Job Title:                              Area Coordinator

Reports to:                         Country Director

Terms:                                  12 months Fixed Term, Full time, Unaccompanied, Fully office based

Location:                             Bagasola, Lake Province

Salary:                                  €45,457 - €50,509

Requirements:                  You will report to the Country Director and will line manage a Health and Nutrition Program Manager (NAT), a Livelihoods Program Manager (NAT), a Resilience Programme Manager (INT) and a Base Manager (INT)– exact staffing organigram will change in accordance to programme needs. You shall also work closely with other Concern Worldwide Chad staff; Regional Desk at Head Office and Emergency Directorate advisers.

About Concern:                Established in 1968, Concern is a non-profit, non-governmental humanitarian organisation, dedicated to the reduction of suffering and the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.

Concern’s vision, our mission and our work are all defined by one goal – ending extreme poverty, whatever it takes. Concern strives for a world free from poverty, fear and oppression.

Our culture is values driven and we believe that our people are central to all that we do and are key to delivering on our goal of Reaching the Furthest Behind First. We are committed to ensuring a workplace where everybody feels valued and are enabled to succeed in their work and contribute to delivering on our mission.

Role Purpose:    The purpose of the Area Coordinator (AC) is to ensure the implementation of high-quality programmes in the Lake Province, Chad, through the effective leadership and management of programme staff and ensuring that support functions are meeting the needs of the programme. As the Concern representative in the area, the AC will develop and maintain good relationships with peer NGOs, local authorities and communities in which Concern works.

Responsibilities:

General responsibilities

• Represent and lead Concern Worldwide’s operations in Bagasola, Lake Province, Chad and oversee the management of the Bagasola Base, Bol sub-base and as well as potential other bases or sub-bases in the province.
• Manage, lead and support the programme teams to ensure agreed programme objectives are met in an efficient and timely manner according to Concern and donor policies and procedures.
• Supervise and manage the Base Manager to ensure that the functions of HR, logistics, finance and administration are supporting the needs of the programme and that programme staff understand and are following procedures and policies
• Through leadership and management ensure that the highest standards of accountability and transparency are upheld within the organization and specifically within the programmes, safeguarding the reputation of Concern
• Ensure that all Bagasola, Bol staff and visitors are aware of and comply with Concern’s policies and procedures

Programme Quality

• Oversee the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Lake Province Programmes, including both Development and Emergency response program in consultation and partnership with local stakeholders, ensuring programme is implemented in line with Concern Worldwide policies, procedures and Core Humanitarian Standards.
• Lead and participate in environmental and emergency assessments and develop plans for expansion in consultation with line management. Identify and respond to opportunities to expand programmes/impact.
• Lead the development of project proposals/concept papers and their budgets (ECHO, FCDO, Irish Aid, Others donors, private donors, etc.)) for the Lake province.
• Provide close support to Concern staff in the areas of operation in the Lake Province through regular visits as security and access allow development and implementation of robust monitoring plans, capacity building and other avenues of support.
• Liaise with other NGOs, local authorities and other relevant stakeholders for effective coordination, cooperation, communication and accountability to achieve mutual understanding and acceptance.
• Analysing and resolving issues that have the potential to jeopardize programme deliverables. Ensure that crosscutting themes including gender, accountability, equality, DRR, HIV and protection are integrated/mainstreamed in the programme in line with Concern policies and the specific Chad country strategy.
• In line with Concern Worldwide’s commitments under the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), actively promote meaningful community participation at all stages of the project cycle (planning, implementation, M&E).
• Assess and pursue opportunities for local partnerships within the humanitarian response in collaboration with the line manager.
• Ensuring lessons learned are shared with relevant stakeholders
• Ensuring How Concern Understands Extreme Poverty guidelines are integrated into all programmes
• Updating Programme Director and briefing the Country Management Team on a regular basis

• Providing regular reports, programme updates and work-plans to Programme Director
• Ensuring regular multi-sectoral programme meetings to reinforce integration

Budget Management

• Monitoring under and overspending in each programme budget and advising solutions
• Coaching, mentoring and assisting budget holders to develop accurate budgets
• Reporting any suspected or actual financial irregularities to the Country Director

Donor Compliance

• Ensure that donor proposals (ECHO, Irish Aid, BMZ-KFW/ Facilité Sahel etc.), budgets and reports are of high quality, up to date and delivered in a timely manner in accordance with Concern policies/procedures, donor requirements etc.
• Be responsible for ensuring that donor strategies, guidelines, formats and processes are fully understood and being adhered to within programme implementation and procurement.

Human Resources

• Identify project staff needs, in close collaboration with HR and line management, ensuring that Job descriptions are developed, properly qualified staff are recruited, inducted and trained as per the needs of the programme and organisation and in accordance to Concern HR procedures.

• Manage Programme Team with particular emphasis on capacity building of staff through mentoring, training, and ensuring all staff have up to date job descriptions and Performance Development Reviews (PDR) as per policy.  Supporting all area staff to understand and complete their objectives

• Ensure that all staff are provided with the necessary support and advice to carry out their duties particularly as they relate to Health and Nutrition, WASH, Livelihood approaches, emergency preparedness and response.

• assist with the recruitment of national staff and ensuring optimal leave/ R&R planning for national and international staff
• ensuring induction is provided to new staff and performance development reviews are completed for all staff

Communications/Reporting

• Ensure that situation reports, i.e. security, personnel, programme activities, etc. are produced to a high standard and in a timely manner.
• Ensure that ToR’s for external advisors, consultants, visitors are prepared and shared on time.
• Ensure donor visibility & facilitate external engagement through (donor, UN, head office, consultants, etc.) visits to the field and high quality reporting; including developing case studies.

