About the Context
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) operates in Cameroon’s Far North region, delivering humanitarian assistance through multi purpose emergncy response, including RRM, and resilience programmes through its core competencies in Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA), Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Shelter, Food Security and Livelihoods.
The Area Office (AO) in Kousseri oversees emergency operations implemented directly and through four local partners across Makary, Blangoua, and Hile Alifa, with additional programming supporting durable solutions in Logone-Birni.
The operational environment presents moderate living conditions but requires strong operational oversight due to logistical constraints and periodic security volatility linked to the broader Lake Chad Basin context.
The Area Operations Manager will play a key role in supporting programme implementation and operational management for a team of approximately 25 staff, while ensuring effective coordination with regional, divisional and sub-divisional authorities, local councils, and humanitarian actors.
The role also involves representing NRC in the Area-Based Coordination (ABC) mechanisms established as part of the humanitarian reset and transition currently underway in Cameroon, including regular engagement with stakeholders in Kousseri.
Find out more about NRC https://www.nrc.no/ and Watch this short video to see NRC in action https://vimeo.com/736782633
What we are looking for
The Area Operations Manager leads the day-to-day operational oversight of the designated Area Office by coordinating programme implementation and ensuring compliant, high-quality support services. The role drives for the achievement of key programme objectives, addressing operational bottlenecks, maintains the area delivery of services, and escalates risks to country leadership to ensure high quality and cost-effective programme/project implementation within the area operations.
What you will do
Organise grants opening and closure meetings for the area office in coordination with the country office programme and support relevant staff.
Represent the organisation externally at the local level in the area and build professional networks to promote NRC as delegated by the Country Director.
Contribute to assessments for new areas of operation, outline possible areas of intervention and develop program strategies for implementation in relevant area.
With the support of the Country Office management teams, contextualize, adapt and implement SOPs and procedures to ensure the effective provision of assistance within designated area.
Ensure work and development plans are completed by all staff members in the field office area of operations and performance feedback sessions are conducted on regular basis as per NRC global standards.
Ensure NRC’s data collection systems for the designated area are in place and information is properly stored/shared.
Coordinate the area specific periodic reporting to the Country Management Group. Provide analysis and escalate high risk areas as needed.
Carry out any other tasks relevant to the area office as delegated by the line manager.
Please download the detailed job description to learn more about the position JD_Area Operations Manager Cameroon Kousseri_Approved.pdf
What you will bring
1. Professional competencies
Minimum 3 years of experience in office or operations management, preferably within a humanitarian or recovery context.
Demonstrated experience in team leadership and project management, including planning, coordination, and oversight of operational activities.
Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and support programme implementation in complex operational environments.
Fluency in English and French, both written and spoken.
Experience supporting the implementation of cash-based interventions and market-based programming.
Strong knowledge of the humanitarian and socio-political context in Far North Cameroon, including displacement dynamics in the Lake Chad Basin region.
Experience with durable solutions programming, H-D-P Nexus, and transitional approaches linking humanitarian and recovery interventions.
Experience coordinating with local authorities, partners, and humanitarian actors at regional or field level.
Knowledge of local languages is considered an asset.
2. Behavioural competencies
Handling insecure environment and Coping with change
Planning and delivering results
Working with people and Build meaningful relations
Analysing
Communication with impact and respect and Act with integrity
Empower people
Leadership Profile Competencies
Build meaningful relations
Act with integrity
Empower people
Deliver results
What we offer
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a global humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee.
Join us in assisting millions of people in areas where others cannot, tackling some of the world's most dangerous and difficult crises. Bring your skills and dedication to an organisation recognised for providing high quality aid and for defending the rights of refugees and internally displaced people.
At NRC, we give responsibility to employees at all levels and foster professional growth and innovative teams. You can expect a supportive culture and an open dialogue with management. We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Together, we save lives and rebuild futures.
Safeguarding is central to NRC’s work. We expect all employees to:
• treat everyone with respect and dignity
• contribute to building a safe environment for all
• never engage in any form of exploitation, harassment and specifically sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH)
• always report. NRC has a zero-tolerance approach to inaction against exploitation, abuse and SEAH
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee.
We protect displaced people and support them as they build a new future. We started our relief efforts after World War Two. Today, we work in both new and protracted crises across 40 countries. We specialise in six areas: food security, education, shelter, legal assistance, protection from violence, and water, sanitation and hygiene.
We stand up for people forced to flee. NRC is a determined advocate for displaced people. We promote and defend displaced people's rights and dignity in local communities, with national governments and in the international arena. NRC’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre in Geneva is a global leader in monitoring, reporting on and advocating for people displaced within their own country.
We work with partners across the world through NORCAP, our global provider of humanitarian, development and peacebuilding expertise. NORCAP collaborates with local, national and international partners on finding sustainable solutions to meet the needs of people at risk.
Around 15,000 humanitarians work with the NRC. Most of us are hired locally to work in the field, and a small number are based at our head office in Oslo. Many of our colleagues were once themselves forced to flee their homes.
NRC assisted almost 9.1 million people worldwide in 2024, and with your support, we can help even more.
In order to meet the needs of more than 120 million displaced people worldwide, we need to unite forces across sectors and work together as one team. Through mutual partnerships we are dedicated to finding unique solutions for people who have been forced to flee, helping them build a sustainable future for themselves and their communities.
To find out how you can support our work, please visit nrc.no/corporate or send an e-mail to corporate@nrc.no.
