Background
The NRC Central and West Africa region includes operations in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria. All countries are experiencing a deterioration of the security situation, increasing humanitarian needs and displacements due to conflict. NRC operation focuses on people who are affected by displacement including refugees, internally displaced, returnees, and host communities in these countries. Located in Dakar, Senegal, the Central and West Africa Regional Office (CWARO) oversees the country programmes in the region, and provides strategic guidance and oversight across core programme, advocacy and support functions.
NRC’s programmes and advocacy support families affected by displacement in – Education, Livelihoods and Food Security, Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA), Protection from Violence, Shelter and Settlements, and WASH.
The Regional Programme Department, based in Dakar and managed by the Regional Programme Director, is responsible for the strategic development of NRC programming in the region by maximizing the support to and the development of country operations as well as by exploring and creating synergies among Country Offices. The department includes a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning unit, a Core Competency (CC) Unit, a Thematic Unit, and a Programme Development and Support Unit.
Overview of Role
The Regional ICLA Adviser is responsible for providing technical support and guidance to the ICLA teams in country, as well as to Country Director and Head of Programme in ensuring that optimal ICLA programme strategies, systems, policy, tools and practices are in place. The Regional ICLA Adviser will also contribute to funding bids from the ICLA perspective and assist the Country Office in ensuring that donor opportunities are identified, and donor obligations and requirements are met.
The Regional ICLA Adviser will provide a range of advisory support, technical oversight and capacity building to Country Office (CO) staff in relation to their own specialist area of expertise.
Additionally, they may act within regional CC and thematic team as the lead on a particular cross-cutting area of programme strategy and development. Staff within the team will be expected to contribute to global development initiatives as part of the wider community of specialists.
The CC and Thematic team are part of a technical matrix structure and are required to work collaboratively with colleagues in both the technical and the operational management structures in country offices, and the regional management group.
As of now, regional CC advisers have a technical accountability to the global programme function, policy, strategy, and direction as determined through the Head Office level of NRC. However, this is subject to change as NRC is reviewing its internal structure and considering pooling the technical advisers with a reporting line to head office. This may also impact the range of countries to be supervised and the location for this position as well as the responsibilities described below. The change is expected to occur mid-2025.
Roles and responsibilities:
- Learning and information sharing: Responsible for the documentation, analysing and dissemination of ICLA learning from the COs including sharing of best practices, resources and tools within the region and with HO, ensuring coherence, efficiency, and effectiveness of the operation.
- Technical CC development: Contribute to the adaptation of NRC’s global ICLA programme approaches, and development of guidelines, tools and innovative approaches based on research of trends and learning from the Country Offices.
- Advocacy: Contribute to the identification, prioritization, development, and documentation of advocacy issues related to ICLA at a country level and/or regional level.
- Programme Policy compliance: Responsible for the monitoring of country programme compliance with the Programme Policy and to activate procedures to obtain approval or rejection of context-specific deviations from the programme policy in country offices.
- Core Competency pilots: Responsible for the identification of pilot projects for the further development of the ICLA Core Competency in the region. Contribute to the communication of results and the development of recommendations.
Please access here the detailed job description to learn more about the role
What you will bring:
- Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience as a manager working on Legal Assistance in a humanitarian/recovery context and or in complex/volatile contexts, including experience of working in an advisory function.
- Legal technical expertise, including knowledge of Housing, Land & Property (HLP) and/or identity and civil documentation issues in emergency, protracted crisis, and return contexts.
- Knowledge of the displacement context in the Central and West African region.
- Experience from working in complex and volatile contexts, and ability to work both as part of a team and independently in a result oriented, multi-cultural environment and manage conflicting priorities.
- Professional knowledge and expertise of national and international legal frameworks impacting on displaced people.
- Experience with undertaking advocacy interventions and networking (with UN agencies, development actors, nexus actors) is an asset.
- Experience in drafting and encouraging implementation of policy/strategic guidance and developing practical tools and resources.
- Able to represent organisation at a strategic level.
- Documented results related to the position’s purpose and responsibilities.
- Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile.
- Full working proficiency in English and French, both written and verbal.
Behavioral competencies
- Strategic thinking
- Communicating with impact and respect
- Handling insecure environments
- Planning and delivering results
- Managing performance and development
- Influencing
What we offer:
- Duty station: Dakar, Senegal
- Contract: 24-month contract
- Travel: up to 40%
- Salary/benefits: grade 9 on NRC’s scale with accompanying terms and conditions
- NRC is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to diversity without distinction to age, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, and physical ability.
- We think outside the box, encourage ideas, and give responsibility to all employees at all levels. You will have many opportunities to be heard and take the initiative.
Find out more about the benefits of working for NRC
Important information about the application process:
- To apply as an internal candidate, log in with your official email, or click on Opportunity MarketPlace.
- When creating your profile, include your full name as given on your passport. Complete all the system-required fields for experience, employment history and education.
- Submit your application and CV in English or French, ensuring to attach your latest CV.
- Applications that do not meet the minimum standards in terms of experience or qualifications will generally not be considered. Unsolicited applications not related to this specific job advertisement will not be considered.
- We receive many applications for each vacant position, as a result only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
- We invite applications from all qualified and interested candidates. Send in your application by 15th August 2024.
- If you have any questions about this role, please email cwa.recruitment@nrc.nowith the job title as the subject line.
Why NRC?
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. Our 15,000 staff work in crises across 40 countries, providing life-saving and long-term assistance to millions of people every year.
Watch this short video to see NRC in action.
We are looking for people who are passionate about helping refugees and people forced to flee. Are you one of those people? If you are, NRC offers you the opportunity to:
- do demanding and professional work, often in challenging contexts.
- join a work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility.
- be part of a welcoming and supportive community committed to human dignity.