Program Coordinator

Job Description

Workplace: Hanoi

Starting date: Immediate

Initial contract details: Full-time, minimum 18 months.

The challenge

Vietnam faces natural hazards of all types, including typhoons, floods, and drought. The country’s vulnerability is worsened by trends such as urbanisation, environmental degradation and climate change. Population density intensifies the impact of any disaster and makes infectious disease management a particular challenge. Most global measles deaths are now in Asia, and the HIV and AIDS epidemic is growing across the region, mainly among sex workers and drug users.

Role and responsibilities

The American Red Cross works with and through the Vietnam Red Cross 1 and has the utmost consideration. This is crucial for the success of the Red Cross programs in Vietnam.

The Program Coordinator manages development and implementation of the American Red Cross programs in disaster risk management and health care, to fulfil the country strategy. Providing leadership, strategic direction, management and evaluation of the American Red Cross program, the Program Coordinator also plays a key role in external representation, legal compliance, grant management, programme coordination and team leadership.

As a member of the American Red Cross Senior Management Team in Viet Nam, the Program Coordinator will have shared accountability for international development and emergency programming. The American Red Cross has a development program of about $3 million each year. There are 15 staff in Hanoi and in three provinces.

You will help transform American Red Cross programming in Vietnam to a new working model, while also delivering American Red Cross Strategy 2021 within the country through:

• Delivering quality programmes, including advocacy.
• Supporting the VNRC in strategic programming.
• Upholding excellent relations with our donors. Building new ones, including with the private sector and multilateral banks, and managing new opportunities.
• Guaranteeing growth and development.

Program outline

Multi-sectoral program including: community based disaster risk management, urban resilience, emergency readiness and response, and health vaccination programming. The goal is to help in improving conditions for vulnerable people in some of the most disaster prone areas of Vietnam.

Key areas

• Program leadership
  
  • To carry out effectively and efficiently the American Red Cross Country Strategic Plan, in close collaboration and coordination with the VNRC at national and subnational levels.
  • To deputise for the Country Representative in their absence.

• Management
  
  • Support managing relations between the American Red Cross and counterparts in the VNRC, notably those with the International Cooperation, Disaster Management, Healthcare, Communications and Resource Mobilisation, and Social Welfare departments.
  • Oversee programme implementation in consultation with the Country Representative and relevant Senior Programme Officers and support staff.
  • Support Senior Programme Officers in finance, administrative, human resource and logistics management, ensuring knowledge of and adherence to applicable operational systems, donor needs and country program strategy.
  • Prepare and carry out policies, procedures and guidelines, as suitable and with the relevant field managers and HQ staff, to improve the smooth running of the programs through standardised procedures and quality support. This may include finance and governance procedures, staff management, IT, security and infrastructure.
  • Manage a comprehensive plan for the American Red Cross programme, including resource needs analysis, covering the time frames of the project proposals.
  • Support developing new business initiatives, proposal writing, and bidding for tenders.
  • Work with the relevant Sector Program Officer(s) to safeguard integrating beneficiary participation and accountability in the programs.
  • Manage the relationship of the American Red Cross with PACCOM, including attending meetings, leading on report writing and timely submissions, and other needs.
  • Make certain American Red Cross-supported actions of the VNRC align with government policy, strategy and national target programs. Support the VNRC in strengthening its relations with key government departments at national and subnational levels, to perform tasks effectively,
  • efficiently and to the highest quality.

• Representation
  
  • Represent the American Red Cross at relevant national and local meetings with government officials, UN agencies, Participating National Societies, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, contractors, and I/LNGOs. Report as applicable to staff, field managers and the American Red Cross NHQ.
  • Represent the American Red Cross at regular meetings of the Disaster Management, Climate Change and Corporate Engagement Working Groups, and encourage VNRC counterparts to attend.
  • Represent the American Red Cross at regular meetings of the DRM Working Group among Participating National Societies, the International Federation and the VNRC.

