Head of Sector Coordination

Would you like to influence and shape DRC’s programming globally? Do you want to ensure DRC’s programmatic work across its five core sectors delivers impact for people of concern? Are you a strong technical leader, able to lead people and processes while also providing technical oversight?

Who are we?

Danish Refugee Council, one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is a displacement-focused organisation working to save lives, promote durable solutions and address the root causes of displacement. We are present in 40 countries worldwide affected by conflict and displacement and work across the full cycle of displacement.

Our programmatic expertise and efforts across our country operations are anchored in large part in our five core sectors: Protection, Economic Recovery, Humanitarian Disarmament & Peacebuilding, Shelter & Settlements, and Camp Coordination & Camp Management. At the global level, the core sectors are housed within the Programme Division in DRC headquarters in Copenhagen.

The Programme Division in HQ is the main ‘engine room’ for programmatic policy and development for the global organisation. It houses the core sectors as well as DRC’s overall Response Framework, which guides how we programme worldwide, as well units related to cross-cutting programmatic work such as emergency response and localisation. It also houses our climate & greening team.

About the job

In order to strengthen coordination and coherence across the core sectors, DRC is currently looking for a highly qualified Head of Sector Coordination (HoSC) for the Programme Division. The HoSC is a newly created role aimed at strengthening coherence and coordination across our core sectors and thematic capabilities.

The HoSC will lead and manage a team of direct reports, including the climate/green team and two of the five core sectors, which are led by individual global leads. In addition, the HoSC will co-manage (alongside the Programme Director) the additional three core sectors, each of which consists of a sector unit. The HoSC is a core member of the Programme Division management team.

The HoSC will play a critical role in providing leadership across the core sectors of DRC, working closely with the Programme Director. It will drive organising logic and harmonization across the sectors, while ensuring also that sectors adapt to the broader/contextual environment and according to end-user needs. Specifically, the HoSs will:

• Lead planning and coordination across sectors,
• Ensures the continued relevance of the set of core sectors,
• Support emerging sector or thematic areas,
• Maintain sector organizing logic,
• Plan and support appropriate resourcing,
• Facilitates coherent and relevant sector content,
• Coordinating, representing, advocating internally and externally as needed, and
• Provide leadership and management to direct and co-managed line reports.

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to be strong technical leader and manager, able to lead people and processes while also providing technical oversight and insight. You have the experience and ability to lead and supervise technical areas of expertise, drawing on a strong programmatic background working with sectors and thematic areas. You also excel in leadership and management, with a strong track record of managing people and teams and setting and driving strategic direction across a global organisation. You are able to drive forward your agenda while also building strong collaboration and team harmony.

All employees should master DRC’s core competencies: Communicating, Taking the lead, Collaborating, Striving for excellence and Demonstrating integrity.

Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required

• Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant technical management area,
• Significant management experience, with several years leading senior/global advisors, and some experience of leading leaders,
• Extensive programmatic experience working in and on fragile and conflict/displacement contexts, ideally from a Head of Programmes, Country Director or equivalent role,
• Considerable technical experience from and knowledge on sector approaches and organization hereof, including from at least two of DRCs core sectors,
• Significant field experience from humanitarian and/or fragile contexts,
• Some experience with HQ/global functions and/or regional functions,
• Some experience managing complex change and organizational development projects across a matrix-led organization,
• Demonstrated skills in coordination, representation and facilitation,
• Organized, articulate and with attention to quality,
• Fluent written and spoken English.

Desirable

• Experience from DRC operations,
• Knowledge of Danish, French or Spanish.

We offer

Contract length: Two year (end-2025) with possible extension

Work place: Borgergade 10, 1300 Copenhagen, Denmark.

Start date: As soon as possible in 2024.
The position is temporary and subject to extension of funding.

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with the agreement between DRC and Lederaftalen between Dansk Arbejdsgiverforening og Lederne (agreement for managers), which can be found here: www.lederne.dk. This is contractually a national position for which local terms and conditions apply. Our work conditions include, amongst others, a fair salary, fully employer paid pension contribution, six weeks of paid leave per year and flexible working hours.

Given the global nature of our work, DRC has a very diverse and international workforce. We have the strong ambition to better reflect this diversity also in DRC’s Leadership. While we consider all applicants and do not give preferential treatment to any group in the recruitment process.

Further information

For questions regarding the vacancy please contact Global Director for Programme, Andreas Ring (andreas.ring@drc.ngo) or Management Support & Administration Coordinator Alana Mary Shanahan (alana.shanahan@drc.ngo).

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo