Summary
Date Posted: Thursday, September 30, 2021 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:

About the role:

CARE Canada is currently seeking an Emergency Response Specialist, Team Leader for a 6 month contract.

CARE experience has shown that capacity is often stretched beyond its limits by humanitarian disasters and conflict, and that additional senior staff resources are needed to provide program, operational and strategic support to ensure a timely, quality and effective response and to reduce financial and operational risks. In support of CARE’s Humanitarian Strategy, CARE International is investing in a standing Rapid Response Team (RRT) while improving its business model to adapt effectively to the current and post-COVID19 global context; RRT team members spend up to 65% of their time deployed to the field or in remote-support activities (as during the current COVID19 pandemic).
Because of the nature of the work and the added pandemic restrictions and needs, demands are fast-paced and unpredictable. This position requires an individual who is very flexible, provides expertise and leadership at a senior level and who works well within a team in direct (deployed) as well as virtual (remote) support conditions using the available communication tools and techniques. Experience in integrating gender equality considerations into humanitarian interventions is required.
The Emergency Program Specialist (Team Leader) will be a key member of the RRT within the CARE Emergency Group (CEG). The position will provide support, assistance and advice to CARE International country offices, national members and CEG in assessment and team leader aspects of emergency response and preparedness (including CO management stop-gap activities). S/he will be available to respond at short notice to emergencies and Country Office requirements. Requests for emergency deployment take precedence over other assignments. The Emergency Response Team Leader is intended to spend the majority of her/his time in the field ‘roving’ between emergency locations COVID19 restrictions allowing; remote support from home-base will be the alternative if field deployment isn’t possible. Non-deployment time may be spent at home with responsibility for tasks according to a prescribed work plan, or routine follow up such as report writing, document review, response follow-up, training/coaching/mentoring and preparedness planning.


Responsibilities

The primary responsibility will be deploying in order to lead and coordinate country office emergency responses and teams, either directly or with partner agencies. This will include leading assessment teams, managing the start-up of emergency operations in their full range (including establishing financial and operations management requirements, emergency strategy development, etc.), identifying partners and establishing partner-led responses and, as time allows, contingency and emergency preparedness planning and development along with the refinement of required systems and procedures. A key underlying principle of the approach to this work is gender equality and women’s empowerment, an integral part of the Humanitarian Strategy.

Another key responsibility is to support the strengthening of humanitarian partnership processes, tools, approaches and procedures to ensure that they are as appropriate, effective and as efficient as possible.
• The position will respond to the fluid and changing requirements of Country Offices and involve frequent travel at short notice. Each deployment is expected to be associated with a detailed Terms of Reference developed by the specific country office, but generally speaking assignments as Team Leader or Partnership Advisor will require a combination of the following areas of responsibility, skills and expertise:


• Assessments: Lead and manage emergency assessment teams, rationalizing inputs and decisions for the team, leading the representation and coordination with other actors and determining final assessment recommendations for CARE responses. Specifically, ensure that all assessments identify the specific needs of men, women, boys and girls; that priority is given to equitable access to emergency assistance for women and girls; and that the teams themselves are gender balanced.
• New program design and development: Identify, design and prepare new initiatives and present them to donors for funding. Coordinate the process of developing high quality concept papers and proposals in collaboration with Country Offices and Senior Managers for submission to key donors. Assist in preparing/presenting cost-benefit and opportunity analysis to inform ‘go -no go’ decision, identify and establish MOUs with potential partners (consortiums).


• Strategy: Provide detailed strategic analysis of the humanitarian context, including basic gender, protection and/or environmental impact analyses with clear and relevant recommendations for program design, funding targets and implementation period. Clearly explain impact on communities, and determine program requirements across sectors and within a gender equality framework. Make recommendations on programming feasibility and resources implications with specific reference to funding requirements and strategic recommendations that will further women’s empowerment. Identify opportunities to plan and implement humanitarian programs through partnerships. Participate in program development and management, including external coordination with INGO, UN and national authorities. If required, conduct and lead donor negotiations with key institutional partners.

• Humanitarian Partnerships: Develop and establish humanitarian partnerships in-line with CARE’s partnership principles. Work with country office staff to identify potential partners and appropriate operational modalities and manage partnership selection, including the due diligence process. Develop and adapt MOUs, standard operating procedures for partnerships, capacity development plans. Ensure CARE and Country Office policies and procedures are fit for purpose for timely and effective humanitarian partnerships.

• Humanitarian Operations: Manage emergency response start-up and ongoing implementation based on assessment findings and strategy recommendation, focusing on operational requirements for both program and program support. Collaborate with sector specialists to ensure effective programming that meets international standards. Support enforcement of guidelines for safety and security of staff and assets. Ensure a proper phase-out and plan for transition to full operations to be led by other, long-term Country Office staff.

