Job Description

Job title / Head of Disaster Management
Job band / MSP / Ref / UKO00645
Department / Disaster Management /
Division
/ International
Reporting to / Head of International Division / Location / UK Office
Duration / Permanent /
Last updated
/ January 2010

Context

The British Red Cross (BRC) helps people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. We are part of a global voluntary network, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (the Movement), which responds to conflicts, natural disasters and individual emergencies. The Movement consists of 186 National Societies, who have a special status and role as neutral humanitarian auxiliaries to their respective governments. Each National Society is a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) with a Geneva-based Secretariat. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is the other vital pillar of the Movement.

As part of the Movement, the BRC promotes humanitarian values and provides emergency support to people in crisis in the UK and overseas. Within the UK, BRC operates through some 35,000 volunteers and 2,800 staff. Internationally, BRC is an active member of the Movement and is committed to strengthening the IFRC, supporting the work of the ICRC and building the capacity of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. BRC’s mission is “to mobilise the power of humanity so that individuals and communities have the capacity to prepare for, deal with and recover from crisis.”

This is an exciting time for the international work of the British Red Cross as we implement our new Corporate Strategy 2010-15. As well as providing support to international disaster response operations around the world, we continue to provide assistance to ongoing chronic emergency programmes as well as implementing recovery programmes. We also provide long-term support to 20 partner Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies in the areas of health and social care, and disaster risk reduction.

As one of five Departments in the International Division, the Disaster Management (DM) Department is responsible for managing and coordinating BRC response to international relief and recovery operations. The Department consists of response, recovery and logistics teams and supported by technical advisors in key areas, including shelter, water
& sanitation and household economic security. The DM Department works closely with the Partnership Development (PD) Department which is responsible for supporting our long-term programmes and developing partnerships with sister National Societies. The work of the DM and PD Departments is also supported by a Humanitarian Policy Department, International Law Department and International Finance Department.

Scope

The Head of Department has management responsibility for, at present, nineteen staff in the DM Department as well as BRC staff in the field. The Head is expected to lead the DM team and shape the strategic direction of the Department. This includes developing our response capacity for relief and recovery programming and supporting the Department in its implementation of our new Corporate Strategy. The Corporate Strategy has identified emergency/disaster response as the first of the four key deliverable priorities for the organisation in 2010-15.

A key aspect of the role will be relationship management both within and outside of the organisation and Movement, representing BRC in the Movement and the wider humanitarian community.

Overall Purpose of the Post

The Head of the DM Department has overall responsibility for leading and managing BRC response to international appeals and support to relief and recovery operations. The role includes managing BRC multilateral support to the IFRC or ICRC, bilateral support to individual National Societies and also, in some contexts, direct management of BRC recovery programmes.

As part of the International Management Team, the Head shares responsibility for ensuring effective delivery of the Corporate Strategy as well as for strengthening links between International and UK Operations.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1.  Team management: to oversee the effective management of the Department

  Line manage the Department, specifically the Response, Recovery and Logistics Teams, and provide management support to BRC staff deployed to relief and recovery operations overseas. This includes responsibility for security management of the department with support from BRC Security Advisor.

  Support the change management process in the DM Department, strengthening integration of teams, transition from relief to recovery and effective ways of working.

  Ensure that the Department’s plans and budgets are prepared as part of the Division’s overall planning and in line with BRC’s policies and strategic priorities.

  Monitor and report on agreed plans and budgets both corporately and to back-donors where required, to ensure their efficient and effective implementation or timely modification as appropriate. This includes overall budgetary responsibility for the management of all financial resources entrusted to the DM Department.

  Effectively manage and develop the capacity of the staff within the Department. This includes responsibilities for recruitment, induction, performance management, annual appraisals, training and development and support of staff.

2.  DM operations and programme management:

  Ensure all BRC support to international disaster response operations, and in particular those co-ordinated and managed by the IFRC and the ICRC, is of a consistently high quality. This includes, in particular, strengthening DM operating procedures to ensure that BRC international response is timely, effective, efficient and accountable.

