Country: Czechia, Slovakia
Closing date: 01 Apr 2019
General information
MAGNA is a non-profit independent medical humanitarian organization. We provide medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare. Our teams are made up of health professionals, logistic and administrative staff.
We recruit medical and non-medical personnel, collects private and institutional funds and raises awareness among the public about populations in danger. Using a small but highly committed group of staff and volunteers, we have achieved respectable results. We treat patients suffering from a wide array of illnesses and health needs (child health, malnutrition, sexual violence, women health, mental health, HIV/AIDS, malaria, cholera and other diseases).
Currentlly we have open missions in South Sudan, DR Congo, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Cambodia. Since start we have worked in over 15 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and America.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities
Main Objective
The Desk Manager supervises projectactivities in assigned countries, work closely with other members of Operation Centre, provides leadership and vision to the organization’s program agenda, and supports the development of new programmes or missions.
The Desk Manager plays a key role within the OperationCentre, ensuring overall management of specific overseas programmes including strategy and financing of the projectsand coordinating withotherdepartmentsfor specific aspects of the programme.
Specific objectives
1. General Responsibilities
The main responsibility of the Desk Manager is to ensure that each project under his/her supervision operates based on a sound humanitarian strategy and follows the MAGNA standards of operations.
2. Mission management
For other missions/ projects, with and through the Head of the Mission/ Responsible of Operations at Mission with support of Operations Centre:
Supports and follows up field missions on:
Developing, following and/or amending country strategies, registrations, operations, reports and M&E
Security management (prevention and management)
Timely answers to specific questions on context and donor policy
Ultimately validate program’s definition as laid out in proposals and assure that it’s coherent with MAGNA operating principles, charter and mandate, and with each country strategy.
To ensure that all programs are defined and implemented following MAGNA protocols and guidelines, and that new initiatives are implemented as needed.
Manage, under the Executive Director's authority, acute crisis (evacuations, emergencies).
Control and supervise with the Head of Mission and Operation Centre the proper implementation in the missions of MAGNA policy in terms of administrative procedures, staff management, charter, and environmental and cultural behavior.
After field supervision visits, produce a summary field visit report. If necessary and after consultation, call for a specific meeting on problematic issues identified.
Review field workers - reports and donors - official reports in order to control coherence with the initial proposal and the actual context/progress of overseas programmes.
Supervise and control that job descriptions from the field are adequate and appropriate to the position opened. Job descriptions should be standardized and produced in a timely manner.
To provide timely support in writing, editing, formatting and validating proposals.
Design and finalize narrative and budget proposals according to the organization and programmes' strategy, in liaison with the field, financial department and Operation Centre.
The Desk Manager must liaise consistently and productively with the Technical Advisors in HQ and have an overall strong knowledge of the technical issues, politics of the region, relevant research, and best practices on all points related to programs and humanitarian issues in the missions he/she supervises.
3. Programs funding
Work with Administrators and Finance Controllers/Officers to ensure that programs are sufficiently funded and that general support is sufficient to implement the project.
Keep informed of donors guidelines (MZV CR, ECHO, OCHA, UNICEF, UNFPA, SLOVAKAID and others) evolution so he/she can support and validate the writing of proposal’s budget.
4. Donors
Will explore possibilities of funding with the full range of institutional donors as well as collaborating with the Fund/Communication Dept. to support grant development with other major donors.
Keep informed of donors guidelines evolution so he/she can support and validate the writing of proposals.
Be familiar with contractual terms of the contracts with donors and ensure compliance with those terms, particularly in regard to reporting deadlines.
5. HR
Interview candidates for field missions in collaboration with admin and complete evaluation form
Validate the organizational structure of the missions, participate in the definition of necessary posts, of job description and help the recruitment process.
Brief field expatriates during their passage in Operation Centre
Brief departing field workers on the programme in the country of assignment, train/brief those who are first missions on the organization’s strategy and general guidelines, debrief returning field workers on the achievement of their mission and past performance.
Development and regularly update of mission support documents (country profiles, briefing packets, time plans, contacts, logistical guidelines etc.)
For this purpose, interns might be recruited, and their supervision falls under this job description
Support and supervise field expatriates in the missions he/she supervises: evaluation, follow up and assistance on HR related issues, in close liaison with Operation Centre.
Supports the HR Manager and the operations departments in the recruitment process of expatriates (interviews, evaluations, trainings).
Develop field training capacity
6. Logistic management
Responsible for the follow up of the logistic orders from the field and adequate purchase regarding budgets available on missions, in liaison with the Head of Finance/Finance Manager and Operation Centre.
Responsible for the identification of suppliers and fair purchase procedure through Operation Centre and other countries.
7. To liaise extensively with Fundraising and Communication Dept. on field issues. Develop links between Operations and F&C Dept, by:
Providing information from reports that could be translated into press releases or communiqués
Liaising with F&C Dept to enhance content material for the website
Being available for interviews and press related events on matters pertaining to the missions he/she follows
8. Representation in the Slovak and /or Czech Republic
Attend relevant conferences and meetings,
Develop a network of key contacts within the circles of NGOs, platform, institutional partners, academia and diplomatic representation.
Physical Demands
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with many interruptions.
To travel to the field (usually in the developing world), the employee must attest to a level of physical fitness capable of enduring physically difficult, highly stressful situations which may include the necessity to walk, to ride long distances over very poor road/water conditions, to eat a limited diet and/or to reside in potentially uncomfortable housing or tents.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Working Conditions, Travel and Environment
The duties of the job require regular attendance at least 5 days/week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required by contact with the missions, mission security, or other obligations.
Must be able to travel as required (minimum 25%) for standard domestic and international business travel as well as to the missions under supervision. While performing the duties of this job in the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well is to infectious diseases.
Language
Good command of English and knowledge of Slovak, Czech and French language is a plus.
Professional experience
At least two years in management positions in humanitarian aid or similar field
Essential experience with MAGNA or other NGOs
Essential working experience in developing countries.
Proposed terms
Status
EMPLOYED with a Open-Term Contract
Compensation
MONTHLY INCOME: from 1,400 up to 1,940 Euros depending on the experience
How to apply:
Contact
Interested applicants can send only their CV including education, qualifications, contact number and relevant documents: by email, to address
The email subject line MUST include in the title of email the following to be considered:“**DESK MANAGER AFRICA**”.E-mails without job title will not be reviewed.
We thank all applicants for their interest but only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Please ensure that you provide appropriate contact information (e-mail, mobile, etc.) and 3 professional references.