Operations Manager at International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is the world's largest humanitarian network and is guided by seven Fundamental Principles: Humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, universality and unity.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Operations Manager

Vacancy No: S00604
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Duration: 6 months
Category of Staff: International
Duty station status: Family Duty Station
Accompanied Status: Non-Accompanied
Grade: D2

Organizational Context

• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 192-member National Societies. The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.”
• The IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.
• The IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
• The work of the IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.
• The IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The IFRC also has country cluster delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.
• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, in its commitment to build strong National Societies and to support scaling up of National Societies’ services to the most vulnerable populations, is established in Nigeria since 2013.
• The Abuja Country Cluster Delegation is the hub to support the Red Cross National Societies (Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana) and has a status agreement with Nigerian government. The Abuja Country Cluster Delegation delivers the IFRC mandate in the sub-region with a focus on Health, Disaster Management, Capacity Building of the National Societies and Humanitarian Diplomacy. The NS/IFRC carried out several needs and capacity assessment in the last months. As a result of the deteriorating situation, an EA was done.
• The Emergency Appeal seeks to support Nigeria Red Cross Society (NRCS) to deliver humanitarian assistance to 200,000 people (33,000 households) over 18 months to address the current hunger crisis in the Northwest and North Central states of Nigeria.
• The operation will focus on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Livelihood & Basic Needs, Health and Nutrition, Psychosocial Support, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Protection, Gender & Inclusion (PGI and National Society Development. This plan of action is expected to be implemented until the end of 2022.

Job Purpose

• Reporting to Head of Abuja Country Cluster Delegation, the operations manager provides the technical lead to ensure the optimal coordination and direct management of resources required for the effective and efficient implementation of the emergency operations.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Negotiate, plan and mobilise IFRC resources in support of the NS in the assessment, planning, and implementation of the emergency response.
• Supervise IFRC technical leads to ensure they work closely with the managers of relevant NS departments in all related programming roles and responsibilities, providing advice and recommendations that carefully consider local capacity and context.
• Along the NS, build alliances and partnerships with other emergency actors to enhance the implementation of the emergency plan of action. Support, the NS to enhance their position vis a vis the national and international coordination mechanisms.
• Support IFRC technical leads to develop programme approaches which strengthen and develop the National Society’s structures, capacity and performance; analyze and understand their current strengths and weaknesses and to ensure provision of necessary technical and material support particularly in relation to the ongoing crisis.
• Promote and assist the integration of humanitarian priorities and interventions within all relevant programming divisions in the NS.
• Support the NS in establishing an effective information management system for the response, including statistics.
• Work with PMER leads in IFRC and the NS to ensure that planning and reporting requirements are met in a timely and efficient manner.
• Advise on the need of additional human resources and support deployments in coordination with the Country Cluster and Regional IFRC offices, HR departments and/or surge desk.
• Ensure sound financial management is applied to all Federation-assisted programmes within the NS, that budgets are monitored and any problems identified and solutions implemented in timely and effective manner.
• Manage operational budgets to ensure that expenditure relating to IFRC-supported operations is within income and approved ceilings, in compliance with IFRC finance procedures and in line with donor earmarking requirements.
• Ensure that the response is based on frameworks and approaches that are consistent with or have considered national and international standards and guidelines, as well as IFRC policies, procedures and tools.
• Assist the NS, Movement and external partners in the achievement of planned outcomes and deliverables following quality standards, in a timely fashion, and within budgets.
• Ensure a robust and coherent monitoring of the situation and its potential evolution and ensure that humanitarian interventions are responsive to current and emerging needs and threats.
• Work with the regional DM or DCPRR Unit to develop, implement and review contingency planning for identified threats in operational areas, as well as the development of capacities within the NS for emergency response.
• Support the NS in setting up the structure needed to ensure that all components of the response are identified, planned and carried out in a coordinated, collaborative and integrated manner with Movement and external partners.
• Support the NS in developing and implementing operational standards, tools and procedures that ensure quality, consistency and sustainability of emergency response interventions. Together with the NS and the Head of Abuja Country Cluster Delegation, represent IFRC in coordination meetings and forums, involving national authorities, national and international agencies, donors and other partners in the country.

Requirements
Education:

• University Degree in relevant area
• Basic Delegates Training Course or IMPACT, FACT, ERU, RDRT training

Experience:

• A of Minimum of 5 years’ experience in leading and managing operations programs in a humanitarian organization in developing countries and in complex emergencies or similar contexts
• Good understanding of the humanitarian environment, strong analytical skills and capacity to translate analysis into strategy and planning
• Experience of setting up, managing and coordinating disaster response, including leading multi-national response teams, managing staff
• Experience of financial management to ensure compliance
• Experience of report writing (narrative and financial)
• Experience of working for the Red Cross/Red Crescent in particular working with National Societies
• A very good track record of managing people, networking, influencing and negotiating and building relationships effectively.
• Experience in proposal development, report writing, and developing budgets
• Experience of field based implementation is essential.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages:

• Self-supporting in computers
• Coordination and partner relationship building/ Excellent skills in networking with other agencies and organisations
• Coordination and partner relationship building/ Excellent skills in networking with other agencies and organisations
• Demonstrated technical expertise in strategic management, project planning and budgeting, resource management, implementation ability as well as programme monitoring and evaluation
• Fluent in written and spoken English is required
• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic) is preferred.
• Demonstrated technical expertise in strategic management, project planning and budgeting, resource management, implementation ability as well as programme monitoring and evaluation
• Excellent communication and inter-personal skills with the ability to represent the International Federation and to coach, mentor and influence people
• Knowledge of Red Cross Red Crescent Movement financial and project management tools
• Skills in training and developing staff capacity
• Good Knowledge of the region and the Country targeted
• Ability to work well in a multicultural team

Competencies and Values:

• Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
• Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust
• Functional competencies: Strategic orientation; Building alliances; Leadership; Empowering others.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply

Application Deadline  31st August, 2021.