Deputy Country Coordinator for Ethiopia, based in Kampala, Uganda

BACKGROUND ON IMPACT AND REACH

REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two International NGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED) and the United Nations Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). REACH’s purpose is to promote and facilitate the development of information products that enhance the humanitarian community’s decision making and planning capacity for emergency, reconstruction and development contexts. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through three complementary services: (a) need and situation assessments facilitated by REACH teams; (b) situation analysis using satellite imagery; (c) provision of related database and (web)-mapping facilities and expertise.

IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation manages several initiatives, including the REACH Initiative. The IMPACT team comprises specialists in data collection, management and analysis and GIS. IMPACT was launched at the initiative of ACTED, an international NGO whose headquarter is based in Paris and is present in thirty countries. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, enabling IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support on its fields of intervention.

COUNTRY PROFILE

Since 2018, Ethiopia has witnessed an escalation in unrest including large-scale displacement, killings, and destruction of property following domestic political changes. Such unrest has exacerbated the impact of climate-related crises, including the most devastating desert locust infestation in 25 years, which has damaged crops and fostered food insecurity. In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic infiltrated Ethiopia leading to lockdowns and transport bans in many regions that restricted access to markets. Then in November 2020, conflict erupted in the northern Tigray region, displacing many Ethiopians, and contributing to an approximate 1.1 million additional people needing assistance in Amhara, Afar and Tigray regions. In August 2023, conflict in Amhara resulted in a state of emergency declaration and restricted movement for citizens across the region. All of these events have severely disrupted livelihoods, affected the availability of staple market commodities, and threatened to sharply escalate humanitarian need for vulnerable populations across the country.

We are currently looking for a Deputy Country Coordinator to join our team in Ethiopia.

Position: Deputy Country Coordinator

Contract duration: 12 months

Location: Kampala with at least 50% travel to Addis Ababa

Starting Date: As soon as possible

FUNCTIONS

Under the management of IMPACT’s Country Coordinator, the Deputy Country Coordinator is responsible for representing IMPACT and managing and developing IMPACT’s programs in Ethiopia. The DCC will lead the IMPACT team to achieve program excellence and ensure the highest level of impact and accountability, while ensuring compliance to IMPACT guidelines, policies and standards across the mission. The DCC, with the support of the CC, is in contact with HQ, ensuring that organizational risks are promptly and clearly communicated to the all relevant persons. She/he will promote organizational vision and core values across the mission and will actively link with HQ to contribute to the implementation of IMPACT’s global strategies.

The Deputy Country Coordinator will be hosted by ACTED and will fall under the direct responsibility and management of ACTED’s Country Director and his/her delegates for all Administrative, Security, Logistics and Finance issues. S/he will therefore fully abide by ACTED’s Security, HR, Administration and Logistics rules and regulations, and, in coordination with ACTED, will ensure that all IMPACT staff abide by them.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Deputy Country Coordinator responsibilities include the following:

STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT & IMPLEMENTATION

1. Context analysis: Ensure IMPACT has an up-to-date understanding of the aid/humanitarian situation, the impact of a crisis and the aid/humanitarian planning, coordination and response mechanisms, as well as key aid/humanitarian stakeholders in Ethiopia.
2. Support the CC in the development of a detailed strategy for IMPACT. Oversee the implementation of this strategy and take a lead role in identifying strategic opportunities for strengthening IMPACT’s work.

FUNDRAISING

1. In close coordination with the Country Coordinator, Research Managers, IMPACT HQ and in consultation with ACTED country teams, approach donors to identify funding to support IMPACT’s programs (including, as relevant, REACH, PANDA and, with ACTED, AGORA).
2. Support project proposal conceptualization within the framework of the country, regional and global strategy, review with ACTED and/or other relevant country partners as relevant and submit proposal to HQ Grant Management Unit for validation.

PROGRAMME PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION

1. Ensure that all IMPACT programs are aligned with IMPACT global and country strategies, are conducted in coordination with and, when relevant, undergo the validation by IMPACT HQ, and are planned in line with relevant project objectives and with IMPACT’s research cycle and other relevant guidelines/standards.
2. Supervise all stages of program implementation, any progress and delays, receiving regular updates from team members providing inputs when required.
3. Maintain regular link with ACTED (as relevant) to facilitate the provision of logistic, administrative and security support to facilitate program implementation, as well as ensuring that IMPACT teams comply to ACTED’s security and other relevant FLAT regulations during program implementation.

KNOWLEDGE SHARING AND LEARNING PROCESS

1. Ensure the application of the M&E framework for each program, in line with IMPACT’s M&E
2. guidelines.
3. Ensure learning and knowledge is shared across units and country programmes.

PROJECT CYCLE MANAGEMENT

1. Grant Management: Monitor output achievement and ensure a timely completion of projects. Ensure that contractual obligations are met in terms of deliverables as well as narrative and financial reporting requirements.
2. Finance Management: Ensure accurate budget expenditure tracking, cash burn rates and forecasting to anticipate financial risks and avoid under/over spending in close coordination with the Finance Officer, the Country Coordinator, (Senior) PD and Grants officer and (as relevant) with the IMPACT Finance Control Unit and ACTED PD and finance departments.
3. Assets and IT Management: Ensure proper asset management in collaboration with the logistics assistant and ACTED logistics and IT departments.

