Senior Programme Officer Job in Kenya

Job title: Senior Programme Officer – Focus on Disaster risk Reduction
Reports to: Regional Disaster Management Coordinator (RDMC) for functional tasks and for overall line management
Background
The East Africa region has been facing rapid and chronic disasters of various types. Several factors including recurrent natural and man made hazards, poverty, vulnerability and other socioeconomic conditions have put large communities and households at high recurrent risks.

The Technical Support Unit of IFRC East Africa Office emphasises and promotes the integration of disaster risk reduction in its programs and disaster management approach.
Purpose of the position
Within the context of existing and emerging disaster management agendas – including from the 28th RC/RC International Conference and the 2005 World Conference on Disaster Reduction, and IFRC’s East Africa Regional Long Term Framework, the Regional Programme Officer will, either directly or through Federation country delegations, where they exist, support national societies to:

·         Strengthen branch and national capacities to promote adaptation and crisis coping in their communities

·         Link branch and national emergency response capacity preventive and crisis management initiatives

·         Support branches and national societies in their efforts to decentralise operations, secure financial sustainability  of branches, and diversify membership

·         Manage learning linked to this experience

Specific Duties, Responsibilities and Accountabilities
Responsibility Area 1:  Coordinate and support integration of DRR in the work of the IFRC regional disaster management and technical support teams.

1. Support IFRC initiatives to undertake community based adaptation along with the DRR initiatives.
2. Lead on scaling up the implementation of regional DRR initiatives, tools and frameworks, and review them accordingly based on reflections from the field.
3. Lead on the development and update of regional risk maps.
4. Play a DRR focal point role among the TSU teams (Disaster management, WATSAN, health and food security), gather and share information with regards to new DRR publications, approaches and tools.
5. Ensure that DRR lens has been used in the design and implementation of plans of actions, program initiatives or projects of various teams.

Responsibility Area 2: Provide support to National Societies to build capacities at headquarters and branch levels to undertake effective adaptation and crisis management activities. This includes identifying opportunities and support implementation.

1. Build on and scale up on achievements, lessons learned and best practices that been identified by IFRC regional office, PNs and national societies. This includes the regional community resilience framework, risk mapping, ABCs of DRR.
2. Assist NSs in designing and implementing DRR projects and/or pilot initiatives.
3. Support national society staff and volunteers through technical advice or training in DRR i.e. approaches, tools and frameworks.

Responsibility Area 3: Promote learning on DRR and climate change adaptation pertinent to the work in National Societies

1. Develop a regional learning agenda or priorities that build on and disseminate practices and experiences from activities implemented by IFRC or NSs.
2. Identify, document and disseminate DRR best practices and lessons learned.
3. Promote and coordinate cross learning of DRR practices in different technical sectors and cross national societies.

Responsibility Area 4: Representation and coordination with regional DRR groups and initiatives

1. Participate in regional DRR and climate change impact adaptation working groups including the Inter Agency Working Group (IAWG).
2. Advocate for IFRC positions and approaches on DRR and climate change adaptation.
3. Represent RC/RC in relevant technical meetings and conferences pertinent to DRR and climate change adaptation.
4. Develop partnerships with regionally based PNS, bilateral donors, NGOs, INGOs, appropriate United Nations agencies (e.g. UNDP & ISDR) and academic bodies. This should be done in coordination and partnership with the NS.
5. Disseminate information from these meetings with DM and other technical teams.

Responsibility Area 5:
The Senior Program officer will be assigned other responsibilities or tasks within the scope of this position, as needed by the DM unit and as the job requires in order to achieving IFRC objective.
Person Specification
Education

·         University Degree or equivalent in a relevant field Masters Degree

·         University degree in disaster management or any other relevant field

·         Post graduate qualifications is desired ( DRR and/or climate change adaptation

Experience

·         Experience of managing & supporting staff

·         Experience of working for the Red Cross

·          5 years experience working for a humanitarian organisation in a development role or working on disaster risk reduction within a humanitarian organization.

·         Presentation and coordination skills and experience

·         Participatory assessment, programme planning and management techniques.

·         Writing progress and final reports and reporting to donors

·         Planning and managing budgets.

·         Risk mapping, vulnerability and capacity assessment on a local level.

Skill, Language

·         Fluency in English (spoken and written)

·         Training and developing staff  and volunteers (capacity building)

·         Knowledge of French and/or Kiswahili

Submission of applications:
Interested applicants should submit a CV along with a one page cover letter outlining their suitability for the post.
Applications should be submitted by email to hr.eastafrica@ifrc.org; to be received not later than
26th March 2012.
Kindly note that:
1. Only e-mail applications will be accepted.
2. Due to the volume of applications, only short listed candidates will be contacted.