Deputy Director – Deployments and Roster Management

We’re looking for a dynamic and collaborative Deputy Director to lead our Deployments and Roster Management Team. In this pivotal role, you will lead on the strategy and management of FCDO’s conflict and humanitarian rosters, ensuring that we can deploy the highest quality specialists to countries affected by disaster, conflict and fragility, often at very short notice. You will be at the forefront of client engagement, working day-to-day with FCDO’s Humanitarian Response Group (HRG), the Office of Conflict Stabilisation and Mediation (OCSM) and Embassies all around the world, to ensure we provide a service that is efficient, effective and drives value for the client. You will also be responsible for ensuring that our service is compliant with tax and employment law, as well as FCDO and Palladium rules and regulations. The Humanitarian and Stabilisation Operations Team (HSOT) provide the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) with operational capability, and specialist expertise supporting the UK government to rapidly respond to crises anywhere in the world. HSOT is implemented by Palladium and has a team of over 70 core staff based in London

Project Description :

The Humanitarian and Stabilisation Operations Team (HSOT) is contracted by Palladium to deliver the Humanitarian Emergency Response Operations and Stabilisation Programme (HEROS), working with FCDO’s Humanitarian Response Group (HRG) and the Office for Conflict, Stabilisation and Mediation (OCSM), as well as multiple UK Government teams and partners in 130 countries. The team provides operational and advisory support to meet humanitarian needs and restore stability in sudden-onset disasters, protracted crises and complex emergencies. The Deputy Director for Deployments and Roster Management (DRM) leads on the strategy and management of HRG and OCSM’s rosters, as well as the global deployment of skilled humanitarian and conflict specialists from these rosters. These specialists contribute to strategic thinking and provide technical expertise and analysis to inform FCDO’s decision making, programme management and policy development in countries affected by disaster, conflict and fragility.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Leading HSOT’s engagement with the client on roster and deployments, with a focus on strengthening and streamlining HSOT’s communication with HRG, OCSM and the wider network of FCDO stakeholders.

• Leading and managing the DRM team, with a focus on creating a high-performing team, as well as supervising and supporting direct reports, providing guidance, mentoring and swiftly addressing any performance shortfalls.

• Ensuring that the Deployment and Roster Management function has sufficient human resources in place to deliver to client expectations, identifying and finding solutions to resource gaps when identified.

• Overseeing day-to-day operations, ensuring that activities are executed on time and within budget with accurate and timely record keeping of operational functions.

• Ensuring that deployments deliver high quality results and products for FCDO clients and contribute to FCDO humanitarian and conflict priorities.

• Ensuring that HSOT’s systems, processes and practices deliver a roster and deployments service that is:
  Fit for purpose; efficient, effective and delivers value for money (VFM) for the client.

• Compliant with tax and employment law, Palladium policies and FCDO rules and regulations, working with Operations. This should include working with Operations and wider Palladium to enhance the team and client’s knowledge of relevant laws, policies and rules.

• Compliant in terms of enabling Palladium to deliver on its appropriate duty of care to all deployed consultants, working closely with Security.

• Maintaining the health and resilience of the roster, ensuring it has the right breadth and depth of knowledge, skills and experience and is responsive to FCDO’s emerging needs, working with HR and the wider HSOT team.

• Measures and assesses the effectiveness of the team and the services, commissioning and quality assuring client and corporate reporting. Thisincludes but isn’t limited to, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Annual Review (AR), Logframe and Milestones, Value for Money (VFM), Quarterly Reports, Monthly Reports – ensuring that they are coherent, cohesive and highlight key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges for the reporting period.

• Increasing HSOT’s engagement with roster consultants, including strengthening the approach to managing the performance, behaviour and welfare of deployed consultants..

• Identifying and managing all risks related to the rostering and deployment of specialists for FCDO, as well as identifying wider risks to the programme.

• Developing and implementing a communications campaign that highlights the impact, achievements and successes of roster deployments within FCDO.

• Identifying and delivering opportunities for enhancing and expanding the service HSOT provides to the client, working with HSOT and Palladium more broadly, as well as supporting the HSOT Director in strategic decision-making and long-term planning.

  Required Qualifications:

Degree in a relevant discipline, such as international development, human resource development or business administration, or equivalent relevant experience.
Demonstrated experience at a senior level, managing an operations or client-facing human resources teams for a complex program/s, ideally within an international development or humanitarian context
Strong project management skills, including planning, execution, monitoring, and reporting.
Financial acumen and the ability to develop budgets, interpret and analyse financial reports;
Proven experience in executing contract mechanisms (e.g. subcontracts, purchase orders, work orders, grants, consultant agreements, etc.).
Strong people management skills and experience, including leading teams, mentoring and coaching, and encouraging collaborative in and across teams.
Strong people skills, with the ability to build strong working relationships within teams and the client and collaborate effectively with the team and client at all levels.
Strong communication skills, with the ability to communicate confidently and effectively with people at all levels.
Strong interpersonal skills, with a positive, can-do attitude and a strong sense of team spirit
Willingness to deploy overseas when required, including at short notice and/or to hostile environments.