Emergency Operations Manager – THAILAND

“Outraged by the injustice faced by people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, we aspire to a world of solidarity and inclusion, enriched by our differences, where everyone can live in dignity”

Humanity & Inclusion (HI) is an independent and impartial aid and development organisation with no religious or political affiliations operating in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. We work alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable people to help meet their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.

Since the organisation was first founded in 1982, we have set up development programmes in more than 60 countries and responded to many emergencies. Today we have a budget of around 150 million euros, with 3500 employees worldwide.

The HI network is an organisation made up of a Federation (with 2 operational HQs in Lyon and Brussels), 8 national associations (Germany, Belgium, Canada, United States, France, Luxembourg, United Kingdom and Switzerland) and the HI Institute on Humanitarian Action. All these entities work concertedly to implement HI’s international aid and development mandate.

The Federation is responsible for implementing the network’s social missions in around sixty countries. It operates under the names “Humanity & Inclusion” or “Handicap International” depending on the country.

HI is engaged in an employment policy in favour of disabled workers.

For further information about the association: www.hi.org.

JOB CONTEXT :

HI has been working in Thailand since 1984 and first focused its actions on the provision of mobility and assistive devices to Thai and Burmese landmine/EO survivors. Currently, HI implements projects focusing on 3 thematic areas along the Thai-Myanmar border:

• Physical and functional Rehabilitation: provision of functional rehabilitation services for people with disability in five temporary shelters (Tak and Mae Hong Son provinces),

• Disability and Social Inclusion (DSI): social inclusion of people with disability and mainstreaming disability into humanitarian services in five temporary shelters (Tak and Mae Hong Son provinces). A protection survey has been launched to identify specific risk faced by persons with disabilities, including women and girls, to revise current programming,

• Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE): raising awareness activities on the risk of mines and explosive remnants of war implemented in all nine temporary shelters

National elections were held in Myanmar on 8th November 2020 to elect members for both Upper House-Amyotha Hluttaw, the Lower House- Pyithu Hluttaw of the Assembly of the Union and State and Regional Hluttaws, as well as ethnical affairs ministers.

Following months of increasing tension, a military coup occurred on February 1st 2021, to contest the result of the national elections held in November 2020 which proclaimed as winner the National League for Democracy (NLD), with almost 80% of the elected seats. The elected government was deposed by the Tatmadaw, the Myanmar military, which proclaimed a year-long state of emergency after which new elections would be held. President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were detained or placed under house arrest along with key officials, and all powers (executive, legislative and judiciary) were vested in Commander-in-Chief (CinC) of Defence Services Min Aung Hlaing under the provision of Section 419 of the 2008 Myanmar Constitution.

Since the coup, Myanmar is facing daily demonstrations, most government workers and civil society actors have joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), civilian contestation continues to grow, a curfew has been installed, banking and cash flow operations have been disrupted, insecurity is rising throughout the country and the repression keeps getting more and more violent, with night raids to arrest civilians, townships declared under martial law, people increasingly injured or killed during protests, arbitrary arrests and detentions, cybersecurity tightened and daily internet cut-offs, and 5 local media outlets have had their licence revoked. Since the beginning of the coup to April 10th, reports mention a total of 700 civilians killed during raids, arrests and random gunfires.

On March 27th, the military launched deadly airstrikes on Day Bu Noh and surrounding villages, in the heart of the Salween Peace Park in northern Karen State’s Mutraw (Hpapun) District, as well as in other Karen areas outside of the peace park in Kler Lwee Htoo (Nyaunglebin) District. Following the first round of airstrikes on the 27th of March 2021, the Karen National Union (KNU) / Karen National Liberation Army (KNL, its armed wing) announced that further actions would be taken against the Myanmar Army Forces (MAF) to protect its territory, and they declared over the 2015 Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) and political talks suspended.

Since April 1st, clashes between the MAF and KNU/KNLA have continued to take place and the military has carried out several aerial bomb attacks, targeting key sites in territory under the control of KNU/KNLA in Hpapun (Kayin State) and Kyaukkyi (East Bago Division).

These recent attacks came after four months of intensifying Burmese artillery assaults on Karen villages in territories held by the KNU/ KNLA, in both Mutraw and Kler Lwee Htoo Districts, which had already forced more than 5,000 Karen people to flee their villages before the March airstrikes even began.

Snice March 27th, the deteriorating security situation and intensified clashes have resulted in new displacement in the region, with between 10,000 to 20,000 estimated IDPs. Of this number, over 3,800 persons crossed the border into Thailand to seek safety and though the majority have since had to return to Myanmar, Thailand still reports approximately 1,100 persons on its territory.

HI has therefore decided to prepare an emergency response, in a first phase remotely from its base in Mae Sot.

Keeping in mind the fluidity of the situation and the access constraints to the affected population, HI’s response will be based on a dual approach:

· For those displaced on Myanmar side, multipurpose mobile units (Read, FPA, protection, MRE, Covid) with distribution of emergency kits and referrals and potential wash, food and shelters and MHPSS components;

· For those who reached Thailand, identification of people with disabilities upon arrival, rehabilitation care and assistive devices provision, individualized follow-up of vulnerable people and access to services (health, protection, distributions…), MHPSS and MRE

To carry out the response, HI Myanmar/Thailand is looking for an Emergency Operations Manager for 6 months.

