New Jobs at Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI)

Overall purpose of the consultancy

The overall objective of the deployment is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the key risks/threats to the safety and security of COOPI personnel, premises and assets in Nigeria and to implement practical mitigation measures to address these that are appropriate to the operational context.

Background

In July 2014, COOPI started operations in the northeastern part of Nigeria in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the Boko Haram insurgency. COOPI immediately established collaborations with other humanitarian actors (international donors, UN agencies, national and international NGOs) already active in the country and carried out a rapid evaluation of the most urgent needs of the IDP population of Bauchi State, that led to an ECHO funded project in the sectors of WASH, Shelter/NFI, and Food Security that benefited 10,000 people. COOPI has consequently expanded its program to Yobe state, where there is a higher concentration of IDPs and the humanitarian needs have been assessed to be very high by multiple sources (DTM, FEWSNET, INGO Forum, among others). COOPI is currently reaching about 20,000 individuals (IDP and host communities) with a multi- sectorial intervention, in the sectors of Food Security and WASH in three LGA of Yobe State and it also implementing a Child Protection program for the identification of Unaccompanied and Separated Children (UASC).

Specific Responsibilities

Specific deliverables from the deployment have to include:

• To revise and update the COOPI Nigeria Security Plan and Standard Operating Procedures, and Crisis Management Plans, ensuring that the necessary controls suitable for the Nigeria context are in place.
• To ensure that basic controls to enhance the security of all premises used by COOPI, including the field operational base, are in place. This has to include necessary improvements to improve physical security and control egress and ingress to COOPI bases;
• To include in the security SOPs improved methods of evacuation from relevant operations bases through road or air.
• To implement measures to improve COOPI Nigeria’s communication infrastructure, including embedding standard processes for routine communication checks;
• To review existing external security coordination mechanisms at all COOPI operational bases and provide recommendations to improve the flow of external security information into the programme and onward distribution to field operational bases;
• To provide guidelines on best practice for the recruitment of guards for each base;
• To design and implement basic training packages for all recruited guards and drivers;
• To update SOPs for movement of personnel and equipment, particularly by road and ensure that these are relevant to external threats associated with the Nigeria context;
• To provide training to COOPI personnel on appropriate actions to take for scenario events such as kidnapping, small arms fire, base raids, carjacking, hostile behavior at checkpoints, etc;
• To provide a general threat update for the programme management team based on the most up to date information available, including the provision of key indicators to trigger an escalation in programme security levels.

Outputs:

• COOPI security plan is reviewed and updated.
• SoPs for different scenarios are produced and attached to the Security Plan.
• COOPI staff is trained on the SoPs.

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OBJECTIVES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION

We are looking for a highly qualified Country Administrator with overall responsibility for supervision, management and quality implementation of all aspects of COOPI financial and administrative operations in Nigeria. The Country Administrator will be part of the senior management team and is expected to contribute to the future strategic development and professional dynamics of COOPI in Nigeria.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Safe and bank account management:#He/she ensures the correct management of the safes and the project’s bank accounts, by directly managing or by regularly controlling the project accountant, if available.

Accountancy management#: he/she ensures the correct project accountancy and all accountancy documents filing. He/she does this by monitoring the accountants or by directly performing the accountancy, in case there was no accountant.

Administrative management:#In collaboration with the project manager he/she verifies the correct administrative management of the projects (contracts, goods and services purchase, calls for tenders etc.) in compliance with COOPI and the donor’s procedures (ECHO, UNICEF, FAO, USAid). He/she ensures the correct filing of all project’s administrative documents.

Expenses planning and monitoring: In collaboration with the Project Manager (and the logistician if present) he/she makes the project’s financial planning. He/she monitors expenses, in accordance with the budget. He/she provides the accountancy data to the Project Manager so as to allow him to monitor and plan the expenditures and to request funds.

Contract modifications and administrative documents#: He/she collaborates with the Project Manager in the elaboration of contract modifications (including the budget), and in the preparation of all necessary projects documents.

Financial reporting: In coordination with the Head of Mission and with the Project Manager he/she prepares the intermediate and final financial reports for the projects under his/her responsibility.

Budget preparation: Support the Head of Mission and Project Managers in budget preparation as well as proposals development.

Staff management: He/she plans the work, supervises, and collaborate to train the staff of the project’s accounting-administrative area upon request by the Head of Mission. #Upon request her/she collaborates to staff evaluation activities. She/he will be the focal point of the complaint mechanism and the code of conduct

Procurement: He/she provide technical oversight to the procurement process and ensure proper supply chain management procedures are in place and that standard logistics and related administrative systems are established and implemented within COOPI country programme.

About you

To be successful in this role you must have:

· Minimum of 5 years’ relevant work experience in large organizations.

· At least 3 years’ work experience in a similar role within a international non-governmental organization (NGO), donor or multilateral agency.

· Substantial experience working with International NGO’s, UN agencies and networking and negotiating with authorities.

· Very strong financial analysis skills# and an extensive practical experience working with financial tools, highly proficient with excel such as using pivot table, developing macros, etc.

· Ability to motivate and guide staff working in a complex conflict environment, preferably experience from an African context. Previous experience in Nigeria is an advantage.

· An excellent interpersonal skills (Good analytical, negotiation, advocacy and communication skills) and demonstrated ability to establish effective team and external relations

· Experience with capacity building of national staff.

· Ability to work under pressure in a rapidly changing and sometimes insecure environment

· Excellent English language skills both written and spoken are essential.

· Experience with donors such as ECHO, UNICEF, FAO, USAid etc.

All applicants should send a cover letter and an updated CV no longer than four pages, both in the same language as the vacancy note. Your CV should also include contact details of three professional referees.

Period: 8 month (renewable) starting from the 1st of November 2015

Duty station: Abuja, with possible missions in the field.