Senior Program Coordinator At International Rescue Committee

IRC began working in Nigeria in October 2012 in response to a widespread flood disaster. Since then, IRC has expanded its program scope and size with the aiming of making the greatest possible contribution to meeting humanitarian needs in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states in North East Nigeria. IRC’s response includes integrated health, reproductive health and nutrition services, protection including women’s protection and empowerment services, child protection, environmental health, economic recovery and development, and education. In 2015, IRC Nigeria developed a five year Strategy Action Plan, which has health and education as high priority program areas.

Scope of work

The Senior Program Coordinator (SPC) for health and governance outcome works closely and under the supervision of the Deputy Director of Programs (DDP) to design and deliver high quality, innovative programs in close coordination and collaboration with Deputy Director Field Management and Senior Program Coordinator, Safety, education and ERD outcomes. The role has a particular focus on driving strategy implementation, leading the technical coordinators in designing high quality projects with particular attention to enhance program integration, supporting expansion into newly accessible geographic areas, and increasing IRC’s work on early recovery across the humanitarian and development nexus S/he will ensure timely and effective program delivery, coordination and technical coherence and support, monitoring, evaluation and accountability. The SPC will provide a focus on outcomes and client responsiveness, and will represent IRC programs to major stakeholders, relevant government authorities and other program partners.

Areas of responsibilities

1. Program quality and development

● Provide leadership to Program Technical Coordinators in setting priorities and delivering outcome focused programs which align with the Nigeria Strategy Action Plan.

● Ensure that program design is evidence based and uses theories of change that place crisis-affected people and their voice at the centre of IRC’s response, and lead program integration to support this.

● With HQ-based Technical Advisers, ensure that program implementation is aligned to relevant standards and makes use of tools, systems and procedures that are in place.

● Work closely with the Senior Grants Coordinator and the Grants and Partnerships Team to shape concept papers and grant proposals for submission to donors.

● Work with the M&E coordinator to build and foster a culture of learning and reflection that uses data to design and adapt programs.

● Monitor changes in the context and ensure that IRC responds where necessary.

● Alongside our existing focus on humanitarian programming, analyze gaps and needs, and help to drive a new focus on early recovery programming in appropriate geographic areas, working across the humanitarian-development nexus.

● Support Program Coordinators in creating and maintaining up-to-date briefings, factsheets and updates for external stakeholders.

2. Program Implementation

● Provide leadership to program technical coordinators in ensuring effective grant start-up, implementation review and close-out meetings are planned and conducted in a timely manner with full participation of all relevant stakeholders from programs and support teams, and that actions are taken as a result.

● Provide leadership for Program Coordinators in the timely and high-quality implementation of programs, and promote regular reviews – both internal and external – and other learning events.

● Provide support to the Country Emergency Team during the scale up of a sudden onset humanitarian response and during the deployment phase

● Ensure program coordination, and that managers and technical coordinators for cross-cutting themes work together effectively according to program work plans.

● Conduct frequent field visits to all project sites for monitoring, quality control and program staff mentoring and coaching.

● Coordinate high-level reporting on country-level indicators such as beneficiary numbers, design for impact indicators, cluster data and other information as needed.

● Ensure that donor reports produced by the programs team effectively demonstrate the impact of IRC’s interventions.

3. HR and Staff Management

● Help to drive a culture of ambitious, responsible, and committed leadership amongst Sector Coordinators and other program leaders.

● Enhance the performance management for staff under your sectors, direct and indirect line management

● Support program staff through close attention to staff care, mentoring, and development.

● Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

● Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem solving options, and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

4. Representation and Advocacy

● In coordination with the DDP/DDFM, actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders in Nigeria including local communities, donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors.

● Ensure IRC active representation and participation in the relevant clusters/sectors coordination

● Develop strategic partnerships with local organizations.

● In coordination with the DDP and DDFM, assist in organizing donor visits by supporting staff in the smooth design and running of field visits.

Requirements

Essential

● Master’s degree preferably in Health, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, International humanitarian Law International Development or Humanitarian Assistance

● Experience managing programs in relevant technical area(s) that may include, health, reproduction health, Nutrition, and WASH n

● Should possess minimum 5 years of international assignments experiences in humanitarian and development work

● Experience managing humanitarian relief and/or transitional programs in areas affected by large scale displacements due to conflict and chronic food and nutritional insecurity

● Demonstrated experience in program management, project design and use of project design tools

● Demonstrated experience in supervising expatriate and national staff, and in mentoring of national staff and with strong commitment to staff capacity development; Demonstrated qualities of leadership, sensitivity to cultural settings, communication skills, commitment, and sound judgment

● Aptitude to adapt to a different context regarding security, culture, climate or health issue, demonstrated by experience outside of country of origin

● Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines, and work independently and cooperatively with team members.

● Willingness to travel in the field at least 50% of your time

● Commitment to women’s rights and IRC’s vision, mission and values, including sensitivity to cultural settings

Desirable

● Experience of CTP programming

Specific security situation/ housing

The Senior Program Coordinator will be based in Maiduguri, Borno, Nigeria with travel throughout the sites where IRC has a presence. The security situation in North East Nigeria continues to be volatile with security level at 3 (orange); candidates should be prepared to implement programming in insecure environments. This is a non-accompanied position, and the Senior Program Coordinator will live in shared housing.

Standards for professional conduct

The IRC and IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in The IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Equality, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces a range of policies, including on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.