Programme Manager

Since September 2015 Oxfam is responding to the migrant influx to Europe and aims to meet the needs of people on the move in need of protection. Oxfam is responding in Serbia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYRoM), Greece and in Italy (Sicily) through partners or through direct services delivery (Greece). The responses, that primarily respond to the needs of the affected migrants and refugees aim to deliver relevant and credible information for the purpose of global and national influencing of engaged publics and decision makers The responses in the countries are aligned by one agreed Strategic Plan that is backed up by a well developed influencing plan.

The migration influx has had and still has a major impact on the European Union and individual European countries. European countries and the European Union as a whole have failed to come up with a cohesive and comprehensive response that respects human rights and protects rights of individual migrants in accordance with European Council legislation. A direct impact of the lack of clear European policy in regards to the migration flow has led to a chaotic environment in which recently a certain number of migrants were allowed to move onwards while other got stuck in Greece, FYROM and Serbia, often deprived of the all basics. The current situation may result in people deciding to move onwards using their own capacities and ability to complete their journey.

The structure of the response is based on two Oxfam affiliates (Oxfam Novib and Oxfam Italy) delivering the responses in respectively Greece (ONL) and Serbia, FYROM and Italy (Oxfam Italy). Furthermore, Oxfam Italy is the Humanitarian Lead of the response ensuring consistency and coherence of the different pieces of work under a joint response strategy, under the direct supervision of a Regional Programme Manager.

While the initial response focused on the Serbian borders with Macedonia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Croatia, and the Macedonian border with Greece, Oxfam Italy is currently focusing on Belgrade area and Serbian Northern borders where migrants are stuck after the official closure of the Western Balkan route in March 2016. Other locations are investigated on the basis of changing needs.

Oxfam Italy is responding to the immediate and critical needs of vulnerable target beneficiaries with a multi-sectoral approach that includes WASH, NFI, Food and Protection activities. Moreover, in both countries a data collection system has been set up in order to inform advocacy activities both at national and at European level (through Oxfam International).

Currently OIT manages internal appeal funds coming from the Oxfam Confederation and Institutional Funds provided by DFID under the MERF mechanism. Possible new funds will arrive from other donors.

In coordination with Oxfam partners, the Humanitarian Programme Manager will manage the current ongoing response with particular reference to those related to Food Distribution in Belgrade and in Obrenovac, and will further develop the response activities in Serbia (and possibly FYRoM) through new proposal development and new donor engagement.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

The post reports to the Oxfam Consortium Coordinator. He/she will be based in Belgrade at Oxfam office/guest house.

His/her main responsibilities will be to:

• Manage the response activities implemented by OXFAM in Serbia, with particular reference to the Food Distribution projects funded by various donors (DFID & DG ECHO).
• Plan and supervise the financial and logistic management of the activities in collaboration with the OXFAM department involved.
• Manage the relationship with the partner to ensure a regular and effective activities implementation
• Conduct field visits to supervise the activities implementation
• Manage distribution supervisors recruited under managed projects
• Manage Oxfam staff in Serbia (Financial manager and Logistician, and any other who might be recruited)
• Together with the Consortium Coordinator ensure coordination with all relevant stakeholders (NGOs, UN agencies, etc.) working in the same areas where OIT is and participation to coordination meetings held in Serbia
• Together with the Consortium Coordinator engage main donors (as DG ECHO) on main trends and funding gaps in Serbia
• Supervise the M&E process in collaboration with the logistician for the ongoing humanitarian activities Oxfam Italia has started with its partners;
• Follow the reporting system to the donors, in collaborations with the Oxfam Regional Operations Lead / Humanitarian Desk officer
• Supervise the timeliness and accuracy of the internal reporting (SitRep, global report, etc)
• Revise, update and follow-up the humanitarian needs in the Oxfam focus areas in cooperation with Oxfam partners
• Elaborate new concept note or project proposal, in collaboration with the Oxfam Regional Programme Manager and Humanitarian Desk officer

QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced university degree related to Humanitarian Aid sector;
• Demonstrated expertise in writing projects to be submitted to Humanitarian Aid donors;
• Previous working experiences in Humanitarian Aid projects, including emergency livelihoods projects;
• Good knowledge of developing countries structures and proven previous experiences working with local NGOs as partners;
• Ability to lead procurement processes using specific procurement methods and to analyze and solve procurement challenges;
• Conceptual and practical understanding of protection issues including human rights and refugee rights, international humanitarian law, and first-hand experience of refugee issues
• Commitment to a rights-based approach, gender equality and protection
• Knowledge of humanitarian principles and their application to food distributions;
• Culturally sensitive and able to understand and work in complex contexts;
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Strong computer literacy with a full knowledge of Ms Office;
• Problem solving attitude;
• Good team player with strong initiative;
• Good inter-personal and communication skills;
• Ability to adapt and work in difficult situations;
• Ability to mainstream gender approach in humanitarian response;
• Previous experience related to protection as stand-alone program or mainstreaming.

The following qualifications will be considered as an asset:

• Interest and motivation to work in a non-profit organization;
• Knowledge and previous experience in the country and in the region;
• Knowledge of Serbian and/or Arabic and/or Farsi languages