Senior Program Coordinator at International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Requisition ID: req3946
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Sector: Program Administration
Employment Category: Regular
Employment Type: Full-Time
Open to Expatriates: No

Scope Of Work

• The Senior Program Coordinator (SPC) works closely with the Deputy Director of Programs (DDP) and the Deputy Director Field Management (DDFM) to design and deliver high quality, innovative programs.
• The role has a particular focus on driving strategy implementation, particularly enhanced program integration, supporting expansion into newly accessible geographic areas, and increasing IRC’s work on early recovery across the humanitarian and development nexus S/he will ensure timely and effective program delivery, coordination and technical coherence and support, monitoring, evaluation and accountability.
• The SPC will provide a focus on outcomes and client responsiveness, and will represent IRC programs to major stakeholders, relevant government authorities and other program partners.

Areas of Responsibilities
Program quality and development:

• Provide leadership to Program Coordinators in setting priorities and delivering outcome focused programs which align with the Nigeria Strategy Action Plan.
• Ensure that program design is evidence based and uses theories of change that place crisis-affected people and their voice at the centre of IRC's response, and lead program integration to support this.
• With HQ-based Technical Advisers, ensure that program implementation is aligned to relevant standards and makes use of tools, systems and procedures that are in place.
• Work closely with the Senior Grants Coordinator and the Grants and Partnerships Team to shape concept papers and grant proposals for submission to donors.
• Work with the M&E coordinator to build and foster a culture of learning and reflection that uses data to design and adapt programs.
• Monitor changes in the context and ensure that IRC responds where necessary.
• Alongside our existing focus on humanitarian programming, analyse gaps and needs, and help to drive a new focus on early recovery programming in appropriate geographic areas, working across the humanitarian-development nexus.
• Support Program Coordinators in creating and maintaining up-to-date briefings, factsheets and updates for external stakeholders.

Program Implementation:

• Support the Senior Grants Coordinator in ensuring effective grant start-up, review and close-out meetings are planned and conducted in a timely manner with full participation of all relevant stakeholders from programs and support teams, and that actions are taken as a result.
• Provide leadership for Program Coordinators in the timely and high-quality implementation of programs, and promote regular reviews - both internal and external - and other learning events.
• Provide support to the Country Emergency Team during the scale up of a sudden onset humanitarian response and during the deployment phase
• Ensure program coordination, and that managers and technical coordinators for cross-cutting themes work together effectively according to program work plans.
• Conduct frequent field visits to all project sites for monitoring, quality control and program staff mentoring and coaching.
• Coordinate high-level reporting on country-level indicators such as beneficiary numbers, design for impact indicators, cluster data and other information as needed.
• Ensure that donor reports produced by the programs team effectively demonstrate the impact of IRC’s interventions.

HR and Staff Management:

• Help to drive a culture of ambitious, responsible and committed leadership amongst Sector Coordinators and other program leaders.
• Support program staff through close attention to staff care, mentoring, and development.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem solving options, and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

Representation and Advocacy:

• In coordination with the DDP/DDFM, actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders in Nigeria including local communities, donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors.
• Develop strategic partnerships with local organizations.
• In coordination with the DDP and DDFM, assist in organizing donor visits by supporting staff in the smooth design and running of field visits.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position reports to:  Deputy Director of Programs (DDP) and Deputy Director Field Management (DDFM).
• Position directly supervises: Some of the Program Coordinators in the sectors of health, nutrition, environmental health, education, economic recovery and development, protection including women’s protection and empowerment, and child protection.
• Other internal contacts: M&E, Grants, Finance, HR, Supply Chain, Safety and Security, Field Coordinators and Base Managers.
• External contacts as already outlined.

Requirements
Essential:

• Master’s degree preferably in Health, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, International Humanitarian Law,  Education, Peace and Conflict Studies or Humanitarian Assistance
• Experience managing programs in relevant technical area(s) that may include food security in complex food/nutritional insecurity, health, reproduction health, economic recovery and development, wash, livelihoods, child protection, protection
• Possesses at least five years of field-based experience managing staff and programs, particularly in complex emergencies and insecure environments
• Experience managing humanitarian relief and/or transitional programs in areas affected by large scale displacements due to conflict and chronic food and nutritional insecurity
• Demonstrated experience in program management, project design and use of project design tools
• Demonstrated experience in supervising expatriate and national staff, and in mentoring of national staff and with strong commitment to staff capacity development;Demonstrated qualities of leadership, sensitivity to cultural settings, communication skills, commitment, and sound judgment
• Aptitude to adapt to a different context regarding security, culture, climate or health issue, demonstrated by experience outside of country of origin
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines, and work independently and cooperatively with team members.
• Willingness to travel in country at least 50% of your time
• Commitment to women’s rights and IRC’s vision, mission and values, including sensitivity to cultural settings

Desirable:

• Experience of CTP programming

Specific Security Situation/ Housing

• The Senior Program Coordinator will be based in Maiduguri, Borno, Nigeria with travel throughout the sites where IRC has a presence. The security situation in North East Nigeria continues to be volatile with security level at 3 (orange); candidates should be prepared to implement programming in insecure environments. This is a non-accompanied position, and the Senior Program Coordinator will live in shared housing.  

