Start Network Crisis Financing Country Advisor
Provide operational support to Start Network's Disaster Risk Financing programme.
Overview
Provide operational support to Start Network's Disaster Risk Financing programme.
You have:
- Master's Degree in Disasters Management, Programme/Project management, International Development or in a related humanitarian or development field. Additional experience may substitute for some education.
- Minimum of 5 years of work experience in coordinating or supporting light to moderately complex programmes required in Zimbabwe.
- Project management experience in humanitarian context is highly desirable.
- Experience engaging with partner organizations and multi-stakeholders.
- Experience contributing to the development of technical proposals.
- MEAL skills and experience preferred.
- Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information management systems.
- Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment.
- Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with culturally diverse groups.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to write reports.
- Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented.
With 75 years of experience, our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. We help children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places, inspired by our Christian faith.
Come join our 33,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable children’s life stories!
Employee Contract Type:
Local - Fixed Term Employee (Fixed Term)Job Description:
JOB TITLE: Start Network Crisis Financing Country Advisor
LOCATION: Harare x1
Annually Renewable Contract
PURPOSE OF THE JOB
To provide operational support to Start Network activities in the implementation of its flagship Disaster Risk Financing (DRF) programme and in supporting the members in raising alerts to Start Fund I Zimbabwe. The post holder will play a vital role in working to advance locally-led action in Zimbabwe and will provide technical advice to the members and stakeholders; supporting Start Network members to plan and implement timely anticipatory and early action activities.
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES
- Programme management, coordination and partnership brokering
- Hold responsibility for the development, agreement, and management of workplans, protocols, budgets, reporting, and coordination structures to ensure the development and maintenance of the national DRF system in Zimbabwe in line with the Building Blocks.
- Lead the development of contingency planning, operational arrangement, and prepositioned financing requests to Africa Risk Capacity) ARC Replica Start Ready and Start Fund alerts. Support with applications for Start Ready prepositioned financing, and its administration.
- Lead in the coordination of ARC and Start Ready trigger or Start Fund alert activation when successful, to ensure that operations are delivered in a timely manner with humanitarian principles applied throughout. Ensure the timely implementation of activities and delivery of project results.
- In coordination with the Technical Advisor and Crisis Anticipation and Risk Financing team, provide technical advice and support to Start Network members to ensure adequate levels of preparedness, ongoing monitoring of forecast information using applicable models and local data sources, timely disbursement of funds following activations, and delivery of effective emergency response.
- Support the wider Start Network activities in Zimbabwe as required, for example due diligence processes, raising of alerts and/or the development of anticipation capabilities linked to the global Start Fund.
- Lead in the development or review of the ToRs for the local programme governance groups.
- Manage the effective coordination of different stakeholders including NGOs, Government counterparts, consultants, and local civil society, to ensure that the appropriate stakeholders can support different parts of the programme.
- Support in capacity strengthening activities of Start Network members, working alongside the Training and Capacity Building advisor and Regional Advisor to identify gaps and opportunities to increase knowledge of DRF and AA.
- Enhance collaboration amongst AA stakeholders in Zimbabwe including UN agencies, Red Cross and other stakeholders working on AA initiatives
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
- Support with evidence gathering activities, contracting discrete pieces of research, communication, and advocacy about the initiative.
- Support the Zimbabwe programmes monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) function and in donor reporting and compliance.
- Strengthen emergency preparedness and response capacity of Start Network members and its partners including through training, lessons learned and knowledge management.
Advocacy and engagement with members and wider stakeholders
- Raise awareness of Start Network early action initiatives among Start Network members and other stakeholders in Zimbabwe.
- Build and maintain relationships with relevant early action and coordination platforms, tools and mechanisms in Zimbabwe where appropriate. Represent Start Network, including Start members, and support Zimbabwe members to actively participate in these platforms.
- Support the Start Network Resource Mobilisation team with donor communications, through partaking in meetings and presentations as required.
- Engage in regular exchanges between crisis Financing Advisors in other countries in order to share learning and technical knowhow, spot efficiencies of scale, exchange best practices, and promote cross-network innovations
KNOWLEDGE/ QUALIFICATIONS
- Master's Degree in Disasters Management, Programme/Project management, International Development or in a related humanitarian or development field. Additional experience may substitute for some education.
- Minimum of 5 years of work experience in coordinating or supporting light to moderately complex programmes required in Zimbabwe.
- Project management experience in humanitarian context is highly desirable.
- Experience engaging with partner organizations and multi-stakeholders.
- Experience contributing to the development of technical proposals.
- MEAL skills and experience preferred. • Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information management systems. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment.
- Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with culturally diverse groups. • Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to write reports
- Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented
ALL QUALIFIED CANDIDATES ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY
SHORTLISTING WILL BE ON A ROLLING BASIS
Applicant Types Accepted:
Local Applicants Only
Potential interview questions
| Can you describe your experience with disaster risk financing and how it relates to supporting vulnerable communities? | The interviewer wants to understand your relevant experience and its impact. | Discuss specific projects and your role in them. |
| How do you manage relationships with diverse stakeholders in a humanitarian context? | This question assesses your interpersonal skills and experience working with various groups. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What strategies would you implement to ensure the timely execution of early action activities? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Describe a time when you had to problem-solve in a high-pressure situation. What was your approach? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| How do you integrate monitoring and evaluation into program management? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| In your view, what are key components of effective contingency planning? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Can you share an example of a successful advocacy effort you led or participated in? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What techniques do you use to gather and analyze performance data for program improvement? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |