Economic Recovery and Development Coordinator -Jordan Country Program At International Rescue Committee

Position Overview

IRC began operations in Jordan in 2007 to respond to needs of refugees from various countries, in coordination with international and local humanitarian organizations, as well as with the Jordanian government. Since 2012, the IRC has been working to meet the needs of Syrian refugees and Jordanians affected by the Syria crisis through programs in health, protection, economic empowerment, and early childhood development. With a staff of 260 and more than 200 volunteers, the IRC Jordan strives to respond to client needs through integrated programming, ensuring that protection and gender are mainstreamed across interventions.

IRC Jordan began implementing Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) programs 2015 with an initial focus on women-led entrepreneurship and financial literacy. Economic empowerment has expanded its core focus to support vulnerable refugees and host community members, primarily women and youth, to access safe and sustainable livelihoods opportunities through a multi-pronged approach that addresses skills gaps, access to finance, and private sector engagement. To date, ERD programming has trained 9,847individuals (51% women) and has supported the creation of 1,023 businesses (83% women-led).

JOB OVERVIEW:

IRC is looking for an engage, hard-working, and forward-thinking teammate to join us!

Reporting to the Deputy Director of Programs (DDP), the ERD Coordinator works closely with the Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE), Grants, MEAL, Partnerships and other technical coordinators. S/he supervises the implementation, growth, and design of the ERD sector strategy.

The ERD Coordinator supervises program development, management and implementation, team management and capacity development, partner relations, and technical support for staff and partners to ensure quality implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. S/he is also responsible for maintaining a close, collaborative working relationship with relevant program sector to ensure programs are integrated and client centered.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program Management, Technical Quality, and Strategy

• Provide strategic direction, leadership and overall technical and management support to ERD programming, ensuring it is needs-based, context-appropriate, aligned with international standards, responsive, coherent, collaborative, and operationally feasible.
• Strengthen and grow the ERD program with the support of the DDP and ERD Technical Advisor(s). Define the strategic direction of the ERD programming within IRC Jordan’s Strategic Action Plan (SAP).
• Provide technical and management oversight to all ERD programming in Jordan in accordance with standard methodologies and IRC policies.
• Develop a strong understanding of local context, including the regulations that govern humanitarian and developmental interventions in Jordan.
• Work with relevant counterparts to ensure Cash Relief Operations Procedures (CROPS) are updated and relevant.
• Ensure implementation is timely, qualitative, and meets the budget through the management of project work plans and budgets (forecasting, spending plans and budget follow-up), timely recruitment, and accurate reporting based on IRC and donor regulations.
• Work closely with the relevant technical coordinators and Technical Advisors to propose integration where possible and implement initiatives that improve the overall outcomes for clients.
• Lead the identification and development of relationships with private sector, civil society and governmental actors that contribute to supporting clients’ achieving economic independence and agency.
• Use implementation and monitoring plans to support the ERD team to supervise progress against established work plans, ensuring that activities reflect the commitments IRC made to the donor and the community. Raise any implementation or monitoring issues to country leadership and technical unit regularly.
• Monitor activities through regular visits to field sites, reviews of MEAL plans, and indicator trackers. Work with MEAL to improve monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for the ERD program, including research components.
• Liaise with program leads, supply chain and finance staff to ensure timely payments, distributions and compliance for ERD activities.
• Make sure interventions are informed by data, based on evidence, aligned with humanitarian standards, and coordinated with other actors.

Program Development and Donor Relations

• Work with DDP, Grants Coordinator, and Technical Advisor to develop a fundraising and donor outreach plan.
• Proactively work to grow the Jordan ERD portfolio through the expansion of activities and the development of concept notes and proposals to existing and new donors. Serve as technical lead for new proposals and initiatives in line with the country program strategic plan, IRC program framework and IRC ERD strategies.
• Find opportunities for program adaptation and expansion that promote efficiency, innovation, and impact.
• Collaborate with local partners on identifying and designing new opportunities.
• Regularly review progress against targets and indicators. Anticipate and flag potential challenges, such as variances or over/under expenditure to the attention the DDP and the Grants team in a timely manner.
• Supervise the preparation of technical content of relevant JORISS applications.