Finance, Admin and Logistics

• Manage day-to-day cash management in Bagasola and ensure finance and cash transactions and management adhere to Concern procedures.
• Oversee the day-to-day management of logistics (including transport), administration and human resources functions in line with organizational policy and best practice.
• Ensuring strict adherence to Concern’s Financial Policy and Procedures

• ensuring regular cash and stock counts

• In conjunction with line management and SMT, oversee and manage longer-term planning within logs, admin and HR functions.

Security Management & Accountability

• As the Security Focal Person - SFP (Lake province) and in collaboration with the Country Director and other SFPs, undertake analysis of security incidents and trends in the zone of intervention and surrounding areas, ensuring that line management is regularly briefed on the security situation and advised as necessary in relation to adaptation of work plans and movement plans as necessary.
• Participate in the revision of relevant SOPs when necessary and other security related duties when necessary.
• Ensuring all staff are aware of and adhere to Security Management Plan (SMP)
• Ensuring a functioning Security Focal Group
• Ensuring a functioning Complaints Response Mechanism

In line with Concern’s commitments under the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS): 

• actively promote meaningful community participation and consultation at all stages of the project cycle (planning, implementation, M&E);
• work with relevant colleagues to ensure that the Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM) is functional and accessible, that feedback and complaints are welcomed and addressed;
• work with relevant colleagues to ensure that information about CRM, safeguarding and expected staff behaviour is disseminated among programme participants and communities.

Representation & Networking

• Establishing and maintaining strong relationships with local authorities and organizations
• Ensuring strong relationships, continual capacity building and monitoring of local implementing partners
• Ensure networking and coordination with provincial and local Government authorities, (Governor, Préfet, Sous-Préfet), Provincial technical Delegations, Traditional authorities (Sultan, Chefs de Canton), UN agencies (WFP, OCHA, HCR, PNUD etc.), IOM and other humanitarian actors active in the area (NGOs).
• Represent Concern to donors, clusters and other coordination fora in the Lake Province (Bagasola and Bol) as required.

Other Duties

• Participate in country-level strategic planning initiatives, SMT and CMT meetings and other duties as determined by line management.
• Adhere fully to the commitments of Concern’s protection and safeguarding policies; especially Concern’s Code of Conduct and associated policies (CCoC and Aps), including the respect of confidentiality.

For managers:

• All managers are responsible for upholding and promoting Concern’s values, demonstrating leadership on workplace equality, diversity and inclusion, and role modelling a positive safeguarding ethos.
• All managers are required to actively participate in any emergency response as and when required.

Role Holder Requirements:

Essential:

• Relevant post graduate qualification

• At least five years’ experience of working in humanitarian programming and demonstrable experience of managing a humanitarian response.
• Security Management Skills and Experience in a very fragile context

• Previous work in challenging, insecure and remote areas
• Management of diverse and multi-sectoral programmes
• Management of a diverse team of staff (>30 people)

• Appreciation and knowledge of humanitarian issues including protection issues, latest thinking in accountability to programme participants.

• Budget management
• Knowledge of finance, logistics and administration functions

• Proposal and report writing skills.
• Fluency in French and, ideally, strong English language ability.
• Flexibility and the ability to direct a multi-cultural team.
• Demonstrable interpersonal and communication skills.

• Able to handle a demanding, desert /Sahel environment (high level of physical fitness would be an asset).
• Delegation, time management and prioritizing skills
• Computer literate and good knowledge of Office pack
• Empathy with Concern’s mission, vision and goals, and our target group

We would also like:

• Knowledge/experience of Resilience approaches, Health and Nutrition programming, cash and market-based approaches.
• Knowledge of HF/VHF radio systems
• Arabic, Kanembou and Boudouma language would be an advantage
• You to be flexible and reliable
• You to be culturally sensitive and empathic to others
• You to be able to work under pressure and to strict deadlines;

Competencies:                

For GB2 – 6 Roles:

Identify the 3-4 priority competencies required to be effective and successful in the role.

Candidates are expected to demonstrate abilities in the following priority competency areas (highlight 3-4 competencies in bold as appropriate):

We encourage all eligible candidates, irrespective of gender, ethnicity or origin, disability, political beliefs, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status to apply to become a part of the organisation. Concern is against all forms of discrimination and unequal power relations and is committed to promoting equality. 

If this role sounds right for you, please apply with your CV and cover letter. We will respond to every applicant. Please be aware we may offer positions before the closing date.

If you have any concerns about our recruitment process and need particular assistance - for example if you have a disability e.g. a hearing impairment - please let us know and we will do our best to respond to your needs.  

Important information:

Concern has an organisational Code of Conduct with three Associated Policies: The Programme Participant Protection Policy, the Child Safeguarding Policy, and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy accessible here. These have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation, and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organisations, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context, staff have a responsibility to the organisation to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in their work, in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and Associated Policies as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Concern Code of Conduct, candidates acknowledge that they have understood the content of both the Concern Code of Conduct and the Associated Policies and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these policies. Additionally, Concern is committed to the safeguarding and protection of adults and children in our work. We will do everything possible to ensure that only those who are suitable to work or volunteer with adults and children are recruited by us for such roles. Consequently, working or volunteering with Concern may be subject to a range of vetting checks, including criminal background checking. 

During this job application, you will provide Concern with your personal data. Concern takes its responsibilities towards this personal data very seriously and is committed to complying with all relevant data protection legislation.