Job description
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees delivers lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
The Peacebuilding & Governance Coordinator will provide overall technical and management leadership for a portfolio of integrated peacebuilding and governance projects with funds from UNPBF, BMZ, FCDO. The Peacebuilding & Governance Coordinator is the most senior technical and program specialist providing leadership, guidance, coordination and technical support to peacebuilding, governance, system strengthening, access to justice and rights programming within the Somalia program. This includes integrating nexus and system strengthening approaches across sectors to amplify the work done to enable change at varying levels, from better access to services and inclusive services within communities.
The position will be responsible for ensuring all peacebuilding and governance projects meet stated goals and reporting requirements, as well as leading coordination processes with key stakeholders. He/she will be expected to work in complex and politically unstable environments, across different cultures, and supporting diverse teams to deliver impact within agreed timelines. This position reports to the Deputy Director for Programs and manages a team of 5 reports.
Key Responsibilities
Management
• Provide overall direction and leadership support to IRC project teams and partner organizations to ensure timely and quality delivery of project objectives as well as compliance with IRC and donor regulations. Critical donors include UNPBF, BMZ/GFFO, FCDO and USAID.
• Ensure that projects are effectively supported, and adequate staffing levels are in place
• Able to work on the humanitarian, development and peacebuilding nexus and support for integrated programming within the country program.
• Managing longer-term development focused projects, and projects aimed at stabilization or democratization.
• Serve as the primary liaison and maintain regular coordination and reporting to donors regarding project management and technical matters.
• Oversee implementation and monitoring from projects start-up to close-out, including regular project implementation meetings (PIM) and partner meetings for all active peacebuilding and governance grants.
• Ensure successful development of key implementation tools such as work plans, indicator tracking, spending plans, operational manuals, and other project management tools.
• Ensure effective and efficient technical oversight of project implementation by closely working with implementing partners and providing strategic and operational assistance to partner institutions as required.
• Oversee coordination and monitoring of programmatic interventions to ensure timely completion of M&E activities as well as other learning and monitoring requirements to measure impact.
Coordination, partnerships, stakeholder engagement
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with national and state government institutions, local stakeholders, civil society, and other relevant parties. and various regular and ad hoc coordination mechanisms.
• Build the capacity of IRC and local partners’ staff on planning, implementation and evaluation of projects.
• Develop and/or input into protection assessments and protection reporting analysis for the purpose of program development.
• Support overall dissemination of project outcomes amongst wider stakeholders as well as provide representation for the project and the IRC Somalia governance and peacebuilding sector in external fora.
• Lead efforts to develop complementary programming for the governance and peacebuilding sector and support the expansion of IRC Somalia programming in those areas.
Program Strategy and New Business Development
• Contribute to the business development and expansion of the peacebuilding, governance, system strengthening and nexus programming.
• Collaborate with other sectors to identify opportunities for, design and develop concept notes and proposals for further programming.
• Participate in the development of budgets for program proposals in conjunction with the finance department.
• Liaise with IRC Somalia Technical Coordinators and the Governance Technical Advisor to ensure relevant support, tools and resources are being provided and integrated into project activities and that activities are complimentary to existing programming.
• Identify, monitor and report unmet needs.
• Explore the potential of the IRC to address those needs, particularly on institutional systems strengthening, within the parameters of the Somalia Strategic Action Plan and sector priorities.
Budget Monitoring
• Conduct regular budget verses actual (BVA) reviews and make appropriate recommendations to finance and supply chain staff as well as to the field-based health staff.
• Ensure that assigned budgets are spent according to plan and as per contractual agreements with respective donors.
• In collaboration with partners staff develop spending plans and monitor the implementation of these spending plans for respective grants
• Work with finance to undertake budget recoding as required.
Skills and qualifications
• Master’s degree in Development Studies, Business Administration, Humanities, Social Sciences, or other relevant field.
• Strong background in business development and fundraising for successful proposals.
• 10 years’ experience in implementing peacebuilding and governance projects in fragile contexts.
• Experience in youth related programming and able to work on the program through a youth-centered lens.
• Experience in Protection and Rule of Law Programming is desired.
• Expertise in managing subgrantees and partnerships; familiarity with IRC systems is an asset.
• Strong experience in analyzing and reporting on peacebuilding and conflict prevention programming.
• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to develop relations with local counterparts, donors and other stakeholders.
• Strong experience in grant funding compliance, specifically BMZ, GFFO, FCDO and UNPBF desired.
• Demonstrated innovation and success in staff capacity-building and in participatory, flexible, and gender-sensitive programming and implementation.
• Experience in using external communication tools/social media. Experience in advocacy a plus.
• Experience in project representation and networking.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written.
• Experience working on and in Somalia is desired. Willing to travel to Somalia.
• Professional fluency in English required
Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.
Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.