Position: Head of Mission – NORTH EAST SYRIA

Location: North East Syria

Type of contract: Contract of collaboration

Duration: 12 months (3-month probation period)

Benefits: R&R every 8 weeks on the field with 500.00 € as allowance, health insurance, round trip

Closing date of the vacancy: 23 April 2023 (applications on a rolling basis)

Starting from: ASAP

GENERAL CONTEXT

Un Ponte Per (UPP) is an Italian NGO established in 1991 with a mission to prevent armed conflicts, protect human rights, and support local civil society in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries. Since 2015, UPP has been leading the way in the North East Syria (NES) response, developing a comprehensive system of health services delivered in 26 facilities, including mobile units, hospitals, primary health care centers, and rural health posts, as well as providing capacity building for local actors on Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response, Child Protection (CP), Psycho-social Support (PSS) and protection mainstreaming in health programs. UPP also launched an Early-Recovery sector component focusing on capacity-building for Local Authorities and civil society, supporting municipalities in NES to establish links with corresponding public bodies in Europe.

For further information please refer to our website: www.unponteper.it/en/

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

UPP is looking for a Head of Mission Northeast Syria to join their team.

In this key position, you’ll be at the forefront of UPP efforts to monitor and analyze strategic and response plans released by donors, UN/OCHA and local authorities, and ensure that our organization is making a meaningful contribution to all relevant response plans. You’ll also represent UPP in coordination meetings and working groups related to ongoing activities and programs and lead our advocacy efforts at the country level.

You’ll also have to oversee, support and coordinate the successful implementation of programs through integrated sectorial development design, ensuring that our activities in the four governorates of Northeast Syria are making a real impact on the ground. You'll engage, communicate and support local partners through all stages of project development, implementation, reporting and audits, and work closely with our Country Administrator to manage the mission's operational, financial, and administrative priorities.

You'll provide effective supervision, leadership, coaching, mentoring and guidance to our international and national staff (+100) located across the four governorates of operations. You'll ensure that our personnel have successfully combined field, coordination, and remote management requiring innovative, impactful, creative and flexible approaches, and that all UPP personnel understand and comply with UPP Policies including Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, anti-terrorism, whistleblowing and Fraud.

Lastly, you'll be responsible for ensuring in-country security management and programmatic implementation is in line with UPP Security Plan and Standards. You'll guarantee the safety and security of the mission in collaboration with the security manager and develop and refine procedures to strengthen our preventative measures and risk mitigation strategies.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• University degree
• At least 5 years professional work experience in management position in NGOs
• Experience with the main international donors (with ECHO, DG INTPA, DG NEAR, BHA/USAID, philanthropy).
• Strong management and mentoring capacity, ability to plan, implement and solve problems effectively and efficiently
• Ability to take initiative, be proactive and maintain a solution-oriented approach
• Determination and commitment to high quality standards
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to establish and maintain co-operative working relationships with all program staff in the Mission, with people of different cultural and religious backgrounds, different gender and diverse political views, while maintaining strict impartiality and objectivity
• Ability to prioritize work, meet deadlines and work calmly under pressure, while maintaining flexibility and a positive approach
• Fluency in spoken and written English is required, Arabic is an asset
• Work experience in the Middle East
• Model and encourage active practice of the principles of neutrality, impartiality and fairness
• Gender, age and diversity awareness and sensitivity, and an ability to integrate this approach into daily work and mission strategic objectives
• Good command of Office package and windows applications.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

Un Ponte Per is an International NGO committed to diversity and inclusion within its teams, in line with the principle of non-discrimination. UPP encourages all candidates irrespective of gender, religion and ethnicity including persons with disabilities to apply and become part of the organization.

Ethical Conduct

UPP upholds all the minimum standards in terms of Ethical Conduct and strives to increase its standards over the minimum. Zero tolerance is reserved to Sexual Abuse and Exploitation and to Child Abuse, Violence, Harm, Injury and Negligence. UPP participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, therefore, any candidate assures that s/he has never breached any standard in terms of SEA and Child Safeguarding and that s/he will not in the future. UPP will conduct extensive reference check and vetting on shortlisted candidates that might compromise candidates’ privacy. Shortlisted candidates shall promptly provide an up-to-date criminal background check. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.