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Humanitarian Programme Manager Oxfam West Africa

Contract: Fixed Term - 3 months (unaccompanied post)
Salaray: £24,245 - 30,853 (net = take-home pay. Oxfam will meet any tax and social security liabilities of the post holder in addition to the net salary)
Benefits: Accommodation, Excellent development opportunities, medical cover, generous pension contribution, living allowance.
Interviews: expected to be week commencing.13 February 2012.
This is an urgent recruitment and suitable candidate is expected to commence beginning of March 2012.

Reporting Lines:
Post holder reports to: Country Director and is a member of the Liberia Senior Management Team

Staff reporting to this post: Programme managers of Zwedru and Harper bases.


Background


The refugee crisis of 2011 in south eastern Liberia that saw thousands of people from Cote d'Ivoire flood into the country to escape violence after the elections has now stabilised. Some refugees have returned, the refugee camps are maintained for those who choose to remain in Liberia and those that remain in communities have been requested to settle in the camps. The communities that hosted the refugees are being assisted in their recovery.

Oxfam provided water and sanitation facilities in four camps and started EFSL activities in some camps and surrounding communities in April 2011 in Grand Gedeh and Maryland counties. As of January 2012 Oxfam continues with several donor funded programmes (ECHO, EC, DfID, FAO and UNICEF) focused in the two counties. Camp activities are now focussed in two camps: PTP in Grand Gedeh and Little Wlebo in Maryland. Emergency Food Security and Livelihood and WaSH activities are expanding to more communities in both counties. Oxfam Liberia is now actively in the process of merging activities and staff structure, set up in the emergency, with the overall county strategy and programme.
The HPM will be actively involved with integrating the humanitarian programme with the established country programme by working with the senior management team in Monrovia whilst ensuring current and planned programme implementation/ development at the field bases. They will focus largely on transition programming and ensure that the gains of the Humanitarian responses integrate into the long term work of Oxfam in Liberia. The humanitarian programmes are all operational and as part of the integration there is a need to identify and work with potential local partners or citizen groups for a more developmental approach to succeed in the field.


Key Responsibilities

Monitor the changing humanitarian situation in the field , identify gaps in the response, develop new funding opportunities and propose new interventions as appropriate in SE Liberia.

Participate in internal coordination and strategic planning as appropriate to ensure integration of programmes between WASH and EFSL and between humanitarian and long term programming. This should include gender and protection mainstreaming.

Represent Oxfam in Monrovia by attending relevant meetings and liaising with other agencies/organisations to ensure information flow and coordination for the sectors in the field. This will include the food sector and WASH meetings as well as HAC and UNHCR coordination meetings.

Initiate identification and development of partners in the field in coordination with the field bases and Monrovia office staff.

Liaise with on-going programmes implemented by the Monrovia office (e.g.WASH Consortium, Public Health and Livelihoods programmes) to involve existing team members and implementing partners whenever appropriate.

Be the coordinating link to address challenges in the field in collaboration with the SMT in Monrovia.

In the absence of a dedicated advocacy staff bring any issues for action from the field to the attention of the SMT and regional advocacy staff.

Reporting: In liaison with the funding coordinator, be responsible for the timely delivery of concept notes, proposals and donor reports. In addition be responsible for the completion of any external surveys/research completed in the field. Ensure that careful monitoring of the projects is ongoing to enable effective reporting.

Actively manage the Programme Managers in Zwedru and Harper through email, regular phone calls, periodic field visits, monthly field reports and performance reviews

Ensure that projects are implemented effectively through tracking BvAs, workplans and supply plans.

Work with Finance, HR and Logs departments in Monrovia to ensure that the needs of the field programmes are promptly addressed and the bases are running as effectively as possible.


Skills and Competence

Ability to think strategically and analyse situations.
Experience in emergency, transitional and development programming
Experience in representation to donors/UN agencies/local authorities
Excellent coordination and negotiation skills
Experience in budget management
Experience of remote staff management
Broad experience in donor reporting and effective report writing
Committed to Oxfam' s equal opportunity and gender policies
Sensitivity to cultural differences, and the ability to work in a wide variety of cultural contexts
Excellent verbal and written communications skills
Sympathy with, and knowledge of, the aims and objectives of Oxfam
Familiarity with and acceptance of, the NGO/Red Cross Code of Conduct, People in aid, and other regulatory Codes


MORE INFO...

HPM Job Profile.doc.docx