Pursue funding opportunities in DRCs areas of competence and coordinate the capacities of the Technical Coordinators and SMT to identify and materialize opportunities in alignment with country and regional strategies;
- Oversee and support capacity building of employees on technical issues and program cycle management, based on assessment of the critical program improvement needs of the country mission;
- Representation of DRC with government authorities, donors, UN agencies, humanitarian agencies and other partners in regard to programme and participation in coordination meetings as relevant;
- Work in collaboration with Country Director on developing advocacy and policy key messages across programmatic platforms;
About you
To be successful in this role we expect you to have a post-graduate degree in international relations, business administration, management, law/human rights, social sciences or a related field. Moreover, we also expect the following:
- Minimum 8 years professional work experience in humanitarian/ development work in large portfolio of programme across multiple sectors
- Min 4 years of experience in staff management and development in complex environments;
- Good understanding of displacement issues and related international standards/frameworks
- Strong experience in programme quality, MEAL, programme development and proven fundraising abilities with key donors
- Proven experience of representing externally to key stakeholders, including government authotities, donors, embassies and clusters.
- Experience of leading strategic programming and planning processes
- Experience of managing systems and tools to oversee complex project portfolios across different sectors and locations as well as within consortia
- Ability to live and work under pressure in a rapidly changing and sometimes insecure environment
- Team player with excellent communication and strong participatory leadership skills
- Ability to work in hardship environments with limited social possibilities
- Fluency in written and spoken English required
- Fluency in written and spoken Somali is a plus
In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ 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 uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.
We offer
Contract length: Two years
Band: Management band E
Designation of Duty Station: Non-Accompanied
Start date: March 2025
Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for expatriate or national; please refer to drc.ngo under Vacancies.
All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English on this link . Applications sent by email will not be considered.
Closing date for applications: 26th January 2025
For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website www.drc.ngo.
