Area Manager*

The position is to be filled as soon as possible, with an initial contract duration of one year. There are good prospects for an extension. Employment location will be Diffa, Niger, with occasional travel to project locations in the country.

Welthungerhilfe (WHH) is active in Niger in the fields of development cooperation and humanitarian aid. We aim to provide quality life-saving and life-sustaining humanitarian assistance to Nigeriens and refugees, while strengthening their capacities and facilitating access to livelihood opportunities, in order to achieve our goal of improving their well-being and resilience. As Area Manager, your main role will be to oversee project implementation and represent WHH in the Diffa region. You will work under the supervision of the Country Director and in collaboration with the relevant Heads of Department in the Niger Country Office to ensure that support services for projects implemented and planned in the region are appropriately structured and resourced.

Your responsibilities

• Ensure that all projects in the Diffa region are implemented in accordance with the country strategy, WHH and donor standards and regulations
• Act as Head of project for a German Federal Foreign Office (AA) – funded humanitarian project, managing all aspects of the project according to the rules and standards of the donor and WHH
• Maintain close working relationships with local donor representatives, local authorities, UN, NGOs, and other local stakeholders
• Line manage at least one national Head of Project as well as field office staff according to WHH leadership principles, staff policies and WHH strategy, ensuring inter-department coordination at project level
• Enable an effective team through result-oriented management systems, providing leadership, on-job capacity building and designing staff development strategies
• Ensure efficiency of the basic office structure (programme/resource needs ratio) while ensuring quality and enabling efficient implementation in line with project procurement and staffing plans, including planning for office scale-up/scale-down based on funding and contextual changes
• Close coordination with the Programme Unit ensuring regular information flows and adherence to sector strategies
• Ensure timely engagement with donors regarding modifications/extensions and proper closure of projects implemented in Diffa region; ensure that all projects report to donors according to quality standards and regulations (in collaboration with Head of Programmes, Finance Officer and Head of Finance)
• Participate in programme development, taking into account the local context and circumstances
• Provide regular analysis on the context and humanitarian situation for the development of project proposals and safety assessments
• Identify co-financing opportunities in the Diffa region and develop successful project proposals in line with relevant donor regulations and policies (in collaboration with Head of Programmes and Head of Finance)
• Participate in the identification of local partners and support the development and implementation of tailored capacity building plans
• Take responsibility for compliance with the country-wide security management system (establishment of functioning security management plans, etc.) and their adaptation to the local context, in cooperation with the Country Risk and Humanitarian Access Advisor

Your profile

• A university or college degree in rural development, humanitarian assistance or related discipline
• At least 5 years of senior management experience in emergency and/or development contexts in an international organization
• Proven experience of working in partnership with and building capacities of civil society organizations
• German donor experience (AA, BMZ) would be an asset
• Strong project/programme management skills
• Ability to lead and motivate teams in a challenging and fragile security environment
• Good coordination and organisational skills
• Readiness to receive necessary vaccinations for working in Welthungerhilfe’s project countries
• Excellent spoken and written English and French language skills

Our offer

We offer you the opportunity to work in a responsible and interesting field as part of an extremely dedicated team. Welthungerhilfe attaches great importance to the personal and professional development of its employees and the balance of their work and private life. Remuneration is based on our gender-independent salary scale. In addition, Welthungerhilfe offers numerous other benefits, which are listed under “Our benefits”.