Employee Contract Type:

International Assignment – Fixed Term (Fixed Term)

Job Description:

Back ground

World Vision Uganda (WVU) is a Christian relief, development and advocacy non-government organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. We currently work in 43 districts and have 48 Area Programmes implementing projects in health & nutrition, water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH), livelihoods & resilience, education and child protection. World Vision (WV) is committed to the protection of children and adult beneficiaries from exploitation and abuse and will not employ people whose background is not suitable for working with these beneficiaries. All employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of all applicable background checks, including criminal record checks where possible.

Due to expansion in scope of our programmes, we are now seeking for a qualified and passionate individual willing to share in our vision and join the team in the following role.

Position:     World Vision Uganda Refugee Response Director

Report to:   National Director with a dotted line to Regional Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Director

Location:    Kampala – National Office

Advert Start Date:   17th February 2023

Advert End Date:     3rd March 2023

Purpose of the position:

The Refugee Response Director (RD) has primary responsibility for directing the response from strategy to implementation, inclusive of performance and oversight of all aspects of the response.  She/he should develop and maintain an efficient, cohesive team, whilst ensuring effective coordination and relationships with the other agencies, officials, beneficiaries, donors and all areas of the Partnership. The Purpose of this position is to create a sustainable Refugee Response which will become the flagship of refugee programming within the World Vision Partnership.

This position is based in Kampala with regular travels to the field and projects sites within Uganda.

Key Outputs/Responsibilities.

 STRATEGY

Develop and monitor implementation of current response strategy and ensure full integration of Response-related activities in planning for a new National Office strategy.

• Ensure that all new funding opportunities are only given a “Go” decision if they are in alignment with the Response and National Office Strategy
• New Response strategy is fully integrated in to the National Office strategy (including alignment to CWB outcomes) and is aligned with Our Promise, UNHCR Refugee Response Plan and Government of Uganda (CRRF) sector specific response plans for refugees.
• Ensure buy-in for any strategic decisions related to the Response by relevant stakeholders (WVU SLT, Partnership Executive Team etc.)
• Strategy implementation is monitored and progress reports are shared with key stakeholders.
• Contingency and preparedness plans are in place in the case of changes in the context

INTEGRATION

Continue to lead the integration of the Response and the National Office so that there is full-integration by mid-FY2020

• Monitor the efficiency of integration and develop appropriate changes that respond to the context..
• Liaise with Communications team on key Response Communications issues.
• Ensure the response team is represented in all relevant NO committee (Procurement, spiritual nurture, policy review and other ad-hoc committees, etc)
• Area Programs are integrated in the Response and NO technical programs
• Strengthen advocacy in the response in liaison with NO advocacy team and other advocacy forums in the country.
• Continue representing Response issues in the SLT and WVU Board.

STRUCTURE

Ensue that Response structure is resourced and adequate to fulfill strategic and operational goals

• Clear Response structure is in place and approved by ND
• Response is properly staffed to achieve the objectives of the response strategy.
• Performance management system, capacity building and staff care systems in place to ensure that staff are enabled to effectively perform their responsibilities.
• Lead team/individual development and provide direction and support as needed to enable effective performance
• Contribute to NO capacity building in the area of emergency response in coordination with NO leadership and People & Culture (P&C)
• Communicate integration plans to Response staff effectively
• Oversee recruitment of direct reports
• Ensure defined accountabilities are in place for each function
• Staff are adequately informed of policies and decisions which affect them.
• Encourage and lead a strong culture of Performance Management in the Response
• Ensure staff well-being by working towards adequate office and accommodation standards, team building activities
• Continue to raise awareness about WVs safeguarding and sexual harassment policies and follow-up on disciplinary issues as needed
• Succession plans in place for all key positions and contribute to growth of women in leadership.
• Ensure response structure is appropriate for the context and program models.
• Ensure adequate internal communications mechanisms are in place to ensure policies, information and decisions are shared with staff as appropriate.

IMPLEMENTATION

Implement Response programme in accordance with international and WV standards

• Ensure that accessible beneficiary feedback mechanisms are established and functioning
• Monitor and identify risks to programme quality and coordinate resources to address them
• Ensure that all programmes are implemented, monitored and evaluated according to set plans and that agreements with donors, SOs and other stakeholders are adhered to
• Programmes are implemented in a manner that has a measurable impact on the wellbeing of the beneficiaries while meeting donor agreements.
• Management decisions on programme implementation are properly informed by analysis of the context, risk factors, programme implementation and beneficiary feedback.
• Lessons learned exercises undertaken in order to support continual improvement of this and future response.
• Ensure risks that prevent the achievement of quality objectives are reported and rapidly addressed
• Ensure response finances are monitored in a regular basis and develop appropriate solutions.
• Information management system is established to facilitate decision making and reporting.
• Innovative programmes and processes are facilitated/resourced within the response and documented for future use.