Standards For Professional Conduct

• The IRC and IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in The IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces a range of policies, including on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

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Requisition ID: req3946
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Sector: Program Administration
Employment Category: Regular
Employment Type: Full-Time
Open to Expatriates: No

Scope Of Work

• The Senior Program Coordinator (SPC) works closely with the Deputy Director of Programs (DDP) and the Deputy Director Field Management (DDFM) to design and deliver high quality, innovative programs.
• The role has a particular focus on driving strategy implementation, particularly enhanced program integration, supporting expansion into newly accessible geographic areas, and increasing IRC’s work on early recovery across the humanitarian and development nexus S/he will ensure timely and effective program delivery, coordination and technical coherence and support, monitoring, evaluation and accountability.
• The SPC will provide a focus on outcomes and client responsiveness, and will represent IRC programs to major stakeholders, relevant government authorities and other program partners.

Areas of Responsibilities
Program quality and development:

• Provide leadership to Program Coordinators in setting priorities and delivering outcome focused programs which align with the Nigeria Strategy Action Plan.
• Ensure that program design is evidence based and uses theories of change that place crisis-affected people and their voice at the centre of IRC's response, and lead program integration to support this.
• With HQ-based Technical Advisers, ensure that program implementation is aligned to relevant standards and makes use of tools, systems and procedures that are in place.
• Work closely with the Senior Grants Coordinator and the Grants and Partnerships Team to shape concept papers and grant proposals for submission to donors.
• Work with the M&E coordinator to build and foster a culture of learning and reflection that uses data to design and adapt programs.
• Monitor changes in the context and ensure that IRC responds where necessary.
• Alongside our existing focus on humanitarian programming, analyse gaps and needs, and help to drive a new focus on early recovery programming in appropriate geographic areas, working across the humanitarian-development nexus.
• Support Program Coordinators in creating and maintaining up-to-date briefings, factsheets and updates for external stakeholders.

Program Implementation:

• Support the Senior Grants Coordinator in ensuring effective grant start-up, review and close-out meetings are planned and conducted in a timely manner with full participation of all relevant stakeholders from programs and support teams, and that actions are taken as a result.
• Provide leadership for Program Coordinators in the timely and high-quality implementation of programs, and promote regular reviews - both internal and external - and other learning events.
• Provide support to the Country Emergency Team during the scale up of a sudden onset humanitarian response and during the deployment phase
• Ensure program coordination, and that managers and technical coordinators for cross-cutting themes work together effectively according to program work plans.
• Conduct frequent field visits to all project sites for monitoring, quality control and program staff mentoring and coaching.
• Coordinate high-level reporting on country-level indicators such as beneficiary numbers, design for impact indicators, cluster data and other information as needed.
• Ensure that donor reports produced by the programs team effectively demonstrate the impact of IRC’s interventions.

HR and Staff Management:

• Help to drive a culture of ambitious, responsible and committed leadership amongst Sector Coordinators and other program leaders.
• Support program staff through close attention to staff care, mentoring, and development.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem solving options, and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

Representation and Advocacy:

• In coordination with the DDP/DDFM, actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders in Nigeria including local communities, donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors.
• Develop strategic partnerships with local organizations.
• In coordination with the DDP and DDFM, assist in organizing donor visits by supporting staff in the smooth design and running of field visits.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position reports to:  Deputy Director of Programs (DDP) and Deputy Director Field Management (DDFM).
• Position directly supervises: Some of the Program Coordinators in the sectors of health, nutrition, environmental health, education, economic recovery and development, protection including women’s protection and empowerment, and child protection.
• Other internal contacts: M&E, Grants, Finance, HR, Supply Chain, Safety and Security, Field Coordinators and Base Managers.
• External contacts as already outlined.

Requirements
Essential:

• Master’s degree preferably in Health, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, International Humanitarian Law,  Education, Peace and Conflict Studies or Humanitarian Assistance
• Experience managing programs in relevant technical area(s) that may include food security in complex food/nutritional insecurity, health, reproduction health, economic recovery and development, wash, livelihoods, child protection, protection
• Possesses at least five years of field-based experience managing staff and programs, particularly in complex emergencies and insecure environments
• Experience managing humanitarian relief and/or transitional programs in areas affected by large scale displacements due to conflict and chronic food and nutritional insecurity
• Demonstrated experience in program management, project design and use of project design tools
• Demonstrated experience in supervising expatriate and national staff, and in mentoring of national staff and with strong commitment to staff capacity development;Demonstrated qualities of leadership, sensitivity to cultural settings, communication skills, commitment, and sound judgment
• Aptitude to adapt to a different context regarding security, culture, climate or health issue, demonstrated by experience outside of country of origin
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines, and work independently and cooperatively with team members.
• Willingness to travel in country at least 50% of your time
• Commitment to women’s rights and IRC’s vision, mission and values, including sensitivity to cultural settings

Desirable:

• Experience of CTP programming

Specific Security Situation/ Housing

• The Senior Program Coordinator will be based in Maiduguri, Borno, Nigeria with travel throughout the sites where IRC has a presence. The security situation in North East Nigeria continues to be volatile with security level at 3 (orange); candidates should be prepared to implement programming in insecure environments. This is a non-accompanied position, and the Senior Program Coordinator will live in shared housing.  

Standards For Professional Conduct

• The IRC and IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in The IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces a range of policies, including on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.