Area Manager Mexico

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organization’s core values: dedication, innovation, inclusivity, and accountability. These attitudes and beliefs shall guide our actions and relationships.

What we are looking for

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is seeking a highly qualified, resilient, and dynamic professional to assume the role of Area Manager for Mexico. The purpose is to lead on establishing the NRC Area office in Mexico, and to ensure high quality and cost-effective programme/projects implementation within the designated geographical area.

What you will do

1. Overall responsibility of the Mexico Area Office.
2. Ensure internal structure in both programmes and support functions
3. In conjunction with the Country Office (CO) and Regional Office (RO), conduct assessments for new areas of operation, outline possible areas of intervention, and develop program strategy for implementation
4. Ensure efficient and effective scale up of programmes in the area ensuring those are implemented in accordance with relevant (country/regional/global) strategies, donor rules & regulations and NRC policies & procedures, including but not limited to the Project Cycle Management framework, HR Handbook, Logistics Handbook, etc.
5. Ensure efficient and cost-effective operations
6. Oversee and manage the timely recruitment of qualified staff for key positions – both existing and newly introduced – in the Area Office.
7. Liaise regularly with relevant external stakeholders, including authorities, donors, UN agencies and other humanitarian actors – among others through coordination mechanisms.

Please download the detailed job description to learn more about the position.

What you will bring

• Minimum 3 years of experience from working as a Senior Manager in a humanitarian/recovery context
• Previous experience from working in complex and volatile contexts
• Understanding of the context in Latin America is essential
• Fluency in English and Spanish, both written and verbal.
• Demonstrated ability to perform well in a highly fluid environment where both context and organizational structure are subject to continuous, abrupt and substantial change
• Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile
• Experience with Start-up is an advantage
• Valid driver’s licence

What we offer

• Duty station: Mexico City
• Contract: national contract 12 months, renewable based on funding and need for the position
• Travel: up to 40%
• Salary/benefits: grade 10 on NRC’s salary scale, with accompanying terms and conditions
• NRC is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to diversity without distinction to age, gender, religion, 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 only: please click on the suitcase icon labelled “I am an employee” to be redirected to NRC’s internal careers site.
• When creating your profile, include your full name as given on your passport. Complete all the system-required fields for experience, employment history and education.
• Submit your application and CV in English, taking care to attach your latest CV.
• 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.
• If you have any questions about this role, please email [email protected] with the job title as the subject line.

Why NRC?

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organization 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 has been working in the North of Central America (NCA) since 2014, meeting the needs of tens of thousands affected by violence and natural disasters, including the internally displaced, refugees, people in need of international protection, deported people, and their hosts.

We contribute to the development of policy aiming to protect the rights of the displaced and we call for increased humanitarian funding and engagement on processes that will generate structural changes in protection and assistance in the region.

In the past years, the number of refugees and migrants on the move in Latin America have been increasing substantially. Many try to reach the United States and Canada and the growing number of people reaching Mexico is overwhelming border areas, and humanitarian needs are escalating. In 2022, over 2 million people were intercepted by US border forces trying to cross into the US. The recent context developments and changes of US migration policies would likely result in a high number of migrants and asylum seekers stranded in Tapachula (south of Mexico) in need of humanitarian assistance.

NRC North of Central America and Mexico (NCA&M) Country Office (CO) was established in January 2021 and NRC currently operates in four countries: in Honduras, in El Salvador, in Guatemala and in Mexico. NRC has increased its presence in Mexico since 2023, with programs running in Veracruz, Mexico City and Chiapas.

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

About Us

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