Associate to the Regional Director (ARD) – East Africa Region at Handicap International (HI)

YOUR MISSION:

• Under the responsibility of the Regional Director, the ARD contributes to the implementation of Humanity & Inclusion’s mandate and strategy. He/she is the driving force behind the programmatic development of social missions within his/her technical scope, and ensures that the quality and impact of the projects implemented in the region are optimized, in line with the priorities defined in the Technical Strategies.
• The ARD is the focal point of the region for operations and emergencies and will work closely with the RD and the SMT.
• He/she actively participates in the progressive structuring of the East Africa Division in accordance with HI’s organizational principles, prioritizing the development of skills within the business line.

Responsibility 1: Control tower: Monitor the implementation of HI strategies and policies

• Ensure that internal checklists are designed and used by each department for regular internal control / spot checks during visits to countries, in coordination with the Regional Managers and the relevant HQ referents.
• Monitor the implementation of HI global policies (PSEAH, child protection, fraud and bribery, mandatory cross-cutting approaches, etc.)
• Propose and organise “change management” & contribute to organizational transformation, in particular through changes in managerial practices, continuous improvement and the enhancement of work processes
• Alert the RD or other relevant services in case of problems and contribute to problem identification and recommend actions to be taken
• Coordinate and support the implementation of internal investigations on specific PSEAH, fraud, or HR abuse cases, when required by the RD.
• Make sure ARCIs are done according to organigramme and facilitate its update
• Formalize the monitoring by feeding relevant dashboards
• Support the RD in controlling and producing adequate and reliable reporting

Responsibility 2: Capacity builder: Contribute to capacity improvement

• Ensures the development of skills in the Field Project Management professional channel (Project Managers, Area/ Operations/ Country Managers):
• In coordination with Country Managers, establishes consolidated training needs for the program
• Organizes relevant training courses in conjunction with the professional channel Authority (3I)
• Facilitates program communities of practice and encourages participation in global communities of practice
• Contribute to trainings on prioritized operational topics (provide inputs on training components, contribute to facilitation of trainings…)
• Can be a mentor for senior operational staff (Area Managers, Operations Managers, CMs, etc.)
• Can be a coach for new regional positions of HI, working methodology, stakes, global strategies, etc.
• Contribute to recruitment of senior operational staff and annual assessment of these positions.
• Promote organisational culture together

Responsibility 3: Emergency preparedness and response

• Lead the definition and the implementation of the regional REACT action plan at regional level, in close coordination with the concerned Regional Managers
• Contribute to improving practices and frameworks on emergency response and partnerships
• Maintain a humanitarian alert system at regional level to support regional and national preparedness.
• Support the Country Managers in the definition and implementation of country’s REACT action plan and emergency responses in their country
• Ensure the required coordination and information-sharing with all concerned HQ departments during emergency responses
• Responsible for MPMs follow up at regional level
• Acts as Emergency Operations Manager, temporary support to Country Manager, or other senior management role during the initial stages of an emergency, in support to the CM and the country team (as per specific delegation by the CM)

Responsibility 4: Management

• Replaces a Country Manager (CM) during his/her absence (when no other resource is available at country level) or ensures gap filling (as per standard CM Job Description)
• On an ad-hoc basis, acts on behalf of the Regional Director (RD) on certain subjects in his absence, if decided upon with the RD.
• Supports the RD in the organization of regular coordination meetings and of the annual workshop for the region.

Responsibility 5: Operation strategy and steering

Operation Monitoring

• In collaboration with the Technical Unit (THOP), he/she ensures consistency and alignment between funding strategies, technical strategies and partnership strategies – particularly multi-country initiatives – whilst adhering to HI’s priority objectives (localization, diversification of funding sources, etc.).
• Provides support to the Regional Director and the Country Directors/Managers in the region to explore and develop new value propositions, strategic alliances, major contracts, etc.
• He/she leads the development and subsequent monitoring of the future Operational Strategy for the Region, across its programme areas.
• Ensures collective construction and capitalization of regional knowledge (factsheets, infographics, videos, positioning, HI experiences) in collaboration with the SMT and MEAL department
• Acts as the operational focal point for the region and is responsible for monitoring projects (implementation, reporting, amendments, project reviews, connection with finance & technical team, etc.) in the countries, working closely with Country Managers and Project Managers.
• Ensures the sizing and planning of the resources needed for operational implementation
• Ensures compliance with donor rules and monitoring of contractual commitments from signature to closure, through one or more Grants Officers and in collaboration with Operations/Country Managers.

Partnership strategy and process

• Monitor the implementation of HI’s global partnership guidelines and of the regional StratOp partnership objectives
• Lead the regular adaptation and monitor the implementation of the partnership process
• Lead the organization of strategic exchanges and lessons sharing partnerships across the different countries
• Support the Country Managers and the Specialists in the definition of the partnership approaches for their country’s sectorial strategies.
• Revise and approve partnership agreements with high financial value, in accordance with the partnership process

Requirements

• You have at least 10 years of proven experience in operations and team management in an international humanitarian context.
• You have strong leadership skills and the ability to work with multicultural teams
• You have a strategic thinking and the capacity to develop operational and partnerships strategy at regional level
• You have very good representation skills
• You have excellent skills in capacity building and teams support
• You can develop and implement an operational strategy including fundraising
• You have good analysis skills in terms of context, stakeholder landscape and programme’s intervention strategy
• You have experience in safeguarding, prevention and response to abuses of persons (employees and partners)
• French and English mandatory

Benefits

• At HI, the conditions offered are up to your commitment and adapted to the context of your mission:
• 24 months International contract starting from 1st, September 2026;
• The international contract provides social cover adapted to your situation:
• Unemployment insurance benefits for EU nationals;
• Pension scheme;
• Medical coverage with 50% of employee contribution;
• Repatriation insurance paid by HI;
• Salary from 3232€ gross/month upon experience;
• Perdiem: 545€ net/month – paid in the field for Ethiopia/
• Hardship: 250€ net/month paid with your salary in Ethiopia
• Paid leaves: 25 days per year;
• R&R: according to the level of the mission 5 days every 3 months in Ethiopia

Position:

• Unaccompanied:
• Payment for travel costs (air ticket & visa) and transport of your personal effects;
• A child allowance of 100€ per month, per child (from the second child) paid in the field;
• Open to couples:
• Support travel costs (air ticket & visa) for accompanying dependent and health/ repatriation insurance if the dependent has no income;
• Payment of one yearly additional return flight;
• Open to families: Family package:
• a child allowance of 100€ per month, per child (from the second child) paid in the field;
• Contribution to school registration fees for children over 3 years;
• Family-wide health coverage;
• Payment for travel costs (air ticket & visa) and transport of your personal effects;
• Housing: Individual taken in charge by HI;

If you are resident in of the country: local package.

• National contract : 24 months
• Conditions :  Depends of the salary grid of the program in Ethiopia/Uganda/Kenya