Humanitarian Program Manager at Oxfam

Req ID: 1264
Location: Maiduguri, North-East Nigeria

Background

• Over the past year, Boko Haram (BH) has intensified attacks which have spread from North-East Nigeria to Cameroon, Chad and Niger, affecting some 20 million people. Suicide bombings and raids targeting civilians in villages and in cities around the Lake Chad basin have caused widespread trauma, prevented people from accessing essential services and destroyed infrastructure.
• Across the region, over 2.8 million people are displaced; most of who are sheltered by communities that count among the world’s most vulnerable. The combined effect of growing insecurity, fast population growth and severe vulnerability resulting from a changing climate, environmental degradation, poverty and under-investment in social services is translating into record numbers of people in need of emergency relief.
• There are 9.2 million in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of violence committed by Boko Haram; Nigeria is hosting 7m, Cameroon 1.5m, Niger 460.000 and Chad 257.000. There has been widespread violence against civilians not only by BH but the military operations against the group have also caused serious protection risks and violations. Women and girls kidnapped by Boko Haram have been subjected to physical and psychological abuse, forced marriage, sexual slavery or forced labour. Boys have been forcibly enrolled as combatants and young girls used as suicide bombers. Boko Haram has targeted health facilities and schools, forcing health care workers and teachers to flee from where they are most needed.
• The increasing number of attacks and arrival of displaced children have placed an additional burden on already weak health and education systems. Insecurity, displacement, disrupted agricultural activities and cross-border trade continue to undermine communities’ livelihoods and have resulted in a sharp rise in food insecurity.
• Some 4.4 million people facing severe food insecurity urgently need support in the region, 90 per cent of them in north-east Nigeria, with 50,000 people in Phase 5, the highest level of food insecurity under the Cadre Harmonisé classification. Throughout the region, an estimated 223.000 severely acutely malnourished children could die if not urgently assisted.

Job Purpose

• The Humanitarian Program Manager will provide overall management and leadership of the Nigeria Humanitarian response, in accordance with Oxfam standards and in coordination with the technical leads.
• S/He will be responsible for ensuring the elaboration and implementation of the response strategy, operational plans and global budget.
• He will provide a coherent integrated response; financial and human resources security; an appropriate campaign/advocacy dimension.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Supports the implementation of country humanitarian strategy and the coordination of periodic operational plans and budgets of the country and its programs, monitoring progress towards achieving program objectives - also measures outcome and impact against recognised indicators.
• Ensures that the response strategy (speed, scale, contextually appropriated, integrated) is in line with Oxfam’s overall strategic ambitions, external commitments and Oxfam’s brand as a lead humanitarian actor.
• Contributes and provides leadership to the overall One Oxfam response, by reinforcing strategies with communication and advocacy.
• Supports and maintains oversight of financial and people resourcing for the Nigeria response
• Participates in regional level response coordination where necessary, ensuring follow up of agreed actions and necessary support from others for Nigeria (e.g. HR, Funding, MEAL, others).
• Maintains effective partner grants and reports monitoring system, ensures adherence to Oxfam policies and procedures on partner management Represents Oxfam to government officials, Consortium, international organisations and NGOS and others stakeholders.
• Ensures staff safety and security procedures are monitored, updated and implemented. This will include an analysis of the risks and the threats to staff working on Oxfam programmes.
• Recruits and manages staff in line with Oxfam policies, ensuring that they have the necessary induction, training and support as required.

Skills, Experience and Knowledge
Essential:

• First degree in a relevant field
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in similar roles - specifically in managing humanitarian and development programs funded by different donors.
• Significant leadership and management experience in the development and delivery of high quality program, influencing and humanitarian strategy, with and through partners or directly, in one or more challenging locations (humanitarian WASH, protection and/or EFSL programs).
• Experience with people management;
• Experience of managing complex change processes and relationships involving a wide range of both internal and external multi-cultural stakeholders;
• A high degree of self awareness and an understanding of how to drive and support excellent team performance and individual development in line with Oxfam’s values and policies.
• Proven track record of leading and motivating multi disciplinary, partially geographically remote teams and operations across a number of locations.
• Good knowledge of developing and implementing monitoring systems to track the effectiveness of programs and an ability to build cooperative, professional relationships with donors, partners and peer organisations.
• Excellent personal communication skills, in written and verbal English.
• Good interpersonal, influencing, diplomacy negotiating skills.
• Commitment to equal opportunity and gender policies; sensitivity to cultural differences, and the ability to work in a wide variety of cultural contexts.
• Commitment to Oxfam’s overall aims and policies and experience of promoting women’s rights and the interests of marginalized people in all aspects of Oxfam’s work.
• Knowledge or appreciation of Nigeria in terms of its political, economic and social trends plus a good understanding of the key development and humanitarian issues in the region.
• Ability to travel to remote programmatic sites within the country.

Desirable:

• Experience in managing funded projects and proven ability to write proposals and reports to main humanitarian donors (ECHO, DFID, OFDA, etc.)

Competencies:

• Self Awareness
• Vision Setting
• Agility, complexity and ambiguity
• Relationship building
• Decisiveness

We Offer
A competitive and fair pay and benefits package that is justifiable to our donors. The salary range for this position is set in scale 9 with a salary range between € 3302,-- to € 5082,-- gross per month based on 40 hours a week.