• Monitoring and Evaluations: Manage emergency response start-up and ongoing implementation based on assessment findings and strategy recommendation, focusing on operational requirements for both program and program support. Collaborate with sector specialists to ensure effective programming that meets international standards. Support enforcement of guidelines for safety and security of staff and assets. Ensure a proper phase-out and plan for transition to full operations to be led by other, long-term Country Office staff.

• Preparedness: Support emergency preparedness activities through the development, refinement and application of CI standards/protocols/guidelines for assessments and emergency start-up operations. Assist in contingency planning and emergency preparedness planning by reviewing Country Office and partner preparedness levels and supporting the institutionalization of contingency planning processes. Coordinate with sector specialists to build capacity within CARE and partner agencies to respond efficiently to emergencies including identification of training possibilities.

• Gender Equality: Ensure that gender equality is integrated into all aspects of emergency response and preparedness activities and operations. Help build country office, partner and staff capacity in considering and integrating gender equality throughout their emergency response strategy and approaches all the way along the continuum from needs assessment to after-action review.

• Team building: Ensure that country office and partner agency staff are fully integrated into the emergency response and that the programme developed is building on CO experience and that there is ownership of the programme by the senior leadership of the country office. All efforts must be made to ensure that an emergency response is integrated to the fullest extent possible into the existing country office structure.

Time between deployments will be spent supporting the CARE International Humanitarian Partnerships Coordinator with the implementation of CARE’s humanitarian partnership strategy, report writing, document review, remote support and advice to country offices, training/coaching/mentoring and preparedness planning or taking travel leave.

Is this right for you? Here's what we're looking for:
• Master’s degree in International Development or Humanitarian Assistance or in a related field, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Minimum of 5 years senior management experience in complex and natural disasters; both slow and rapid onset
• Experience in new program design, development and management.
• Demonstrated experience in concept and proposal writing for donors’ consideration and approval.
• Experience leading humanitarian responses delivered primarily in partnerships
• Demonstrated experience in developing, fostering and working in partnership specific to humanitarian action
• Experience in program monitoring and evaluation, including application of SPHERE standards and integration of gender equality approaches; understanding of the Core Humanitarian Standard
• Excellent capacity building, coaching and training skills, particularly in a partnership setting
• Experience and commitment to promoting gender equality within humanitarian work
• High level of demonstrable leadership and strategic management skills - including management and leadership of multi-sector teams in an emergency setting
• Ability and willingness to undertake frequent travel; ability to deploy at short notice for up to 12 weeks
• Experience and capacity to work in harsh conditions and insecure environments
• Track record of high resilience under pressure and ability to support and motivate teams in these situations
• High political acumen and excellent team building and interpersonal skills
• A very good understanding of the humanitarian system, principles and key relief sectors (e.g. strong knowledge of and demonstrated experience with IHL, the Red Cross Code of Conduct, SPHERE, IASC Gender, HAP and understanding and experience of the cluster approach to coordination and response)
• Capacity to work closely with communities affected by disaster, including familiarity with participatory assessment methods, with a focus on gender equality and ability to identify specific needs of men, women, boys and girls.
• Excellent research, assessment, report writing, proposal development, and emergency strategy development skills.
• Well-developed written and oral communications skills with high level experience in representation, negotiation, training, coaching and mentoring
• Excellent skills and interest in mentoring and capacity building of national staff and partners in a broad range of emergency response and leadership skills including gender equality and diversity
• Experience in working with local partners and developing partnership based operations in emergencies
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation best practices and application in emergency settings.
• Language skills: excellent written and spoken English is essential, a second key language (French or Spanish) is highly desirable

Desired
• Specialized training in humanitarian/emergency response.
• Technical proficiency in one of CARE’s focus areas (WASH, shelter, food security/nutrition, sexual and reproductive health, gender in emergencies, gender-based violence, logistics)
• Experience managing CARE emergency responses.
• Excellent written and spoken French or Spanish

Other Conditions
• Expected percentage of time traveling: 65% of the time
• Special conditions: home based

What we offer:
A rewarding career with a competitive compensation package and strong emphasis on work-life balance, learning and development opportunities, and saving incentives, including:
• The opportunity to contribute to a great cause, by helping save millions of lives of people in emergency situations, as well as helping defeat poverty and fight social injustice globally
• A competitive salary
• A generous leave entitlement
• Comprehensive Group Health Benefits and Insurance from start
• Learning and professional development opportunities through hands-on experience, peer coaching, as well as specialized training with the CARE Academy
• Full-service Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and work-life/wellness resources

If you are someone who thrives on challenge, loves to be part of a dynamic team and you are passionate about making a difference, then this opportunity is for you and we would like to hear from you. Please apply directly before October 14, 2021. Please note resumes will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and the advertisement will be removed once candidate has been identified.


Work Hours: 8 60 Postgraduate Degree

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