Grant Monitoring and Reporting

• Design Meetings, Project Opening Meetings, Project Implementation Meetings, Project Learning Meetings, and Grant Closing Meetings.
• Ensure that adequate M&E systems and practices are in place to allow for data driven programmatic decision making and reporting.
• Prepare relevant and quality IRC and donor reports as per agreed-upon schedules (monthly, quarterly and/or annually) on grant activities, indicators and achievements.
• Work closely and coordinate with IRC logistics, finance and grant staff to ensure timely and compliant program activities and expenditures. Has budget authority to pre-approved limits and responsibility for budget development and compliance under the direction of the DDP.
• Ensure that all internal and external reporting requirements are met, that reports are of a high quality and are submitted on time.

Advocacy, Coordination and Representation

• Develop and maintain effective coordination and long-term relationships with external stakeholders including fellow agencies/NGOS, consortia, government departments and ministries, community-based organizations and partners, donors, and others in accurately and professionally representing IRC positions, promoting long-term strategies and resolving problems.
• Actively participate in Livelihoods Working Group to stay informed and share information on needs and gaps as well as technical development/ innovations within the sector in Jordan.
• Actively advance IRC’s connections to economic actors/private sector at a local, regional and national level, seeking avenues for partnership, collaboration and coordination of activities to ensure sustainability of interventions.
• Oversee the IRC’s relationship with partners engaged in ERD Program activities and support the identification of new partners as it relates to new programming.
• Support the sharing of information and learning across economic programming in Jordan. Identify advocacy opportunities together with the program team and based on priorities and needs identified in the Strategy Action Plan.

Staff Performance Management, Learning, and Development

• Hire, supervise, and build the capacity of ERD team members in relevant technical and management competencies.
• Coach, train, supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting annual performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.
• Ensure all ERD staff are following work plans and ERD project deliverables are completed as planned.
• Supported by the ERD Technical Advisor, be responsible for the development and implementation of staff technical capacity building plans (e.g. focused on basic assistance and livelihoods programming as well as management capacities) that promotes learning and ensures staff receive training accordingly.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions!
• Hold high-quality, one-to-one weekly meetings with direct reports on a regular and predictable basis.
• As required, identify staff performance issues and work with Human Resources to document and address these in line with National Staff Employment Policies.
• Promote staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices.
• The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

Position Reports to: Deputy Director of Programs**
Position directly supervises: **Acting ERD Manager

Indirect Reporting: The ERD Coordinator has a dotted “technical” line to their relevant Technical Coordinator**
Other Internal and/or external contacts: **WPE Coordinator, MEAL Coordinator, Partnerships Coordinator, Cash Unit/ Urban Manager, Government Liaison Specialist, and others.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• University degree; preferably an advanced degree in an appropriate field such as social sciences, economics, business, management, international affairs, or related topic.
• At least 5 years of proven experience in the humanitarian or development sector, preferably in complex settings.
• Strong managerial experience is required. Livelihoods experience highly desirable.
• Proven track record in conducting needs and markets assessments and propose context-appropriate solutions based on analysis.
• Strong technical, project management, proposal design, budget management, reporting, monitoring, and evaluation skills.
• Excellent leadership, relationship-building, interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively represent IRC at forums and with donors.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, with ability to express ideas and concepts clearly and persuasively with senior stakeholders.
• Able to address complex problems through a collaborative and consultative approach.
• Positive attitude to work, self-reflective, motivated, inspired, collegial.
• Proven ability to promote teamwork, thrive in a multi-cultural environment, be flexible and gracefully handle pressure.
• INGO experience required, experience with coordination systems or advocacy preferable.
• Strong command of English and Arabic are required.