Chief of Party (Chef de Mission)

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is an international non-governmental organization, working in 40+ countries throughout the world. DRC has been operational in Burundi since 2018, supporting the return and reintegration of Burundians returnees and their host communities, as well as providing protection and assistance to Congolese refugee in camps in Burundi. DRC in Burundi works across 3 sectors: Economic Recovery, Protection and Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding.

Overall purpose of the role:

The CoP will lead the design and implementation of the project to ensure effective and streamlined management of program operations that are in alignment with the projects’ goals, objectives, and requirements. The Chief of Party will be responsible for providing strategic project leadership and oversight, managing the preparation and implementation of project plans, supervising diverse project personnel and external partners, maintaining program and financial monitoring and progress reporting, implementing capacity building initiatives, and engaging and mobilizing stakeholders for participation in the project. In addition, the CoP will need to have a strong understanding of economic inclusion programming in camps settings and must work collaboratively with government and non-government stakeholders, consortium partners, including managing sub-awards.

The Chief of Party (Chef de Mission) will lead DRC’s delivery of an anticipated refugee youth skills and employability project, funded by the Government of Burundi under the PACEJ programme, ensuring the successful implementation of activities and delivery of all outcomes in the target provinces. This involves working closely with consortium members, relevant ministries and institutions, refugees and all other stakeholders on managing high quality and timely delivery, ensuring that all beneficiaries are supported in their economic reintegration efforts.

Responsibilities :

The Chief of Party (Chef de Mission) will

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for the project, including leading coordination with DRC’s consortium partners.
• Supervise and guide the specialized team members (e.g., Training Specialist, Entrepreneurship Specialist, and M&E Specialist) to ensure deliverables are met on time and with quality.
• Oversee and manage the project workplan, ensuring alignment of the project activities with the overall project goals and objectives
• Anticipate challenges in project execution, particularly in fragile and complex contexts, and adapt project activities based on feedback from stakeholders, beneficiaries, and monitoring data to ensure relevance and effectiveness.
• Facilitate the enrollment of refugee youth and women into training, entrepreneurship, and integration opportunities within camps and host communities.
• Design and implement specific incentive mechanisms (e.g., subsidized registration fees, subsistence allowances, and training tools) to support youth integration, especially for refugee women and girls.
• Collaborate with artisanal units to create opportunities for hosting youth and women, identifying the support required to enable their participation in training or entrepreneurial activities.
• Develop strategies to facilitate the inclusion of refugees into host communities, ensuring they access opportunities both inside and outside camps.
• Oversee the establishment of desks for youth support, develop databases, and implement incentives for refugee youth and women.
• Ensure the creation of a comprehensive database for registered youth and women, categorized by gender, age, educational background, professional history, and potential career paths.
• Track project progress against milestones, ensure targets are met (e.g., 5,000 youth supported), and provide periodic and final reports.
• Ensure project goals are achieved and present a final report with outcomes and recommendations.
• Serve as the key point of contact for all stakeholders, fostering collaboration with community members, ONPRA, government ministries and technical services, local authorities and other NGOs to avoid overlaps and capitalize on opportunities.
• Work closely with the decentralized structures of the Ministry of Education to align activities with national priorities and systems.
• Facilitate information dissemination and awareness campaigns in target communities regarding the objectives and implementation of project.

About you

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’s five core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with our vision and values.

Experience and Technical competencies (included year of experience)

• Minimum master’s degree (BAC +5) in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Economics, or related fields;
• Minimum of 7 years of professional experience, with at least 5 years as a senior project manager, a Chief of Party or Deputy Chief of Party, specifically in economic recovery programming in areas like enhancing skills and employability, technical and vocational training (TVET) and entrepreneurship.
• Experience in the economic inclusion of displaced population, women and youth, with experience in East Africa/Great Lakes region being a strong advantage.
• Proven experience in leading teams and managing resources in complex environments.
• A minimum of 3 references in economic inclusion will be required, with at least 2 in a leadership role as Chief of Party (Chef de Mission).
• Previous experience in Sub-Saharan Africa is required, with experience in the Great Lakes region or Burundi being an advantage.

What we offer

Contract: 6 Month Contract with the possibility of extension, subject to funding and performance.

Management Band/ E1

Nationality: Expatriate or national

Availability: 1st February 2025.

Duty station: Bujumbura, with frequent travel to Ruyigi, Muyinga, Cankuzo and other provinces

Reporting Line: Head of Programme

Providing equal opportunities We are committed to creating an inclusive and positive work environment based on mutual respect for all employees. All applicants are considered for employment without attention to race, age, ability, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, or any other factor. At DRC we celebrate diversity and appreciate our employees for the people they are and their unique skills, backgrounds, and perspectives. We encourage all interested candidates to apply.

DRC strives to attract, motivate and retain qualified national staff within its programs. As such, we strongly encourage national and diaspora candidates to apply for this position.

Promoting high standards : DRC’s capacity to ensure the protection of and assistance to refugees, IDP’s and other persons of concern depends on the ability of our staff to uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. DRC conducts thorough and comprehensive background checks as part of the recruitment process.