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Emergency programme officer, East Africa

The Country Emergency Programme Officer is part of the East Africa country team, but also works closely with the Humanitarian Division. The role works across the country programme with a specific focus on the delivery of the work identified in the East Africa and DEC emergency appeals. The role will support learning and experience from country emergency response and DRR work and ensure that it is shared across all Christian Aid country programmes. The post holder works closely with other country based staff especially in the livelihoods programme to ensure the effective implementation and reporting of the Emergency and DRR programmes, developing new initiatives where possible. The post holder will actively participate in corporate discussions about best practice in emergency response, recovery and DRR work. The role will be based in Nairobi. Regular travel to remote and insecure places for long periods is required.

You will manage the East Africa Emergency Appeal and DEC Appeal funded programmes in Kenya and Somalia in line with the agreed country programme strategy. You will primarily focus on the delivery of the DEC and Christian Aid Appeal funded programmes, but will also play a key role working with the Programme Officer livelihoods and the Resilience projects officer in the implementation of high quality emergency response, DRR and resilience programmes across the two countries. You will maintain project financial records and financial and narrative report to DEC and Christian Aid, keep partners and country colleagues informed about contract and compliance procedures, provide support to partners based on frameworks agreed with country team, present case studies of work undertaken to a variety of audiences, represents Christian Aid externally with partners, donors other NGOs, and other agencies. You will appraise, monitor and review programmes in line with Christian Aid and external requirements, develop new initiatives and recommend actions to be taken to further emergency response work in country. Liaise with relevant stake holders to improve accountability, participation in decision making, information sharing. You will actively seek back donor funding to build on the work funded by the two appeals.

You will have a good understanding of emergency relief, preparedness and humanitarian aid and their link to development work, experience of disaster risk reduction work. You will have a good understanding of programme cycle management approaches and tools – including Participatory Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment, and Planning. You will be familiar with issues of governance, power and rights, financial controls and procedures. Able to work independently, you will have a good knowledge of approaches to livelihoods and resilience,direct experience of programme appraisal, monitoring and evaluation and of developing partners’ capacity, understanding of advocacy, campaigning and lobbying, experience of facilitation and training and project reporting to major institutional donors preferably on a large scale. You will also need skills in network and alliance building,understanding of partnership approach to international development, gender and exclusion. You will have a good working knowledge of institutional donors, particularly DFID, EU, ECHO policies and funding modalities and rules.

This role requires a university degree in development studies, social work/sociology or similar; experience in emergency response, DRR, monitoring & evaluation, understanding of financial controls and procedures.

Please show your suitability for this post by giving answers to the following questions: Using the guidance notes may help you formulate your answers.

Build partnerships

We are keen to hear how you have been working with others in a spirit of cooperation, recognising that change is brought about through partnership with others, collaboratively and overcoming obstacles to achieve mutual aims.

Please tell us about a time when you had to build relationships with different individuals or other organisations to further your own organisation’s goals.

Communicate effectively

We are interested to hear how you communicate clearly and honestly, being aware of how your communications impact on others.

Tell us about a time when you had to adapt your style, approach, and delivery method to communicate effectively with a particular audience.

Deliver results

We believe in personal accountability for our actions, recommendations and decisions within the context of Christian Aid’s vision of ending poverty. This includes organising and planning work, goal-setting, applying judgement, taking accountability and decision-making.

Please tell us about a time when you adapted or amended your original decision because it did not produce the expected or desired result.

Strive for improvement

We expect our staff to support our organisational commitment to change and innovation, continuously striving to find new and more effective ways of doing things in order to eradicate poverty. This involves engaging in work that is characterised by creativity and managed risk taking and include improving through evaluation and learning, looking for new ideas and best practice and being receptive to change.

Please tell us about a time when you demonstrated your openness to new and radical ideas to address an issue and how you went about it to achieve the desired outcomes as well as what you learnt from this.

Download the role profile (65 KB pdf)

To apply for this post, please download an application pack and email your completed International application form to: nairobirecruitment@christian-aid.org (quoting the reference number).

Please note that CVs will not be accepted and that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Those who had applied for this position in our previous advertisement are encouraged to re-apply.

Familiarity with Somalia and Northern Kenya context will be an added advantage. You will require current and valid permit to work in Kenya

Job reference: EAP/059/JG

Closing date: Friday 17 August 2012

Interview date: Week commencing 27 August 2012

Christian Aid values diversity and aspires to reflect this in our workforce. We welcome applications from people from all sections of the community, irrespective of race, colour, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief.