Job Description

A job description is a written statement that describes the employee’s role and responsibilities. The role and responsibilities shall be executed within
the NRC framework. The job description facilitates the recruitment process by stating the necessary competencies. It is mandatory for all positions.

Position: Area Programme Manager

Grade: G9
Reports to: Area Manager
Supervision of: Core Competency Coordinators / Team Leaders
Duty station: Area Office North, Aleppo
Travel: 20%
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All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organisation’s core values: dedication,
innovation, inclusivity and accountability. These attitudes and believes shall guide our actions and
relationships.

1. Role and responsibilities

The Area Programme Manager (APM) is responsible for ensuring a quality, holistic and needs based
programming. The APM represents NRC at coordination forums, as delegated from line manager, and he/she
will be member of the Senior Management Team.

The following is a brief description of the role.

General responsibilities
1. Line management for Core Competency project coordinators or managers
2. Member of the Senior Management Team
3. Compliance and adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures
4. Responsible for ensuring programme support to integrated programme, coordination and technical
quality in Area office
5. Provide area specific input relevant for Core Competency strategies and Area strategy
6. Compliance to donor standards, and grant management and regular reporting to donor in Area
7. Identify funding opportunities and develop funding strategy and forecasts
8. Ensure compliance with contractual commitments, extracting and implementing key learnings from
project implementation
9. Coordinate new emergency responses in the Area
10. Ensure capacity building of all technical staff is developed and implemented

Specific responsibilities
• Representation in sectorial coordination, clusters and/or working group at the Area level
• Coordination with Donors and other external stakeholders at the area level, in coordination with
the AM
• Contribute to planning and implementation of needs assessments, with AM, Core Competency PMs
and Core Competency Specialists, including for new areas of operation
• Work with Core Competency PMs to develop programmatic strategy for
emergency/transitional/durable response and returns
• Responsible for area-specific input to local strategies, including contingency plans and
emergency/transitional/durable plans
• Responsible for holistic and integrated programme implementation, taking into consideration
quality, cost efficiency, and targeting beneficiaries most in need

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 • Coordinate with grants department to complete start-up, grants opening, review and closing
meetings in area
• Oversight of implementation of projects, including targets and budgets, in coordination with all
project coordinators or managers
• Ensure that technical direction is followed up on and implemented by Core Competency PMs, in
line with Core Competency Specialists
• Regular 1:1 meetings with direct line reports and completion of work and development plans for all
direct reports.
• Responsible to support the implementation of the PCM system together with the Area Manager
and in coordination with the CO Programme Support Unit
• Contribute to proposal development, identify donor needs / donor challenges PROTECTION AND
M&E
• Coordinate with Support functions to ensure effective and transparent project progress forecast
• Ensure systems for program quality control, protection mainstreaming, monitoring and evaluation,
and approach to identifying and acting on key learning in project implementation in coordination
with AM and CO Support Unit
• Ensure quality programming and implementation through existing M&E system and processes

Critical interfaces
By interfaces, NRC means processes and projects that are interlinked with other departments/units or
persons. Relevant interfaces for this position are:
• Proposal development: AM, CC Coordinators/Team Leaders, Core Competency specialists
• Programme implementation: AM, CC Coordinators/Team Leaders, Core Competency specialists,
M&E unit
• Grant management: AM, Programme Support Unit, Area Support Coordinator
• Capacity development: CC Coordinators/ Team Leaders

2. Competencies
Competencies are important in order for the employee and the organisation to deliver desired results. They
are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following two categories:

1. Professional competencies
These are skills, knowledge and experience that are important for effective performance.

Generic professional competencies for this position:

 Minimum 4 years’ experience from a management position in a humanitarian/ recovery context
 Experience from working in complex and volatile contexts
 Preferred Core Competency expertise
 Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities
 Fluency in English, both written and verbal

Context/Specific skills, knowledge and experience:

 Knowledge of the context in Syria / Previous Experience in Aleppo & Hama governorates is an asset.
 Knowledge / experience in one or more of the following: Education, Shelter, Livelihoods, Protection,
M&E
 Knowledge of donor proposals, budgets, financial reporting.

2. Behavioral competencies (max 6)

These are personal qualities that influence how successful people are in their job. NRC’s Competency
Framework states 12 behavioral competencies, the following are essential for this position:
 Strategic thinking

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  Managing resources to optimize results
 Empowering and building trust
 Initiating action and change
 Influencing
 Leadership and Management skills
 Handling insecure environments

3. Performance Management
The employee will be accountable for the responsibilities and the competencies, in accordance with the
NRC Performance Management Manual. The following documents will be used for performance reviews:
 The Job Description
 Work- and Professional Development Plan
 The Mid-term/End-of-trial Period Performance Review Template
 The End-term Performance Review Template
 The NRC Competency Framework