Emergency Shelter and Settlement Manager - Haiti

24 February 2010

Background introduction

CARE is supporting vulnerable families address their shelter needs following a 7.0-magnitude earthquake centered just off the coast of one of the world’s poorest countries. The scale of the disaster is a major catastrophe with 80% of homes damaged or destroyed. CARE is distributing NFIs to displaced families ahead of the rains and planning for the hurricane season.

The worst for more than a century, the quake hit south of the capital Port-au-Prince, killing at least 230,000 people – including many NGO and UN employees, injuring 300,000 and leaving more than 1.5 million others in need of shelter.

One month on, the international aid effort has shifted from search and rescue activity to meeting the basic needs of the survivors in the immediate term and its long-term rehabilitation.

There is now the urgent need to provide shelter and sanitation for more than 1 million more people made homeless in Port-au-Prince and rural areas.

CARE has worked in Haiti since 1954, when it provided relief assistance after Hurricane Hazel. Today CARE's programming there reflects an integrated approach, with projects in HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, maternal and child health, education, food security, and water and sanitation. CARE works closely with local NGOs, private companies, community organizations and the Haitian government to build local capacity and achieve sustainable development.

Target objective, CARE

Provide 10,000 earthquake affected families’ immediate emergency shelter followed by maximum coverage transitional shelter support along with NFIs and reconstruction tool kits prior to the onset of the rains and hurricane season.

Main responsibilities

•   Rapid Assessment of Shelter needs at various self settled areas/sites.
•   Supervise and train a team of national staff on key technical requirement and type of field response.
•   Identify / develop community structure for rapid response.
•   Consultation with the community on layout plans and type of interventions assistance on spontaneous settlement sites or near their existing damaged homes with the affected community.
•   Organize and distribute NFI’s Shelter kits, tool in the various settlement sites.
•   Ensure technical support and the installation of Tents/Tarpaulins or other layouts are done rightly.
•   Maintain records of the site location and basic population info and keep track of any vulnerable cases requiring special shelter needs.
•   Ensure joint coordinated response within CARE Shelter and WASH team.
•   Field Coordination with the local government and other stake holders involved in the area including the Military.
•   Ensure regular monitoring of all activities in the field and provide regular updates
•   Maximize Community Participation, self help approach for rapid emergency and Transitional shelter interventions.
•   Any other task required by the supervisor required for the Shelter program.

Requirement

•   Significant experience in disaster emergency shelter response a plus and preferably Civil Engineer.
•   Fluency in French and English languages a must.
•   Experience in earthquake and hurricane structures a plus.
•   Special skills in timber structure a plus .
•   Adapting to the emergency need and work environment.
•   Familiar with Sphere standards and Humanitarian principles
•   Good interpersonal skill.
•   Excellent leadership, management, teamwork & interpersonal skills.
•   Follow the technical guideline agreed by the Shelter Cluster.
•   Compliance to care principles and core values.

Skills

Computer word, spread sheet
Familiar with GPS system a plus.

If you wish to apply for this position please refer to the careers page of the CARE USA website:  https://tbe.taleo.net/NA5/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=CAREUSA&cws=1&rid=887

Closing date:  31 August 2010