About RI: Relief International is a leading nonprofit organization working in roughly 20 countries to relieve poverty, ensure well-being and advance dignity. We specialize in fragile settings, responding to natural disasters, humanitarian crises and chronic poverty. Relief International combines humanitarian and development approaches to provide immediate services while laying the groundwork for long-term impact. Our signature approach — which we call the RI Way—emphasizes local participation, an integration of services, strategic partnerships and a focus on civic skills. In this way, we empower communities to find, design and implement the solutions that work best for them.

Position Summary:        

The Deputy Program Manager will work closely with the program manager and play a key role in developing and implementing the country strategy, especially regarding the strategic and development leadership to ensure the effective implementation of quality programming in Northern Syria. Moreover, the Deputy Program Manager will be responsible for providing technical support to the field-based teams including planning of implementation activities, capacity building and also internal and external reporting on program implementation progress. The deputy program manager will ensure coordination with the Area manager based in Syria for smooth activities implementation and that all needed field-based support is communicated and addressed on timely manner.

Position Responsibilities and Duties:

Program implementation/development, monitoring, reporting and compliance:

• In conjunction with the line manager and in coordination with the field-based Area manager, lead and direct technical and administrative program teams (officer/Sr.Officer level) through direct supervision on Turkey-based staff and through remote technical supervision on Syria-based staff. This includes travels to Syria for in person monitoring and capacity building purposes if the security situation permits.
• In coordination with all relevant staff/departments, guide the execution and monitoring of program activities in line with the project proposal and budget, this includes preparing and updating project plans, providing timely feedback and high quality status reports for all grants against set objectives and as per donor and RI reporting requirements and frequency, and ad-hoc reports as needed, highlighting any existing/potential challenges that might hinder the implementation and work with the supervisor and other departments to actively address and resolve them as guided by the supervisor.
• Play a key role in implementing an effective monitoring and evaluation framework for the program based on the organizational results’ framework.
• Ensure RI Turkey and Syria based staff and partner staff (Health facilities staff and management) adherence to SPHERE standards, RI and donor policies and procedures including compliance procedures, local procedures without jeopardizing the humanitarian principles, and other international standards. This includes close collaboration with the RI health technical unit.
• Ensure that all processes under program performed in the field are compliant with RI policies and procedures, and that all support documents submitted by the field teams are error-free, authentic and reflect the actual work done.
• In close coordination with the line manager and by following the relevant procedures and obtaining formal approval, manage any possible changes to the scope, cost and schedule of the program activities. This includes allocating appropriate resources to ensure the projects are completed within the given time and budget.
• Coordinate priorities and resources effectively between multiple projects to prevent overlaps and ensure best use of resources.
• In coordination with the line manager, field-based staff and the health technical unit, Identify and assess new programmatic areas, both sectorial and geographic and contribute in writing timely and accurate concept notes and proposals that are evidence/contextual analysis-based and promote the community participation throughout the different stages of the project cycle.
• Ensure that internal project management applications and tools are relevant, maintained and updated as needed, and the program staff are aware of them and know how to use them and are up to date on the needed information and tools related to the project.

 Strategy support:

• Assist the program manager in developing/revising and implementing short and long-term strategies to achieve significant impact from programs;
• Ensure program specific strategies are tailored to the countrywide strategy development/revision process.
• Assist the program manager in conveying the program specific strategies to all program staff including the field-based staff.

Partnerships and Coordination

• Externally: in close coordination with the line manager and Area manager, support in the coordination between RI and pre-identified partners (e.g. Idleb Health Directorate, local councils, etc.) to ensure all project activities are carried out with their agreement and, as far as possible, their participation. Attend cluster/working group meetings in Turkey as advised by the supervisor.
• Internally: In coordination with the line manager, participate in grants opening, mid-term and close out meetings. Coordinate with the grants unit/focal point on reporting/donor compliance issues. Attend coordination meetings as requested by the supervisor.

Capacity Building and training

• Identify areas for improvements for the direct and indirect reports (in coordination with the area manager) including management and technical areas, set career development objectives as part of the performance review process;
• Work with HR and the line manager in identifying and delivering capacity building opportunities/plans (i.e external trainings and/or internal trainings) relevant to/tailored towards the function of each direct/indirect report under the program department.
• set regular meetings with direct and indirect reports (in coordination with the area manager) to review work plans and deliverables and to address challenges affecting the work environment and communication among the team.
• Provide on-site capacity building to the Syria based program staff if security permits.
• periodically map out the staffing needs in alignment with program size and any expansion or reduction, and provide recommendations to the program manager based on the results.
• Promote and encourage team spirit, innovation and collaboration approach among team members in Turkey and Syria;
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem-solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

Cross-cutting theme:

• Deputize the program manager when absence;
• Any other duties assigned by the line manager/program manager.

Qualifications & requirements:

• Excellent experience and understanding of the Syrian context.
• Solid programming, administrative and management experience required. Prior NGO experience is a distinct advantage.
• Relevant experience of the programmatic aspects of primary and secondary health care, malnutrition management, reproductive health and epidemic response.
• Knowledge of organizational systems and procedures.
• Excellent reporting and research skills.
• Previous RI experience in a similar context a plus.
• At least a bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject.
• Readiness to uphold the highest standards of integrity, adherence to humanitarian principles and standards, as well as a commitment to RI’s overall mission.
• Fluency in English and Arabic, Turkish is an asset.

RI Values:

• We uphold the Humanitarian Principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality and operational independence.
• We affirmatively engage the most vulnerable communities.

We value:

• Transparency and accountability.
• Agility and innovation.

Professional Standards

All Relief International members (staff, volunteers and interns) are committed to the RI policies such as, RI Code of Conduct, Child Protection Policy, Reporting Conflict of Interest, Reporting Misconduct, Reporting Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. All new comers are expected to adhere to all these policies.

Disclaimer Clause

This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, effort, duties and responsibilities associated with position.

In case you meet the requirements and that you are interested in the position, please send your CV and Cover letter in English in addition to three professional references To hrturkey@ri.org before September 15, 2018 stating in the subject “Deputy Program Manager“. Please note that the position may be filled before the deadline of submission of applications. All candidates must be eligible to work in Turkey.