Deployable Emergency Response Manager

Working in 50 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas, Plan aims to reach as many children as possible, particularly those who are excluded or marginalised with high quality programs that deliver long lasting benefits by increasing its income, working in partnership with others and operating effectively. Plan is committee to responding to children affected by emergencies in the countries of our operation. Our total budget on Disaster Risk Management during the last financial year was over € 40 m.
This role strengthens Plan’s ability to respond effectively to disasters by providing experienced management or support to disaster response programmes on the ground when it is needed.
75 % or more of the time is likely to be utilised for such deployments. Remaining time will be utilised to support DRM training, learning and documentation work and policy and representational work.

Main responsibilities

While deployed, Deployable Emergency Response Manager leads the Emergency Response Team and manages the emergency response in support of Plan’s Country Management leadership where they have been assessed as weak
Budget responsibility for management of emergency responses. Typical emergency response programmes will range from €1 to €10million.
When management capacity on a country programme is adequate, the deployable emergency response manager may take other roles within an emergency response team.
When deployed to an emergency response, this position will have direct reports, as required by the context and indirect accountabilities with regional DRM staff, and the country team in which the post holder is deployed.

This role is expected to provide effective support to the CD and CMT to organise a timely and highly quality emergency response programme.

While deployed as the emergency response manager, the post holder will be responsible for leading and managing all aspects in an emergency response.

This would include (and not be limited to) the following:

Result: Emergencies responses are led efficiently and effectively in line with Plan strategy and values

• Developing and implementing programme, funding, communication and capacity plans
• Rapid Needs assessment, detailed needs assessment and programme design
• Building, briefing and motivating emergency response team, including bringing outside support and redeployment of existing country programme staff.
• Coordination with humanitarian system and networking with donors and other organisations
• Positioning, communication and information flow across the organisation and externally
• Logistics and operations support
• Grant fundraising through NO’s and the UN system
• Accountability to donors and to communities
• Handover of the responsibilities to the CD and CMT towards the end of the deployment.
  On other deployments the responsibilities will be limited to specific elements of the programme.

In exceptional circumstances and as defined by circumstances (such as a big disaster) and the DRM policy, the job-holder will establish a Plan presence or partnerships in a new country, in which case

Result: Emergency programming responses into new territories are effective fully legal and in line with Plan priorities

• Lead teams into new areas, establishing a capacity to respond
• Ensure compliance with all host country legal, contractual, labour and statutory requirements including registration

In between deployments the post-holder will support other initiatives to improve Plan’s disaster preparedness and response, including:

Result: Learning and documentation systematically informs Plan’s DRM procedures and training.

• Support for learning and documentation initiatives. Support for on-going DRM initiatives, including training.
• Represent Plan in international meetings and conferences.
  Dealing with Problems:
• The post-holder will make rapid assessments of situations and then make judgements for the organisation on strategic choices and action often with inadequate information
• The job requires decisions to be made on the basis of assumption and experience, as little hard information will be available. Decisions need to be context specific and there will often be no precedents to draw upon.
• Management judgement will be required to negotiate and influence local Plan teams to take steps to respond in ways that may be new or worrisome in contexts that are stressful to all involved
• Decisions may affect the lives of thousands of disaster affected children, millions of dollars, security of staff, and the profile of Plan across the humanitarian sector and across media.
• Excellent risk-assessment and management is required to support decisions that may require overcoming attitudinal, systemic and physical barriers

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours Required to Achieve Role’s Objectives:

A thorough knowledge will be demonstrated in the following:

• Emergency preparedness practice
• The Humanitarian Sector and its key current debates in particular in regard to responding to children’s needs with high quality responses
• Knowledge of key donors for emergency responses
• Key standards to be adhered to in responses
  Proven skills will be demonstrated for the following:
• Management of programme and operations in NGO emergency responses;
• Grant fundraising and accurate disbursement
• Excellent communication skills: well argued plans for response that can be justified and delivered, persuasive of others

Behaviours:

• Commitment and adherence to humanitarian values and standards,
• Willing to make rapid decisions even with inadequate information but ready to reflect and adjust course of action if necessary;
• Focussed and striving for the delivery of programme;
• Cross-culturally agile
• Aware of own strengths, weaknesses and pro-active in using feedback and self-development
• Aware of impact on others and uses impact to create positive climate at work

Location and Travel

Core base in International Headquarters, Woking or possibly another suitable Plan office.
With extensive travel, sometimes to hazardous environments and at short notice for up to 3 months at a time. Periods of intense work at all times of day and night. Working in multiple locations and on the move.

How to Apply

Please submit a full CV and a comprehensive cover letter setting out your reasons for applying for the post and outlining the qualifications experience knowledge and skills that you feel you can bring to the role to:- recadmin@plan-international.org

The closing date for applications is Friday 30th March 2012

Please quote reference number IH131

References will be taken and background and anti-terrorism checks will be carried out in conformity with Plans Child Protection Policy. Plan operates an equal opportunities policy and actively encourages diversity, welcoming applications from all areas of the international community.