Area Programme Manager
Organization: Norwegian Refugee Council
Closing date: 1 Sep 2026
All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organization's values. Being dedicated, innovative, inclusive, and responsible are attitudes and beliefs that will guide our actions and relationships.
NRC is committed to safety and well-being, and together we build a positive work culture where we feel valued, empowered, supported, safe, and have a sense of belonging. NRC does not tolerate employees exploiting or abusing others and has zero tolerance for inaction.
What are we looking for
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is seeking a dedicated, resilient, and dynamic professional to assume the role of Area Programme Manager for Venezuela.
The successful candidate will be responsible for leading and ensuring, in coordination with the Area Manager (AM) and under the technical guidance of the Country Programme Manager (HoP), the quality implementation of NRC programs in the new La Guaira Operational Area.
This includes directly supervising program staff across ICLA, Education, Protection, CCCM,
Shelter, IM, and MEAL competencies, and ensuring that the response is executed in accordance with NRC and donor strategies, technical standards, and quality requirements.
What will your responsibilities be
• Directly manage and supervise the program staff of the Area
• Comply with NRC policies, tools, manuals, guidelines, and standards.
• Contribute strategic and contextual input to the design, development, and planning of projects and proposals within the Area. Adapt and operationalize the strategy, tools, manuals, and guidelines for each technical competency in the Area, in coordination with the Program Development Managers (PDM), Consortium, and the Head of Programme.
• Represent the Area 9 program in internal and external coordination spaces (clusters, technical tables, meetings with partners and authorities), according to AM delegation.
• Ensure that projects target the most vulnerable people and promote Safe and Inclusive Programming (SIP), Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP), and cross-cutting protection.
• Lead the operational launch of Area 9 as a new emergency response area, in coordination with the AM and support teams (Finance, Logistics, HR and HAS).
Please download the full job profile to learn more about the position.
Education and experience requirements
• Minimum of 4 years' experience in management/coordination roles of multi-sectoral programs in humanitarian or development contexts, ideally in emergency response .
• Work experience in complex and volatile contexts.
• Proven experience in team management, budgeting and the Project Management Cycle (PCM).
• Fluency in spoken and written Spanish and English.
• Previous experience in emergency response (preferably responding to earthquakes or other sudden-onset disasters).
• University degree in social sciences, project management, humanitarian or development studies, or another relevant discipline.
• Proficiency in office automation tools (Office 365, Teams) and NRC project management systems. Knowledge of the humanitarian, political and social context of Venezuela, and of the coordination architecture (clusters, HRP, authorities).
• Experience working with at least one of the technical competencies of the Area (ICLA,
• Education, Protection, CCCM or Shelter).
• Experience coordinating with local authorities, United Nations agencies and partner NGOs.
• Availability to travel frequently within the response area.
What do we offer
• Type of contract: National employment contract in Venezuela or international contract. Duration: 6 months, with the possibility of renewal depending on budget and performance.
• Compensation/Benefits: In accordance with NRC's salary scales, terms and conditions, this position is Grade 8.
• Location: Caracas, Venezuela
• Percentage of trips: 40% to the field
• NRC is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to promoting equality among our candidates regardless of age, gender, religion, nationality, ethnicity, or physical abilities.
• We think outside the box, value your ideas, and give high levels of responsibility to all employees. You'll have plenty of opportunities to be heard and take 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 aela.recruitment@nrc.no 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.
The Latin American (LA) region faces multiple complex emergencies, including the internal and regional impact of the crisis in Venezuela, the humanitarian consequences of the armed conflict in Colombia, and the pervasive high levels of generalised violence in the North of Central America and in Mexico. These conditions produce some of the highest forced displacement numbers in the world.
According to UNHCR, there are over 15 million displacement-affected people, including some 7,4 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across NRC country programme coverage in Latin America. The LA region also witnesses record numbers of transcontinental population movements generating significant protection risks as people are obliged to cross borders often through routes where conditions are dramatic.
Restrictive asylum and migration policies also create flows of deportees and returnees, who struggle to re-integrate in their communities and often face violence, retaliation, discrimination, and exclusion. Those phenomena are accelerating across the region.
Venezuela's prolonged economic, social, and political crisis has led to approximately 7 million of its citizens leaving the country. At the same time, another 7 million people within the country are in need of humanitarian assistance and/or protection. This situation was exacerbated by the double earthquake (magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5) that struck the central coastal region of the country (La Guaira, Caracas, Miranda) on June 24, 2026, leaving thousands dead, injured, and displaced, and requiring the establishment of dozens of temporary shelters.
NRC has been present in Venezuela since 2005, working in Information, Guidance and Legal Assistance (ICLA), Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Education, and Protection. As part of the emergency response, NRC has established Area 9, a new Operational Area created specifically for the earthquake response, in which a multi-sectoral program portfolio is being deployed (ICLA, Education, Protection, CCCM, and Shelter).
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
How to apply:
click here to apply:
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