The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities which support them, as well as those who remain within their homes and communities. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.
The IRC’s EPRU
The IRCs Emergency Preparedness and Response Unit (EPRU) leads or oversees IRCs global emergency preparedness and response activities. The mission of the EPRU is to help meet the immediate survival needs and reduce suffering in conflict or disaster affected populations during the acute phase of an emergency. The EPRU also works in protracted emergencies, where the risk to life may be reduced but the population is still subjected to rights abuses and a lack of basic services.
The EPRU is also charged with enhancing the IRCs global and country level emergency preparedness capacity. We do this by supporting the development and training of Country Emergency Teams, assisting in the development of emergency focused partnerships with local civil society organizations, maintaining regional and global capacity to rapidly identify and deploy qualified emergency response personnel and supporting country-level contingency planning .
SCOPE OF WORK
The IRC ERT staff is expected to be deployed in the field, either in an emergency or roving capacity, for up to 65% of the time and must be able to deploy to the site of an emergency within 72 hours of notification.
Members of the Emergency Response Team are deployed to either support existing country programs in their emergency response, or to initiate a new program in the crisis zone. The overall responsibility of the team is to rapidly and effectively design, develop and manage the IRC’s on-site humanitarian response to meet the immediate needs of the affected population. The ERT is also responsible for supporting the transfer of responsibilities and knowledge to the long-term staff to ensure the continuity of IRC programming and operations.
The ERT Coordinator is a member of the Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) Technical Unit. During emergency deployments ERT staff will work under the direction of IRC’s Emergency Field Director or designated country emergency lead. During times with no acute emergency deployment the Coordinator will report to the ERD Sr. Technical Advisor for Emergency Preparedness and Response. The ERT Emergency Livelihoods Coordinator will bring to the position a strong track record in successful implementation of cash and voucher-based programming for food security, livelihoods, NFI, WASH, health, or other sectoral outcomes. Successful candidates will have demonstrated experience collaborating across sectors and with operational teams, both at field and headquarters level, as well as proven experience delivering high-quality programs. Additionally, the IRC is seeking an ERT Emergency Livelihoods Coordinator who is able to design sound emergency economic programs with a view to specific vulnerable populations, particularly women, girls, youth and ultra-poor households with children.
Major Responsibilities:
Emergency Response
- Ensure high quality and timely markets, food security, and livelihoods assessments of humanitarian needs and provide prioritized recommendations for program interventions to the ERT Field Director/emergency lead. Support other ERT Coordinators from other sectors to apply a livelihoods and market-sensitive lens to cross-sectoral assessments and program design.
- Design effective emergency response programs in food security, agriculture or non-livelihood strengthening, with an emphasis on cross-sectoral program responses and strategy, in coordination with ERT Coordinators from other sectors and external actors.
- Draft technical proposals and budgets for international donors, work in close collaboration with IRC grants and finance staff to finalize proposals and respond to any requests for additional information.
- Manage grant/program implementation including staff recruitment and training, workplan development, procurement and inventory planning, and budget management.
- Prepare high quality and timely donor and management reports on grants and sector activities.
- Select and implement appropriate monitoring systems ; ensure consistent reporting and analysis of results to enhance program effectiveness and quality.
- Ensure compliance with IRC policy and procedures throughout the program team and activities.
- Represent and coordinate with other agencies, local government, donors and other stakeholders to promote deliver of best practice humanitarian assistance.
- Support media and communications activities as requested by the ERT Field Director/CD/in-county emergency lead.
- Provide a comprehensive handover to successor, including ensuring transfer of all related documentation, program monitoring data and staff performance information.
Emergency Preparedness
- Work with EPRU staff and the ERD Technical Unit staff to develop emergency preparedness and response strategies and tools.
- Work with country programs to implement emergency preparedness and response in selected IRC countries.
- Contribute to the continual development of cash and voucher preparedness and contingency planning processes and tools, and support the uptake of pre-crisis market analysis and cash preparedness activities across the organization.
- Provide technical support on cash or voucher programming design and implementation, market strengthening, and internal collaboration among operational and programmatic stakeholders involved in cash/voucher programming to existing country programs remotely and through in-country visits or short-term deployments
- Assist in the development and launch of new technical policy, procedures and training materials
Contribute to the design and implementation of emergency components of the ERD Technical Unit strategic plan and/or the development and launch of new technical policy, procedure and training materials.
Build IRC staff capacity in the utilization of economic recovery methodologies and resources, including cash transfer programming, the market analysis, the Minimum Standards for Economic Recovery in Emergencies, and the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS).
- Provide technical support as needed to existing country programs remotely and through in-country visits or short-term deployments
- Excellent understanding of food security and livelihoods technical concepts and experience conducting detailed market, food security, livelihood, and protection needs assessments.
- Demonstrated ability to work across function and sector to design and implement high-quality market-based programming, and in-depth knowledge of supply chain and financial management and controls of cash and/or voucher programs.
- Superior internal and external communication and coordination capabilities and excellent team management skills.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate technical expertise and standards and implement best practice approaches to implementing rapid, consistent, high quality emergency projects
- Experience managing donor funded programs and grants; including staff management, budget oversight, monitoring and evaluation systems, and technical input to proposal-budget development and donor reports.
Non-emergency
Job Requirements:
Education: Undergraduate degree, in nutrition, food security, agriculture, logistics or related field and technical accreditation or equivalent
Work Experience: 3-5 years experience managing technical projects including 2 years in emergency/conflict areas and at least 2 years of experience implementing cash or voucher programs in diverse contexts
Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:
Language Skills: French, highly desirable
Certificates or Licenses: N/A
Working Environment: The IRC ERT staff is expected to be deployed in the field, either in an emergency or roving capacity, for up to 65% of the time and must be able to deploy to the site of an emergency within 72
EmoticonEmoticon