Head of Base – Iraq/ Mosul (National Position) At International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND

The IRC established programs in Iraq in 2003 to address the overwhelming needs of displaced people in Iraq and the neighboring countries. Since re-establishing its presence in Iraq in November 2007, the IRC has been assisting thousands of internally displaced families in the northern, central and southern governorates in the sectors of protection, gender-based violence (GBV), education, economic recovery, child Protection and emergency humanitarian assistance. Working in coordination with the humanitarian community in Iraq, the IRC’s assistance and emergency programs address the needs of war-affected Iraqi internally displaced persons (IDPs) and Syrian refugees from several operational bases in the country and include both camp-based and urban-based assistance. IRC operates throughout Iraq, with the main office in Erbil and field offices in, Mosul. Baghdad, Kirkuk SAD, and Anbar.

Job Overview/Summary:

Under supervision of the Deputy Director of Operations, the Head of Base is responsible for overall coordination of the IRC programs in under the Ninewa governorate. Specific duties and responsibilities are outlined below. The Head of Basewill be based in Mosul and work closely with the program and operations staff in Sinjar. The Head of Basewill report to the IRC’s Deputy Director of operations based in Erbil.

Major Responsibilities:

Field Operations Management (Supply Chain, HR, security, IT and Finance)

• Coordinate all Mosul based operational functions (Supply Chain, Admin, and IT) to ensure overall management of Ninewa operational support.
• Ensure operational support for program teams and coordinate with sector coordinators and managers for effective implementation of all program activities.
• Coordinate with Humanitarian Access and Security Sr. officer on Ninewa security plans and protocols on a regular basis and ensure they are up to always date.
• Manage overall coordination of field operational budgets for Ninewa based grants; liaise closely with the finance, grants and compliance staff to monitor cash flow, review BvAs and track program operational spending.
• Prepare and submit monthly cash projections for Ninawa grants.
• Ensure that all Ninewa based staff are adhering to IRC policies, procedures and practices and are in compliance with IRC, donor and national requirements.
• In close coordination with the Deputy Director of Operations, oversee the day-to-day safety and security of IRC staff, assets and premises (office, field sites and residences).
• Ensure all required finance, SC, HR/Admin, IT and security policies and procedures are updated and disseminated to Mosul and Sinjar staff and lead various departments in the creation of field-office specific SOPs as appropriate. With the Supply Chain Coordinator, support the establishment and maintenance of strong supply chain team.
• Ensure proper ICT management systems (Information and communication technology) and control mechanisms are in place and adhered to in line with the IRC’s global and in-country IT policies.
• Regular visits to Partners, Sinjar team and other fields.

Program Support

• Support Program Coordinators and Managers in the oversight of program quality and delivery.
• Regular field visits to areas of operation including related camps, centers, and local partners, as well as programming areas in and potential new programming sites.
• Supervise relevant program managers in the related program delivery sites.
• Work in collaboration with the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning officer/Coordinator to assure appropriate monitoring and evaluation systems are maintained and program implementation is consistently documented and in line with IRC standards.
• Coordinate the execution and collection of operational needs assessments and participate in proposal development processes in cooperation with Deputy Directors and program staff. This should include contributing to and reviewing budgets to ensure that they are reasonable and sufficient to cover operational needs of the field offices and sub offices.
• Chair and lead weekly all staff meetings, and coordination meetings amongst programs and operations finance staff.

Human Resources

• In coordination with the Human Resources (HR lead) and the HR senior Officer in Mosul, ensure that human resources policies and procedures are documented, disseminated and consistently applied across Ninawa sites.
• Through collaboration with HR staff based in Erbil and program staff, ensure that each team is staffed appropriately according to need and funding availability.
• Ensure that staff have capacity development plans in place based on documented capacity needs assessments exercise. Work with the appropriate technical resource (for example the Technical Coordinators) to achieve this.
• Provide supportive guidance and supervision to the Mosul Office personnel. Discuss job expectations, set objectives and provide appropriate and timely feedback regarding performance, including timely implementation of the annual staff performance management system.
• Clearly define the training needs of direct reports and ensure they are able to access training and professional development resources appropriate to their skill gaps/needs.
• 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.
• Lead with commitment, integrity and accountability to the “IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct”.
• Coordination- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with all stakeholders in Ninawa – including community and religious leaders, NGOs, government ministries/authorities and UN agencies, to enhance cooperation and coordination between organizations.
• Working closely with Deputy director of Operations to ensure smooth functioning of the Mosul office.
• Participate in relevant working group meetings.
• Ensure various sector teams are integrated and there is cross-collaboration and coordination amongst the teams.

