Projects Manager (Latin America)

Contract

This is a DRC - Expatriate or National contract. More about DRC - Expatriate or National contracts.

Who are we?

Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, working in more than 40 countries to provide adequate assistance with a rights-based approach to refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, returnees and migrants. In Latin America, DRC is currently working in Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Peru and implements regional initiatives.

To be able to assist refugees and the displaced, protect their rights and empower them towards a better future, DRC has transitioned its worldwide structure into four regions of similar size, structure and turnover (Asia & Europe, Middle East, East Africa & Great Lakes and West-North Africa & Latin America) – ensuring that DRC, at all times, is optimally equipped and able to provide the same high-level support to all countries. Within the new structure, DRC has established a regional capacity in Latin America (LA) in May 2023.

Within the LA regional capacity, a department of multi-country grants and operations has been created with multi-country and cross-border projects, as well as regionally held grants. The position named LA Projects Manager exists since June 2022 and consists of a replacement. The Projects Manager’s portfolio is and will be composed of multi-country and muti-year programmes that operationalize triple nexus in strategic partnerships with local/international actors and integrate multiple sectors (economic recovery, protection, shelter and resettlements).

About the job

The LA Projects Manager is overall responsible for ensuring the timely and compliant delivery of DRC’s programme activities in the field for multi-country and cross-border projects as outlined in programme documents and sector strategies, and in line with the programme technical guidelines.

A key member of DRC LA regional capacity, the Projects Manager works collaboratively with technical experts of the regional capacity office to ensure sufficient technical guidance and support is available to implement regional projects effectively (Protection, Emergency and Early Recovery). The LA Projects Manager also works collaboratively with the Support Services team to ensure that processes to enable smooth delivery of operations in the field are being consistently applied and improved (e.g. HR, Admin, IT, Finance, Supply Chain, etc.).

Country offices, Area Managers and Project Managers are primarily responsible for the timely and quality implementation of multi-country operations in their countries and regions. The LA Projects Manager works in support of Country Programmes, and Area Managers where regional and/or multi-country grants are implemented. In addition, in countries where there is no DRC presence, DRC operates in partnership with Civil Society Organizations (CSO), the LA projects manager is responsible for the implementation in these locations (Peru, Guatemala, Honduras in 2023). The LA Projects Manager ensures technical support in grant management and project cycle management to partner CSO, and S/he supervise the timely implementation of activities in these areas.

Role and Responsibilities

Management:

• Supervise, monitor, and evaluate multi-country projects implementation by Country operations and partners.
• Manage the LA projects team (10 -15 people) including a protection unit, partnership team, a 4MI team, an IM team and a support services unit.
• Develop multi-country project management tools between countries and LA regional capacity.
• Support Country teams in planning operations and activities, contribute to their training plan and capacity building, and develop toolboxes to improve operations planning and monitoring.
• Ensure close cooperation with technical and support teams in the regional office and in countries.

Partnerships:

• Supervise and develop strategic partnerships for LA projects.
• Support Country teams in managing partnerships at local level.
• Develop tools for partnership management in the region.

Accountability:

• Champion a positive approach to gender and diversity mainstreaming in DRC’s LA projects.
• Support the roll out of accountability processes in LA Projects.

Representation:

• Represent DRC LA in relevant forums at regional and Country level as requested by the Operations Director for LA or Country Directors when LA activities are concerned.
• Assist the Operations Director for LA in representing DRC in meeting with regional projects financial partners and donors.

When manageable, the LA Projects Manager may be asked to carry out other duties requested by the Regional Operations Director.

As Manager the post-holder is responsible for the following:

• Accountable for achieving DRC strategic goals and objectives within the area of responsibility.
• Accountable for making significant decisions on what the unit does: its purpose, functions and role, and for making commitments and decisions that require the expenditure of significant unit resources; and accountable for ensuring DRC´s compliance procedures are in place at all levels.
• Accountable for people management of direct reports. This includes hiring & firing, objective setting, probation, performance appraisal, development of staff, managing performance, including poor performance, etc.
• Accountable for making sound decisions based on DRC policies, MOPs, standards, and the advice of technical experts in DRC.

Roles reporting to this position: protection team, IM team, 4Mi Team Leader, Partnership manager, support officers.

Reports to: Operations Director for Latin America.

About you:

To be successful in this role we expect you to have minimum ten years’ management experience in emergency/development contexts as head of programs/senior manager of a humanitarian or development organization or similar, moreover, we also expect the following:

Mandatory:

• Relevant university degree (Master or Postgraduate) in international relations and/or development, political science or similar field
• Min. 5 years’ experience overseas in complex humanitarian emergencies and development, preferably with refugees and/or IDPs
• Substantial project management experience in NGO, including in consortia and leading strategic programming and planning, implementation, monitoring, and learning
• Substantial experience in managing and developing partnerships with local and international organizations.
• Experience in managing HR, administration, finance, grants, and donor relations.
• Ability to transversal management with multidisciplinary teams, large workload and multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines.
• Good understanding of displacement issues and related international standards/frameworks
• Team player with excellent communication and strong participatory leadership skills
• Excellent written and spoken Spanish and English
• Excellent Computer Skills (MS Office, Internet)

Desirable :

• Previous experience in LA
• Previous experience en Disaster Prepardness

Required Skills & Qualities

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:

. Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process

. Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback

. Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation

. Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly

. Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment

• Ability to work in a multinational and multicultural environment
• Proven analytical and critical thinking skills
• Team-oriented & good sense of humor

We offer

Contract length: 9 months renewable depending on performance and funding

Level: Band F (for national and expatriate)

Designation of Duty Station: Bogotá, Family duty station – (accompanied if the staff is expatriated)

Start date: 01/07/2022

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to www.drc.ngo under Vacancies. For questions regarding the vacancy please contact: yann.cornic@drc.ngo . Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Application process

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Closing date for applications**: 14/05/2022 at 23.59 GMT-5**

The screening process for this position is on rolling basis, so early submission of applications is encouraged. DRC remains a right to close the vacancy earlier once a suitable candidate is identified.

Providing equal opportunities We are committed to creating an inclusive and positive work environment based on mutual respect for all employees. All applicants are considered for employment without attention to race, age, ability, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, or any other factor. At DRC we celebrate diversity and appreciate our employees for the people they are and their unique skills, backgrounds, and perspectives. We encourage all interested candidates to apply.

Promoting high standards DRC’s capacity to ensure the protection of and assistance to refugees, migrants, IDP’s and other persons of concern depends on the ability of our staff to uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. DRC conducts thorough and comprehensive background checks as part of the recruitment process.