Deputy Country Director for Program - Ukraine

Employment terms

Location: Lviv, Ukraine, with frequent travels within the countries

Duration: 12 months, from July 2024 (subject to funding)

Conditions: Salaried contract, gross monthly salary from €3,296 to €3,708, monthly perdiem €600, medical coverage of 100% + repatriation insurance + provident fund, accommodation, international and local transportation as part of the mission, break every 3 months. No family duty station.

TGH has chosen a deliberately simple and transparent remuneration policy, accessible on our website www.trianglegh.org. The salary levels advertised in our job offers are set within the framework of the salary scale and are not open to negotiation.

TGH background

"Actor in a sustainable and shared solidarity"

Founded in 1994, TGH is a French association for international solidarity based in Lyon. It designs and implements emergency, rehabilitation and development programmes in the fields of water, hygiene and sanitation, food security and rural development, socio-education and psychosocial support. TGH is currently active in 10 countries in Africa, Europe and Asia.

Context

On February 24, the Russian president announced a special military operation to demilitarize Ukraine. Minutes later, missiles/air raids hit all of Ukraine, including Kiev, shortly followed by a massive ground invasion from several directions, in a major escalation of the 2014 conflict and resulting in the siege of several major strategic Ukrainian cities such as Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Mariupol, and Sumy. The Ukrainian president has since enacted martial law resulting in the general mobilization and management of the country by the military.

From September UAF (Ukrainian Armed Forces) pushed back the aggressor in the east and south of the country with the recapture of some strategical cities. Meanwhile, RF forces continued their offensive with strikes across Since October and the attack on the Kerch Bridge (08/10/2022) linking Crimea to Russia, reprisals have been unstoppable, mainly on public service infrastructures, notably power stations and water treatment and distribution stations in all the country's major cities.

October 2022 saw an increase in the number of IDPs (+280,000 / +4.5%) growing from 6.2 M to 6.5 M) in the country and a movement of 450,000 (+7%) of those already IDP, most of them to or from the East of the country.According to the humanitarian community, all the people living in Ukraine have been directly or indirectly affected by the conflict. Emergency humanitarian needs are varied and cut across all sectors.

The most pressing needs identified include:

• Cash and access to financial support
• Psychosocial support for a weakened mental health and limit the risk of irreversible
• Medicines and medical supplies
• Shelter / NFI
• Winterization

Presentation of the mission

TGH is present in Ukraine since 2015. Established in Kramatorsk (East), TGH’s interventions were targeting the most vulnerable populations along the contact line employing traditional and innovative modalities as follows:

• Provision of electronic vouchers (e-vouchers for food, hygiene or dual-purpose e-vouchers), an innovative modality with application of mobile phones and web-money-based interface
• Cash for Work (rehabilitation or social work)
• PSS
• Documentation support (restoration or obtaining of official/legal documents)
• Provision of basic humanitarian assistance: food and hygiene kits, in Donestk, NGCA

In 2020, TGH has completed its intervention with an emergency Covid-19 response funded by UNICEF supporting healthcare, educational and social institutions and households of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts (GCA) along the contact line with electronic vouchers for essential hygiene.

Following February 24th, TGH mobilized its teams on the ground and at headquarter to maintain its existing activities and develop an emergency response to meet the immediate needs of the affected populations. To this end, TGH has quickly started various assistance program to cover the basic needs and respond to the psychological distress of the affected households and individuals. Up to this date, TGH is implementing 2 different projects, while others are under discussion. To implement these activities in the most affected areas of Ukraine, TGH has developed and reinforced the collaboration with local partners that are essential and take a crucial place in the global response.

Initially operational in Ukraine from Kramatorsk, the team has been relocated to Lviv where the main TGH office is. Given the enormous needs all around Ukraine and the different grants awarded, TGH opened 3 sub-office in the other main cities of Ukraine (Vinnytsia, Cherkasy and Dnipro) in order to be closer to the beneficiaries and ensure a proper implementation and follow up.

