Regional Administration and HR Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION

Title: Regional Administration and HR Manager
Location: Nairobi based, with regular travel in region.
Contract and Duration: 1 year, with likelihood of extension. Starting 15
February 2009.

Closing date: 6th February 2008

Background.

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. Using a protection of human rights framework, DRC has mainly focused on Somalis who are displaced by conflict. Programmes include protection, livelihoods, food and NFI distribution, water and sanitation, and advocacy amongst others. There are 4 main programme offices in Somali region, one in Yemen, one in Kenya and one regional office in Nairobi. There are also non operational region wide initiatives, focusing on advocacy and capacity building, which are supported from the Nairobi regional office. Currently there is over 150 DRC staff in the region. The last 2 years have seen some growth in programme size, but primarily there has been a growth in the number of support and management functions demanded and required by the programme offices, in order to maintain quality and accountability.

Purpose.

The Regional Administration and Human Resource Manager is a new role which is set up to provide a) a senior office management role in Nairobi, as well as b) a leading role in ensuring that administration functions and human resources across the region are managed effectively to ensure high quality programme delivery.

Key Responsibilities.

Office Management: to ensure that the regional office functions efficiently in terms of its administration. Tasks include:

Managing support staff (administration, reception, drivers, guards and cleaning staff).
Ensuring all office utilities and infrastructures are appropriate, safe and functioning. (electric, gas, security, premises upkeep, health and safety, internet, telephones, fax, photocopiers etc)
Ensuring all necessary office resources are stocked and managed. (stationary etc)
Managing the office vehicle fleet- ensuring proper maintenance and road legality, as well as monitoring usage for business/ private use.


Communications: to facilitate good and regular staff communication, through arranging regular meetings and ensuring relevant information is being passed on to the region; to play a key role in helping represent DRC. Tasks include:

Organizing regular staff meetings in regional office.
Communicating key human resource and admin related information to field, and responding to requests from the programme offices.
Developing and Managing the DRC staff complaints handling mechanism.
Working with the Grant Manager, Information officer and others to ensure that DRC is well represented through brochures, posters and other media.

Compliance Verification: to ensure that the DRC offices comply with all necessary national and internal regulations, such as:

Employment standards
Internal staff Code of Conduct and staff regulations/ policies
Office health and safety
Other relevant regulations (visa, work permits, etc)
Contract management (office, guest houses, rental vehicles, regular service suppliers etc)

Human Resources: to work with the head of Finance and Admin to manage and maintain highest standards for human resource management. Tasks include:

Developing standardized job descriptions and contracts.
Ensuring quality and transparent recruitment processes; leading on all regional and Kenyan recruitments, as well as advising and contributing to recruitments in other programmes.
Ensuring that all new staff are efficiently inducted and that DRC’s employer obligations are quickly met (e-mail, insurance, payroll, benefits, visa, transportation, phones, first aid equipment etc)
Maintaining all necessary human resource/ personnel records.(contracts, performance forms, holiday requests, personnel files etc)
Providing oversight to the performance management system and advising on developments as necessary.

Regional support functions: to ensure that HR and Admin requests from the regional and programme offices are received and processed efficiently. Tasks include:

Supervising the bookings and payments for all flights in region, and for all accommodation and transportation required in Nairobi.
Managing the Nairobi guest houses/ staff houses, and advising on management of all other DRC staff/ guest accommodations.
Leading on organizing workshops and meetings in Kenya for regional or global DRC events.

Capacity building and advisory support: to ensure that regional HR and Admin policies are understood and applied effectively in all programme offices, and that national staff are equipped to do that. Tasks include:

Providing capacity building support (training, mentoring, advice, documentation etc) to staff responsible for applying HR and Admin policy.
Being the focal person for all HR and Admin related queries coming from programme offices and the regional office.

Reporting arrangements.

Reporting to the Head of Support Services
Managing admin assistant, reception/ secretary, drivers, guards, cleaners.

General.

Commitments: DRC has a Humanitarian Accountability Framework, outlining its global accountability committments. All staff are required to contribute to the achievement of this framework (http://www.drc.dk/HAF.4265.0.html)

Posting details: This post is primarily based in Nairobi, but with regular travel to Somali region and Yemen. Somali region suffers from general insecurity, and use of armed escorts is common.

Personal specifications

Essential.
Relevant Degree or other qualification in HR and Admin.
At least 3 years of relevant senior level experience in managing offices, staff, HR and administration.
Excellent communication skills, personable, calm and good sense of humour
Proven commitment to accountable practices.
Fluent in written and spoken English.
Proven ability manage large and varied workloads, and deal constructively with stress
Commitment to gender equity

Preferable.
Experienced in NGOs
Knowledge of working in Somali region

Terms and Conditions.
Salary- gross salary is starting at 3,000 USD per month.
Benefits- housing allowance contribution, insurance for employee.



All applications should be sent to: drcjobskenya@gmail.com. The closing date to send in your applications is Friday, 6th February 2009.