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Shelter Project Manager in Haiti (Côtes de Fer)

Role and Responsibilities
To provide leadership, strategic direction, management and monitoring of designated shelter teams.

Project Overview
Medair responded to the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti and is implementing a transitional shelter programme in Jacmel and surrounding urban and rural areas in the South East district of Haiti. This current programme will reach over 3000 Beneficiary households (approx 18,000 individuals) and run through October 2011 providing basic safe transitional shelters. An additional 30 months shelter project started in Feb 2011 that plans to reach 1000 beneficiary households (approx. 6000 individuals) in a very underserved, rural area with permanent houses. Follow-up shelter projects or interventions in other sectors will be undertaken based on future assessments and needs.

Medair
Medair brings life-saving relief and rehabilitation in disasters, conflict areas, and other crises by working alongside the most vulnerable. Its staff are inspired by their Christian faith to care for people in need, providing practical and compassionate support, regardless of race, religion, or politics. Medair has achieved the ISO 9001:2008 certification, worldwide. This certification signifies that Medair effectively delivers goods and services with a focus on beneficiary needs. Founded in 1989, Medair’s unwavering commitment continues to bring hope to the world’s most vulnerable.

Workplace: Côtes de Fer, Haiti

Starting Date: As soon as possible

Initial Contract Details: Minimum 1 year, 100%

Key activity areas

Project Management
• Responsible for the implementation of Medair’s project(s) in Côtes de Fer in consultation with Country Director (CD), Projects Coordinator (PC), and Shelter Advisor (SA).
• Field coordination with other NGOs, local authority structures, military and other stakeholders.
• Supervise and train national staff in technical design, implementation and monitoring.
• Community mobilisation to initiate and encourage self-help transitional shelter construction.
• Training and technical support for communities in site selection, and construction of temporary shelters.
• Maintain records of property location, damage classification, and family selection data.
• Ensure that regular monitoring and evaluation assessments against project objectives are conducted and reported to PC and project staff, and that necessary redressing measures are taken if needed.
• Oversee a mobile assessment and implementation teams of Nationally Recruited Staff (NRS).

Financial Management
• Compiling and finalising the writing of project budgets and budget extensions.
• Monitor all project expenditure, project short and long term cash needs on an expenditure plan, and review against objectives set and achieved with the support of the Finance Manager.
• Ensure proper management and controls of all project’s financial aspects.

Administration / Communication
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting of activities to PC, donors and HQ.
• Liaise and develop respectful relationships with other NGOs / UN agencies / government bodies as needed.

Quality Management
• Ensure that all Medair standardised formats are used and guidelines followed.
• Aim to adhere to Sphere standards, HAP principles and other relevant good practice as far as possible within operational constraints.

Public Relations
• Develop and maintain relationships with NGOs on site and other stakeholders, with regards to projects questions.
• Meet with donors together with the CD / PC, if necessary.

Qualifications
• University degree and or relevant professional experience in engineering or construction
• Postgraduate degree in the humanitarian sector desirable

Experience / Competencies
• One year of experience in a leadership position
• Experience in timber frame construction and appropriate technology desirable
• One year of overseas experience
• Experience in dealing with cross-cultural negotiation
• Familiar with Sphere standards and Humanitarian Principles
• Knowledge or experience of Shelter Cluster technical guidelines and operation
• Management and leadership aptitude in a consultative approach
• Strong working knowledge of French, Creole or Spanish desirable
• Ability to prioritise clearly and oversee multiple tasks
• Proactive, focused, committed, dynamic, compassionate
• Desire to be stretched, professionally, personally and spiritually

Medair standard working requirements for the field
• Committed Christians and committed to the Medair values
• Experienced professionals in a relevant field
• Minimum three months of overseas intercultural experience
• Strong working knowledge of English (spoken and written)
• Single or married (with no children under 18). If married, your spouse must also apply
• Competent with Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
• Reflect the vision and values of Medair when interacting with team members, local staff, beneficiaries and external contacts
• Able to live and work with a multicultural team under difficult conditions
• Strong character traits, including emotional stability, adaptability, ability to handle stress, cultural and gender sensitivity, honesty, and physical fitness
• Successful completion of Medair’s Relief and Rehabilitation Course (ROC)

Benefits
• A salary based upon the grade of the position and the experience of the position-holder
• Full briefing at our Swiss headquarters, as well as an in-country briefing
• Security training for those going to particularly insecure environments
• Accommodation, food, and transportation in-country
• Return flights to and from the country programme (one return flight for every year of service)
• Annual leave, plus rest and recuperation (R&R) leave (including travel, accommodation, and food)
• Additional benefits for those who commit to longer contracts: up to four weeks additional paid leave every 12 months, and re-entry allowance
• Comprehensive medical and emergency rescue insurance, with up to 60 days post- assignment coverage, including debriefing

Working Conditions
• Cotes-de-Fer is a rural field site in a mountainous area in the south west of Haiti, approx. four hours from Medair Haiti’s main base in Jacmel.
• The CFE team lives in a small house a short drive from the office, both in Gris-gris, a small community.
• Living conditions are very basic but improving, and the main challenge is the poor quality of roads in the CFE area.
• Security is stable and Medair has a hurricane policy in place from June to November.

How to apply:

For more information on this and other positions, please follow this web link: www.medair.org/work-with-us and check the Field Vacancies.

We request that you complete all applications on-line at www.medair.org. Only English-language applications and CV’s will be reviewed. We will not review email applications. Medair does not set closing / deadline dates for applications; recruitment is ongoing until the position is filled. We review every online application. Applicants will be contacted only if they are selected as a potential candidate.

www.medair.org