Location:  North _ Tigray

Employment Category:  E
Reporting To: HINGO Forum Director/Steering Committee
Start of Contract & Duration:  One Year with possiblity of extension

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: 

Through DRC as hosting agency, the HINGO forum is recruiting a highly qualified Deputy Director who will be responsible for representation and engagement on behalf of HINGOs with key stakeholders in Ethiopia’s Northern region. The Deputy Director will support the HINGO Forum members and humanitarian efforts through high quality information exchange, coordination, multi-stakeholder engagement, facilitating effective INGO representation in decision-making mechanisms, collective engagement and advocacy. Additionally, the Deputy Director will contribute to operational planning and implementation of humanitarian assistance, as well as promoting community acceptance and accountability to affected population. The post holder will report directly to the HINGO Director and the Steering Committee on invitation. The HINGO Deputy Director will provide inputs to briefings, analysis, advisories, actions, approvals and messages through critical analysis and predictions, and also assessments based on the conflict, demographics and historical context, results of enquiries and information gathering.

Overall purpose of the role:

There are currently 34 INGOs and NGOs operating in Tigray in response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis with an estimated 4.5 million people in need. The humanitarian NGOs operational in Ethiopia recognise the need for this role who will support the humanitarian partners in Tigray. The HINGO Forum Deputy Director is a senior management position and is responsible for facilitating coordination among humanitarian directors and area managers of the HINGO Forum, the elected Steering Committee, and external stakeholders in the Tigray response. The coordination entails ensuring effective information exchange, as well as representing and advocating on common positions and agreed interests of the HINGO Forum and wider NGO community.

The HINGO Forum Deputy Director is responsible for building and sustaining productive relationships between NGOs on one hand and government, UN, humanitarian partners including INGOs and NNGOs donors and diplomatic missions in country on the other. The HINGO Forum Deputy Director is also responsible for the general management of the HINGO Forum secretariat in the northern region, its staff and effective and regular communication on Forum performance to the HINGO Forum Director and Steering Committee.

The HINGO Forum Deputy Director supports the work of the HINGO Forum through the following key tasks:

• Act as focal point for information/experience sharing with and among HINGOs on relevant issues and work with key Forum staff to manage membership process, mailing lists and communication products.
• Strategic day-to-day management of HINGO Forum staff, office, budget and relationship with the principle donor (includes report writing).
• Maintain a thorough understanding and develop messaging on operational constraints and policy related issues affecting HINGOs in country as well as broader political developments.
• Read, synthesize and analyse political and security updates.
• Provide a conduit for the UN, government, donor representatives and other stakeholders to communicate and coordinate with HINGOs, enabling an informed, predicted and safe intervention for all involved.

RESPONSIBILITIES 

Coordination and representation

• He/ she liaises with humanitarian partners to promote and encourage improved coordination and information sharing in general and on best practices, key challenges and common understanding of the response
• Attend and chair where necessary the relevant coordination meetings including the AHT, ASMT, ICCG, Access WG, and regular THINGO Forum meetings in Mekelle.
• Assist the HINGO Director in building synergies and facilitating collective understanding and analysis around the humanitarian response efforts, bureaucratic and access impediments among humanitarian partners, especially among NGOs.
• Engage with relevant actors (e.g. government, armed groups, communities, etc.) on building synergy and a better understanding of the collective efforts and impacts of the humanitarian community, and highlighting humanitarian access issues, bringing expertise of local culture and dynamics, including traditional conflict-resolution mechanisms.
• Develop a network of local contacts among key stakeholders, including authorities and the humanitarian community to identify, monitor and analyse key access constraints in collaboration with Tigray NGO partners and OCHA access focal points and UNDSS local security advisors.
• Represent the HINGO Forum at key meetings with donors, UN and GOE and ensure the dissemination of written feedback.

Information sharing

• Engage in the process of briefing and orienting all new humanitarian organisations focusing on northern region and analysis functions.
• Ensure transparent coordination mechanisms and regular information-sharing between HINGOs and UN and government agencies and other stakeholders as relevant.
• Schedule HINGO Forum meetings and HINGO Forum Steering Committee meetings, draft agendas, invite external speakers and follow up on relevant action points as required.
• Encourage active and open dialogue between the HINGO Forum members and other key stakeholders
• Coordinate visits of advocacy groups, researchers, donors, and partners working on Ethiopia
• Ensure the research, documentation and sharing of lessons learned/best practices on strategic or operational issues and actively share information with the Civil Society Forum, CCRDA and other coordination platforms
• Identify gaps in research and analysis that, if addressed, would be useful by large numbers of the membership
• Together with other Forum staff, liaise with the sector working groups and Clusters, ensuring key messages are shared and activities and advocacy messages are coordinated and consistent
• Monitors current media and context. Ensure an information flow is maintained with the capacity to develop context analysis documentation for external bodies such as donors or peer agencies.
• Oversee updates on partner presence and location with an understanding of program activities. Engage in the maintenance and securing of access in all areas of operation with relevant Standard operating Procedures (SOPs) across each.

Human Resource Management

• Oversee recruitment, provide leadership and direction, promote professional working relationships, and encourage HINGO Forum’s staff
• Lead regular internal coordination meetings and ensure staff support as required
• Conduct regular performance appraisals identifying capacity building needs and further career objectives; follow-up, and maintain updated job descriptions as required.
• Recruit Forum staff in compliance with host agency recruitment procedures, including development of JDs, shortlisting and interviewing

Experience and Technical Competencies: (include years of experience)

• Minimum 5 years as in a senior leadership level role with UN, NGOs and/or Donor agencies or equivalent in an emergency context.
• Demonstrated representation and coordination experience in multi-agency forums
• Experience in developing and updating TORs, Strategy documents, SOPs, and other management documents and tools.
• Proven in-country experience liaising with UN missions or agencies.
• Significant experience in the development of advocacy, policy and key messaging documents
• Strong understanding of the IASC coordination architecture, integrated missions, Humanitarian principles and the Transformative Agenda
• Proven experience in incident/crisis management.
• Fluent English, and strong interpersonal, communication, and networking skills.
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines under pressure.
• Computer literate, able to use common software packages.
• Previous work experience in Ethiopia is preferred
• Be flexible to travel at short notice to difficult and risky areas.
• Proven ability to work effectively with minimal supervision

Education (include certificates, licenses etc.):

• A degree in a relevant field, or equivalent experience.
• At least 3 years’ experience working with INGOs and/or international agencies on similar duties
• Demonstrated leadership and management skills
• Documented skills in developing proposals, budgets and reports

Languages: (indicate fluency level)

• English

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies: 

• Striving for excellence: Focusing on reaching results while ensuring efficient processes.
• Collaborating: Involving relevant parties and encouraging feedback.
• Taking the lead: Taking ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: Listening and speaking effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: Acting in line with DRC’s vision and values