  Ensure international recovery programmes, and in particular those managed directly by BRC, are well supervised, of high programme quality and in line with BRC and other relevant Movement frameworks.

  Lead the development of BRC response tools including our global relief stocks, Emergency Response Units, assessment and relief teams and use of BRC rosters and personnel register.

  Ensure that all necessary experience and technical advice is available, internally and externally, to assist with our disaster management activities. This includes developing the strategy around the areas and sectors where the DM Department should focus on and build core competencies for BRC response.

3. Internal and external relationship management:

  Represent BRC externally, proactively building and developing stakeholder relationships to help improve the effectiveness and impact of BRC international disaster response and recovery work, in particular with the following stakeholders:

o  Support the relationship and coordination with the IFRC and the ICRC and other National Societies;

o  Support relationships with key institutional donors (e.g. DFID, EU) in particular the BRC and Movement’s institutional partnerships with DFID;

o  Manage the relationship with the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC);

o  Proactively lead on strengthening and managing BRC relationships with other key humanitarian actors in the wider international aid community.

  Ensure strong working relationships with departments in the International Division and other key Divisions (including Communications, Fundraising, UK Service Development and UK Operations), and assist the International Director in supporting the Chief Executive’s Office.

4. Active participation on the International Management team:

  As a member of the International Management Team, contribute to the overall direction of the International Division.

  Keep the International Director, International Management Team and other senior managers fully briefed at all times on operational international response and recovery matters of concern and interest to BRC.

  Undertake any other duties reasonably requested by the Divisional Director.

5. Uphold the Fundamental Principles of the Movement and work within the Society’s Equal Opportunities Policy, demonstrating the competencies and behaviours set out in the Society’s Management Development Framework.

Person Specification

Job Title: Head of Disaster Management Ref: Band:

Education/ Training

/   Relevant training course qualifications in international disaster management.
  Degree level in Humanitarian Assistance, Development Studies, International Relations or other relevant subject desirable**

Experience

/   Demonstrable overseas field experience in international disaster response **
  Strong and rounded experience of the humanitarian sector **
  Excellent and proven experience of disaster assessment, planning and management of response to both natural disasters and conflict-related crises
  Proven experience of managing recovery programmes, both directly and through implementing partners
  Experience of relationship management and influencing external partners, preferable in an international humanitarian aid environment
  Experience of liaising with key institutional donors at a senior level
  Experience of managing and recruiting staff, as well as developing multi-functional teams
  Experience of managing aid budgets
  Experience of working with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, desirable

Knowledge/ Technical Skills

/   Good knowledge of the international humanitarian context including current humanitarian policy issues**
  Good knowledge and understanding of dynamics related to sudden onset, chronic and conflict response and recovery programmes
  Good knowledge of methodologies for planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting
  Good knowledge of humanitarian sector quality and accountability standards
  Language skills, desirable

Personal skills

/   Ability to lead, manage, motivate and develop people
  Strong communication and interpersonal skills
  Cross cultural sensitivity and ability to interact well with diverse groups of people and multiple teams
  Good influencing and networking skills
  Ability to build partnerships and alliances, both inside and outside the organisation
  Ability to communicate complex and evolving ideas to a variety of audiences
  Ability to manage/respond well to change
  Take responsibility for own and team’s decisions and actions
  Demonstrate flexibility and open mindedness
  Ability to give constructive feedback and support
  Commitment to upholding the Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and act with integrity and in accordance with the BRC’s values and obligations
  Recognise the implications of working within a charity and a voluntary organisation
  Ensure equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice and promote diversity

Special Circumstances

/   Able to travel (approximately 60 working days per annum); including visits to conflict areas, sometimes at very short notice.
  Willingness to be contactable at all times in case of emergency.
  Willingness to work out of office hours when required.

**Minimum short-listing criteria. N.B. All disabled candidates who meet these criteria must be short-listed for interview in line with our commitment under the two- tick symbol scheme.

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