Sep 23, 2017

Senior Technical Advisors, Conventional Weapons Destruction & EOD Afghanistan

Employer: Norwegian People's Aid
Location: Afghanistan
Ref: 141_142/17

Norwegian People's Aid is a humanitarian organisation rooted in the Norwegian Labour Movement. We work with International Development Partnerships, Humanitarian Mine Action, Rescue Service and First Aid, and Asylum and Integration. Norwegian People's Aid has about 12000 members in Norway and 2400 staff worldwide. We work in 36 countries around the world, and in 2017 we will have an expected turnover of 1000 MNOK.

Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) is looking for two Senior Technical Advisors for our recently established Humanitarian Disarmament (HD) programme in Afghanistan. We are looking for someone with strong technical background, physically fit with good understanding and experience in mine action.

The Senior Technical Advisors will be stationed in Kabul, and extensive travel in Afghanistan (security permits) shall be required.

Duties and responsibilities:

The Senior Technical Advisors will form part of the overall management team for NPA Humanitarian Disarmament in Afghanistan. Most specifically, the Senior Technical Advisors will be involved in all matters related to the operations of the programme, including on matters directly linked to development of the methodology and efficient monitoring concept. The main responsibility of the Senior Technical Advisors will be capacity building of National Technical Advisors in the programme in order to establish and further develop an efficient monitoring system within NPA programme.



General responsibilities:
Provide support in all technical and operational matters related to NPA's HD Programme in Afghanistan
Working with the Country Director and other operational staff to further develop NPA Quality Management and monitoring systems in Afghanistan
Assist in setting up a functional operations room with technical and operational planning and reporting systems
Assist in project technical evaluation and development
Provide technical assistance and operational development
Assist in operational documentation, reporting and information management
Assist and supervise assessments and planning of future tasks, survey and clearance operations
Assist and supervise in the use of information management and operational planning and management
Ensure that SOPs are updated and accredited by external authorities and approved by HO
Target resources and work towards an improvement of the planning process, so that operations are carried out with focus on quality, cost efficiency and impact



Specific duties:
Monitor the implementation of CWD/EOD operations of all implementing partners
Conduct site visits to ongoing CWD/EOD Operations when the security situation allows
Ensure that SOPs are followed and safe working practices by all members of staff within the NPA programme
Regularly assess and monitor the security situation and conduct threat and risk assessments
Assist in further development and amendments of technical documentation as needed
Closely liaise with operational management of implementing partners in Afghanistan and coordinate monitoring activities with the National Mine Action Centre
Provide technical advice and implement capacity development activities for the national authorities of Afghanistan and national staff of NPA
Regular liaise with local communities in a professional and culturally sensitive manner to ensure good relations with the local population



Required qualifications:

Must have:
Relevant higher education or equivalent military qualifications and proven ability to lead, manage, develop and motivate a team, or similar experience from the Mine Action sector
Experience from managing and/or monitoring Mine Action operations
Experience from setting up quality management systems
Experience from operational management and organisational development (e.g. humanitarian mine action/UXO programmes, overseas relief and development programmes or military international deployments)
Experience from project planning, implementation, follow up and reporting
Good knowledge in computer handling and report writing is necessary
Written and verbal proficiency in English



Desirable:
Experience of managing logistics, finance and human recourses is an advantage
Previous working relations with national authorities, military forces, partners and/or donors is an advantage
Certified qualifications up to and including EOD level 3 or higher would be an advantage
Good understanding of mine action operations' support, including logistics, finance and human resources
Knowledge of one or more of the languages of Afghanistan (Dari or Pashto) is an advantage
Experience in working with animal detection systems and mechanical demining operations
Proven experience in planning and implementation of Arms Management and Destruction projects
Experience with evaluation proposals an advantage
Good computer skills, GIS skills are an advantage



Personal competencies:
Good communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to meet deadlines and work calmly under pressure
Ability to work in and adapt to difficult and complex cultures and conditions is necessary
Physically fit and able to make long climbs in rugged terrain on foot to reach sites if required

NPA offers:
Salary: In addition to base salary, our salary package for this position includes post allowance, hardship allowance and a hazard allowance specific for Afghanistan*
Accommodation: NPA will provide free accommodation
Leave: The programme has an R&R rotation system and in addition NPA offers five weeks annual holiday**
Flights: Flights are paid by NPA in connection with R&R, in addition to contract start and end flights*
Insurance: You will be covered by NPA's comprehensive insurance package which includes travel insurance, group life insurance, accident insurance and worker's compensation insurance
Health checks: Will be provided in connection with assumption of duty, and on a yearly basis
Contract: A one year contract with possibility for renewal

* Terms apply according to NPA's internal regulations

** Terms for annual holiday follow the Norwegian Annual Holidays Act

In general:
We emphasize the importance of strong health, cross-cultural communication skills, positive attitude, creativity and the ability to work under pressure and difficult conditions. One of NPA's overall objectives is to promote gender equality in our organization, and female candidates are encouraged to apply.


Please apply online by the closing date of October 1st, 2017.
Please apply online as instructed on this website. Due to capacity reasons we are only able to process applications sent through our recruitment portal.

Contact person
Hans Risser
Head of Operations
+4794780921
hansr@npaid.org


Rune Kristian Dale-Andresen
Deputy Director Humanitarian Disarmament
+47 924 11 651
rka@npaid.org


Mohammad Qasim Hashimi
Desk Officer for Central Asia
+4790479550
qasim@npaid.org