• Staff management
  
  • Line manage Senior Program Staff, including direct supervision and development.
  • Reflect the vision and live the values of American Red Cross always and especially when interacting with team members and provide them with leadership, advice and support.

• Quality management
  
  • Make certain the Vietnam program is carried out to the highest quality, and all actions are in line with approved donor proposals, to American Red Cross, and international standards. Make sure all actions comply with Vietnamese Government legislation.
  • Keep to approved project proposals and make sure objectives are met within the timeframe and budget. Where necessary, take preventive and corrective action.
  • Follow the technical advice and direction of the relevant adviser’s in-country and at American Red Cross National Headquarters on quality, strategy and technical guidelines.

Experience and competencies

• Qualifications
  
  • Minimum of a university degree in social sciences, management, development studies, business administration, or in a relevant technical subject
  • An MBA or postgraduate degree in management or technical field or equivalent is desirable.
  • Minimum of 7 years’ experience in a senior leadership role working in an international development context, or at a similar level.
  • Proven experience of building, leading and developing a team of senior staff with different backgrounds and expertise.
  • A strategic thinker with proven experience in program development and good knowledge of donors (including multilateral, institutional and corporates) and context in Vietnam.
  • Excellent skills and expertise in planning, financial and budget management as well as people management.
  • Proven experience managing a crisis needing quick changes to priorities and rapid action to respond.
  • Proven experience leading change in an organisation which has led to notable results for the organisation and its stakeholders.
  • Track record of building personal networks at a senior level, resulting in securing new opportunities for the organisation.
  • Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clearway forward and ensuring buy-in.
  • Experience of representation at national and local levels dealing with donors and government officials.
  • Good understanding of operational, financial and support services management.
  • Good understanding of key trends in international and humanitarian development.
  • Commitment to the Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement See http://www.ifrc.org/who-we-are/vision-and-mission/the-seven-fundamental-...
  • Knowledge of Humanitarian Essentials, Sphere and HAP Standards and other international humanitarian guidelines and protocols.
  • Reflect the vision and values of American Red Cross with team members, local staff, beneficiaries, external contacts.
  • Team player with good interpersonal skills.
  • Experience and willingness in training and mentoring staff.
  • Strong character traits, including emotional stability, adaptability, ability to handle stress, cultural and gender sensitivity, honesty, and physically fit.

• Languages
  
  • Fluent English and Vietnamese language skills (both spoken and written).

• Working conditions
  
  • The post-holder will be based in Hanoi with regular travel to program sites, workshops and training events within and outside Vietnam.

About the organisation

American Red Cross

Helping communities around the World

The American Red Cross, see http://www.redcross.org/ is part of the world’s largest humanitarian network with 13 million volunteers in 187 countries. Each year, disasters around the world devastate the lives of millions of people – with your support, the American Red Cross is taking action to help save lives. Working together, we help respond to disasters, build safer communities, and teach the rules of war:

• Providing urgent support to people affected by disaster in countries across the globe.
• Helping to vaccinate children against measles.
• Investing in disaster readiness, making communities less vulnerable.
• Reconnecting families separated by international war and disaster.
• Educating about international humanitarian law.

Take a look at American Red Cross in Vietnam work at http://www.redcross.org/what-we-do/international-services/where-we-help/...

Benefits

• A competitive salary, based current comparators for similar positions in Vietnam, on the grade of the position, and the experience of the position-holder.
• Full in-country and regional briefing.
• Entitled to all benefits as regulated by Vietnam’s Labour Code
• Eighteen days annual leave.
• Additional accident and health insurance.

Application

The deadline date for applications is 5 August 2016. Follow this link: [email protected] if you are an experienced manager and have the relevant experience and qualifications, then apply for this vacancy by sending an English-language application comprising:

• A CV
• A cover letter outlining why you consider yourself to be the most suitable person for this position, and
• Contact details of three references (at least two of which are your current or most recent former manager).

Only selected candidates will be contacted; no phone calls please.

Vietnamese women and men are encouraged to apply.

See http://redcross.org.vn/redcross2/en2/home/index.jsp