- At least 7 years of professional experience
- At least 5 years of professional experience in humanitarian contexts, preferably in the management of emergency aid and/or of mine action programs.
- Previous program coordination experience is mandatory
- Previous coordination experience with local partners, INGOs and clusters is a strong asset
- Previous experience in Iraq or in another Middle Eastern country is a strong asset
- Previous experience with HI is an asset
- Proven managerial experience
- Proven representation experience
- Strong communication skills
- Strong interpersonal and intercultural skill
- Ability to work under high pressure
- English mandatory (oral and written), Arabic would be a strong asset
- Strong writing and reporting skills
NGO PRESENTATION
Handicap International is an independent and impartial international aid organization working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. Working alongside persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, our action and testimony are focused on responding to their essential needs, improving their living conditions and promoting respect for their dignity and their fundamental rights.
Handicap International is a not-for-profit organization with no religious or political affiliation. It operates as a federation made up of a network of associations that provide it with human and financial resources, manage its projects and implement its actions and social mission.
Our web site : http://www.handicap-international.org
Handicap International recently merged its Mine Action Division with its Emergency Response Division to create the Humanitarian Action Division.
MISSION CONTEXT
Since the offensives of the group Islamic State (IS) in 2014, Iraq has been facing an internal armed conflict and a double humanitarian crisis, with high numbers of Iraqi internally-displaced people (IDPs) and Syrian refugees in need of humanitarian assistance. In 2015 the ongoing armed clashes have caused further waves of displacement. In January 2016, there were 3,290,000 recorded IDPs and 245,000 Syrian refugees in Iraq.
Access to the displaced populations remains the main challenge. Most of the IDPs have settled out of the camps (both in urban and rural areas), are widely spread and move frequently among different host communities. In addition, Conventional Weapons (CWs) and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) continue to impose a devastating human toll in Iraq. In contaminated areas, local populations, IDPs and returning populations are all at risk of death and injury. It is estimated that an average of 324 IED incidents occur on a monthly basis.
Kirkuk governorate is currently hosting around 380,000 IDPs; most of them have received little humanitarian assistance during 2014 and the first half of 2015, in part due to access and security concerns for humanitarian actors. Diyala governorate hosts 112,000 IDPs and 90,000 returnees and has the second highest number of war-wounded civilians in Iraq (100 / 200 wounded monthly in the last months of 2015). Humanitarian needs are also very high in Baghdad governorate, which has the highest number of IDPs (around 580,000) and war-wounded civilians (600 / 700 monthly) in Iraq.
The armed conflict and the humanitarian crisis in Iraq will continue throughout 2016. The most likely scenario includes the following elements: protracted conflict with periods of stalemate and localized battles for the control of key cities; new waves of displacement of new IDPs; intensification of the humanitarian needs of IDPs in protracted displacement; gradual return of part of the current IDPs. Building on the trend observed in the second half of 2015, more Iraqi IDPs will seek refuge in Turkey or in Europe
MISSION DESCRIPTION
Handicap International (HI) started its activities in Iraq in 1991.
HI’s strategy in Iraq for 2016 includes 3 main components:
- Long-term development projects: support to civil society, access to services, community-based rehabilitation.
- Emergency response for Internally Displaced Persons, returnees and vulnerable host communities.
- Mine Action component: risk education, victim assistance, non-technical survey, clearance.
HI’s current and planned activities in the emergency and mine action sectors include:
- Physical rehabilitation for persons with injuries and functional limitations;
- Support to hospitals and rehabilitation centres, through donations of equipment and consumables and/or through trainings.
- Psychosocial support activities for conflict-affected persons;
- Direct risk education on CWs and IEDs for IDPs, returnees and vulnerable populations;
- Risk awareness on CWs and IEDs through mass medias;
- Non-Technical Survey (NTS) of areas contaminated with CWs and IEDs;
- Humanitarian demining / clearance of contaminated areas in Jalawla town and surrounding areas;
- Rapid Protection Assessments (RPAs) to provide urgent response to protection crises;
- Humanitarian surveillance and contingency planning for hard-to-reach areas;
HI will combine direct interventions in accessible areas and indirect intervention through partners and donations in inaccessible areas. HI’s strategic objective is to gain as much access as possible to the disputed areas of Iraq and to central Iraq.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EXPATRIATE
The Humanitarian Operations Coordinator is in charge of leading HI humanitarian intervention – emergency and mine action activities – in Iraq, from strategy development to implementation, monitoring and reporting.
He/she ensures HI external profile raising through coordination and networking, building on internal capacities that he/she supports through harmonisation and enforcement of approaches and processes (both at project and support levels), capacity building and management of field teams, in collaboration with the Technical Unit.
He/she takes over the responsibilities of Head of Mission when absent.
MAIN TASKS OF THE EXPATRIATE
- Représentation
- Programme coordination:
- Team management
- Reporting
Base: Erbil, with regular travel to Kirkuk and Diyala and exceptional visits to Baghdad.
Line management: Head of Mission
Collaboration with: Technical Unit Coordinator, Grants Manager, Development Operations Coordinator, Admin and Log Coordinators.
In charge of: Kirkuk Field Coordinator, Diyala Field Coordinator, Data Manager.
JOB CONDITIONS
- Status: salaried contract with salary according to experience
- Start: asap
- Duration: 1 or 2 months maximum
- Living conditions: guesthouse shared with other expatriates (no charges)
- Security conditions: low level of insecurity in Erbil, intermediate level of insecurity in Kirkuk and Diyala.
- Social insurance: 100% covered