TGH is a member of the following Clusters and Working groups: Protection, Age and Disability Working Group (ADWG), Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Working Group (MHPSS WG), Food Security and Livelihoods Cluster (FSLC), Agriculture Working Group, Cash-based transfers Working Group (CBTWG) and WASH cluster.

Job description

Under the supervision of the Country Director, the Deputy Country Director for Program (DCD-P) is responsible for developing, planning and leading and ensure the quality of the programs implemented in Ukraine by TGH. The jobholder will ensure the successful development and implementation of projects within the portfolio while focusing on program strategy and development, program quality – including the crosscutting topics, donor compliance and donor/finance strategy, internal and external coordination/representation, partnership and structuration of Program Department & program staff management.

The DCD-P will also coordinate closely with Deputy Field Coordinators for Program to ensure smooth inter-departments collaboration. She/he will directly manage the following units: Grant, MEAL, Partnerships and technical Heads of program (Protection, Basic Needs).

More specifically, key responsibilities are:

Program Strategy and Program development

• In close collaboration with the CD and Desk Unit (HQ) – but also in a collaborative manner (with the Program team, with the staff from the bases, with coordination staff), develop/implement the program strategy (sectors, type of activities, modalities, localities) based on assessed needs in the country, the TGH ambitions of development/deployments and the capacities of the mission;
• Actively participate in the development of the TGH’s strategy;
• Based on the Program strategy, develop a donor strategy that will finance it;
• Once validated, present the strategies (Program, donor) to the mission team (Country office team, Field/area co, Program team, etc.);
• Initiate and supervise need assessments in current and new areas for TGH – in coordination with technical HoPs and field/area coordinators and related to the strategies (Country development strategy, Program strategy);
• Ensure that the proposals submitted are framed within the program and donor strategies;
• Coordinate the development process for new proposals, Cost-Extension and No-cost extension.

Develop / supervise the Program Department within the mission and ensure smooth internal coordination with the other departments

• Ensure that the current organigram is meeting the needs of the Program department and propose solutions/amendments when needed. Ensure appropriate staffing of Program team, and engagement of additional technical support when needed to deliver quality project design and delivery;
• Ensure that the roles, responsibilities, communication tree and the reporting lines are clear and understood by everyone in the mission, and most of all within the Program Department. Ensure that all Program staff understand and are able to perform their role in delivering, quality programs;
• Ensure smooth coordination and animate the Program department (organizing dedicated meetings);
• Ensure that smooth coordination patterns are set up with the support departments (kick off meeting, proposal strategy, etc.). If there are existing tensions, propose solutions to allay the tensions;
• Manage the Program Staff at Country office level (HoPs, MEAL, grants, partnerships, etc.) including setting up objectives, ensuring evaluation, coaching/training, supervision, etc.;
• Ensure that Program staff proactively build and maintain technical, managerial and leadership skills, and providing coaching opportunities when needed;
• Participate in Program team recruitment and HR management;
• Proactively support TGH’s commitments.

Develop and support the MEAL and the Partnerships departments

• Support the Head of MEAL Department in developing the MEAL department and MEAL strategy including with short/mid and long term objectives and priorities (including the MEAL HR set-up, needed tools and training, etc.);
• Support the Head of Partnership Department in developing the Partnership strategy including with short/mid and long-term objectives and priorities (including the Partnership HR set-up, needed tools and training, etc.). Play a leading role in identifying nurturing and strengthening strategic partnerships with local and international civil society organizations, NGOs, governments etc., in advancing the country and global strategy to inspire our three breakthroughs;
• Ensure partner capacities are assessed, due diligence completed, MoU’s are signed, project orientation is completed, partner monitoring plans is established, contact persons are identified and a smooth working relationship is established;
• Ensure that the other program units/departments are smoothly collaborating with the MEAL and Partnership teams, both at Country office and base levels;
• Participate in the recruitment of the MEAL and the Partnership teams.

