Job Description

What we are looking for

NRC is looking for a Head of Consortium to join the Bangladesh mission. The role holder will lead the Consortium Coordination Unit (which serves as the secretariat for the Consortium); provide strategic guidance for the management and direction of the consortium programme; oversee operational delivery (including coordination of project implementation and inputs from consortium members); facilitate the strategic development of the consortium programme; and strengthen relationships among consortium partners, donors, and other stakeholders.

If you are an influential, interpersonal, and strategic leader; who has strong communication, facilitation, and diplomatic skills; enjoys facilitating information sharing, and influencing advocacy and coordination; with good networking, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills; and the ability to build constructive relationships with external parties, then this is the role for you!

What you will do

• Consortium Strategy development and implementation, aligned with the evolving needs, identified gaps, operational context, and relevant technical standards.
• Programmatic and financial performance oversight of the consortium, ensuring projects are within scope and on schedule.
• Programme proposals development and funding opportunities identification, ensuring sustainable multi-donor growth.
• Leadership (line management, performance management, and recruitment of Consortium Coordination Unit staff).
• Representation of the Consortium in coordination forums with government authorities, donors, sectors, and other stakeholders.
• Structured and constructive communication between the donors, Steering Committee, and consortium members.
• Effective, transparent, and participatory coordination and communication mechanisms establishment and maintenance.
• Learning across member organisations support, to improve grant effectiveness and better respond to the needs of beneficiaries.
• We highly encourage you to learn more about the role: please review the full Job Description here

What you will bring

• Advanced degree
• Senior project management and/or coordination experience in a humanitarian, conflict, or post-conflict context.
• Project cycle management and grant management proven expertise.
• Protracted contexts and durable solutions programming expsoure.
• Consortium programming in protracted crises track record.
• Organisational representation track record.
• Consortium, partnerships, or equivalent structures familiarity.
• ECHO and FCDO funding mechanisms familiarity.
• Complex, and volatile context exposure, with experience working with displacement-affected people and camp-based refugee responses.
• South Asian context experience and exposure.
• English fluency, both written and verbal, with strong writing and editing skills.

What makes this position attractive?

• The opportunity to work in the steadily growing NRC mission of Bangladesh that has scaled up since inception in 2018 to respond to the Rohingya influx, and that has an increasingly growing portfolio and funding.
• Since 2022, NRC Bangladesh has been leading a multi-sectoral, multi-donor, and multi-year Protection Consortium, bringing together key international and local NGOs and community-based organisations to deliver coordinated, evidence-based humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees and vulnerable host communities.
• The consortium engages a wide range of stakeholders, including donors, sector coordination platforms, and community representatives, to strengthen protection mechanisms and ensure timely, effective, and accountable responses.
• The protection consortium is aiming to further enhance integrated protection services and multi-sectoral assistance. To support this effort, NRC Bangladesh has established a Consortium Coordination Unit (CCU), hosted by NRC as the consortium lead.
• The CCU plays a central role in ensuring impactful and efficient programming by fostering collaboration, coordination/networking, learning, and strategic alignment among consortium members; as well as leading consortium-wide grants management, including donor reporting and joint proposal development.
• While administratively hosted by NRC, the CCU operates with a defined level of independence to ensure balanced representation, transparency, and accountability across all consortium partners.
• Meaningful work that responds to the diverse needs, priorities, and concerns raised by beneficiary communities. The current context is set against a backdrop of continued conflict in Rakhine State, steady attenuation of humanitarian access, and political pressure to repatriate refugees. This is characterised by multiple localised emergencies adversely affecting communities and populations with low levels of resilience, high vulnerability, and acute poverty.
• Female candidates are strongly encouraged to join our work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility.
• Learn more about NRC’s operation in Bangladesh here

What we offer

• Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh duty station.
• 24-month contract duration, with the possibility of extension based on performance, requirements, and funding.
• 25% travel, approximately.
• Grade 10 in NRC’s International Salary Scale, with accompanying terms and conditions. NRC offers a competitive compensation and benefits package.
• NRC is an equal opportunities employer and aims to have staffing diversity in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, and physical ability.
• We think outside the box, encourage ideas, and give responsibility to all employees at all levels. You will have many opportunities to be heard and take the initiative.
• Find out more about the benefits of working for NRC

Important information about the application process

• Internal candidates:- log in with your official NRC email address or click on Opportunity Marketplace
• When creating your profile, include your full name as per your passport.
• Apply by completing all the system-required fields of your experience, employment history, and education in your application.
• Ensure to attach your latest CV
• Submit your application and CV in English
• Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. NRC is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role and you meet most, but not all the requirements, we encourage you to apply anyway.
• Applications that do not meet the minimum standards in terms of experience or qualifications will generally not be considered.
• Unsolicited applications not related to this specific job advertisement will not be considered
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We receive many applicants for each vacant position. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to give detailed feedback to applicants who have not been shortlisted.
• For any genuine queries, please email us at aela.recruitment@nrc.no with “Head of Consortium Bangladesh” as the subject line. This email address is for queries only. Applications will not be accepted via email.
• Please note that NRC does not request any fees in connection with its recruitment processes.

Why NRC?

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. Our 15,000 staff work in crises across 40 countries, providing life-saving and long-term assistance to millions of people every year.

Watch this short video to see NRC in action.

NRC works in Cox’s Bazar in response to the Rohingya crisis, and in areas such as Sylhet in the north-east addressing the impacts of climate change. Alongside partners, our integrated operations include shelter and water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH), responding to weather-related emergencies, ensuring education continuity through in-person and digital learning, and scaling up information counselling for refugees and host Bangladeshis, reaching over 150,000 people per year. Our approach to humanitarian action focuses on principled aid delivery and promotes the agency and dignity of impacted populations.

We are looking for people who are passionate about helping refugees and people forced to flee. Are you one of those people? If you are, NRC offers you the opportunity to:

• Do demanding and professional work, often in challenging contexts.
• Join a work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility.
• Be part of a welcoming and supportive community committed to human dignity.

Learn more about NRC here

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