TEAM MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

1. Leadership: Provides leadership across the mission, as well as within the Regional Senior Management Team.
2. Staff Management: Ensure that all staff understand and are able to perform their roles and responsibilities. Ensure that all staff have clear and regularly updated TORs, workplans and Key Performance Indicators against which their performance will be appraised. Promote team building, productivity and staff welfare. Mentor and support the team to build capacities, and improve efficiency and performance, and follow career management of international and national staff working in IMPACT programs.
3. Unit Model: In close collaboration with the Country Coordinator ensure, organizational units are established and ensure all staff within a given a unit are provided detailed information on their roles and responsibilities.
4. Administration and HR management: Ensure timely recruitment of staff working in IMPACT programs (in coordination with ACTED where relevant) and contribute to international staff recruitment upon HQ identification; proactively adapt the staffing structure to needs and funding. Ensure timely attendance sheets, leave plans, as well as exit forms for departing staff.

INTERNAL COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION

1. Internal communication: Facilitate internal communication within the team and information sharing for a positive working environment. Ensure that any risk to IMPACT programming, projects or staff is as soon as possible communicated to and understood by Country Coordinator and relevant HQ head of departments.
2. Coordination with ACTED: Regularly coordinate with ACTED’s Country Director and ACTED support staff as needed. Ensure regular coordination with ACTED’s Project Development, Finance and other FLAT departments at all stages of project development and implementation, including donor discussions, participation in project kick off and lessons learnt meetings, joint drafting of monthly internal updates (BFU, RFUs, allocation tables, etc), and drafting of donor reports or amendment requests. Ensure compliance of all staff to ACTED FLAT, HR and security procedures.

EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT

1. Establish, maintain and improve active and regular working relationships with coordination and aid decision-making forums (clusters, sectors, working groups, NGO forum, HCT, etc), UN agencies, donors, NGOs, consortia, academia, etc. Ensure that IMPACT and its programs are well understood by key aid stakeholders and that potential partnership options have been explored when relevant. This responsibility will be vital in where the majority of the Ethiopia Aid Coordination is centralised.
2. Capitalize and strengthen relationships with key IMPACT global partners at country level; ensure any issues that may impact on global partnerships are communicated to and understood by IMPACT directors.

DISSEMINATION OF PRODUCTS AND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION

1. Support the Research Managers and Assessment Officers in the dissemination of research/program products/outputs, including through in country presentations, website articles, journal articles, IMPACT social media contents, targeted e-mails, meetings, etc, in line with IMPACT Dissemination and External Communication guidelines;
2. Support IMPACT HQ in global-level dissemination related to the country mission, including through provision of updated information for website and social media, organization/attendance to HQ level events, briefings and panel discussions;

ACCOUNTABILITY TO COMMUNITIES AND BENEFICIARIES

The staff member is responsible for ensuring that all relations with the communities we work are conducted in a respectful and consultative manner. Due attention must be paid to ensuring that communities are adequately consulted and informed about IMPACT’s programme objectives, activities, beneficiary selection criteria, and methodologies. This is the responsibility of every IMPACT staff member.

DATA CONFIDENTIALITY AND DATA PROTECTION

The IMPACT DCC will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes. He/she will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of any information and data belonging to IMPACT and its partners, or collected during his/her assignment with IMPACT.

REQUIREMENTS

• Academic Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline (International Relations, Political Sciences, Social Research, Economics, Development Studies, or similar)
• Management experience Previous experience in a senior management role in a INGO at field level . Proven track record in successful management of international and national teams in humanitarian contexts
• Familiarity aid system Familiarity with the aid system, and the research community;
• Communication/reporting skills Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting, including proven experience in contributing to high level presentations/briefings.
• Years of work experience At least 5 years of relevant working experience or proven progression within IMPACT
• Research skills: Excellent research and analytical skills an asset. Experience in assessments. M&E, field research, evaluations an asset.
• Software skills: Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Familiarity with R, SPSS and/or STATA, ArcGIS or other statistical analysis/GIS software an asset
• Multi-tasking skills Ability to multitask with tight deadlines, on numerous research cycles in complex environment;
• Level of independence A self-starter with a proven ability to work independently;
• Cross-cultural work environment Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• For this position, salary between 3’120 CHF and 3’240 CHF monthly (before income tax), etc as well as a monthly living allowance of 500 USD
  NB – IMPACT salaries are strictly determined by our salary grid depending on the grade of the position and the level of education of staff. A location-dependent security and/or isolation adjustment is then applied as a recognition that some staff are required to work in difficult places where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere.
• Accommodation and food provided in a guesthouse. Depending on the country situation, a contribution to a housing allowance of up to 75% of country-specific benchmark can be considered instead. NB – IMPACT is hosted by ACTED in this country.
• Enrolment in Swiss private pension fund (Swisslife – approx. 9.975% of staff gross salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance
• On a case-by-case basis, accompanied status and relevant benefits can apply (health insurance and flight tickets for dependents, education allowance for children) – However, please note that the successful candidate is expected to spend 50% of their deployment time in Ethiopia, while the family will remain based in Uganda.
• Flight tickets every 6 months & visa fees covered (in-country travel costs and professional expenses are fully covered)
• Contribution to the luggage transportation: between 20 and 100 kgs, depending on the length of the contract (+ luggage and personal property insurance)
• Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment. Family/compassionate leave when applicable.
• Predeparture induction – 3 days at IMPACT Initiatives’s HQ in Geneva + one week pre-departure training in ACTED HQ in Paris, including a 4-days in situ security training;
• Enrolment in IMPACT Initiatives Research Foundational Learning Programme within the first 3 months from the start of contract.
• IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff and the health insurance provided covers, among others, up to 1000 € per year of psychosocial counselling fees.