Oversight and Management of Field Program Operations and ensure the quality of the program

• Responsible for overall management of program implementation and delegated responsibility for field delivery of high-quality programming in line with TGH standards and the objectives of the country strategy;
• Participates with the Deputy Country Director for Support, in conceptualizing and designing cost effective, innovative and high quality programs ;
• Ensure programs are implemented in ways responsive to the communities, and affected population in line with TGH principles, values and strategic plan. This includes working with government and national NGO-partners to strengthen national capacity;
• Ensure Deputy Field Coordinators for Program (DFC-P) and their respective teams actively contribute to the preparation of timely and high-quality progress reports, program reports, and donor reports;
• Maintain oversight of multi-location projects, ensure the smooth and close intertwining of the multi-donors projects implemented in different TGH bases. With the support of the MEAL and Grant units, ensure that the information / data per donor-funded project is compiled and available ;
• Ensure global implementation each project-funded donor (BHA, HF, CDCS, UNHCR, etc.) and ensure that there is a MFU (Monthly Follow-up for the activities) developed, updated and shared with HQ on monthly basis. Ensures all programs progress is in accordance to grant guidelines;
• Ensure the global budget follow-up per project, raise alert in case of over or underspend and propose solutions (cost-reallocation, etc.). Support Field Coordinators and PMs ensuring projects expenditure are in line with work plans and commitments to donors. Participate in the monthly finance meetings follow-up. Coordinates with all relevant departments to plan, resolves issues, ensure smooth information flow and implementation of project interventions, and set objectives are attained;
• Ensure targets, timelines, and associated budgets are broken down between field offices (Detailed Implementation plan);
• Ensure responsibilities are clarified and assigned to respective staff, and partner, (Field level RACI within the Program department);
• Ensure development of harmonized and high-quality implementation of operational project methodologies and tools (selection of beneficiaries, protection mainstreaming, etc.);
• Ensure kick-off meetings are organized and Program tools are available and known by Program staff.

Representation and external coordination

• Ensure with the Program team that TGH is represented in all relevant external coordination fora (clusters, field coordination meetings, partners, authorities and different local players for the program areas of the mission);
• Represent TGH as the Program focal point at mission level ;
• Attend bi-lateral meeting with donors, partners, and authorities when needed, or ensure that TGH is represented by someone in the Program team.

This list of responsibilities could be modified according to the needs in the field.

Security, working and living conditions

Despite the fluctuating security situation in Ukraine, the environment in Lviv is relatively calm and travel on foot or by taxi is permitted in the city centre. It is possible to go out in bars, restaurants... but there is a curfew in place from 11pm to 6am according to the martial law in force in the country. TGH team works in spacious and well-equipped offices in the city centre, close to the apartments where the expatriates are accommodated. Access to good internet connexion in the offices. The position could be based in another location in the coming months depending on ongoing discussion about coordination team relocation.

Profile

• Minimum 5 years management experience in an NGO/UN environment, including significant field operations experience running both emergency and development programs at scale and in complex/remote management environments;
• Robust experience of NGO emergency program cycle management, and with experience of working within a complex and matrix organisation structure;
• A very good understanding and working knowledge of at least 3 of the sectoral programs priorities of the Country Office ;
• Good experience in logistics/supply chain including procurement ;
• Significant knowledge of international humanitarian systems, institutions and donors (including OFDA, DFID, BHA , UNICEF, UNHCR, OCHA, ECHO) and of procedures, accountability frameworks and best practices in emergency management ;
• Substantial experience and knowledge of effective financial and budgetary control and securing and managing grants from major institutional donors;
• Ability to analyze information, evaluate options and to think and plan strategically ;
• An in-depth understanding of national and international development issues ;
• Previous experience of managing and developing a diverse team and the ability to lead, motivate and develop others ;
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills ;
• Ability and willingness for work flexibility with incoming teams in the event of major emergencies;
• Fluency in written and spoken English;
• Russian/Ukrainian language is an asset.