YOUR MISSION:

Under the responsibility of the Myanmar-Thailand Programme Director, you contribute to the implementation of the mandate of Humanity & Inclusion. You ensure optimal quality and impact of the projects implemented and share with all HI managers the responsibility of a sound management and successful functioning of the global organization, through paradigm changes.

Main Responsibilities:

· You are responsible for developing and implementing, the projects part of the Programme operational strategy.

· Under the guidance of the Technical Unit Manager and the MEAL and Support Services Managers, you deploys all adequate tools that will allow project monitoring, financial controlling and compliance with HI policies and frameworks (in particular HI Project Monitoring & Evaluation policy), and the respect of contractual obligations towards donors.

· You contribute to monitor and analyze context developments, in order to identify operational risks and opportunities, and proposes actions to the Regional Director.

· You contribute to organizational transformation in line with Lean, Shared Services and ROOTS projects.

· You manage a team of 4 to 6 Project managers.

Due to the developing and volatile situation in South East Myanmar and emergency nature of the programmatic response, your responsibilities may evolve as per programmatic needs.

YOUR PROFILE :

· You have minimum 3 years’ experience in managing emergency international projects, especially projects including mobile units ; experience in the sectors of Mine Risk Education, MHPSS, rehabilitation is a great asset

· You have already worked in Asia, ideally with HI

· You have experience in negotiation with armed groups

· You show leadership when managing a team as well as very good interpersonal communication skills

· You have a good knowledge of development challenges related to situations of vulnerability

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POSITION :

Covid-19

Thailand is experiencing a new surge of covid-19 cases since mid-December 2020. A countrywide State of emergency is in vigor until 28th February 2021 (it has been regularly extended since March 2020), with partial lockdown around Thailand. Access to Thailand for foreigners is challenging, with few commercial flights, compulsory visa and quarantine rule. Wearing mask is compulsory in public places in Thailand.

Humanitarian Access

Thailand has a long-standing history in receiving refugees from neighbouring countries even though Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol and does not have a formal national asylum framework. Myanmar refugees have been hosted on the Thai-Myanmar border for over three decades; currently, about 90,000 refugees live in nine temporary shelters.

Camp management is controlled by the Thai authorities, namely the Ministry of the Interior (MoI), in collaboration with locally appointed Ethnic Refugee Committees. The US is the largest donor with a general funds decreasing trend from institutional donors (especially the EU). 13 NGOs that are gathered under the Committee for the Coordination of Services to Displaced Persons in Thailand (CCSDPT) have been facing the challenges with funding cuts started in 2016. Food, non-food items, shelter, medical assistance, education, water and sanitation and other services continue to be provided by NGOs within the CCSDPT framework authorized by the Royal Thai Government, with UNHCR and other donors focusing on promoting an acceptable protection environment and filling certain gaps where possible.

In light of the political movements in Myanmar witnessed since early 2012 a UNHCR facilitated voluntary repatriation process is in place – with so far low achievement and low willingness of refugees to return. Advocacy for refugees to access a legal migrant worker status has started.

Safety and Security in Thailand

No specific restriction, except related to COVID-19 prevention (wearing mask is compulsory when being outside, quarantine at home when traveling to other province). Access to the camps is allowed through authorization from the Ministry of Interior – due to COVID-19 access to the camps might be limited. Main safety issues are related to road safety, street dogs, health (COVID-19, dengue, chikungunya, flue, pollution).

Standard of living

Mae Sot is a small district town in western Thailand a few kilometers from the Myanmar border. The living and working conditions are good and Mae Sot offers a wide range of facilities (banks, supermarkets, restaurants, bars, hotels, swimming pools in hotel and 2 cinema). Expats are not allowed to use motorbikes but HI vehicles with proper Thai driving license. Riding bicycle within Mae Sot is possible. Travel to other parts of Thailand from Mae Sot is by public transport mainly buses. Nearest cities: Chiang Mai 5 hours by bus; Bangkok is one hour by internal flight.

CONDITIONS:

At HI, the conditions offered are up to your commitment and adapted to the context of your mission. Particular attention is paid to health issues and your personal situation.
We offer an induction and training path adapted to our staff members and we have a HR policy oriented toward mobility and professional development.

· Duty Station: Mae Sot, Thailand (potential relocation to Kayin / Karen state, Myanmar conditional to security, borders opening, programmatic activities)

· 6 months International contract **

· The international contract provides social cover adapted to your situation:**

o Unemployment insurance benefits for EU nationals**

o Pension scheme adapted to the situation of our employees: If you already have a personal pension scheme HI will contribute at the same level of your personal monthly contribution with a maximum of 272.53€/month ; If you do not have a personal pension scheme, we will open a private pension account with your contribution of 272.53€/month and a contribution of HI of the same amount**

o Medical coverage with 50% of employee contribution **

o Repatriation insurance paid by HI**

· Salary from 2750 € gross/month upon experience ; Perdiem : 573 € net/month – paid in the field

· Paid leaves : 25 days per year; R&R : 1 day per month

· Single Position, collective housing taking in charge by HI.