Representation

• Facilitate field visits for donors, IRC HQ/technical units, IRC internal staff and other external visitors.
• Represent IRC at Ninawa coordination meetings to ensure close collaboration with other humanitarian actors and the local authorities, as well as raise IRC visibility around response planning and implementation.
• Represent IRC Ninewa in external coordination and policymaking forums and networks, including liaison with donors when necessary.

Security Management

• Act as IRCs Security Focal Point for the field sites when necessary.
• Ensure all staff in the Mosul and Sinjar know and understand IRC Ninewa security regulations.
• Ensure the timely documentation of incidents and submission of reports.
• Monitor the security situation, attend security meetings and inform the SMT where appropriate, of developments through submission of accurate weekly and -where needed- ad-hoc security and incident reports.
• Participate in the review and update of the country Security Management Plan.
• Support the Security Focal Point in developing field specific contingency Plans, Medevac, Evacuation Plans and SOPs.

Professional Standards

• IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, equality 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.

Determine Impact of Work:

The level and scope of decision-making this position is responsible for are the decisions routine and limited to the execution of basic tasks. Any decision that have a wide impact, influencing organizational planning, developing policies and procedures shall be discussed with the Deputy Director of Operation.

Staff Management and Development

• Coach, train, and mentor staff with the aim of strengthening their technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing professional development guidance
• Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.
• Provide constructive feedback and counsel on appropriate career paths and professional development.
• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being; approve and manage all leave requests to ensure adequate coverage.
• Offer leadership support for successful adherence by staff to IRC’s Global HR Operating Policies and Procedures.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Deputy Director of Operations
Position directly supervises: HR Assistant, Senior Supply Chain officer, Sr. Humanitarian Access and Security officer, IT officer, MEAL officer, FARM Assistant, and All Program managers based in Mosul.

Indirect Reporting:
Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Deputy Directors- Programs, Program Coordinators, Senior Security and Humanitarian Access Coordinator; HR, Finance,

External: Heads of bases at other NGOs, vendors and service contractors

Job Requirements:

• At least 4-6 years of experience managing field offices in an INGO setting.
• College Graduate degree in Business Administration, or relevant area preferable.
• Familiarity with donor (US government, European, UN) policies and regulations is required, with IRC policies is preferable.
• Strong organizational skills, ability to coordinate and manage a diverse array of responsibilities.
• Ability to function effectively in complex work environment, set appropriate priorities and deal effectively with numerous simultaneous requirements.
• Flexibility and proven team player with ability to cultivate and maintain good working relationships with colleagues and other organizations.
• Ability to handle sensitive situations diplomatically with strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience in mentoring / capacity building of staff and commitment to staff training and development.
• Strong leadership qualities and willingness to exercise initiative. Ability to set example of leadership for staff in adherence to IRC management policies.
• Fluency in spoken and written English and Arabic

Standards of Professional Conduct: 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.

Gender Equality IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including maternity leave, gender-sensitive security protocols, and other supportive benefits and allowances. Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: Per the Iraqi Ministry of Health COVID-19 guidelines, IRC requires candidates who are selected for positions to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter IRC premises. However, the exemption is only accepted per the Iraqi Health regulation and upon the provision of a negative PCR test.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Notice to all Job Seekers

IRC implements an equal employment opportunity policy, and our recruitment process is based on merit.

Applicants and/or successful interview candidates (both internal and external) are not required to pay any fees at any stage of the recruitment process.

If anyone asks you for any financial or non-financial favors to help you secure a job at IRC, kindly report to iraq.hr@rescue.org.

ملاحظة لكل الباحثين عن وظيفة

تعتمد لجنة الانقاذ الدولية سياسة فرص عمل متساوية وان عملية التوظيف لدينا تعتمد على الجدارة .

لايتوجب على المتقدمين لاي وظيفة او المؤهلين للمقابلات (سواء كانوا موظفيين حالين او متقدمين من خارج المنظمة) دفع اي مبلغ مالي خلال اي مرحلة من مراحل التوظيف.

اذا قام اي شخص بطلب اي خدمة مالية او غير مالية لقاء مساعدتكم في تأمين فرصة عمل داخل المنظمة ،يرجى الابلاغ عن ذلك الى iraq.hr@rescue.org