GBLCAREERS

COOPI Cooperazione Internazionale, is a humanitarian, non-confessional and independent organization founded in 1965 in Milan, Italy. For more than 50 years** we have been dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty and to supporting populations affected by wars, socio-economic crises or natural disasters in their path to recovery and sustainable development, by making use of the professionalism of local and international operators, and through our partnerships with public and private bodies and civil society organizations.

Context and background

Since the declaration of state of emergency in the Nigerian federal States of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa, the escalation of the Boko Haram insurgency has led to multiple displacement crises, with communities fleeing their area of origin to take refuge in camps or host communities. In 2014 there was a substantial increase in violence related to Boko Haram and the counter insurgency operations, consequently creating acute and largely unmet humanitarian needs, as IDPs are cut off from their homes and livelihoods, basic services, kinship and social ties. In September 2014, COOPI began operating in north eastern Nigeria in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the insurgency, established its operation in Bauchi State and later expanded to Yobe State considering the heightened presence of IDPs in the LGAs of Fika, Damaturu, Potiskum, Geidam and Yunusari. Recently, COOPI initiated an assessment mission in Borno State and establishes a presence in Maiduguri to launch operations in the most affected area of the Lake Chad crisis. COOPI is currently operating in 5 LGAs in Yobe State, reaching about 25,000 individuals among IDPs and host communities with a multi-sectoral intervention covering nutrition, food security and child protection. COOPI has recently developed a cash & voucher based response system in Nigeria to address the food insecure communities while integrating this approach with a nutrition component – community outreach, referral system, IYCF campaign and appropriate therapeutic services addressed to malnourished children and pregnant and breastfeeding women. Given the unfolding large scale emergency in the north eastern Nigeria, COOPI plans to scale up its current operations in Yobe state and reach newly accessible areas, in addition to areas receiving Nigerian returnees from Niger, with its multi-sectoral services including food security, cash transfer programming, nutrition and protection. Furthermore, COOPI plans to set-up operations to extend its humanitarian services to affected populations in Borno state, including the capital Maiduguri and newly accessible areas in the state, where the most vulnerable populations are stuck with insufficient basic services to respond to their immediate needs in a dignified manner.

Position: Area Coordinator

Description of the position

In close cooperation with all the different positions in place at Country Coordination level, the Area Coordinator is responsible for the overall management of quality of program, staff management, logistics, security, finance and procedures’ respect. Delegated by the Head of Mission, he/she represents COOPI with donors, institutions, NGOs, local government and international agencies available in the area. He/she guarantees the correct project implementation and the donors’ procedures respect. He/she cooperates with the Head of Mission in the definition of the Country Strategy and intervention priorities for its area of competence.

Starting date: July 2017

Duty station: Yobe State (80%) and Abuja (20%) – this is a non family duty station

Area of intervention: Northern states of Yobe and Borno

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Institutional relations: Delegated by the Head of Mission, he/she manages relations with institutional donors and potential ones. In coordination with the Head of Mission, he/she represents COOPI in its area of competence through relations with institutions, NGOs, local and international organizations, and partners. He/she is also responsible for the Organization’s reputation in the area.
• New opportunities identification: He/she verifies and proposes to the Head of Mission the intervention priorities to consolidate new opportunities of involvement in the area. He/she cooperates with the Head of Mission in the identification of new project opportunities in his/her area of competence. Delegated by the Head of Mission he/she participates to the elaboration of the strategy for his/her area of intervention.
• Project management and strategy: Always referring to the Head of Mission and in coordination with the Project Managers, he/she coordinates and directly supervises projects, guaranteeing their correct implementation in conformity with contractual obligations and donors’ procedures, and in line with the COOPI’s procedures and management standards. He/she coordinates the elaboration, writing, and necessary documents preparation for presenting new projects, referring to the Head of Mission. He/she is responsible for the preparation of projects’ reports and all monitoring documents requested by the coordination office. He/she ensures that all official and administrative documents are transmitted to the Country Coordination.
• Country office management: He/she is responsible for all different aspects linked to the country office management: economic and financial situation, logistics, and local staff management, in conformity with the organization’s guidelines. He/she guarantees the Country Regulation and the respect of the organization’s procedures.
• Staff management: He/she is responsible for the local staff management and training, in his/her area of competence, in close cooperation with the relative functions at Country Coordination level, whose indications he/she follows. He/she coordinates the expatriate staff, monitoring their activities, and participates to the staff evaluation, together with the Head of Mission.
• Safety: He/she is responsible for the expatriate staff security in the area, and for the correct implementation and respect of the general security regulation. Economic and financial management: He/she is responsible for the economic management of his/her area of competence. He/she supervises the financial management and, in cooperation with the Area Coordination
• Administrator and the Administrative Coordinator: he/she participates to the preparation of coordination and projects’ budgets. He/she ensures – through the administrative function – the respect of financial reporting deadlines and the organization/donor’s procedures.

PROFILE:

• Advanced degree in International Education, International Development, Health and Nutrition or a related field or equivalent work.
• Minimum 3 years experience in the humanitarian field and in a similar position, with a track record of success and results achieved;
• Previous experience with an international humanitarian NGO is an advantage;
• Desirable experience of working on EU/ECHO, USAid/OFDA, UN and Italian Cooperation;
• Experience of working within an insecure environment with responsibility for security planning, monitoring and management.
• Strong analytical and practical problem-solving skills;
• Strong supervisory abilities, and demonstrated capacity of teamwork and of coordination with the relevant actors;
• Very good inter-personal and writing communication skills;
• Ability to organize work efficiently and deliver assignments in a timely manner often under time constraints;
• Proficiency in written and spoken English;
• Computer literacy, with high proficiency in the use of standard office software applications (e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint);
• Valid driving license.

How to apply: please send CV and cover letter with 3 references.