Finnish Refugee Council (FRC) - www.refugeecouncil.fi - is an international non-governmental organization with Head Office in Helsinki. FRC was registered in Ethiopia and accorded legal status with Registry Number 4184 on 11th of June 2019 as a Foreign Organization.  

FRC advocates for the rights of refugees, displaced populations and migrants, and supports their new beginnings. By reinforcing equality and creating opportunities for everyone to lead a good life, FRC promotes the establishment of stable and peaceful societies.

Education forms the foundation of an equal society, and FRC´s activities in Ethiopia place emphasis on capacity building for the most vulnerable members of societies and supports their active participation in communities. At the core of FRC work is inclusion of vulnerable groups and therefore, special emphasis is placed on the protection of persons with disabilities, women, youth and other marginalized members of society.  

Position Summary:

The Head of Programmes (HOP) is a senior and strategic role in the FRC Ethiopia set-up open only to Ethiopian nationals. As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) and reporting to the Country Director (CD), the HOP duties and responsibilities are overarching the whole organization, its current activities and further development in Ethiopia. The HOP is responsible for the overall successful design, delivery and monitoring of the development and humanitarian projects and programmes as approved to be implemented by FRC in Ethiopia. The HOP has a central role in developing new projects and partnerships together with the Country Director. The post holder works with the CD and other staff to identify possible funding sources to set the programme in a growth trajectory.  

Key Tasks and Responsibilities:

40% - Leadership and Programme Management 

•  In collaboration with the CD, update FRC Country Strategy, ensuring its implementation and especially to optimize funding and programme growth. 

•  Coordinate planning processes with project leadership to ensure integration of FRC principles and cross cutting issues, proper understanding of project goals, objectives and results, with inclusion of all key stakeholders. 

• Play a key role in budget preparation, budget monitoring, design of variance interventions, grants management and compliance. 

• Provide leadership and supervision of teams ensuring that all planned activities, outputs and impacts are achieved within budget and time frame. 

• Support and provide oversight to monitoring and evaluation as per MEAL plans for quality programming. 

•  In coordination with Finance and Admin Manager, HR, Programme and Field team members ensure strict and quality compliance with agreements, MoUs and protocols.   

•  Manage and provide support to project managers, specialists and teams in planning and implementation of projects, ensuring adequate monitoring of implementation and spend, reviewing of beneficiary feedback, identifying corrective actions and capturing learning, while ensuring that learning is shared between projects. 

• Facilitate development and submission of quality and timely project reports and in agreed formats. 

•  Provide oversight in partner capacity assessment and development.  

•  Keep up to date with development issues and trends regarding Ethiopia and refugee work, as well as in project specific fields. 

•  Support and contribute to the production of communication materials in cooperation with the CD and the HQ communications team. 

40% Team Management 

•  direct line manager to the technical advisers and the field managers, ensuring timely support and supervision. 

• guide and manage the programme team’s work planning and mentor the team as needed. 

• recruit, direct, and set performance targets and conduct performance reviews for direct reports as defined in the FRC HR Policy and Manual.

• Support the development of training and well-being for FRC staff. 

• Contribute to the development of relevant HR policies and guidelines in FRC Ethiopia and their periodic reviews.

• support the overall development of the organisation and its culture as an inclusive, conducive and empowering working environment for all members. 

10% Security and duty of care:

•  On delegation by the CD, act as Security Focal Point for the organization: collect and report on security related incidents from the field security focal points and UNDSS, and together with the SMT analyze the situation/incident and give guidance for appropriate action to teams.

• ensure any staff and organization related incidents are appropriately reported and filed.

• together with the CD, periodically review and contribute to the security guidelines for FRC Ethiopia. 

•  identify risks to programme implementation, communicate them internally in an effective and timely manner, and lead the program team to address them as appropriate. 

•  periodically review the organizational risk matrix together with the CD and the SMT. 

5% Organizational Representation

• as agreed with CD, represent FRC with national authorities, donors, international and national organizations, and partners

• as agreed with the CD, represent FRC in coordination mechanisms and ensure that FRC has appropriate representation in all relevant clusters on national and field level.

• ensure efficient preparation, participation, reporting and follow-up actions from the above forums. 

5% Others 

•  Undertake any other duties as agreed with the County Director 

Duration:  One year contract with possible extension

Location:  Addis Ababa with frequent travels to various field locations

Reports to: FRC Ethiopia Country Director

Job Requirements

Professional Standards: 

 FRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the FRC Code of Conduct. 

Education 

• Relevant degree e.g. Development Studies, Social Sciences, Livelihood, Business Administration, Project Management or related studies. Master’s degree preferred. 

Experience

• At least 7 years of experience working with Local or/and International NGOs, 

• Demonstrated experience of at least 4 years in designing, managing and implementing large development and humanitarian programmes with Non-Governmental Organizations with funding from institutional, foundations and individual donors.

• Experience of at least 5 years in a managerial position in an INGO with line management responsibilities. 

•  Working knowledge of systems strengthening approach towards Disability and Inclusion (DI), inclusive education, promoting livelihood opportunities or other development/humanitarian related expertise.

• Experience in disability inclusion, preferably disability inclusive community development will be an advantage.

• Demonstrated experience in developing, managing and strengthening partnerships with a range of partners, consortia and alliances.

•  Effective use of IT including Excel, Word, Power Point and managing database.

• Ability to establish, sustain and strengthen collaborative initiatives.

• Proven excellent writing, communication, facilitation and presentation skills.

•  Excellent organizational skills, prioritization of work, attention to details and ability to meet deadlines with minimal supervision.

•  Willingness to adhere and commit to FRC values and Safeguarding Policy 

Skills, Attitudes and Attributes

•  Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment, set priorities, and meet deadlines. 

• Fluent in English; excellent written and oral communication skills, including facilitation and cross-cultural communication. 

• Willingness to collaborate with and support people from different ethnic groups and different religions and other social diversities. 

• Strong qualities of keeping confidentiality 

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills 

• Team player with strong interpersonal and communication and facilitation skills Strong attention to detail, and time management skills  

• Computer proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, etc.

How to Apply

Applications (filled FRC Application Form, CV and cover letter only) shall be sent by email to recruitment.ethiopia@refugeecouncil.fi by 21st May 2024. 

  (Double click in the link to access the form) HERE

Please refer in the subject line of your email to the following code: 

Important Note: - Strictly follow the instructions. Applications that do not follow the instructions of the application process will not be considered. 

We strongly recommend women to apply.