Food Security and Livelihoods Manager At International Medical Corps

International Medical Corps is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through healthcare training and relief and development programs.

Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in areas worldwide. By offering training and healthcare to local populations and medical assistance to people at high risk, and with the flexibility to respond rapidly to emergency situations, International Medical Corps rehabilitates devastated healthcare systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance.

Background

When catastrophe hits, International Medical Corps is often one of the first humanitarian aid organizations on the scene providing rapid and effective aid that saves lives, reduces suffering, and promotes self-reliance.

International Medical Corps provides safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and patient centered care; offers needs-based response according to the context and type of sudden onset disaster (SOD) and/or outbreak in the affected nation; adopts a human rights-based approach to its response; ensures it is accessible to all sections of the population affected by the SOD and/or outbreak, particularly the vulnerable; and treats patients in a medically ethical manner.

International Medical Corps is accountable to patients and communities, host governments and ministries of health, and its organization and donors. International Medical Corps commits to a coordinated response under the national health emergency management authorities. International Medical Corps collaborates with the national health system, the clusters and the humanitarian community.

Selected personnel are on standby to deploy to a crisis within 48 hours. Personnel may deploy to new areas of operation or lend support to International Medical Corps teams already on the ground. International Medical Corps maintains a roster of volunteers and staff who have completed pre-deployment paperwork, orientation and training. The roster is updated on a regular basis. Through this expression of interest, applicants maintain professional profiles with International Medical Corps, so that information is complete and readily available for an emergency response deployment.

Job Purpose

This position will support International Medical Corps’ emergency response delivering outpatient clinical care to disaster-affected populations.

The primary responsibility of the the Food Security and Livelihoods Manager – Emergency Response Team is to: support the Emergency Response Management team and FSL Advisor in the planning and implementation of emergency food security, cash transfers, restocking, seeds and other food assistance activities as well as contribute to the livelihoods recovery of the disaster-affected populations. S/he will conduct the rapid FSL and multi-sectoral assessments, recruit, supervise, guide and advise field officers in the selection, registration and verification of beneficiaries as well as implementation of emergency FSL activities. S/he will draft Situational Reports and contribute to the overall response by International Medical Corps to the crisis. S/he will liaise with partners and communities to ensure the timely provision of food security and livelihood assistance and will be deployed as part of an initial team following the onset of a disaster.

*NOTE* Candidates applying to this position are indicating that they are interested in being considered for International Medical Corps’ standby roster for emergency response. Roster members will be contacted only when there is an emergency-response need for which the responder is qualified. This position will not be compensated unless responders are deployed to an emergency response.

Main Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function with or without reasonable accommodation. The tasks listed are representative of the nature and level of work assigned and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Emergency Response

• Be deployed as part of a team following the onset of disaster to undertake rapid FSL assessments and surveys.
• Participate in the initial response analysis, mapping and monitoring as necessary to contribute to appropriate emergency food security and livelihood programming.
• Recommend appropriate food security and livelihoods interventions and modalities that are in response to identified needs.
• Participate in the recruitment of emergency FSL officers, enumerators and field assistants and supervise them.

Technical and Implementation Support

• Provide technical and operational oversight for field activities with support from the Food Security and Livelihoods Advisor.
• Support the emergency FSL officers to maintain accurate records of beneficiaries, daily distribution summaries, and market data.
• Produce regular routine and ad hoc reports on emergency food security and livelihoods interventions.
• Support the Food Security and Livelihoods Advisor as required.
• Participate in the recruitment of emergency FSL officers, enumerators and field assistants and supervise them.

Coordination and representation

• Liaise with key stakeholders including the FSL Cluster, humanitarian actors, state agencies and community leaders to ensure effective collaboration and support for programs.
• Represent International Medical Corps at relevant fora including meetings to create greater visibility for programs.
• In partnership with other sectors within International Medical Corps, ensure that logistics are harmonized and interventions are coordinated to ensure an effective response.
• Organize regular review, update, and experience sharing meetings among emergency FSL staff, identify areas of concern and provide workable solutions for identified challenges.
• Work closely with Global FSL Advisor and exchange sound practices.

Capacity Building

• Assess their training needs; develop a training program to meet these needs and train them on technical aspects of planning, implementing and monitoring FSL programs including good practices for emergency FSL programming.
• Support emergency FSL officers to identify communities and persons affected by crisis and sensitize them on assistance modalities.
• Build capacity of emergency FSL officers to facilitate the targeting and selection of beneficiaries for assistance using context-appropriate methodologies.
• Support the staff to document successes, challenges and best practices for external and internal use.

General

• Deployed personnel are expected to assist with the setup, maintenance and demobilization of the clinical spaces and base camp as required.

Policy Adherence

• Actively promote PSEA (prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse) standards within International Medical Corps and among beneficiaries served by International Medical Corps.
• Adhere to the Code of Conduct, maintain humanitarian principles and respect international humanitarian law at all times.

Other duties as assigned

• The duties and responsibilities listed are representative of the nature and level of work assigned and are not necessarily all-inclusive. The fluid nature of emergency response requires personnel to adapt to a rapidly changing landscape; duties may be reconfigured to meet operational requirements.

Code of Conduct

It is our shared responsibility and obligation to prevent matters involving sexual exploitation and abuse, trafficking in persons, child safeguarding and any suggested violation to our Code of Conduct that may involve conflicts-of-interest, fraud, corruption or harassment. If you see, hear or are made aware of any such activities, you have an obligation to report.

​​**Qualification**

• Bachelor’s degree required in rural development, agriculture, economics, social development or other relevant fields.

Experience

• 5+ years of international experience in food security and livelihoods program, cash transfer and vouchers program, and food aid management, including experience in emergency response, recovery, and long term-development following natural and manmade disasters.
• Experience in conducting rapid FSL and multi-sectoral assessments and using the information to formulate appropriate immediate and long-term solutions.
• Experience implementing USAID and other emergency donor funded projects.
• Professional experience in areas of global food policy and food security with demonstrated knowledge of global trends in food security and the ability to analyze implications for regions and countries, through publications, work experience, or other means.
• Coordination and representation experience at the relevant Food Security and Livelihoods cluster coordination meetings with other agencies like governments, UN agencies and NGO meetings

Competencies

• Strong planning, coordination, and representation skills.
• Ability to conduct technical FSL assessments, read, analyze, and interpret data and write technical reports.
• Demonstrated understanding of the role of food security in preventative nutrition interventions, risk reduction, emergency response, and sustainable development and livelihoods concepts.
• Knowledge of design and implementation of appropriate and effective safety nets, including cash and/or food transfer programming.
• Familiarity with design and programming processes of different donors especially WFP, OCHA, USAID/BHA, FFP and a general familiarity with initiatives such as Feed the Future.
• Ability to provide implementation and technical support to field staff in emergency and development contexts.
• Ability to exhibit tact, diplomacy, and resourcefulness in dealing with high level officials from donor agencies, international organizations, and other foreign and domestic government officials and partners.
• Ability and willingness to travel to remote field sites and nutrition facilities.
• Must have excellent English written and oral communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with other departments within International Medical Corps, donors, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required; fluency in Spanish, French, Arabic is desirable
• Ability to cope with stress; hardship; patience and flexibility and willingness to work additional hours in order to meet tight deadlines.

Equal Opportunities

International Medical Corps is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a veteran.