Iraq: Head of Mission - Iraq

INTERSOS is an independent non-profit humanitarian organization committed to assist the victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts. Its activities are based on the principles of solidarity, justice, human dignity, equality of rights and opportunities, and respect for diversity and coexistence, paying special attention to the most vulnerable and unprotected people.

1. Terms of reference

Job title: Head of Mission (HoM)

Location: Erbil with frequent missions to Baghdad and other Iraqi Governorates, as necessary.

Reporting to: Regional Director

Supervision of: 17 Expatriate staff including 4 Coordinators, 1 Security Officer and 12 PMs; at least 10 National Staff including logistics, liaison officers, HRs officers and administrative officers.

Starting date: April 2017

Duration of contract: 6 months

Dependents: No

2. General context of the mission

INTERSOS had been working in Iraq from 2003 till 2010 with programs aimed at responding to urgent material safety needs and enhancing access to basic social services for vulnerable individuals and communities in Central and Southern Iraq, Baghdad and Kurdistan. Over the years, INTERSOS operations developed encompassing activities in health care, legal protection and assistance, warehousing and distribution of essential goods, mine/UXO clearance, shelter, water and sanitation, psychosocial support and education targeting internally displaced people and voluntary returnees, as well as host communities, with special focus on most vulnerable groups (children, women, elderly and persons with special needs).

Following the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic and the deterioration of the humanitarian situation which is negatively affecting also the neighbouring countries, in November 2013 INTERSOS has resumed the operations in the area to contribute towards ensuring emergency relief and social protection assistance for the Syrian refugees fleeing their home in search of safety. Furthermore, since the surge in violence between armed groups and government forces with fighting spreading into Central and Northern Iraq, in July 2014 and further control of those areas by ISIS, INTERSOS extended its operations in the Kurdistan Region, providing services aimed at assisting both Syrian refugees and Iraqi IDPs in camp and non-camp settings, with interventions mainly concentrated on Community Services, Protection, Food Security and Education.

Since October 2016, INTERSOS has enlarged its geographical areas and intervention sectors in order to respond to the current Mosul humanitarian operation, in particular in Ninewa and Salah al-Din Governorates with health, NFIs and shelter, protection and Education in Emergencies activities.

3. Tasks and responsibilities

The HoM manages and coordinates operations and human resources in the country and is responsible:

· To establish and manage, monitoring priorities and intervention strategies, effective relationships with local Institutions, donors, NGOs, International Agencies and other stakeholder;

· To define Country priorities on the basis of accurate needs assessment, comprising humanitarian response to refugees and IDPs' protracted crisis in KRI as well as the emergency interventions for the Mosul humanitarian response and the analysis of the different contexts within the country;

· To assess, promote and submit new projects, following the procedures defined and promoting a spirit of participation among beneficiaries at all management stages.

Manage and coordinate country operations:

· To define mission’s programming and planning of activities and monitor and assess their implementation, by conducting periodic visits to the projects sites;

· To be responsible for procurement processes of goods, works and services and relevant conformity to INTERSOS and donors' procedures;

· To define mission’s economic and financial planning, ensuring economic self-sufficiency and expenditure adherence to budget constraints, managing the funds and current bank accounts of the mission;

· To be responsible for the management and maintenance of INTERSOS facilities, including offices, Guest Houses and Warehouses, ensuring their adequate conditions.

Manage Human resources in the country:

· To propose to the Regional Director the recruitment of expatriate personnel;

· To determine and supervise the elaboration of local personnel contracts, the recruitment of high- level qualified professionals and their adequate performance according to missions' needs;

· To brief expatriate personnel on mission activities, projects and security conditions in the country;

· To be responsible of the security of both expatriate and National staff by ensuring adequate monitoring of insecure and volatile contexts and the compliance of security protocols in coordination with the security officer.

4. Required profile/experience

· University Degree in Social Sciences, Political Sciences, International Relations, Humanitarian and International Cooperation or related field;

· Minimum of 5 years as HoM with humanitarian aid experience in complex contexts;

· High level of all aspects of managerial experience, including managing multi-million dollar budgets;

· Experience in complex decision making and leading a multi-disciplinary, multi-national team under difficult circumstances;

· High level of expertise in representation and negotiation with governments and donors;

· Previous experience in Iraq is an asset;

· Good communication skills in English, Working knowledge of Arabic will be an asset.

Technicalcompetencies:**

· Computer and finance skills;

· Experience with the management of a diverse workforce;

· Strong representation and negotiation skills;

· Donor compliance and reporting;

· Experience in establishing and maintaining and managing collaborative relationships and institutional partnerships with national and international NGOs, donors and government counterparts.

Behavioural competencies:

· Demonstrated leadership, interpersonal and cross cultural communication skills;

· Demonstrated use of positive coping strategies in stressful environments.

Qualified applicants are requested to submit their curriculum vitae, motivation letter providing the name, position and contact information of at least two references, including the last line manager and excluding family members to email address to: recruitment@intersos.org, specifying in the subject“HoM Iraq”.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for the first interview.