Country Manager (Occupied Palestine Territories – OPT)
Location: Ramallah, Palestinian Territory
Contract: 24-months fixed term contract, renewable
Salary: £50,726 + £1,865.92 monthly allowance

Can you champion a principled partnership approach and support strategic programme delivery for the British Red Cross, leading the representation and engagement with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society?

About the Role

The British Red Cross (BRC) Country Manager in OPT is responsible for leading a principled partnership approach in the representation and engagement of BRC with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS). Putting the PRCS strategy and a shifted power lens at the heart of the BRC’s engagement, this role will be a critical in-country interface to support the strategic delivery of programme outcomes aligned to the BRC/PRCS mutually agreed strategic priorities.

As the in-country lead for BRC, the Country Manager will act as the lead representative in OPT and will primarily be responsible for effective relationship building and partnership working at diplomatic levels with PRCS, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and partner national societies implementing programmes in OPT. They are expected to maintain and develop significant working relationships with prominent donor representatives, including FCDO.

The Country Manager in OPT will be entrusted to:

• Develop and maintain BRC relationships with the Palestine Red Crescent Society leadership, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) secretariat at the country level, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), other Partner National Societies (PNS) present in the country and strategic external actors, ensuring an open and transparent dialogue through diplomatic representation.
• Act as a key in-country relationship holder for the BRCs interactions with FCDO and other high-level donor representatives, as identified with the BRC MENA CCM and Program Quality and Development Manager (PQDM).
• Demonstrate a localisation approach to partnership working by prioritising relationships with PRCS and Movement partners within OPT to understand organisational needs and contribute to PRCS-identified organisational development.
• Act as the key representative of the BRC with senior ICRC and IFRC officials, seeking to implement an ambitious multilateral approach in OPT promoting innovative approaches that strengthen the Movement’s overall response in OPT.
• With the support of the team in MENA region, collaborate with PRCS in their implementation programming as outlined in donor-funded projects and the BRC Emergency Appeal bilateral support
• Support PRCS to maintain accountability to donors in all of BRC-supported activities within the country portfolio, ensuring BRC resources are used effectively with maximum impact.
• Responsible for maintaining a strong working relationship with all Movement partners with whom the BRC has a security management relationship, primarily the ICRC, and PRCS and IFRC.
• Support PRCS where agreed community engagement and accountability mechanisms and those for sharing information with and receiving feedback and grievances from affected populations.
• Oversee full budget management for MENA/Gaza Crisis (multilateral and bilateral).

What we are looking for

You will have significant working knowledge of the international humanitarian system, including the Red Cross and Red Crescent (RCRC) movement. Your commitment to principled partnership approaches, localisation, and the decolonisation of aid will be essential. Additionally, you should possess a good understanding of the context, challenges, and opportunities within the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).

You will excel in building and maintaining partnerships and relationships at senior and representational levels. An appreciation of, and ability to navigate, the cultural environment within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, especially with strong, influential, and well-resourced partners, is crucial.

Your experience should include developing and managing budgets with high accountability standards, and programme development through the entire programme cycle management process, including proposal writing for a range of traditional and institutional donors, such as the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Leading a country office with a significant budget and bilateral programmes, along with proven management experience at a strategic level in a complex organisation, is required.

You will have strong experience working with national organisations and supporting the capacity building of local partners. Demonstrated ability in developing and leading people, managing a multi-cultural team, and working with institutional donors, including government donors, is essential. Additionally, experience within the RCRC Movement is required.

You must be able to live in Ramallah/Jerusalem and operate in a physically demanding and ambiguous environment. A willingness to work out of office hours, when necessary, in response to emergencies, critical incidents, representation events, and security management duties.

It’d be useful if you have language skills in Arabic, as this would be a significant advantage. A good understanding of the basics of international humanitarian law and principled humanitarian action would also be beneficial.