Disaster Risk Management Specialist

Purpose

The Disaster Risk Management Specialist (DRMS) will be responsible for the oversight, administration, and supervision of all emergency response and training and technical assistance programs implemented in Jamaica by the Amentum RDAP contract. The DRMS will report directly to the Sub-Regional Manager for the East Caribbean region.

Statement of Work

The DRMS must demonstrate experience, including but not limited to, training, capacity building, disaster risk reduction, and disaster response to support Amentum objectives as follows:

• Assess hazards, risks, vulnerabilities, and exposures, existing capacities, and required capabilities to address those issues in each RDAP country and undertake country-level strategic planning that aims to reduce risk by supporting programs that address assessed gaps in capabilities.
• Develop and execute a training and technical assistance program to address key emergency management, disaster preparedness, disaster response, or disaster risk reduction capacity gaps in each country as directed by the USG through the contractor. This includes for public, private, and regional disaster agencies and organizations.
• Develop relationships and liaise with organizations involved in disaster risk management in the country, such as the humanitarian community, relevant host nation agencies and offices, the UN, and other U.S. Government entities, as appropriate.
• Facilitate course hand-off workshops to devolve responsibility for training to local and national levels, and design, develop, and oversee national and regional-level training courses as required by the USG;
• Provide technical advice to the USG regarding all aspects of the risk management program and regularly coordinate with MDROs, and others as directed, at U.S. Missions in the assigned country or regions;
• Actively participate in the preparation, execution, monitoring, and evaluation of the annual work plan and country plans;
• Develop and maintain a roster of experienced surge consultants for each country. Manage the activation of surge consultants and ensure they have completed trainings.
• Identify and facilitate the procurement of relief items in coordination with the USG.
• Provide recurring activity reports in writing at specified times throughout the year; and
• Fully participate in response operations and provide Disaster Response Support
• Coordinate with local stakeholders to develop country specific strategic plans and operating plans.
• Respond to requests from the RDAP leadership team, as required.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Business, International Development, Emergency Management or related discipline
• Experience in providing/supporting emergency management or disaster preparedness training and technical assistance programs
• Excellent knowledge of capacity building best practices and ability to identify significant capacity building opportunities; good understanding of capacity assessment methodologies.
• Effective project management skills. Ability to effectively support in strategic planning, results-based activity implementation, and reporting.
• Previous experience in supporting disaster relief programs is strongly preferred. Expertise in food security; nutrition; health; water, sanitation, hygiene; environmental health; shelter; gender, protection and inclusion; logistics; and/or the ability to analyze cross-cutting issues is preferred.
• Proven organizational skills with the ability to work on multiple activities, to plan effectively, and to communicate plans clearly.
• Level 5/native speaker required for country specific local language.
• Excellent writing skills in the native language and adequate writing skills in English.
• General social, political, and geographic knowledge of the LAC.
• Solid knowledge in procurement, information management, and communication technology. Team management experience preferred.
• Ability to deploy on short notice for extended periods (up to 45 days) to anywhere in LAC, and possibly under austere living conditions;

Skills and attributes

• Specialist knowledge of donor funded projects
• Excellent management, organization, and coordination skills
• Self-starter and motivated
• Strong communications and engagement skills
• Ability to share local network of vendors, suppliers, authorities to support the start up
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Command of Microsoft Office
• Multi-tasking capabilities and delivery of tasks/deliverables in short time frames
• Ability to work in a team and independently/remotely
• Ability to manage client expectations and requirements in a culturally diverse team
• Knowledge of USG rules and regulations preferred