Operations Manager – Humanitarian Mine Action

Title: Operations Manager – Humanitarian Mine Action

Location: Shire, Ethiopia

Employment Category: E2

Reporting To: Head of Program

Start of Contract & Duration: 12 Months with possibility of Extension

Posting date: June 21, 2024

Required Employee: 1

INTRODUCTION

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an international non-governmental organization (NGO), has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. DRC promotes and supports solutions to the problems faced by refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and migrants. The organization has offices across the region and has been operational in Ethiopia since 2009. With funding from bilateral and multilateral donors, DRC is currently implementing a range of activities across Ethiopia and Djibouti, including WASH and shelter provision, child and youth protection, gender-based violence response, awareness-raising of migration risks, protection monitoring of migration routes, and livelihoods support for returning migrants or those at-risk of migration.

OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:

In June 2024 DRC will launch a humanitarian mine action programme in Ethiopia, initially focused on Northwest and Central Zone in Tigray, Ethiopia. DRC is therefore looking for a dedicated Operations Manager to support the launch and implementation of a new project beginning in June 2024. The Operations Manager (OM) is accountable for all aspects of humanitarian mine action (HMA)/weapons-related work in the country programme and manages technical staff to ensure HMA are conducted effectively, safely, and in accordance with standard operating procedures (SOPs).

The OM will contribute technical input to donor proposals, develop detailed plans for the implementation of activities in close liaison with the national authorities, such as the Ethiopian Mine Action Office (EMAO) and UNMAS, to ensure that operations are adequately staffed with well-qualified personnel, monitor all field activities through regular visits to project sites, and prepare appropriate reports for various audiences. The OM will work in close collaboration with partner organisations implementing HMA activities under a joint consortium.

TASK and RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibilities:

Operations Management:

• Plan, monitor and evaluate all aspects of HMA activities.
• Ensure the highest possible standards of safety and security are maintained in all operations.
• Maintain and develop SOPs, work plans and other relevant operations documentation and implement changes within the programme accordingly.
• Exercise responsibility for safes storage and handling of explosives, including within warehousing structures.
• Ensure that the prioritisation set by the national mine action authorities, and/or UNMAS are taken into consideration in the planning and implementation of operational activities.
• Manage, monitor, and supervise the HMA EORE/NTS Managers and/or Technical Field Managers (TFMs), ensuring that they carry out their duties and responsibilities in accordance with their job descriptions and as tasked.
• Work closely with the local partner organisation and coordinate joint activities of the consortium partners.
• Monitor and analyse productivity achieved and recommend methods and practices to enhance productivity, ensuring cost effective operations to be conducted in the programme.
• Lead the planning and monitoring of training and competence building of national operational employees, with a specific objective of nationalisation of posts.
• Assist support service managers in developing appropriate plans for operational support (e.g. procurement planning).
• Report operational outputs to Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding in Copenhagen HQ on a monthly basis, based on input from TFMs and PMs.
• Responsible for the internal Quality Control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA).
• Conduct regular QC/QA visits to all teams and ensure the EORE/NTS Manager, TFM, Team Leader and the teams are carrying out drills in accordance with SOPs.
• Keep a record of all training carried out by all employees together with the TFMs.
• Promote a culture of safety, and safe and effective methods of munitions clearance and disposal.
• Collection and retention of technical information on munitions as well as the maintaining of the information library on such munitions. S/he is under no circumstances to carry out, or permit others to carry out, forensic work or similar to gain insight into weapon functionality.

External Relations:

• Support and advise in country management on operational matters and ensure that accreditation of operations is achieved and maintained with authorities.
• Support the Head of Program and CO HDP Coordinator with strategic planning and implementation of all HMA projects.
• Contribute to the writing of donor proposals and reports and assist the HoP in donor liaison when required.
• Develop a professional collaborative relationship with national authorities and other agencies involved in mine action, and related fields of interest.
• Ensure the prioritization by national mine action authorities, and ongoing activities of other operators and stakeholders, is taken into account during strategic planning and operational work plan processes.

Other:

• Work directly with the HMA Global Senior Technical Advisor, Global Operations Manager and HDP Regional Coordinator in analyzing lessons learned from the country to support other programmes regionally and globally, and vice versa.

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master

DRC’s 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 act in line with our vision and values.

Experience and technical competencies: (include years of experience)

• Minimum 5 years’ previous experience in HMA and full understanding of its technical requirements.
• Minimum IMAS EOD 3 qualifications and previous work experience as an Operations Manager.
• Proven management experience gained in a range of settings.
• Experience with accreditation to IMAS standard.
• Proven record of training national staff and ability to train and mentor national counterparts.
• Experience of working in insecure environments.
• Diplomatic, patient and persistent.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Good knowledge of Word and Excel.
• Willingness to embrace and further develop overall objectives such as gender equity, impact monitoring, and cross-sector cooperation.

Desirable

• Knowledge of Armed Violence Reduction concepts and programming.
• Knowledge of supply chain systems.

EDUCATION: (include certificates, licenses, etc.)

• IMAS EOD 3 qualification

LANGUAGE: (indicate fluency level)

• English (fluent)