Operations Manager Full-Time

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with 192 member National Societies. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, our work is guided by seven fundamental principles; humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC or “the Federation”) is the world’s largest volunteer-based humanitarian network. The Federation is a membership organization established by and comprised of its member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Along with National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” It works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises. The IFRC is served by a Secretariat based in Geneva, with regional, country cluster teams and country offices throughout the world. The Secretariat is led by the IFRC Secretary General and provides the central capacity to serve, connect, and represent National Societies. The Secretariat’s focus includes providing support to the IFRC governance mechanisms; setting norms and standards; providing guidance; ensuring consistency, coordination, and accountability for performance; knowledge sharing; promoting collaboration within and respect for the Movement; and expanding engagement with partners. The southern Africa Cluster Office based in Pretoria, South Africa provides representation supports to the ten National Societies (NS) of Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia. South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Based on IFRC mandate. Cyclone Idai made landfall on the evening of 15 March 2019 in the port city of Beira located in Sofala Province of Central Mozambique. The cyclone wreaked havoc on Beira and surrounding areas resulting in loss of communication, important damage, and destruction to shelter and settlements, health and WASH facilities and thousands of hectares of standing crops, communication infrastructures and as well as loss of life and injury. In response, the IFRC launched a CHF 32 million-dollar, 24-month appeal seeking to support over 200,000 people in the areas of health, shelter, WASH, Protection Gender and Inclusion and National Society Development. The IFRC has established a large operational structure working with CVM (Mozambique Red Cross) to implement the operation. During the second year of implementation, the IFRC objective is to consolidate the recovery work in key programmatic areas, and start building the long-term strategy of CVM, alongside the HoCO. To start guiding this process, IFRC is seeking an Operations Manager for 6 months, with the possibility of extension, to work closely with CVM, IFRC team and RC/RC partners to ensure the effective implementation of the operation.

The position will be based in Maputo, Mozambique with regular travel to the field including to the two operational bases in Beira and Tete, Mozambique. The Operations Manager will report to the Head of Country Office.

This position will manage the Cyclone Idai & Kenneth operation for the IFRC, focusing on the recovery and transition to longer term plan. This position will focus on:

• Support Program Delegates in the implementation of sectoral plans, according to the targets defined in the EPoA;
• Ensure EPoA sound financial and logistics management and accountability, with effective allocation of resources;
• Working closely with CVM to ensure the operation is aligned with the longer-term program vision of the national society and support the development of CVM´s country strategy;
• Ensure timely submission of quality reports, invest on evaluations to demonstrate the impact of the operations and the recovery approach.
• Liaise with movement partners (CVM, PNSs, ICRC) for coordination and effective use of resources and expertise, fostering longer term partnerships that will favour the national society.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Assume overall responsibility for leading the operation on behalf of the IFRC Country Office ensuring appropriate links with the IFRC structure;
• Assume budget holder responsibilities for the appeal;
• Lead the continuous analysis of the political, security, social, economic, and humanitarian context;
• Communicate a clear vision and a strategy for the recovery operation, with measurable results, ensuring that this is evaluated and based on evidence;
• Ensure optimal use of Federation-wide capacities and its properly alignment with the National Society vision and strategies of Country authorities;
• Ensure that the response strategy is forward-looking, investing in key Areas of Focus (AOFs) and Strategies for Implementation (SFIs) and seeks opportunities to strengthen the capacity and reputation of the host National Society;
• Seek to foster the buy-in and compliance of all Federation-wide actors by ensuring that they are assigned clear and appropriate roles and responsibilities in the operation wherever possible;
• Ensure that an adequate Movement Coordination Framework, specifically at operational and strategic level, is in place;
• Define the required support services for the operation to ensure that appropriate HR, Admin and Finance systems are in place and adequately resourced;
• Ensure that the progress of the operation is routinely monitored against the key deliverables and milestones articulated in the response strategy and plan, and that personal workplans reflect these and are used to ensure individual and collective accountability;
• Work with Planning and Resource Development (PRD) and Finance leads to ensure that appropriate systems for allocating and tracking pledges are in place and are monitored properly;
• Ensure the smooth handover to the medium to long-term Program Coordinator.

• University degree in relevant area (Required);
• Basic Delegates Training Course or IMPACT. FACT, ERU, RDRT training (Preferred)

Required:

• At least 8 years of disaster management experience, including managing staff;
• Field experience in coordinating and managing disaster and crisis management projects and activities;
• Work experience with RC/RC;
• Experience in project cycle management including proposal development, budgeting and reporting, monitoring and evaluation;
• Good knowledge and relevant work experience in the regional context

Required:

• Effective team and project management skills;
• Good analytical skills and solution-oriented;
• Good mentoring and capacity development skills;
• Ability to work well in a multicultural team;
• Excellent stress management skills;
• Demonstrated accountability;
• Fluently spoken and written English

Preferred:

• Good command of Portuguese or Spanish