Who are we?

The position is anchored in the Programme Division, within the Programme Innovation and Business Engagement team but holds the broader Programme Division, the External Relations Division, the Operations and Finance Divisions and the Communications Department.

About the job

Today’s crises are more frequent, last longer and affect more people. A conglomerate of root causes, conflict, disaster, pre-existing vulnerabilities affecting both internally displaced populations and refugees strain the financial means available for assisting these populations. Despite growing international humanitarian assistance in 2017, at USD 27.3 billion, calls by UN and governments have been made repetitively for alternative and innovative financing, trying to bridge an increasing financing gap. The Global Compact on Refugees calls for more equitable burden sharing, seeing that poor countries, or regions affected by conflict and instability are disproportionately carrying the lion’s share of hosting large refugee populations.

Notwithstanding the broad recognition of the above, and the general impetus, need and willingness from the side of both private sector, companies, foundations and investment funds to invest in ‘frontier markets’ aiming at both financial and social return, and the humanitarian sector, challenges persist in finding a common language and ground. Despite strong innovations, it is still too early and a wider range of tools and combined financing opportunities are needed for scaling these initiatives and finding new ones.

Early studies of existing work with alternative financing, in particular ODI/HPG (New Financing Partners for Humanitarian Impact, 2019) emphasizes the need to match up carefully identified needs with relevant tools

For DRC it is highly relevant to further investigate both blended financing opportunities and market-based solutions, but very few attempts have taken place. Therefore, DRC’s Programme Innovation and Business Engagement team has dedicated a workstream to (innovative) Alternative Financing that would substantiate and give input to DRC’s thought leader processes, but also position and increase DRCs experience and partnership possibilities within this area.

The incumbent will lead the global work track on alternative financing for displaced populations, i.e. ‘move from grant-making toward employing a wider range of financial tools and scaling up investment in poor countries[1]’ aiming at both financial and social return, but also render concrete support to initiatives that are being piloted in several regions.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

• Support three to four concrete on-going initiatives in respectively Middle East, East Africa a.o
• Develop 2-3 concrete pilot models/initiatives on alternative financing
• Contribute to further develop DRC direction and potential strategy on alternative financing
• Act as technical advisor to programmes and staff, at field and HQ levels working on alternative financing
• Support and at times lead DRC external engagement with multilateral institutions and donors to shape both the agenda, and to catalyse appropriate financing instruments
• Act a the key technical reference point, and representative externally on the issue of alternative financing, including partaking or initiating high level dialogue on the the issue
• Fundraise and pro-actively increase both portfolio and partnerships with private sector, academia, donors and governments

About you

Required

• Advanced degree in finance, economics, or other relevant degree;
• Strong understanding of forced displacement and migration in general
• Well elaborated know-how and experience in humanitarian financing, and particularly alternative financing / blended financing models
• Ability to model, develop and integrate new financing models and model the business cases in this regard
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to establish relationships within DRC and to external stakeholders at highest level
• Strategic thinking ability, to capacity to develop innovative policies, systems and new eco-systems

Excellent communication skills

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ 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 DRC’s vision and values.

Source:https://candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationInit.aspx?cid=1036&ProjectId=157381&uiculture=en&MediaId=5