Head of Mission Somalia Crisis Program

Responsibilities

A. Program Development and Strategic Planning

• Develops country strategy in line with the DKH Global Strategy 2021+, adhering to country strategy structure, and review periodically to ensure adequacy with changing context.
• Oversees production of monthly situation reports of the Somalia program for the regional office, based on the most updated humanitarian, political and socio-economic context in the country and area of DKH operation, program, financial, logistical and procurement updates and risks as well as staffing, partners, and staff capacity strengthening.
• Strengthens relations with existing local partners and if necessary, identifying new partners depending on the need for new project designs.
• Ensures partners inputs in DKH Somalia country strategy and program development for enhanced localization
• Ensures and guides timely annual program planning in line with the DKH Global Strategy 2021+ and Somalia Country Strategy in close collaboration with all DKH Somalia staff and strategic partners.
• Guides the development of new projects within DKH Somalia program, ensuring all are in line with the country strategy, and DKH Global Strategy 2021+.
• Ensures closer cooperation with Bread for the World (BfdW) and ensuring program/ and project design is coordinated with the BfdW Somalia program.
• Establishes and maintains all necessary contacts with current and potential donor agencies for improving relations and analyzing the strategy reports of these major donor agencies for Somalia and the region.
• Ensures timely roll out of new thematic tools, standard and procedures as endorsed by DKH in Berlin and in close collaboration with DKH Berlin Technical Department and Standard and Procedures Department.
• Leads assessment and exploratory missions.

B. Country Program Management

• Responsible for coordination of project activities in accordance with DKH and donor policies and guidelines, including finance, procurement, and MEAL.
• Ensures reporting schedules, guidelines and other requirements are met as per DKH internal and contractual obligations.
• Ensures high quality monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning; quality; and standards and compliance, guided by the DKH Global Strategy 2021+, the Core Humanitarian Standards, and other back donor strategies (e.g. GFFO and BMZ) by DKH staff and partners.
• Ensures the quality of project components in line with DKH standards, guidelines and toolboxes as well as SPHERE and its adjacent companions (e.g. LEGS and INEE)
• Ensures the quality of projects with special emphasis on quality & standard assurance, compliance, gender equality and inclusivity as well as safeguarding and protection.
• Ensures the quality of project work by detecting the need for additional technical support to local partners or external technical input for own implemented projects.
• Supports and manages DKH Somalia staff; oversees activities; plans, prioritizes, and allocates work assignments, ensuring they are in line with strategy and compliment the work of others.
• Contributes to the global and regional reorganization process, ensuring the active participation and contribution from the Somalia team in this process.
• Ensures participation of Somalia program staff in regional and global mechanisms.

C. Smooth Running of the Mission and its Operations

• Ensures appropriateness of the office structure.
• Adapts and periodically reviews the DKH HR Manual for country offices to the Somalia context and in line with Somalia labour law in coordination with the Regional Office in Nairobi.
• Develops annual staff strengthening plans.
• Carries out and documents annual staff performance appraisal sessions.
• Coaches, mentors, encourages, and evaluates staff; manages talent; acts as an enabler and leader.
• Ensures on-the-job training and capacity building for DKH Somalia staff and ensures project managers transfer knowledge to implementing partners.
• Ensures strategic capacity assessment and development of strategic partner staff.
• Helps build positive relations within the team and external parties.
• Ensures the organisation and staff has the resources and capacity needed to properly support the implementing partners.
• Identifies gaps in operational capacity and provides guidance for their improvement.
• Ensures necessary logistical mechanisms to support the program implementation (transportation, accommodation, offices, etc.).
• Ensures compliance and accountability of all procurement controls with the requirements and regulations of the backdonor agencies, the Standard Procedures for Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe Offices Abroad (SPOA) and the local laws.
• Reviews periodically the inventory monitoring system and reports.

D. Sound Financial and Administrative Accountability

• Adapts and periodically reviews the DKH Finance Manual for country offices to the Somalia context.
• Oversees budgets and financial reports.
• Develops and manages annual operational budget in close collaboration with the finance department in Berlin, Regional Office in Nairobi, and DKH Somalia Crisis Program Finance Manager.
• Supervises the work of the Administration and Finance Department.
• Ensures compliance and accountability of all fiscal controls with the requirements and regulations of the backdonor agencies, the Standard Procedures for Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe Offices Abroad (SPOA), the local laws and the Internationally Recognised Accounting Principles.
• Ensures that audit processes are followed in a timely manner and reported to necessary parties (HQ, donors, local authorities, etc.).
• Oversees and guides review mechanisms of the finances and administration procedures.

E. Health, Safety and Security (HSS)

• Manages HSS staff in Somalia.
• Ensures organizational commitment to health, safety, and security management within DKH Somalia program.
• Ensures that the documents and procedures relating to security are regularly updated.
• Ensures that staff is “fit for work” as per the Minimum Requirements regarding Health, Safety and Security Trainings.
• Ensures appropriate coordination with other NGOs, UN agencies, local partners, local authorities, government authorities and donors on security issues.
• Ensures prompt and disciplined incident reporting.

F. Representation, Visibility and Advocacy

• Represents DKH to local partners, NGOs, local officials, government authorities, and donors.
• Represents DKH in UN coordination meetings relevant to the DKH Somalia program.
• Increases visibility of DKH in country and ensures good reputation of the organization.
• Ensures provision of communication materiel (photos, video, etc.) for HQ’s communication department.
• Handles media/PR tasks in close collaboration with the DKH Berlin communication department.
• Facilitates DKH Berlin, donor, and other delegation visits.
• Maintains coordination with the Regional Office technical and support staff.
• Develops a good understanding of the challenges faced by the humanitarian actors in country and actively participates in advocacy actions and campaign in collaboration with the Somalia humanitarian forums.
• Ensures active representation of DKH at the ACT Forum Somalia.
• Ensures application and respect by all DKH team members and implementing partners.

Our offer

– An attractive salary

– The opportunity to manage and participate in a small, dynamic and motivated international team

– The opportunity to design and actively contribute to the management and supervision of a large multi-sectoral program in an exciting region

– The opportunity to contribute to the capacity building of local humanitarian organizations

– The opportunity to participate in specific training related to the position.

Qualifications required

– A university degree at the Master’s level or higher in one of the following disciplines: Social Sciences, Humanitarian Aid, Development, International Relations, Business Management or or any other related field relevant to DKH’s mission in Somalia

– At least 10 years of experience in managing multi- donor programs in international humanitarian aid in a fragile context especially Somalia

– At least 2 years’ experience in office management

-At least 2 years’ experience in staff management

– Proven experience in working closely with local NGOs and implementing humanitarian projects by national NGOs taking into account humanitarian principles and standards

– Experience with international third party donors (, ECHO/ EU, UN/WFP), experience with German donors (AA, BMZ) would be an asset

– Leadership and negotiation skills

– Coordination and organization skills even under high workload and time pressure

– Experience in collaborating and managing a mixed team (intercultural skills)

– High analytical and strategic thinking skills

– Ability and skills to engage in active and sensitive communication with staff, partner organizations and other various contacts

– Experience in crisis and security management

– Ability to travel out of duty station

– Additional assets: In-depth knowledge of food security, protection, resilience and cash & voucher assistance modality, experience in capacity building of local partners and concept of localization

– English C1 level, good knowledge of German would be an advantage

– Knowledge of office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)