Deputy Regional Director MENA

Position description

Reporting to the Regional Director, the Deputy Regional Director, is responsible for providing strategic leadership and direction to the programs and technical teams under his/her responsibility, covering a multiple and broad range of relevant services, ensuring global and regional alignment in the implementation of IFRC plans, and ensuring that effective coordination with, and support to Country Delegations (CDs) and Country Cluster Delegations (CCDs) and integrated membership services to strengthen National Society capacities and their programmes is provided by the IFRC teams in the region. The position holder is a member of the MENA Regional Senior Management Team and contributes to the corporate management of the Region in a matrix organization with relevant Departments in Geneva.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance of the Regional Director, the incumbent is responsible for ensuring that, across the MENA Region, there is an integrated approach to National Society development, Programmes, Operations and Partnerships as well as to the management of the actions of staff responsible for these areas in the region, focusing on the following:

National Society Capacity Strengthening

• Provide strategic guidance, tools, and management support for coordinating engagement with the leadership of National Societies. Work through Country Cluster Delegations, Country Delegations and Country Offices to identify and agree on relevant actions to achieve the financial sustainability of National Societies, stronger volunteer management, and effective and efficient local and national capacities through diverse forms of support for core development and capacity building;
• Support the National Societies to expand the reach and quality of services in line with their strategic plans and Strategy 2030, to deliver relevant humanitarian services and programmes to, and with, vulnerable communities;
• Be the lead representative supporting regional partnerships and alliances with various components of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and external partners, as well as provide guidance to country teams;
• Lead the delivery of service improvement, good practice, continuous learning, and knowledge sharing between the IFRC and National Societies, and promote knowledge management and testing of innovative approaches to address critical challenges in programme management and operational coordination;
• Provide leadership and guidance to the managers in the region to identify where National Societies should strengthen their own corporate services and humanitarian diplomacy capacities;
• Facilitate the identification of appropriate solutions to the needs highlighted by country and country cluster teams related to capacity building.

Implementation of Strategy 2030 (S2030) and the Agenda for Renewal

• Ensure effective analysis of and reporting on the humanitarian impact on MENA Region of the five global strategic priorities identified in S2030 and work with the respective MENA National Societies on practical solutions to respond to the needs arising from the humanitarian challenges they are facing;
• Facilitate the conditions for a successful implementation of the IFRC Agenda for Renewal starting with the enhancement of internal effectiveness and efficiency as well as with the provision of relevant expert support to the MENA National Societies to enable them to tackle the priority transformations identified;
• Ensure that regular monitoring mechanisms exist for evaluating the progress made in taking forward S2030 and the Agenda for Renewal in MENA Region.

Partnerships and Communications

• Support the Regional Director in the development of policy guidance and advice for National Societies and the Regional Office with their relationships with governments and intergovernmental agencies, ensuring that the Federation’s official positions are represented with consistency and benefit the National Societies in their own work as the auxiliaries to the public authorities in the humanitarian field;
• Support the Regional Director with efforts to deepen the relationships and coordination with partner organisations and through the development of processes which support contact with academia, foundations, the private sector, corporate partners, or other stakeholders capable of supporting their humanitarian objectives.
• Under the guidance of the Regional Director, provide advice and support for the negotiation and maintenance of partnerships (through agreements or other arrangements) with other international agencies whose goals and programs match those of the Federation and National Societies, and which are prioritised in terms of the IFRC's new operating model at the regional and sub-regional levels;
• Lead the Regional Office's diverse teams in the fulfilment of effective relationship building, communication and advocacy closely aligned with the global strategy;
• Ensure consistency of messages both within the IFRC and through consultations with the ICRC and other interlocutors. Ensure alignment of these messages and actions with the Fundamental Principles of the Movement;
• Guide the teams on the implementation of shared leadership initiatives.

International Disaster Response

When needs and vulnerabilities overtake locally available capacities, under the guidance of the Regional Director:

• Provide leadership to the integrated Emergency and Partnership teams to ensure that international disaster and crisis response assistance is effectively organised, coordinated and directed;
• Take an active role during emergency response, performing periodic field visits and keeping constant monitoring of recovery activities of operations in the region;
• Ensure that the support provided to National Societies in disaster and crisis response is relevant to the identified needs and is part of a wider strategy covering recovery and long-term development, as applicable. Work closely with the Secretariat's Programs and Operations Division to ensure that the response to major disasters and crisis is timely, at the scale commensurate with the needs, and is aligned with global systems and policies;
• Lead on operational modalities in Movement co-ordination, including capacity enabling as intervention mechanisms for disaster and crises;
• Ensure that the regional office technical teams have functional rosters of staff and volunteers that can be deployed to other countries in times or emergencies.

Longer-Term Development Programming

• Provide overall coordination with the Regional Office Team, Country and Country Cluster Delegations and Country Offices, to ensure longer-term programming support to National Societies in the strategies for implementation and areas of focus, as outlined in the Plan and Budget 2021-2025, as well as develop medium-term plans and support their implementation and monitoring;
• Ensure effective and efficient management of IFRC resources in the programmes under his/her responsibility. This includes providing strategic leadership, ensuring balanced support to country needs and regional activities in support of NSs in the region, as outlined in the plan;
• Ensure the implementation of efficient IFRC coordinated activities in the region, including careful attention to avoid duplication, waste of resources, as well as provision of capacity to provide quality guidance according to approved plans and budgets, and in compliance with IFRC procedures, regulations, and policies;
• Ensure rigorous monitoring mechanisms, which effectively demonstrate results, and commission evaluations based on best international practice in shared learning and accountability;
• Ensure that there are appropriate assessments and "lessons learned" processes and morphing/exit strategies to optimise sustainability and community ownership of various programmes;
• Ensure that there is support to Country and Country Cluster Delegations and Country Offices to develop rosters that support other National Societies on initiatives for peer-to-peer engagement or south-south collaboration.

Education

• Post-graduate degree (Master’s or equivalent) in the areas of management, humanitarian or development issues, or other relevant area; or a first level university degree combined with extensive relevant experience.

Experience

• At least 15 years of management experience, including direct supervision of more than 10 people and management of teams with more than 50 people;
• At least 5 years of experience working in a voluntary membership-based humanitarian organization at senior management levels;
• Experience in diplomacy and/or high-level representational functions;
• Demonstrated success in planning, project management and reporting;
• Proven successful experience in strategy development and implementation;
• Proven successful experience in finance and risk management;
• Proven successful experience in people and performance management;
• Sound knowledge and practical understanding of the IFRC;
• Good understanding of the global humanitarian environment.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required

• Fluent spoken and written English;
• Ability to build effective teams;
• Ability to work in a cross-cultural and cross functional environment;
• Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills;
• Excellent interpersonal and networking skills;
• Politically and culturally sensitive;
• Ability to work within tight deadlines and to handle multiple tasks;
• Strong analytical skills and capacity to translate analysis into action.

Preferred

• Good command of another IFRC language (French, Spanish, or especially Arabic).

Application instructions

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