Food Security and Livelihoods Manager At International Rescue Committee

Our organization responds to the world’s worst humanitarian emergencies and helps people affected by humanitarian crises, including the climate crisis, survive, recover and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the organization works in more than 50 countries to create a lasting impact by providing healthcare, helping children learn and empowering people and communities to be self-sufficient, always seeking to address the inequalities faced by women and girls.

The humanitarian crisis in Venezuela continues to escalate. Venezuelans face hyperinflation, putting them out of reach of basic goods and services, including healthcare and food. Shortages of medical supplies make it difficult to diagnose and treat communicable diseases and sexual and reproductive health needs, among other services. Lack of food has led to hunger and malnutrition. Between 2015 and 2018, more than three million Venezuelans left to seek goods and services, mainly in neighboring countries.

Our Organization provides emergency response services in the states of Zulia, Lara, Falcón, Táchira and Apure, working in collaboration with Venezuelan civil society organizations, we provide essential services to vulnerable people, including Primary Health Care (PHC), Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), Nutrition, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response, child protection prevention and response, Education in Emergencies, Food Security and Livelihoods. This strategic approach allows us to provide vital care to people in need in Venezuela, aligning ourselves with the commitment to strengthen localization and empower national actors.

Job Overview:

We are currently seeking a Food Security and Livelihoods Manager to manage projects in this sector. The Manager leads implementation, primarily through strategic partners, and coordinates with the organization’s finance and supply, HR, MEAL and partnership management staff to ensure proper proposal formulation, reporting, project management and execution and activities against the logical framework, work schedule and budget plan, submitted by partners, as well as ensuring relevant participation of partners throughout the project cycle, including formulation. The Manager is expected to travel frequently to the field to inform decision-making, particularly during community awareness raising, training, project selection and conflict resolution activities.

Main responsibilities:

Technical Quality and Program Development

• Provide strategic direction, leadership and general technical and administrative support to the management of food security, livelihoods and WASH projects.
• Under the leadership of the senior program coordination, contribute to the construction of the country strategy for the food security, livelihoods and WASH sector in Venezuela, in line with the Strategic Action Plan (SAP) and the general recommendations delivered by the Livelihoods and WASH clusters respectively.
• Develop and maintain a work plan for food security and livelihoods and WASH projects.
• Develop and maintain a strategic plan for positioning food security and livelihoods and WASH projects.
• Develop tools and processes for the implementation of food security, livelihoods and WASH projects.
• Advance monitoring, follow-up and coordination with local partners and support areas of the organization.
• Lead food security, livelihoods and WASH proposal/budget development and design processes that ensure new or adapted programming for the sector focuses on maximizing efficiency, impact and integrated approaches.
• Under the leadership of Senior Programme Coordination, contribute to the development of relevant reporting that will build donor engagement on food security, livelihoods and WASH.
• Lead the identification and pre-positioning of relevant implementation partnerships with local and international NGOs, community-based organizations, government agencies, businesses and business networks, and financial service providers to better enable sustainable service to our clients.
• Ensure the robustness, monitoring and implementation of the referral process, PQR, safeguarding of partners in food security and livelihood projects.
• Ensure the monitoring and implementation of the Community Mobilization strategy in coordination with field management.

Project planning and management

• Identify partners’ support needs and provide them with technical support as needed, taking into account the guidelines in the organization’s PEERS manual for working with partners.
• Prepare and update work plans according to the goals and general schedule of the grant in coordination with partners.
• Coordinate with supply staff the purchasing plan, finance, spending plan and grants to ensure that program activities and expenses are consistent with the execution plan
• Provide technical support to partners
• Ensure timely review and feedback of partner reports
• Accompany implementing partners in meeting goals and building quality reports that, in addition to results-oriented management, demonstrate community ownership and transformation.
• Manage activities and coordinate actions with partners and team in field offices remotely.
• Prepare field missions to support and build local capacity in partners and regional teams.

Human Resources Management

• Manage and coordinate with partners responsible for implementing food security and livelihoods programme activities.
• Plan, coordinate and oversee partner plans and staff training/development activities
• Set clear goals and expectations for the team and provide regular, positive and constructive feedback to direct reports
• Maintain open and professional relationships with team members and partners.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• Coordinate with the MEAL team the design, update and implementation of monitoring tools, logical frameworks and verifiable indicators
• Support monitoring and follow-up activities to improve the client (beneficiary) experience and evaluate project results
• Conduct monitoring visits to assess progress and identify implementation issues, provide solutions as needed
• Ensure that the feedback and complaints management mechanism is effective
• Ensure the functionality of the customer referral process
• Ensure the quality of reports to national information systems specific to the humanitarian sector.

Coordination and Representation

• Articulate the work of the organization at a local level, seeking avenues for association, collaboration and coordination of activities to ensure the sustainability of the interventions
• Participate in working groups around socio-economic inclusion and development, business development and employment promotion to disseminate program successes, analyze implementation challenges and share best practices.
• Participate in working groups related to Food Safety to share successful experiences and identify good practices that enrich the work.
• Participate in the WASH cluster to generate links between its components and other food security management in the territories.
• Undertake/participate in liaison, coordination and information exchange activities with national NGOs, international organizations, donors and government institutions.

Responsibilities of SG- SST:

All supervisory positions (i.e. those with personnel under their charge) must ensure adequate working conditions and environment in their area of ​​action, department, area or program, analyzing the work being carried out and identifying possible potential risks and will take whatever action is necessary to proceed to minimize or reduce them, complying with and enforcing the established health and safety objectives, monitoring compliance with good practices. Likewise, they must participate in the investigation of work accidents that occur in their respective area, department or program, participate in and promote the participation of those under their supervision in prevention activities, and be accountable to the competent authorities and interested parties, periodically and/or when requested. Failure to comply with health and safety responsibilities and functions will be considered a serious offense and will be grounds for disciplinary proceedings and measures and/or termination of the employment contract.

Job Requirements:

Education:

• University degree in economics, environmental or agro-industrial engineering, business administration, social sciences or related field. Master’s degree in related field.

Preferred experience and skills:

• Minimum of 4 years’ work experience in humanitarian response project management, ideally in livelihoods, food security and/or WASH (e.g. primary production of food or minor species, water purification, treatment at source)
• Minimum 2 years of experience in coordinating project implementation with implementing partners
• Strong experience with coordination with allies and supervision of teams
• Strong managerial and project management experience is required
• Previous experience working in emergency environments, insecure environments, or remote administration situations is preferred.
• Strong budget planning and tracking skills, purchase projections and logical framework monitoring are required.
• Strong experience in proposal design and report preparation.

Demonstrated skills and competencies:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as a general ability to be clear and concise in all communications
• Strong organizational and time management skills; Proven ability to prioritize and deliver on time
• Strong analytical skills to solve problems
• Ability to work both independently and in a dynamic, cross-functional global team structure
• Highly proficient in the Microsoft Office suite
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels
• Ability to manage and work through change in a proactive and positive manner.

Work environment ***:***

• Changing work environment.
• The geographic presence and movement of work and the scope of the program may change as the program grows.
• Frequent travel is possible.

Standards of professional conduct

Workers and the organization must adhere to the values ​​and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. In accordance with these values, the organization operates and implements policies on the protection of the beneficiary from exploitation and abuse, child safeguarding, workplace harassment, fiscal integrity and anti-retaliation.

Gender Equality : Our Organization is committed to reducing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce, including parental leave, gender-sensitive safety protocols, and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Equal Opportunity Employer : We are an equal opportunity employer and consider all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.