RESOURCING

Initiate resourcing mechanisms  and ensure  financial and material (in-kind) resources are managed according to   WV standards, donor and SO agreements

• Response has adequate financial and material resources to achieve its objectives. Should resources prove inadequate, plans are adjusted accordingly.
• Response funding and materials are managed in compliance with WV and external donor standards/policies as well as specific agreements with SOs.
• Ensure that programme and projects audits are planned and conducted as per WV audit regulations and donor government requirements and that audit recommendations are implemented
• Make Go/ No-Go decisions on grant opportunities
• Ensure WV implementation models are aligned to strategy, are innovative in line with changing context of the response (Nexus).
• Ensure appropriate donor engagement and communication is in place at all levels

SECURITY

Oversee Response Security function, planning and implementation to ensure response staff and    organizational safety and security

• Staff security is properly managed to ensure effective operations.
• Core security requirements are met.
• Response collaborates with other agencies to ensure operational safety and security.
• Facilitate inter-agency coordination for information sharing and intelligence sharing

EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT

 External stakeholders are actively and purposely engaged in order to raise World Vision’s profile and increase impact, income and influence

• Actively and purposely engage key stakeholders (government (OPM, Ministries)), multi-lateral agencies (UNHCR, WFP,ECHO, EU-TF, UNICEF, FAO, UNDP, World Bank), donors and support offices in formal and informal venues
• Work closely with the GAM team to engage donors for increased funding and improved donor relationships
• Position World Vision as a leader in Uganda’s refugee response by participating or chairing in relevant humanitarian coordination forums
• Ensure WV participates in coordination forums at all levels.
• Lead all Refugee Response advocacy work
• Supervise all Refugee Response communications work
• Liaise with Partnership advocacy, communications and external engagement teams to ensure alignment our external profile with the larger Partnership

Qualifications: Education/Knowledge/Technical Skills and Experience.

• A minimum of 5-7 years in a leadership role in the humanitarian assistance and development sector, with a significant portion of this in INGOs
• 5 years of experience in humanitarian assistance work
• Demonstrated understanding of key humanitarian principles, standards, and best practices.
• Master’s degree in Humanitarian Studies or relevant field.
• Intensive experience in leading a multicultural team of profession
• Experience working in a cross-cultural environment
• Experience working in war zones / fragile contexts
• Experience in engaging with governmental institutions and multilateral agencies
• Experience in managing humanitarian operations that facilitate innovation and calculated risk-taking.
• Experience in serving as an organizational spokesperson to media and other external audiences
• Effective in written and verbal communication in English
• Experience in program management and implementation of multi-sectoral emergency response projects
• Understanding of the international humanitarian system, particularly the systems, structures and key actors
• Understanding of the key accountabilities that must be maintained in a response (beneficiaries, donors, peers).
• Ability to lead strategic planning processes
• Strong communication skills (oral and written) with the ability to express ideas and concepts clearly and persuasively with senior internal and external stakeholders
• Strong team leadership skills
• Emotional intelligence (self-awareness, managing emotions and those of others, remaining calm/composed, dealing with ambiguity and change)

Additional work experience preferred for this position.

• Ability to express ideas and concepts clearly and persuasively with senior internal and external stakeholders as well as staff
• Ability to work in coordination with other humanitarian organizations
• Ability to analyze and make decisions in challenging situations in the absence of specific guidance and/or full information
• Ability to communicate and model to staff positive behaviors which help them remain resilient and effective in dynamic and high-pressure environments.

Work Environment:

• The role is based in Kampala and requires the ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 50% of the time.
• Work hours are often in excess of 12 hours per day during difficult periods of the response
• Responses are often mounted in insecure or natural disaster-prone contexts, which may disrupt normal work patterns and generate staff safety issues
• Work and housing environments may at times be well below normal standards in terms of facilities, equipment, food availability, and hygiene.

Applicant Types Accepted:

Local and International Applicants (IA’s) Accepted

Education Requirement: No Requirements

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 60

Job application procedure
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