World Vision Ethiopia began its first intervention in Ethiopia in 1971 with relief and opened the Ethiopia office in 1975. Relief, rehabilitation and small community development projects dominated the decade that followed. During the 1984/85 drought, World Vision Ethiopia participated in a massive relief operation that saved the lives of millions of people.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION:

The main purpose of World Vision Ethiopia Gambella Refugee Response Director is to provide an overall leadership, supervision, and quality assurance for the food aid project for South Sudanese refugees residing in Gambella. The Refugee Response Director is expected to initiate, lead, control, and report on all project activities. The key role of the Director is thus to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of all project activities in accordance with project design, planned activities, and budget ensuring the project’s alignment with World Vision policies, Gambella regional context, and donor (USAID/BHA/WFP) rules & regulations. The Response Director has responsibility of managing over 200 project staff including 5 to 7 direct reports (managers and coordinators) and the management and controlling of the project budget which is estimated to be more than USD $90,000,000 (cash plus commodities). As such, the Director ensures the project is fully staffed in accordance with the project contractual agreement, across all areas of the project, including: project office, food distribution centers, warehouses, school feeding, security, and fleet.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategy and Leadership

• Provide overall strategic leadership for the Gambella Food Assistance portfolio and ensure implementation of program and project activities is in line with required policies, standards, procedures, guidelines and requirements as outlined by the donor (USAID BHA/WFP, federal and regional government (Refugees and Returnees Services) as well as World Vision food assistance programming and Disaster Management standards. management as per the World Vision Food Assistance Manuals and donor requirements
• Serve as a strategic partner to the senior leadership team in collaboration with the Country Office (HEA/DM Team and Grant Acquisition/Resource Development) in leading project design, proposal writing, budgeting process including reviews and amendments and while liaising with Regional (EAR) Disaster Management Team (DMT) and relevant Support Offices during negotiations with the donor/s.
• Oversee budgeting and financial management, staff management, reporting, logistics and procurement, security and capacity building departments and/ or initiatives.

Management

• Ensure key resources budgeted for are availed on time to support project operations i.e. office space and equipment, field equipment (weighing scales, scooping and school feeding materials, firewood), vehicles, computers (laptops and desktops), printers, photocopiers and projectors. Proactively engaging to fill any critical resource gaps. Ensure proper asset management is observed and an efficiency and cost-saving culture is practiced during procurement processes.
• Ensure timely recruitment of project staff as budgeted for, planning managing and staff transitions.Lead management team and ensure coordination and collaboration between departments; establish regular team meetings to review program progress and performance i.e. on time, on budget, on target and facilitate identification and addressing of challenges including key learnings.
• Engage in and ensure that appropriate management tools like partnering for performance, on-job coaching and mentoring are practiced within the program to enhance smooth staff relations and accountability. Including monthly sharing of work plans.
• Promote a continuous learning environment by identifying relevant trainings and capacity building opportunities for the Team and key management staff either internally or externally, exchange visits, staff deployments/secondments among others
• Ensure that all staff and World Vision affiliates (incentive workers, casuals, suppliers/contractors, volunteers adhere to core World Vision policies such as the Code of Conduct, Children and Adult Safeguarding, Anti-corruption and Anti-fraud, Confidentiality among others that would be deemed relevant from time to time.
• Ensure a conducive work environment is maintained while encouraging and supporting a team working culture across board.
• Ensure staff safety and security including that of food resources, assets, property through enforcing adherence of stipulated standard security operating procedures and protocols as well as following of security advisories issued and participation in relevant trainings. This will be achieved in collaboration with the local security apparatus in Gambella i.e. UN Agencies(WFP, UNHCR and UNDSS), Area Security Management Team, Regional government, RRS, Federal Police, Refugee Community Council (RCC), community leaders of both refugee and host community and in coordination with World Vision Ethiopia’s country security team

Engagement and Networking

• Gambella Gambella Strengthen and ensure good and effective work relationships are maintained with key project stakeholders i.e. RRS, Regional government,  WFP, UNHCR relevant peer and community organizations and refugee leadership structures
• Ensure effective representation and coordination is maintained at both Gambella and Country/National Office-level with key stakeholders i.e. RRS, WFP, UNHCR and the Regional Government including relevant community leadership structures. This will include monthly coordination/ad hoc meetings, pre and post distribution meetings, performance evaluation, trainings, security cell meetings, assessments as well as joint advocacy initiatives
• Support the hosting of field missions and visits by donors, partners, Support Offices, including other Country/National Offices as part of resource mobilization initiatives, impact showcasing and learning. This will be done in consultation with relevant key stakeholders/partners (RRS,WFP and UNHCR) including World Vision Ethiopia relevant departments such as the Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs and Security.

Project/Program Implementation

• Support the development and implementation of distribution plans for the food assistance programme in consultation with WFP and other key project stakeholders (RRS, UNHCR and RCC).
• Ensure that project activities of general food distribution and school feeding programme are carried out in line with WV food programming standards, donor requirements and in adherence to government regulations
• Ensure the timely and accurate compilation and submission of consolidated financial and narrative reports to donors and concerned World Vision departments in alignment with donor (USAID/WFP) grant contract requirements.
• Ensure active donor (USAID/BHA/WFP) engagement as required during donor monitoring visits and delegation meetings and work effectively with WFP team and actively participate on WFP weekly and any ad-hoc coordination meetings.
• Develop risk registers and regularly update them to support identification and management risks related to program implementation
• Oversee and ensure the development and execution of a result oriented participatory M&E and knowledge management system, to enhance accountability and impact demonstration, and ensure the project staff, project sites, office and vehicles are branded in accordance with World Vision branding policy.
•  Submit operation plans and regular progress reports to concerned government offices on time and ensure safety of the project staff in collaboration with World Vision Ethiopia staff safety department/operations center.
• Provide internal situation updates and progress reports, actively engage with the project donor in receiving enquiries and providing responses in consultation with World Vision Ethiopia Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs (HEA) department.
• In consultation with World Vision Ethiopia HEA Department and partners, ensure the execution of the project’s detailed implementation plans (DIP) and budget breakdowns including cash flow for the project based on the project design.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Experience: 5 to 7 experiences at management level, refugee management leadership more desirable
• Program management skill, Participatory M&E, Results-Based management, Logical Framework Analysis, community participation, Participatory Rural Appraisal, Participatory Learning & Action
• Experience in USAID/BHA and WFP funded projects is an advantage
• NGO experience is preferred.
• BA/BSc degree in relevant field such as Sociology, Project Planning & Management is preferred. MA/MSc. degree is an added advantage.
• A demonstrated experience in implementing food assistance programmes with minimum 5 years managing emergency projects.
• Working knowledge of Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS), Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) among other initiatives including coordination structures at country and operation level.
• Demonstrated capacity in team building and leading
• Good experience in budgeting and report writing
• Ability to work in fragile contexts