Rapid Response Coordinator – Eastern Ukraine * Координатор/ка швидкого реагування – Схід України

Location: Kharkiv/Dnipro

Reporting line manager: Rapid Response Team Leader in Dnipro

Duration: 12 months renewable

Conditions: Employment contract, gross monthly salary from to EUR 2,857 to EU 3,354 depending on proven relevant experience for the post. Moving allowance to Kharkiv/Dnipro: 600 Euros lump sum. Annual leave of 28 days per fiscal year.

Starting date: ASAP

CARE INTERNATIONAL

CARE International (CI) is among the world’s largest international non-governmental humanitarian relief and development confederations. Drawing on more than 75 years of experience, through its 21 Members, as both a practitioner and thought leader, CI’s work reaches over 100 countries worldwide to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice.

CARE’s vision is to seek a world of hope, inclusion, and social justice; where poverty has been overcome and people live in dignity and security. CARE focuses heavily on women and girls, and the areas of gender equality, diversity, and inclusion are at the center of our work because we know that we cannot overcome poverty and social injustice until all people have equal rights and opportunities. We recognize that power relations between people and within systems and structures are unequal and that these are entrenched in our broader systems, structures, and institutions.

At the core of the CI Confederation is a globally distributed Secretariat, which provides coordination and support to its Members in areas including governance, strategic planning, communications, membership development and accountability, advocacy, humanitarian response, and program development. In addition, the Secretariat represents the CI Confederation at the United Nations and the European Union, and with other external stakeholders.

Context in Ukraine

On 24th February 2022, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine marked a significant escalation to the conflict that started in 2014. It continues to profoundly impact the lives of people across the country at various levels. The front line is continuously shifting and there are areas controlled by Russian forces as well as cities under siege. Aerial attacks on military installations and critical civilian infrastructures are conducted in the whole territory of Ukraine, often resulting in collateral civilian casualties. The conflict has caused the largest population movement in Europe since World War II, with 6.24 million displaced within Ukraine and 7.68 million refugees having fled to neighboring countries. By October 26, OCHA had counted 17.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.

Amid the upcoming winter, which is anticipated to be the worst in decades, at least one-third of the country’s energy infrastructure is damaged, leaving millions without heating and access to water. In October, the Russian Federation claimed to have annexed four Ukrainian oblasts, further increasing the challenge of access to these areas. Therefore, in addition to preparing the population for the approaching winter, an ongoing priority for the international humanitarian response is to secure access to recently liberated and recaptured areas in the East and to provide aid to previously unreachable and particularly hard-hit areas of Ukraine.

CARE UKRAINE

As a new actor in Ukraine, CARE prioritizes a locally led response and is partnering primarily with Civil-Society Organizations (CSOs), National NGOs, local authorities, and when needed, INGOs with a longstanding presence in the country and access to hard-to-reach areas. CARE Ukraine deliberately and strategically prioritizes partnerships with local and national Women Led and Women Rights organizations (WLO’s/ WRO’s), further strengthening the Gender in Emergencies (GiE) principle and the Women Lead in Emergencies (WLiE) approach.

In the first few weeks after the escalation of the war, virtually all humanitarian aid inside Ukraine was organized and implemented by local actors. These groups (together with local authorities) remain the principal aid providers but are quickly being exhausted of funds, fuel, and physical energy. Thereby, a considerable proportion of CARE’s resources is dedicated to strengthening and supporting the capacities of local partners. 

As of November 2022, CARE Ukraine has established partnerships with twelve local/national organizations (incl. four WLO’s/WRO’s) and five international NGOs. From the more than 28 million that have been raised for Ukraine thus far, more than half is allocated to local/national partners. Through the activities that have been implemented so far, CARE Ukraine has been able to reach 550,030 people, including IDPs and affected populations in hard-to-reach areas.

While CARE Ukraine’s office is currently located in Lviv, we are continuously working on strategically expanding CARE’s presence and reach with plans to open an office in Kyiv as well as field offices in Dnipro and Odessa, covering both the East and South of the country.

Role Objectives

Based in Kharkiv under the direct line management of the Rapid Response Team Leader in Dnipro Office, the Rapid Response Coordinator in Kharkiv is supporting the implementation of the CARE’s Rapid Response Mechanism in eastern Ukraine, ensuring that emergency interventions are timely implemented and efficient. Though CARE in Ukraine is aiming at developing a reliable and fair locally-led programme, the Rapid Response Coordinator will support the first phase of the emergency response by direct implementation or through partnerships.

The Rapid Response Team Coordinator role will be critical once a rapid assessment is triggered, supporting functions including being a liaison and administrator of all processes in order to conduct actors mapping, propose emergency response plans, including preparedness modalities, conducting assessment , post intervention monitoring and ensuring coordination with  local authorities, stakeholders, and other actors.

Though the Rapid Response Team will be based in Kharkiv, the area of intervention includes all areas where emergency situations may occur, essentially, but not exclusively, newly frontline and newly liberated areas and there will be an expectation of traveling to Sloviansk and other areas in the east.

