Area Manager at the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)

Project Number: NGFM1712 NGFM 1710 NGFM 1703
Location: Maiduguri, with frequent travels. Maiduguri is a non-family posting
Reports to: Country Director
Supervision of: Programme Development Managers, Logistics Coordinator, Finance Coordinator, HR/Admin Coordinator
Level: Grade 10 in NRC grade structure
Travel: 25% to the field and sub offices
Duration and type of contract: 12 months

Summary

• All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organisation’s core values: dedication, innovation, inclusivity and accountability. These attitudes and believes shall guide our actions and relationships.

Role and responsibilities
The purpose of the Area Manager position is to ensure high quality and cost effective programme/project implementation within the designated geographical area. The following is a brief description of the role:
Generic Responsibilities
These responsibilities shall be the same for all positions with the same title. The responsibilities shall be short and essential. Details belong in the Work and Development plan.

• Line management for senior project staff and support functions (and Field Office Coordinators) in the area
• Member of the Country Management Group (CMG)
• Compliance with and adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures
• Provide area specific input on CC strategies, Country Strategy and Plan of Action
• Organize grants opening and closure meetings at area level
• Implementation of projects (including master support budget and coordinating input for donor proposals and reports) in the area, in compliance with contractual commitments (i.e. quality, synergies, timeliness, use of resources).
• Assess needs, develop emergency response and implement response plans
• Ensure optimal use of resources within the allocated project budgets and CC strategies
• Represent NRC and networking on area level
• Ensure that capacity building is provided to all staff in the area
• Ensure overall security and safety of staff in the area
• Promote the rights of IDPs/returnees in line with the advocacy strategy

Specific Responsibilities
These responsibilities shall be adapted to the particularities of the job location and context, phase of operation, strategic focus and type of intervention. This section shall be revised whenever a new employee is hired or the context changes significantly.

• Establish a good working environment based on the NRC values
• Coordinate NRC program activities with authorities, United Nations agencies and other national and international agencies/organisations in the area
• Coordinate all area level programme and operational activities
• Conduct regular field missions to monitor project implementation
• Advance the process of humanitarian access outside of Maiduguri, in cooperation with the security and access officer.
• Lead the area Grants management (GOM, GR and GEM) with the coordination and technical support of the GC.
• Identify, initiate and follow up on advocacy issues at area level in close coordination with the PAA and Country Director.
• Ensure support functions are managed according to NRC policies
• Ensure legally binding financial contracts and payments at area level are made as per the threshold limit stipulated on the authorization table.
• In collaboration with the Security Manager, ensure that the Security Plan for the area is updated regularly
• Report to the Country Director any violations of NRC’s Personnel policies and Code of Conduct
• Ensure that NRC staff adheres to NRC´s security rules and guidelines
• Ensure quality documentation of all NRC activities at area level
• Undertake Official correspondence at area level.
• Through close monitoring of the context, develop approaches and activities ensuring promotion of the Do No Harm principle

Critical interfaces:
By interfaces, NRC means processes and projects that are interlinked with other departments/units or persons. Relevant interfaces for this position are:

• Proposal development: Head of Programme,
• Area operations: HR, Logistics, Finance and Security Managers, other humanitarian actors
• Staff capacity building: Head of Programme, HR manager, Support managers
• Strategy and project planning: Head of Programme, Protection and Advocacy Advisor, Security Manager
• Shared costs budget: Finance manager, Head of Programme

Scale and Scope of Position:

• Staff: 4 Programme Development Managers (PDMs), Logistics, HR, Finance Coordinators
• Stakeholders: State Government Officials, Protection Working Group (Maiduguri), UN-OCHA, Local Community Leaders and other justice service providers, other UN agencies and INGOs.
• Budgets: Approx. 16M USD from different donors (ECHO, EU Devco, DFID, OFDA, UNHCR, SIDA, GAC and NMFA)
• Information: GORS, Agresso, Webcruiter, Intranet
• Legal or compliance: Compliance with donor policies and reporting responsibilities, Terms of Employment, vendors

Competencies
Competencies are important in order for the employee and the organisation to deliver desired results. They are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following categories:

Professional Competencies
(These are skills, knowledge and experience that are important for effective performance)

Generic Professional Competencies for this Position:

• Minimum 3 years of experience from working as a Senior Project Manager in a humanitarian/recovery context
• Previous experience from working in complex and volatile contexts
• Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities
• Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal

Context/skills, knowledge and experience:

• Knowledge of the context in Nigeria or West Africa (Lake Chad crisis)
• Experience with start-up

Behavioral competencies (max 6)
These are personal qualities that influence how successful people are in their job. NRC’s Competency Framework states 12 behavioral competencies, the following are essential for this position:

• Handling insecure environments
• Strategic thinking
• Empowering and building trust
• Managing performance and development
• Managing resources to optimise results

Performance Management
The employee will be accountable for the responsibilities and the competencies, in accordance with the NRC Performance Management Manual. The following documents will be used for performance reviews:

• The Job Description
• The Work and Development Plan
• The Mid-term/End-of-trial Period Performance Review Template
• The End-term Performance Review Template
• The NRC Competency Framework.

Salary/Benefits
According to NRC’s general directions and free housing of moderate standard.