YEMEN – FIELD COORDINATOR (H/F) – AL MOKHA

Desired start date: 25/01/2021**
Duration of the mission:** 6 months (renewable according to funding)
Location: Al Mokha

ABOUT THE MISSION

SI opened its mission in Yemen in 2017, establishing its coordination in Aden. With the support of the Emergency team, SI mission was able to quickly acquire operational capacity, which was first deployed in Lahj Governorate, for implementation of WASH and Food Security Programming.

The mission has a forecasted budget of about 10M Euros for the year 2021. It operates from Aden, where the coordination is based, and 2 operational field bases located in Al Turbah and Al Mokha. The mission is composed of approx. 20 expatriates and about 120 national staffs. Objectives for the mission for 2021 is to build on its Emergency Response capacity to expand in hard to reach areas, and develop qualitative interventions responding to emergency and protracted needs, while enhancing resilience.

In Al Mokha, SI implements emergency WASH and Food Security programs, funded by ECHO, HYPF (Humanitarian Fund), and SDC and Dutch MOFA. WASH activities entail water trucking, rehabilitation of water network, construction of emergency latrines and showers, distribution of hygiene kits, hygiene promotion, and cleaning campaigns. Under its FSL portfolio, SI distributes unconditional, multi-purpose cash to IDPs.

SI has been one of the first humanitarian actors to access the West Coast, and remains as of today positioned in hard-to-reach areas close to the frontline of Hodeidah. SI aims at maintaining this positioning and further expanding its presence in southern districts of Hodeidah. After a significant scale up in financial and operational volume on the West Coast in 2019, SI is expecting to maintain a similar portfolio in the area for 2021.

ABOUT THE JOB

General objective:

The Field Coordinator leads the base in Al Mokha (with sub-base in Al Khawkhah). In coordination with the Technical Coordinators and under the leadership of the Country Director, he/she develops the response strategy of the mission.

He/she supports and oversees the implementation of programs across the different areas of intervention.

He/she actively coordinates with humanitarian partners and the community to identify emergency needs, gaps in response, and proposes appropriate response as part of the mandate of SI.

With the support his/her team, he/she maintains close monitoring of the security situation in its areas of operation, and negotiates access to hard-to-reach areas with relevant stakeholders. He/she oversees support department and ensure adherence to SI procedures.

Responsibilities and main activities:

• Coordination and strategic orientation
• Relevance and operational quality / operation monitoring
• Resource management
• Human resource management
• Security
• Financial backer relations / search for funding
• Internal and external communication
• Representation

The main challenges:

• Volatile security context and access constraints: the West Coast is located on one of the frontlines of the conflict, south of Hodeidah city, which was until late 2018 one of the most active battlefield. While the frontline has since the Stockholm agreement froze on the West Coast, instability, tensions and clashes remains a possible scenario.
• Structuration of the base: Al Mokha base was opened late 2018, hence still in need of structuration (HR setup, inter-department work, compliance, etc.). The unattractiveness of Al Mokha for national teams adds to this challenge, with low retention of skilled staff, and need to strengthen capacity of locally-recruited teams.
• Strategic orientations: the humanitarian context in the West Coast is slightly moving from pure emergency to protracted situation, with IDP facing long displacements, few pockets of emergency, necessity to tackle roots cause of needs, host community to be targeted with resilience approach, etc. New projects development will therefore have to address this complex context.

Priorities for the 2/3 first months:

• Structure the base/reach target structure and related capacity building and compliance work
• Operationalization of SI strategy in the area / projects development
• Close security follow-up and pursue the access strategy

Management:

Mokha team is composed of approx. 35 staffs. The Field Coordinator will directly line-manage a team of 2 expatriates (1 Base Logistician, 1 Base Administrator) and 3 national staffs (1 Wash PM, 1 Field Coo Assistant, 1 MEAL Supervisor). The Field Coordinator directly reports to the Country Director and has strong interaction with the others coordination staffs.

YOUR PROFILE

The applicant must have a strong experience in context mixing emergency programming and early recovery response, and in implementing or overseeing such projects in complex humanitarian environment.

Specific skills and experience:

• Post-graduate with at least 5 years’ experience as humanitarian worker
• Previous experience as Field Coordinator (1-2 year) a prerequisite
• Experience in security management in tensed context
• Experience in implementing/supervision emergency projects
• Experience in delivering training and capacity building of staff
• Knowledge of project cycle management, and project reporting
• Knowledge of emergency and recovery programing
• Knowledge of the sub-region/prior experience in Yemen is an asset

Soft skills:

• Advanced leadership and management skills
• Good analytical and writing skills
• Advanced communication and negotiation skills
• Excellent prioritization and organization skills.
• Proactivity, flexibility, autonomy, pragmatism, solutions-oriented mindset.
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Anticipation and self-organization capacities
• Willingness to work in complex and volatile environments
• Capacity to work under pressure, solve problems and decide quickly on contingency actions.

Language:

• Good and proven writing and spoken English are required
• Arabic speaking is an asset

SI WILL OFFER YOU

A salaried post:
According to experience, starting from 2600 euros gross per month (+ 10% annual leave allowance paid monthly i.e. 2860 euros gross per month)
and a monthly Per Diem of 750 USD

SI also covers accommodation costs and travel expenses between the expatriate’s country of origin and the place of assignment.

Vacation: During the assignment, a system of alternation between work and time off is implemented at the rate of 7 working days every three months. For a one-year assignment, the expatriate will have a 7 working days break at 3, 6 and 9 months (with 850 USD allocated by Solidarités).

To these break periods, it is necessary to add the granting of one additional rest day per month worked, i.e. 12 days in addition for a one-year contract.

Social and medical cover:
Expatriates benefit from an insurance package which reimburses all healthcare expenses (including medical and surgical expenses, dental care and ophthalmological expenses, repatriation) and a welfare system including war risks. Essential vaccination and antimalarial treatment costs are refunded.

LIVING CONDITIONS:

Specific constraints related to security:

The security situation on the West Coast differs between Al Mokha, where SI Office/GH is located; and districts of Hodeidah governorates (beyond 1h drive from Al Mokha), where most of SI projects are implemented.

In Al Mokha, the situation is stable and calm due to heavy military presence from the coalition. Main risks in Al Mokha relate to landmines/UXO/IED presence (not in Al Mokha city, but in neighboring districts), celebratory fire, and/or cross-fire due to personal disputes. Criminality remains low in the city, owing to heavy military presence, while kidnapping is not considered a major threat in the area.

In southern districts of Hodeidah, i.e. SI areas of operation, the security situation is more volatile, as these districts are crossed by the frontline. Following the redeployment of armed groups from Hodeidah city, intensified shelling has been reported in these districts, as well as attempt from parties to regain territory.

To mitigate these risks, SI has developed strict security rules that the applicant needs to be ready to abide to.

Key information about living conditions:

Living conditions are good in a new guest-house/office building fully furnished with roof top and gym room, with internet, and 24/7 electricity. There are currently other expatriates from 5+ other INGOS permanently based in Al Mokha. Field visits are possible for international staff if the security situation allows. But movements are overall framed in a low profile strategy. The position is based in Mokha, but activities take place also in other districts along the West Coast. A sub-base was opened in 2019 in Al Khowkhah, located 40 minutes-drive from Al Mokha, where expatriate might occasionally spend some nights.