• Support in planning and coordinating the implementation of Rapid Response activities including conducting needs assessment, identifying partners, etc.
• Ensuring that all implemented activities and interventions meet the quality standards and are complaint with CARE’s program framework
• Participating in the design and implementation of Monitoring and Evaluation plans for Rapid Response activities in CARE Ukraine, ensuring that the data collected can be processed into quality reports that can be used for management decision for future interventions
• Ensuring the development of need-based interventions whenever and wherever required/relevant
• Ensuring logistical support and needs for the project implementation in coordination with peer managers
• Ensuring compliance to the security rules in-country as set out by the Security, Safety and Access team
• Be a Point of Contact (PoC) for liaising with relevant actors including but not limited to government and authorities to ensure access and approval

Main responsibilities include:

Rapid Response Program Management

• Identify scenario of crisis, and define preparedness plans (including all security and logistics aspects required for triggering a rapid response)
• Support rapid assessments on-site, map the possible risks to be mitigated, define a response plan, evaluate the budgets/project available to address the needs identified, mobilize all needed resources, including partners, to ensure a timely engagement
• Safely organize emergency distributions when required/needed in collaboration with all possible resources available (authorities, partners, CARE staff)
• Support in in preparation of monthly/quarterly reports
• Support in planning and coordinating the implementation of Rapid Response activities including conducting needs assessment, identifying partners, etc.
• Ensuring the development of need-based interventions whenever and wherever required/relevant
• Ensuring compliance to the security rules in-country as set out by the Security, Safety and Access team
• Be a Point of Contact (PoC) for liaising with relevant actors including but not limited to government and authorities to ensure access and approval

Representation and Coordination

• Support network and good relations with the programme team, operations, authorities, and partners
• Ensure good relations and positive interaction with partners, local authorities, and beneficiary communities.

HR/Finance/Logistics/Security

• Works closely with other program, HR, finance, security and logistics teams to ensure proper project planning, timely recruitment, timely procurement of materials, renting of premises (e.g warehouses), compliance with security regulations, proper budget management (including budget forecasting and follow-up)
• Plan and coordinate proactively logistics and movements of Rapid Response team from and to different operational areas.
• Ensure distribution plans are prepared and shared with logistics in a timely manner
• Operationalize all security and logistics aspects needed to facilitate/optimize emergency response in-country

Monitoring , Evaluation , Learning and Evaluation         

• Participating in the design and implementation of Monitoring and Evaluation plans for Rapid Response activities in CARE Ukraine, ensuring that the data collected can be processed into quality reports that can be used for management decision for future interventions
• Ensuring that all implemented activities and interventions meet the quality standards and are complaint with CARE’s program framework

Requirements

Mandatory criteria for longlisting:

• Minimum 5 years in managing acute emergency crisis, including rapid response mechanisms
• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in people management and leadership

• Minimum 3 years of experience working at same level of position or above, with proven track record and exposure to disaster and emergency response operations.
• Proven experience from working in a humanitarian/emergency context.
• Previous experience working in emergency projects in complex and volatile contexts.

• Strong and recent knowledge of Ukraine humanitarian context

Expected

• Excellent knowledge in project cycle management, essentially in emergency settings
• Skills and knowledge of financial, procurement, safety and HR practices in Ukraine and in humanitarian organizations
• Proven experience in developing partnerships with national aid organizations, CBOs, CSOs and/or WROs.
• Proficiency in English, Ukrainian and/or Russian
• Computer skills (including Excel and Word)
• Excellent interpersonal and diplomatic skills
• Good organizational skills
• Capacity to work under a high level of stress
• Adaptation capacities to dynamic context
• Trustworthiness and sense of responsibility
• Organizational skills, reactivity, ability to be thorough and to adapt

Accountability within CARE:

A commitment to CARE values and CARE’s integrity framework is critical to working with CARE. Any candidate offered a job with CARE will be expected to adhere to the following key areas of accountability:

• Comply with CARE’s policies and procedures with respect to safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, confidentiality, do no harm principles and unacceptable behaviour protocols.
• Report any concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult or any wrongdoings within our programming area.
• Report any concerns about inappropriate behaviour of a CARE staff or partner.

Safeguarding:

Children and vulnerable adults who come into contact with CARE as a result of our activities must be safeguarded to the maximum possible extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury, and any other harm. One of the ways that CARE shows this on-going commitment to safeguarding is to include rigorous background and reference checks in the selection process for all candidates.

Gender equality:

CARE is committed to meeting the standards of the CARE International Gender Policy (2019). Through this policy, CARE seeks to promote the equal realization of dignity and human rights for girls, women, boys and men in all diversities, and the elimination of poverty and injustice. Specifically, this policy seeks to improve the explicit incorporation of gender in programmatic and organizational practices.

How to Apply:

Please send your complete application package (CV, motivation letter) only in English to <[email protected]>, no later than 2^nd of April 2023, with Rapid Response Coordinator – Eastern Ukraine as the subject title of your email.   Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.  References will only be contacted after the interview.