Regional Program Coordinator for the Citizens First Program in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Oxfam, a confederation of 17 affiliate organisations, is committed to ridding the world of poverty. We believe that people are capable of building sustainable livelihoods to overcome poverty on their own, once given the chance to do so. This is why we support local projects in developing countries; strengthen local organisations; lobby companies and governments to take into account the interests of the poorest people; and campaign locally and internationally for just policies. As a confederation, we work together to increase the impact of our long term development and humanitarian responses.

Oxfam Novib is looking for a

Regional Program Coordinator (RPC)

for the Citizens First Program in Afghanistan and Pakistan

40 hours per week

Contract: 1 year with possibility to extend until the end of the project September 2016

Kabul, Afghanistan (with frequent travel to Pakistan and the Netherlands)

Unaccompanied posting

The Citizens First Program
The Citizens First Program in Afghanistan and Pakistan is one of four across South Asia and Africa, supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Citizens First aims to contribute to human security in and good governance in the region by strengthening the social contract between Afghan and Pakistani citizens and their governments. This will be done by empowering civil society to hold their governments more accountable for the provision of law, order and basic services, as well as through enhancing communities' understanding of the root causes of conflict. The program has a budget Euro 5 million over three years and is implemented jointly by Oxfam Novib (ON) and national partners in both countries.

Objective of the position
The Citizens First Regional Program Coordinator (RPC) will ensure delivery of the Citizens First Program, with overall responsibility for compliance with the donor contract and requirements. The RPC will also contribute to developing Oxfam Novib's knowledge and programming expertise around conflict transformation and governance. The RPC reports to the Asia Regional Director in the ON head office.

Core responsibilities

• Provide leadership and direction to the Citizens First Program and ensure that targets and objectives are achieved in line with grant conditions and guidelines, the approved program proposal, the Oxfam Novib Business Plan 2011-2015 and the Oxfam Strategic Plan 2013-2019;
• Provide a functional steer to the program's Afghanistan and Pakistan project managers in Kabul and Islamabad and support the project teams in both countries;
• Support the operationalisation of the program, including facilitating coordination workshops, staff recruitment and mobilising expertise as required from external consultants;
• Support the CF country project teams to effectively plan, implement, monitor and evaluate their work, as well as undertake regular field visits to project sites,
• Oversee the program budget, liaising directly with program and finance staff, with accountability to the Asia Regional Director for tracking expenditures against country and regional budgets;
• In collaboration with program, country office and head office staff,
• Lead progress, semi-annual and annual reporting and planning processes, in line with donor agreements and Oxfam Novib policy, as well as communications with other key internal and external stakeholders;
• Identify opportunities and resources to upscale the program beyond 2016 and lead the development of new proposals for donor funding;
• Coordinate with the Afghanistan and Pakistan Country leadership Teams (CLTs) and relevant country office units to promote linkages between the Citizens First program and wider conflict transformation and governance work;
• Liaise with the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and ensure delivery of their agreed inputs into the CF program;
• Represent the CF program and Oxfam Novib at relevant national, regional and global fora;
• Coordinate regularly with relevant staff at Oxfam Novib head office, including the Regional Program Coordinators (RPCs) from the 3 other DGIS-funded Oxfam reconstruction tender programs, the Knowledge and Program Management (KPM), Lobby department, External Funding Unit (EFU), Quality & Control (Q&C), as well as with other Oxfam affiliates, as required.

Essential skills and experience

• Post-graduate degree in international relations, political science, human rights, peace and conflict studies, or other relevant fields;
• At least 7 years relevant work experience in conflict-affected contexts, preferably in South/Central Asia;
• Demonstrated experience in large-scale, regional, project and program development, implementation, coordination, monitoring, evaluation and learning;
• Demonstrated understanding of conflict analysis, transformation and sensitivity principles and practice, sensitivity and do no harm principles and practice;
• Demonstrated financial management, budgeting, expenditure tracking and financial reporting skills, with previous responsibility for projects/programs over Euro 5 million;
• Understanding of, and commitment to promoting, Oxfam's core values and key development principles, including gender justice, human rights, protection, disability and participation;
• Proven people management skills, with experience coordinating multi-disciplinary teams and motivating individuals from diverse cultural, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds;
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with proven ability to build relationships with a diverse range of local, national and global stakeholders;
• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to think strategically, innovatively and creatively to improve programme quality and to forge linkages between programs;
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure, prioritise, meet deadlines, and hold self and others to account;
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly to rural, remote and insecure parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan, regionally and to the ON head office in Den Haag;
• Adaptable and resilient, with previous experience of, and willingness to accept, high-risk, insecure contexts, restricted movements and basic living conditions, shared with colleagues;
• Excellent written and oral English language skills.

Desirable

• Experience with fundraising from major institutional donors;
• Afghan (Dari/Pashtu) and/or Pakistani language skills (Urdu/Pashtu) language skills.

We offer

Oxfam Novib is committed to providing a competitive, fair and comprehensive pay and benefits package that is justifiable to our donors. The salary range for this position is set between EU 3,229 and EU 4,969 gross per calendar month. Additional allowances include 8% holiday, hardship, R&R, pension and comprehensive insurance.

More information and application procedure

Please send your CV and motivation letter addressing the key criteria to the attention of Louise Karso at jobs@oxfamnovib.nl before March 18, 2014, quoting reference number 5-243.

Please contact Ms Stijn Sas, International HR Advisor, stijn.sas@oxfamnovib.nl, or Anjo van Toorn, Asia Regional Director, on +31 703 421 765, for further information about this role.

This vacancy is subject to to the condition that the funding will be confirmed.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.