Costing Consortia Manager at International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Job Description

Airbel—IRC’s Impact Lab—designs, tests, and scales life-changing, cost-effective solutions for people affected by conflict and disaster. With a desire to think afresh and the experience and reputation of a large-scale implementing organization, Airbel creates impactful and cost-effective interventions. The IRC’s Best Use of Resources (BUR) team conducts analysis on the cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness of key IRC programs. Humanitarian needs are growing while financial resources to meet those needs are limited. Project teams are faced with the complex decision of using limited budgets to bring the most impact to the greatest number of people in need. 

This position will support BUR’s cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness work through management of a cost-analysis software, Dioptra. Dioptra is a web-based cost analysis software for program staff to rapidly calculate the full cost per output of program activities, compare results to available benchmarks, and learn evidence-based strategies to improve cost-efficiency. The Dioptra Manager will work with the BUR team, IRC programs, and a consortium of 9 NGOs to provide the technical capacity, analysis results, and program lessons to ensure programs have the great possible reach and impact per dollar.

Major Responsibilities

Project management

• Create and track contracts, purchase orders, invoices, payments, and funds transfers. 
• Track project revenue/spending against budgets.
• Schedule and coordinate meetings (e.g., monthly and quarterly Dioptra consortium working group, BUR team weekly meetings), including notetaking, follow-up engagements, and tracking action points.
• Maintain consortium folders, coordinate with consortium partners to migrate all folders to a secure workspace.
• Ensure users adhere to project and knowledge management guidance and, as needed, revise guidance.

Software management

• Support consortium partners with software configuration, troubleshooting, and user queries.
• Manage software sprints according to budgets and timelines. 
• Coordinate with consortium partners and software developers to test software features, issues, and fixes.
• Facilitate communication of software technical details between consortium partners and software developers.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to ensure data accuracy and data protection within the software. 
• Update software documentation with new release notes and help pages.
• Update the BUR and Dioptra websites.

Communications and reporting

• Track reporting requirements
• Draft reports and communications collateral
• Copy-edit public-facing collateral (e.g., research reports)

Job Requirements

Work Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in related field, or one or more of the positions’ focus areas, or equivalent professional experience;
• 2-3 years of similar work experience.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies

• Experience in large projects with multiple stakeholders at various organizational levels, including managing schedules and task priorities; 
• Demonstrated proficiency in Excel spreadsheet data organization and analysis skills, for the purpose of validating/troubleshooting Dioptra analysis; 
• Experience supporting budgets and in finance system and software management;
• Highly organized with proven time and project management skills; 
• Excellent communication skills, including ability to provide feature demonstrations;
• Strong writing skills including demonstrated ability to write for non-technical audiences with a focus on advocacy;
• Ability to work as part of a remote team across time zones, cultures, and contexts;
• Excellence communication skills, cultural sensitivity, flexibility, ability to improvise, team player;
• Commitment to IRC’s core values.

Strongly Preferred

• A software development background is helpful but not required;
• Fluency in spoken and written English required; fluency in French or Arabic highly desirable.